In my mind, if someone is doing such things in code, this is probably a bad practice. Also I'm not sure it's a great idea from a security point-of-view to allow such things. Anyone else have any thoughts here? RF Robert G. Freeman Master Principle Consultant, Oracle Corporation Oracle ACE Author: Oracle Database 11g RMAN Backup and Recovery (Oracle Press) - ON ITS WAY SOON! OCP: Oracle Database 11g Administrator Certified Professional Study Guide (Sybex) Oracle Database 11g New Features (Oracle Press) Oracle Database 10g New Features (Oracle Press) Other various titles Blog: http://robertgfreeman.blogspot.com ________________________________ From: "TESTAJ3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <TESTAJ3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Wed, February 17, 2010 1:15:18 PM Subject: ok for the last 18 yrs in using oracle I must have been asleep, "implied database link" Ok so a co-worker asks a question about an implied database link, i'm like "huh". so a database link is NOT created in the source database but the userid/password are the same in both source and destination. take for example system on db1 and db2 has a password of x12345. I do a select count(*) from dba_users@db2 while connected on db1 and it connects and returns a result set w/o a db link being created. I've been enlightened again of something new about oracle. so the question posed is, for a named db link you do "close" it, how do you close an implied link? joe _______________________________________ Joe Testa, Oracle Certified Professional Senior Engineering & Administration Lead (Work) 614-677-1668 (Cell) 614-312-6715 Interested in helping out your marriage? Ask me about "Weekend to Remember"