Re: Connecting to a remote database with SQL*Plus

damorgan <damorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message news:<3DE7EBCA.C5FC8E4E_at_exesolutions.com>...
> Steve Mazerski wrote:
> > Is it possible to connect to connect to the server from the
> > workstation using the workstation's local SQL*Plus, and if
> > so how?

> I can't imagine how not to do it. That is the entire purpose of
> SQL*Plus.
>
> Assuming you have tried and failed please post the error message you are
> getting along with version, edition, operating system, etc. information.
>
> Were I to assume you asked this question without ever trying I would
> have to bang my head against a wall and that would hurt.

Ah, that is my job (i.e. banging my head, not yours), I have in my haste ignored one of the basic rules of posting to technical groups ;-).

Anyway I am surrounded by books with titles like "Oracle for Idiots", "The Complete Loser's Guide To Kidding Yourself You Have A Chance of Understanding Oracle" and the information I have says to add a specified database name to the connection string, e.g.

  sqlplus user/password_at_name_of_remote_database

but SQL*PLUS says

ERROR:
ORA-12154: TNS:could not resolve service name

which doesn't surprise me, but I can't find how to provide the information about which server the database is on. I tried

  sqlplus user/password_at_remote.server

but got

ERROR:
ORA-12514: TNS:listener could not resolve SERVICE_NAME given in connect descriptor

I would just ssh to the server and use SQL*PLUS there, but something in my local setup (NOT an Oracle problem) means the backspace key doesn't work in SQL*PLUS when I do that. (Mind you, took me a while to remember SQL*PLUS does actually support character deletion. <rant>I live in the hope that one day it will support advanced features such as being able to move the cursor back and forth on the current line, though that will be the day Oracle releases middleware for the porcine aviation industry </rant>. Disclaimer: Yes, I do know knowing SQL*PLUS is a Good Thing and I am a CLI type person; vi is my editor of choice.).

Oh yes, workstation and server are both Linux, if that plays a role.

Steve Mazerski Received on Sat Nov 30 2002 - 03:24:13 CST