Re: ORA-03121 Unable to connect to Oracle via ODBC

Billy Verreynne wrote:

> Wes Matchett wrote in message <36016111.89FD9B6D_at_augustschell.com>...
> >
> >I have the exact same symptoms - except the error code is different:
> >
> >08003 - Connection not open.
> >>
> >> I got the following problem: I'm unable to connect to my Oacle-Server
> >> (physically different machine) via ODBC. Connect via SQLNet works fine
> >> (can connect to the DB with SQL Plus etc.) but not via ODBC. Always get
> >> the error message (from OBBC-Test, MSAccess etc.) ORA-03121: no driver
> >> connected - function not performed (translated from German).
>
> There's a couple of things to remember when using Oracle with ODBC.
>
> Don't mix 16bit with 32bit. For example, 32bit ODBC will not work work with
> 16bit SQL*Net.

Both are 32b versions.

> Make sure that the environmental variable PATH points to the
> $ORACLE_HOME/bin directory (e.g. PATH=%PATH%;C:\ORAWIN95\BIN in
> autoexec.bat). ODBC needs to find the OCI DLLs - and if the path does not
> say where, it will not find them.
>

Yes, its correct. As a check I copied all .dll files from /orant/bin to winnt/system32.

> Make sure that the ODBC "system" is installed. If you don't have the ODBC
> 32bit Admin in your control panel, you can not (I think) use an ODBC driver.
> You need the standard ODBC suite first and then install your ODBC drivers.
>

Yes, Control Panel contains the 32bit ODBC app.

> Even then you're not guaranteed that it will work. Thank Microsoft for the
> inherant instability of Windows'95 that can cause endless problems to
> application software and drivers. Which usually can only be solved by a
> format and a clean install of everything from scratch...
>

This is on an NT 4.0 w/ sp3i installed.

> ODBC sucks. So don't expect any great performance nor any robustness from
> Oracle ODBC drivers. Many times they do not even implement Oracle's SQL
> properly. Real client-server software use a proper NATIVE(!) interface. ODBC
> is fine for mickey mouse programs. IMO. :-)
>

I have been using this configuration on three other machines for almost a year with no problems. I have installed the exact same software and yesterday I installed a new NT partition with just the Oracle client software. I still have the same problem. I began to suspect the Oracle server, so I added an alias to tnsnames.ora which points to a server at a different location via a dialup ppp. Still the same problem. SQL+ works fine, ODBC falls on its face.

I am so open to suggestions I would consider incense or a good swift kick. After reinstalling the OS, I was sure it wasn't a client issue, but then the failure occurs when connecting to a different server. BTW, I can connect to desired server from the ODBC tools running locally on the server machine.

Brain Fried,
-Wes Received on Fri Sep 18 1998 - 09:19:56 CDT