Re: Character set Problems in Migration 7.3.4.5 -> 8.1.7.0

"Pete's" <empete2000_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message news:6724a51f.0110121101.20fb4ad7_at_posting.google.com...
> Hi all:
>
> I have been trying to test the migration process of a 7.3.4.5 DB to a
> 8.1.7.0 running on an IBM H80 4.3.3. I am getting hung up using the
> commandline Migration tool and character sets, I've tried Oracle's
> ODMA GUI, but, that's not working either. The character currently set
> is Western European(why I do not know) WE8ISO8859P1. I have the
> NLS_LANG environment var set then run the migration tool and receive
> ORA-12705, saying that I have an invalid or unknow NLS parameter, but,
> the client char set and server char set are the same. I've checked
> and double checked and do not find anything wrong. Then just for
> giggles, I tried unsetting the NLS_LANG environment var so that it
> defaults to US7ASCII and receive a different error from the migration
> utility, basically saying the client character set does not match the
> server. Then to go a little further, I decide to try to change the
> character set of the database to US7ASCII, but, after bringing it up
> in restricted mode and trying the alter database character set appears
> not to be supported. I've never had this much stinking trouble
> migrating a Database before.
>
> Anyone have any ideas here? Please post a reply and email at the
> address below while removing SPAMMERS_STINK.
>
> Thanks,
> PETE's
> epeterson_at_mnSPAMMERS_STINKpower.com

WE8ISO8859P1 is equivalent to code page 850, the Latin-1 alphabet. It deals with all major European languages. So this characterset is quite sensible and you definitely should change it, nor should you need to do it. Most likely your value and understanding in NLS_LANG is incorrect. NLS_LANG = <language>_<territory>.<characterset> (as documented)
So it needs to be
American_America.WE8IO8859P1

You probably have WE8IO8859P1 alone

The default is
American_America.US7ASCII
not US7ASCII alone.

You can not change the character set of a 7.3.4 database other than either recreating the database, or updating sys.props$ directly. However, as I said there is no need to do so.

Hth,

Sybrand Bakker
Senior Oracle DBA Received on Fri Oct 12 2001 - 16:05:03 CDT