Oracle Forms

Use the SYS_CONTEXT to return the client machine name in forms 10g

SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV', 'TERMINAL')

For the operating system identifier for the client of the current session.

SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV', 'OS_USER')

For the operating system user name of the client process that initiated the database session.

SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV', 'SESSION_USER')

For enterprises users, returns the schema. For other users, returns the database user name by which the current user is authenticated. This value remains the same throughout the duration of the session.

Using the OS_USER you can further make sure that the user is only logged on to the OS with his/her own username.


Tony

Edited by: Tony Garabedian on Sep 4, 2008 1:00 PM

Hi Tony

Many thanks for your quick reply.

I have just now tested your solution. However, I am afraid, it didn't work. The query

Select SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV','TERMINAL')
from Dual

used in the Forms 10g, still returns the machine name of Application Server and NOT the client machine name.

Cheers
Mayur

Sorry, my bad, again I didn't realize I was logged in on the Application server when I was testing.

The most easy solution is to use webutil's get client info package this package will help you to get most of client's machine information.

You can download these packages from [Forms 10g Demo|http://www.oracle.com/technology/sample_code/products/forms/index.html]


Hope this helps


Tony

Hello,

Just to add to Tony's suggestion, download the webutil Forms demo FMB. It has examples of the webutil statements for getting all sorts of info about the client.

In addition to the above,maybe it helps to know that Webutil functions are :

Webutil_clientinfo.get_host_name
Webutil_clientinfo.get_ip_address

and Webutil Demo : http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/forms/htdocs/webutil/Webutil_demo.zip

I wouldn't recommend that, leave the action for what's the application/module/form is doing, and which transaction or batch processing is running. You should write any information regarding the client in the CLIENT_INFO and not the ACTION.


Tony

Well, we didn't use the action field before (and Forms itself doesn't seem to use it either) and it's only used temporarily during the logon process now. Anyway, we're already using hte client_info field for another purpose and its length is limited to only 64 bytes I think so we cannot use that. And "logging on with IP ..." just looks like an action to me :)

Yes the CLIENT_INFO is limited to 64 bytes, we populate values in it only separated with an " ! " and we have a function that returns the needed value of the passed number parameter.


Tony

Thanks to Tony, leidner and other contributors to this thread for your inputs.

I have liked the suggestion of leidner to use Action column of V$Session to store the local machine name using DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO package although I completely agree with Tony that Action column should not be used for such purpose.

For those of you who have suggested to use Webutil, I would like to highlight that for my this requirement Webutil cannot be used. This is because Webutil returns the information for the user's current machine to which he is connected to. It will not give you the details for other users' machine.

To make it more clear, conside this example:

Lets assume that there are two machines, MACHINE-A and MACHINE-B. USER-A is connected to MACHINE-A and USER-B is connected to MACHINE-B. Webutil will give the details to USER-A for MACHINE-A only. While being connected to MACHINE-A, USER-A cannot get the details of MACHINE-B.

In view of this requirement, the only option for me was to use something from database either by using Oracle's views like V$SESSION, package like DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO or write our own customised stored procedures/ packages.

Cheers
Mayur

I strongly suggest you to use the CLIENT_INFO and not the ACTION.

ACTION column is used by Oracle database, Application Server and many other Oracle and third party tools, and that's why they have the CLIENT_INFO column. If think this is not enough, try to store only useful information.


For your requirement to have information stored about the user sessions, why you want to re-invent the wheel :) ??? The application server already does that for you in the session logs for each session under %ORACLE_HOME/forms/em/em_[ pid ].rti files, these are flat files that can be read using TEXT_IO.
This way you can read any user's complete session information from any other users.

To view Forms Session information in the EM / AS console, set the Forms applet parameters em_mode=1 and allow_debug=true. This method among others are clearly explained in metalink Note: 97580.1


Tony

Hi,

I am also facing the same problem.

The Dbms_Application_Info does work but is not 100% solution to the problem. Let me explain in detail.

Oracle user A logs in to http://....com/forms/frmservlet?config=default&form=machinename.fmx from Machine A
Same user A logs in to http://....com/forms/frmservlet?config=default&form=machinename.fmx from Machine B

machinename.fmx has button which when clicked should return Machine A or Machine B when button is clicked
I cant use webutil and text_io as they work from front end only, requirement is to get it from backend
So, as a test case, this machinename.fmx has a button, which calls a backend function returning the machine name...using syscontext/v$session is not working.

The actual requirement is that - in the application when a user performs any action, it writes/updates many tables, say 3. There is trigger on these 3 tables which should capture the machine name from which action is performed and update the machinename column in those tables. This works well in client/server environment - forms 6i - syscontext, etc work.

I am looking for alternative in 10g.

Early reply is appreciated.

Thanks,
Abhijit

If you have read the threads you posted in you would have found the solution :)

You are working in 3 tier architecture, the functions that work in Forms 6i might not work in 10g, to get the client IP address, machine name etc... you need to use webutil's function as stated in this thread.

If you have other problems please post your question in a new thread.


Tony