Users initiate a connect request by passing a user name and password along with an identifier for the service to which they wish to connect. That identifier, called a net service name, is mapped to a network description contained in a connect descriptor. When an end user connects to a service, a connect string that identifies the service through a net service name is used. For example:
connect username/password@net_service_name
Depending on your needs, net service names can be stored in a variety of places, including: