Incomplete/Broken Oracle 8i Client Connection?

Hi All,

Hi All,
I am trying to install a delphi application that uses a native Oracle driver(sqlora32.dll) on a user's win98 machine. The problem is that I'm trying to verify that the Oracle Client installed on the machine is making a connection to the database before I go to all the trouble of troubleshooting the Delphi App end.

The sys dba tnsping'ed the SERVICE NAME listed in the tnsnames.ora file and received an "ok". There are no utilities to check the connection in the oracle bin directory(I was looking for sqlplus)except tnsping so I installed "Toad" and received this message in an "OCI.DLL" window(This is also the same message I am receiving in the BDE when I try to connect):

A missing dll is required to run this application.

That is the approximate message. When I try to tnsping the global service name in the tnsnames.ora file(the name with the = after it for the connection info), tnsping fails with an unrecognized db error. For example:

tnsnames.ora

payroll.world =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS =
(PROTOCOL = TCP)
(HOST = 197.155.100.3)
(PORT = 1521)

    )
    (CONNECT_DATA = (SERVICE_NAME = payroll)     )
  )

if I "tnsping payroll" ---------> ok
if I "tnsping payroll.world" -------------fail

The sqlnet.ora file contains the correct notation for the 'world' domain. When I try to tnsping these two names on a working connection machine, I get an "ok" using either name.

TWO QUESTIONS: 1.) Since the same error message is showing up in two applications(Toad and the BDE) and in the same labeled window(OCI.DLL). Isn't this an Oracle connection issue. Is this error coming from the Oracle Call Interface and not a Toad error or a BDE app error?

2.) Does a successful(ok) tnsping on the service name and not the global name in the tnsnames.ora file mean that it is a valid connection?

3.) Are there any other utilities that I can use in the oracle client that will tell me beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is a successful oracle connection using the global service name(I must reference this in the BDE).

Thanks in advance for any Oracle/OCI expertise you can offer!

Kathy

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