Problem with Cross database join

I hope someone can offer me some advice or additional areas to search for the answer.
I'm trying to do a cross database join on a single server. My searches indicate that the way to do this is a database link. Seemed simple enough, however, no matter what I try I get "database link is not active". My understanding of this error indicates that I either have the wrong username and password or I have specified a database that doesn't exist. I finally ended up expanding the query to create the link to the maximum number of parameters. The statement I execute is as follows:

CREATE SHARED PUBLIC DATABASE LINK RLINK CONNECT TO system IDENTIFIED BY manager AUTHENTICATED BY system IDENTIFIED BY manager USING '(description=(address=(protocol=tcp)(host=<RETIRE.PROVIDERTECHNOLOGIES.COM>)  (Port = 1521) ) (connect_data= (sid=<retire>)))';

Depending on how I change the variables above I get different errors when I try to execute against the link.

select * from employer_at_RLINK;

returns any number of errors ranging from "Authentication" errors to "TNSListener" errors. I have verified the service names as well as the listener parameters and I can use these parameters via ODBC. In DBA studio however the error is consistently "database link is not active".

What am I missing? Where else should I look for the solution? Is there some sort of permission that needs to be turned on in order to create and use database links?
DBA studio makes this seem simple. The dialogs only ask for a few number of parameters and I have double-checked and triple-checked to make sure I am entering the right information and I believe I am but it still won't work.

Thanks,

Eric Received on Tue Apr 06 2004 - 14:05:03 CEST