DBMS_ALERT...Has anyone successfully used these functions on NT?

From: Robert Alan Whitaker, Jr. <whitaker_at_netnitco.net>
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1999 00:43:20 -0500
Message-ID: <7o5vo5$hn3$1@hyperion.nitco.com>

I have been attempting to use Oracle Alerts (DBMS_ALERT.REGISTER, .WAITONE, and .SIGNAL) using Oracle 8.0.5.0.0 for Windows NT, but have not had much luck.

I was able to successfully use these functions on an Alpha machine
(OpenVMS), running version 7.3.?.?.?, and they all worked as expected, but I
have had little success with them on the NT version mentioned above. At first, I was not getting ANY response whatsoever, then, after checking on Oracle's online help, a patch was found (patch set 8051), which sounded as though it may fix the problem, and, sure enough, after installing the 49MB patch on a client machine, I was able to get the alerts to function, but not ALL the time. On occasion, the .WaitOne call would time out, even though I had used the .Signal command and commited from another instance. The .Signal was seemingly not seen. Then, if I submitted the .WaitOne request again (and commited), it would return immediately, with the message provided in the .Signal. Why doesn't it return in the original call?

Second problem:

So, next, I decided to install this same patch to the server machine, and now the Alerts act even more sporadically, if at all. Has anyone else had this experience? Any comments or suggestions?

Also, my end goal is to use these calls from preferably VB, but if necessary from VC++. Thus far, I have not been able to get a program written in VB
(using ADO) or VC++ (using ODBC) to receive these Alerts even when connected
to the Alpha machine mentioned above. Any assistance or suggestions for this would also be greatly appreciated.

                    Thanks.....

                    Robert Alan Whitaker, Jr.
                    IPACT, Inc.
                    Valparaiso, IN 46385
                    (219) 464-7212

PS. If you reply to this, I would greatly appreciate if you could also CC to whitaker_at_ipact.com, which is my work address. (I submitted this message from home.) Thanks! Received on Tue Aug 03 1999 - 00:43:20 CDT