What’s Oracle?

Oracle is a multi-model relational database management system, mainly designed for enterprise grid-computing and data warehousing. It is one of the first choices for enterprises for cost-effective solutions for their applications and data management. It supports SQL as a query language to interact with the database.

Now let’s discuss how to use Oracle in the FDU environment.

Accessing Oracle

FDU provides Oracle access to students and faculty on the Opus server. The Oracle environment is provided to support coursework and skill development.

Opus users are automatically granted access to Oracle after first successful login (It may take up to six hours before access is available).

If you do not already have Opus access you will need to request access by completing the Form:

Opus (Linux) Form

Access to the Opus server is restricted to FDU networks only. If you are off campus and would like to access Opus for your Oracle work you will need to use FDU’s Virtual Private Network (VPN).

You will need to use SSH to connect to the Opus server:

The Oracle Database is accessed using the SQL Plus utility, which has a command-line interface. To start using SQL Plus simply type “sqlplus /” on the Opus command line.

Interactive use can then start by entering a SQL statement (terminated by a semicolon), a PL/SQL block, or another command. For example:

SQL> select 'Hello world' as example from dual;

EXAMPLE
--------------------------------
Hello world

Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Acceptable Use Policy for Computer Usage states, “All computers and mobile devices accessing any FDU resource must run an operating system and configuration that is supported by its vendor with regard to security patches and updates.”

This guide defines the lifecycle of our support for different operating systems.

Support Status Descriptions

Active (Default)	This platform is supported by FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking and new machines will be built with this platform unless otherwise requested.
Active	This platform is supported by FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking and will be installed on request.
Containment	This platform is currently supported by FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking but no new machines will be built with this platform. Platforms in containment will receive security updates and patches for the FDU supported software components. FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking Facilities will not provide new software or major revisions to existing software for these platforms.
Phasing Out	FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking is actively working to migrate assets away from this platform. Platforms go in to this status automatically 6 months before the FDU End of Support Date. Platforms may be placed in this status before that time.
EOL	This platform is no longer supported by FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking. Software support will be dropped from any asset running this platform. Other levels of support may be dropped as circumstances warrant. A valid reason is required to maintain an asset running this platform past the End of FDU Support date. All exceptions must be logged and periodically reviewed.

Supported Operating Systems

OS Family	Operating System	Latest Release	FDU Support Status	Vendor Release Date	Start of FDU Support	End of FDU Support	Latest Vendor EOL Date
Windows Desktop	Windows 11	23H2	Active (Default)	Oct-2023	Jul-2024	Oct-2026	Nov-2026
		22H2	Phasing Out	Sep-2022	Jul-2023	Jul-2024	Oct-2025
	Windows 10	22H2	Phasing Out	Oct-2022	Dec-2022	May-2025	Oct-2025
Apple Devices	macOS Sequoia	15	Active (Default)	Sept-2024	Nov-2024	Jun-2027	~2027
	macOS Sonoma	14	Active (Default)	Sep-2023	Nov-2023	Jun-2026	~2026
	macOS Ventura	13	Phasing Out	Oct-2022	Dec-2022	Jun-2025	~2025

What’s SFTP and SCP?

Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is a file protocol for transferring large files over the web. It builds on the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and includes Secure Shell (SSH) security components. This term is also known as Secure Shell (SSH) File Transfer Protocol. Secure copy protocol (SCP) is another method to securely transfer files between a your local PC and a remote host or between two remote hosts. It is also based on the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol.

Linux / Mac

If you are running a Linux or Mac computer, SFTP and SCP clients are already installed, so you don’t need to download anything using those OS. You can open up a terminal window and run the either command like below to connect to a remote Linux server.

sftp username@opus.fdu.edu

or

scp filename username@132.238.2.116:

Windows

Option 1: Use WinSCP (Recommended)

You will need to download and install WinSCP:

Download WinSCP

1. Launch the WinSCP program
   
2. In the login window, click “New Site“
   

3. Fill out the information as follows:
   • Host name: Enter opus.fdu.edu
   • User name: (username on FDU Linux servers will be the part of your FDU NetID to the left of the @ sign)
     
4. Click “Advanced…”
   • Select “Environment > SFTP” and enable “Allow SCP fallback“
     

5. Click “OK“
   
6. Click “Save“, enter a name for the connection, and click “OK“
   
7. In the WinSCP login window, select the connection name and click “Login“

Option 2:

Install Putty, which also includes PSCP (SCP for Windows) and SFTP (SFTP for Windows):

Download Putty

​Please select the latest version of MSI (‘Windows Installer’) for your computer (32-bit or 64-bit)

Optionally you may choose to download only “pscp.exe“(SCP for Windows) or “psftp.exe” (SFTP for Windows) and copy into the folder where you need to use it.

Once you have installed your program of choice, you’ll be able to launch each command from the Command Line of Windows.

pscp -P 22 filename username@opus.fdu.edu:

psftp username@opus.fdu.edu

Accessing the Opus server

The Opus server can be access using secure transport protocols such as SSH and SFTP. Access is only allowed from campus networks. All off campus users will need to access Opus using FDU’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) to use the Opus server

What’s SSH?

SSH stands for Secure Shell, which was invented in 1995 to replace the insecure Telnet (Telecommunication Network). It’s now the primary way for system administrators to securely log into remote Linux servers over the public Internet. Although it looks and acts the same as Telnet, all communications over the SSH protocol are encrypted to prevent packet sniffing.

Linux / Mac

If you are running a Linux or Mac computer, SSH client is installed by default. You can open up a terminal window and run the ssh command like below to connect to a remote Linux server.

ssh username@opus.fdu.edu

or

ssh username@132.238.2.116

Now let’s discuss how to use SSH on Windows.

Windows

Method 1: Windows 10’s Built-in SSH Client

The Microsoft PowerShell team decided to port OpenSSH (both the client and the server) to Windows in 2015. It finally arrived in Windows 10’s Fall Creator Update in 2017 and is enabled by default in the April 2018 Update.

To use the OpenSSH client on Windows 10, simply open a PowerShell window or a command prompt window and run the ssh command. For example, if I want to connect to the Opus Linux server on the FDU network, I would run

ssh username@opus.fdu.edu

username on FDU Linux servers will be the part of your FDU NetID to the left of the @ sign (username@fdu.edu becomes just username) and opus.fdu.edu is name the Linux server you want to access (The IP address of the Linux server can also be used). The first time you connect to a Linux computer, you will be prompted to accept the host key. Then enter your password to login. After login, you can run Linux commands to do tasks.

To log out from the Linux box, run the “exit” command or press “Ctrl+D“.

The default font size in PowerShell Window is very small. To change it, right-click the titlebar and select properties, then you can change the font size, and the background color.

Method 2: Use SSH in Windows Subsystem for Linux

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) enables you to run native Linux command-line tools directly on Windows 10. If you are a system administrator, WSL is probably an overkill for just using SSH because it would install and run a Linux distro (without graphical user interface) on your Windows 10 desktop. WSL is created for web developers or those who need to work on open-source projects. You can use not only SSH but also other Linux command line tools (Bash, sed, awk, etc).

Open the Microsoft Store and enter “WSL” in the search box. Select Run Linux on Windows and install a Linux distro of your choice.

For example, I choose “Ubuntu” and click the “Get” button to install it.

Once your Linux distro is installed, open the Control Panel and select Programs => Turn Windows features on or off. Tick on the checkbox of Windows Subsystem for Linux to enable this feature. (You may need to reboot your Windows PC for this change to take effect.)

Next, you can launch the Linux distro from the start menu by search the distro’s name. The first time you launch it, you need to create a user and set a password.

After that, you can use the ssh command like below to connect to a Linux server or PC that runs a SSH server.

ssh username@opus.fdu.edu

Method 3: Use Putty

Putty is a well-known and the most popular SSH client on Windows before the arrival of Windows OpenSSH client and Windows Subsystem for Linux. To use SSH with Putty, you need to download the Putty program from the official website and install it.

Launch Putty from the Start menu. Then enter the IP address or hostname of the Linux box and click the Open button to connect to it.

Accept the host key and you will be prompted to enter the username and password.