Re: What's a quick simple way to test Oracle connectivity between client and database server?

Thx Geoff. This answers the subject question. I will now open a new post on the topic, specific to my problem.

"Geoff Muldoon" <geoff.muldoon_at_trap.gmail.com> wrote in message news:MPG.237922f5416b3a469896ae_at_news.x-privat.org...
> Spin says...
>> "Mark D Powell" <Mark.Powell_at_eds.com> wrote in message
>> news:ce947e1a-0877-4e46-a638-91d48e92e403_at_u29g2000pro.googlegroups.com...
>> On Nov 1, 11:53 pm, "Spin" <S..._at_invalid.com> wrote:
>> Try the tnsping utility: tnsping service_name
>>
>> The utility sends a message to listener specified by the tnsnames.ora
>> file entry for the service_name listed on the command line and
>> responds with ping type information.
>
>> Is service_name a placeholder for something or do I literally type
>> "service_name"?
>
> On your client machine - in the tnsnames.ora file - you must have an entry
> (or entries if you want the client to be able to connect to more than one
> server or instance) which "describes" your server/instance to the client.
>
> eg:
> my_first_database =
> (DESCRIPTION =
> (ADDRESS =
> (PROTOCOL = TCP)
> (HOST = myserver.whereveritis.com)
> (PORT = 1521)
> )
> (CONNECT_DATA =
> (SERVICE_NAME = whatever_the_dba_called_it)
> )
> )
>
> Yes, lower case entries in the above example are placeholders. HOST can
> be be defined using a DNS-enabled name or an IP address. PORT in my
> example is the usual default, SERVICE_NAME may or may not be a fully
> qualified name depending on the how your database administrator set up the
> server instance's listener. Often the entry name (my_first_database) and
> the SERVICE_NAME (whatever_the_dba_called_it) are the same, but they need
> not be.
>
> Then from a command line prompt:
> tnsping my_first_database
>
> If the response is "OK" then the database instance is up, its listener is
> running, and your client installation should be able to connect to it with
> a valid username/password.
>
> Geoff M
Received on Thu Nov 06 2008 - 13:24:04 CST