Shared Connections and Private Connections

You connect to data sources through shared or private connections.

Shared Connections

Shared connections are either:
- Accessed from a central server location and available to multiple users through the Smart View Panel.
- Stored either on each Oracle Smart View for Office client machine or on a web server in an XML file created by a system administrator. The connections in the XML file are then available to the user through shared connections in the Smart View Panel.
  
  See "Accessing Shared Connections from an XML File" in the Oracle Smart View for Office Installation and Configuration Guide for information on preparing and distributing this XML file.
You cannot add, edit, or rename shared connections, but you can save them as private connections, which you can edit and rename.
Private Connections

Private connections are those that you create by saving a shared connection to your local computer or by entering a URL to a provider that is not configured for shared connections. When you create a private connection, it becomes the active connection.