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Connecting Keycloak to Oracle with sqlplus

Andrios Robert

• 1 min read

The server waits. Keycloak hums in the background, its identity and access management engine ready for commands. You need SQL-level control. You reach for sqlplus. This is where Keycloak and sqlplus meet.

Keycloak uses a relational database—PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Oracle—to store realms, clients, roles, and user data. When the deployment runs against Oracle Database, sqlplus becomes a direct path into the schema. It allows you to query, inspect, and manipulate tables under the Keycloak system without leaving the terminal.

Why connect Keycloak with sqlplus?

  • Inspect changes in real-time after administrative actions.
  • Debug database-level performance issues.
  • Run maintenance scripts directly on the Keycloak schema.
  • Audit or export sensitive entries with precision.

Direct Steps to Access Keycloak DB via sqlplus:

  1. Identify the database connection details from keycloak.conf or environment variables.
  2. Ensure Oracle Database is online and reachable from your Keycloak host.
  3. Run:
sqlplus keycloak_user@//db-host:1521/service_name
  1. Enter the password when prompted.
  2. Query the tables:
SELECT * FROM REALM;
SELECT * FROM USER_ENTITY;
  1. Commit changes only when needed. The Keycloak service will reflect modifications instantly.

Best Practices for Keycloak sqlplus Operations:

  • Always back up the schema before running DML or DDL commands.
  • Avoid direct changes to core tables unless required for recovery or migration.
  • Use read-only queries for audits and investigations.
  • Keep database credentials encrypted and never hardcoded in scripts.
  • Test scripts on a staging Keycloak instance first.

Common Queries with sqlplus in Keycloak Environments:
Fetch all active users:

SELECT USERNAME FROM USER_ENTITY WHERE EMAIL_VERIFIED = 1;

List all realms:

SELECT NAME FROM REALM;

View recent events:

SELECT * FROM EVENT_ENTITY ORDER BY EVENT_TIME DESC FETCH FIRST 50 ROWS ONLY;

Keycloak and sqlplus together cut through layers of abstraction. You get direct, surgical access to data. It’s faster to diagnose issues, faster to analyze usage, faster to keep everything in sync.

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