dbms_obfuscation_toolkit issue

Two databases - one 8.1.7.2.1 (production,) the other 8.1.7.0.0 (staging,) on different Win2K servers.

Encryption of a string (using the obfuscation toolkit) using the same key returns different results on the two databases. Each database is using WE8ISO8859P1 character and NCHAR character sets.

I'm "told" that prior to the upgrade to 8.1.7.2.1, the same string and the same key would return the same encrypted string on both systems.

Can anyone cast light on this? Why are different encrypted strings being returned? Is there a more "portable" way to generate encrypted strings which can be migrated across databases?

Code follows.

Thanks!

create or replace PACKAGE general IS

   Procedure EncryptPassword(input_string varchar2, key_string varchar2, pencrypted_string OUT varchar2);

   Procedure DecryptPassword(encrypted_string varchar2, key_string varchar2, decrypted_string OUT varchar2);

END; create or replace PACKAGE BODY general IS

  Procedure EncryptPassword(input_string varchar2, key_string varchar2, pencrypted_string OUT varchar2)is

  encrypted_string              VARCHAR2(2048);
  tyencrypted_string            VARCHAR2(2048);

   begin
   dbms_obfuscation_toolkit.DESEncrypt(

                 input_string => input_string,
                 key_string => key_string,
                 encrypted_string => encrypted_string );

     tyencrypted_string :=  rawtohex(UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_RAW(encrypted_string));
     pencrypted_string := tyencrypted_string;

   end;

     Procedure DecryptPassword(encrypted_string varchar2, key_string varchar2, decrypted_string OUT varchar2)

     is
     pencrypted_string            VARCHAR2(2048);
     begin
    pencrypted_string := utl_raw.cast_to_varchar2(hextoraw(encrypted_string));
     dbms_obfuscation_toolkit.DESDecrypt(
                 input_string => pencrypted_string,
                 key_string => key_string,
                 decrypted_string => decrypted_string );

     end;

end;

-- 
John Bossert

In what concerns you much, do not think that you
have companions: know that you are alone in the world.

             -- Henry David Thoreau