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Home -> Community -> Mailing Lists -> Oracle-L -> Another myth goes by the wayside
I learned something new today. We were getting an error when our VB app was
connecting to the base: "ORA-12505 TNS: listener could not resolve SID
given in connect descriptor". It was an obvious tnsnames problem. So we
punch up the c:\orant\network\admin\tnsnames.ora and we find some problems.
We fix them and try again. No go. Program still blows on the ORA-12505. I
punch up a command prompt and do a tnsping. It works. So programs do not
work, but the tnsping does. Hmmmm. Do a search on the computer registry.
No entries for TNS_ADMIN. Do a search for TNSNAMES.ORA on the computer. No
other files found other than the one we're looking at. We rename the
c:\orant\network\admin\tnsnames.ora to kill it. Still get the same error
message. Finally, my coworker notices that there is a TNSNAMES.ORA on a
mapped network drive that she uses to copy to users PC's. This tnsnames
file happens to be located in the working directory as specified by the icon
that runs the program. We punch it up and fix it. Program works.
So what we learned is that the working directory of the icon becomes the first search point for SQLNET! Not ORACLE_HOME/network/admin. Not anything in the path. No, the first search is the icon's working directory.
These PC's were sqlnet 2.3.4 as clients, but I have tested it on my 8i clients and it does it there too. This happens whether or not the TNS_ADMIN value is set in the registry or environment variables.
After carefully searching metal link, I found paper 114085.1 and it does
have a reference to it. It says Oracle 9i, but it is the same for 7 and 8.
Here's a clip:
Windows NT/2000 running Oracle 9i
First: The directory where the application is launched. For example, if
sqlplus resides in
ORACLE_HOME\bin\sqlplus but was launched from the c:\temp directory, then
c:\temp is searched for a tnsnames.ora file.
Second: The value of the TNS_ADMIN environment variable.
Third: ORACLE_HOME\network\admin
So if you really want to have some fun (hey, April fools day is just around the corner), slip a rogue tnsnames file out there on your fellow DBA's and see if he finds it... Cheers!
--Chris
--
Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
--
Author: Bowes, Chris
INET: Chris.Bowes_at_kosa.com
Fat City Network Services -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com San Diego, California -- Mailing list and web hosting servicesto: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing). Received on Fri Dec 13 2002 - 10:48:35 CST
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