Re: how can i eliminate burleson's stuff from google search results? - Burbeson strikes back!

From: ddf <oratune_at_msn.com>
Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 06:08:19 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <bebc9a27-1c65-43ae-a742-64ad79e27319_at_f16g2000vbf.googlegroups.com>



On May 21, 4:40 am, Shakespeare <what..._at_xs4all.nl> wrote:
> Shakespeare schreef:
>
>
>
>
>
> > spamp..._at_gmail.com schreef:
> >> All,
>
> >> posts from dba-oracle.com tend to rank relatively high in google
> >> search.
>
> >> is there some setting I can use to eliminate those from the result
> >> set?
>
> >> thanks!
>
> > Just for laughs: a quote from the Burbeson site (20th of May)
>
> > " Escape the tedium of general Internet searches for information about
> > your Oracle system!
>
> > Due to popular request, we have now implemented Google site search, a
> > quick way to locate all salient articles on this web site!  Take full
> > advantage of the wealth of information provided by our Oracle experts.
>
> > To find our articles on other web sites, many people simply append
> > “Burleson” to their search strings.  With our new site search option,
> > this is no longer necessary.
>
> > We hope that you find this new feature useful in your quest for expert
> > Oracle information. "
>
> > Shakespeare
>
> And for more laughs: this is the way Burb.. finds out whether a database
>   user exists:
>
> " Checklist for ORA-01017 errors:
>
> Check that user ID exists
>
> select * from user_tables
> where username = 'fred';
>
> "
>
> Shakespeare- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I looked up the entire checklist old Don provided:

http://www.dba-oracle.com/t_ora_01017.htm

Gee, it's just chock full of errors, like the one posted above and the one regarding external authentication:

"If using external authentication (ops$) verify that os_authent_prefix=ops$ and remote_os_authent=true your initialization/ spfile."

The error here is that os_authent_prefix does NOT need to be set to OPS $ or ops$ to use external authentication; you can have no prefix defined (os_authent_prefix='') and the authentication works as expected. And the 'tip' of checking your Oracle parameters:

"Check your environmental parameters ($ORACLE_SID), e.g.:

export ORACLE_SID=TEST
sqlplus "/nolog"

"

proves what, exactly, except that the ORACLE_SID you set is valid (which is also proven by the ORA-01017 error because you had to get to the database to know the login/password wasn't valid), but NOT that it's valid for the username/password in question:

$ export ORACLE_SID=ying

$ sqlplus /nolog

SQL*Plus: Release 11.1.0.6.0 - Production on Thu May 21 07:28:19 2009

Copyright (c) 1982, 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SQL> connect / as sysdba
Connected.
SQL> connect fred/flintstone
ERROR:
ORA-01017: invalid username/password; logon denied

SQL> Oh, gee, fred is a user in the flong database ...

$ export ORACLE_SID=flong

$ sqlplus /nolog

SQL*Plus: Release 11.1.0.6.0 - Production on Thu May 21 07:28:19 2009

Copyright (c) 1982, 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SQL> connect / as sysdba
Connected.
SQL> connect fred/flintstone
Connected.
SQL> So we know that ying is a valid ORACLE_SID (again, a fact we already knew from the initial error) but what good does that do us? And, if the ORACLE_SID wasn't valid we wouldn't get an ORA-01017, we'd get a TNS protocol error:

$ export ORACLE_SID=yung

$ sqlplus /nolog

SQL*Plus: Release 11.1.0.6.0 - Production on Thu May 21 07:33:11 2009

Copyright (c) 1982, 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SQL> connect / as sysdba
ERROR:
ORA-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error

SQL> so I'm not seeing where that test is of any benefit to troubleshooting an "invalid username/password" error.

The step of selecting from user_tables where username = '...' is classic, though, and this from "one of the world’s leading Oracle experts", according to old Don hisself. To add more humor I found this disclaimer on his website:

"Errata? Oracle technology is changing and we strive to update our BC Oracle support information. If you find an error or have a suggestion for improving our content, we would appreciate your feedback. Just email:  ... and include the URL for the page."

Apparently the throngs who rely on old Don for Oracle expertise can't recognize errors when they see them.

The page has been reported; let's see what they do to correct it.

David Fitzjarrell Received on Thu May 21 2009 - 08:08:19 CDT

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