Re: Is Oracle 8.1.7 client compatible with 7.3

TurkBear <noone_at_nowhere.com> wrote in message news:<6147rtkkl3n8j9ib61qnr5haaoquh8clg8_at_4ax.com>...
> It is rather common knowledge that 'backwards' compatibility exists in most Oracle products between Client and Server.
> The latest client will connect to any previous server as long as the listener is using SqlNet/Net8..
> ( there are exceptions , but mostly the newer client can use the version-specific features of its comparable server release,
> but it can also handle the older stuff as well)
>
> "Mike Wagner" <wmichael_at_aon.at> wrote:
>
> >Hi,
> >Can you tell me where you find the information that Oracle 8.1.7 is
> >compatible with 7.3.4. Yes you can connect, execute the most SQL Statements
> >but 8.1.7 is not compatible with 7.3.4. And Oracle have no white paper for
> >this constitution. If you Try this you doit on your own risk.
> >
> >Mike
> >> Yes. We have several 7.3.4 DB's, mainly Oracle APPs and the 8.1.7
> >> client works fine with the 7.3.4 DB's
> >
> >

I think the answer depends on the application and how it connects to Oracle. We tried to use 8.1.7 client against 8.0.5 db and ran into pro*c errors which Oracle support said were known bugs. Namely 'where current of cursors' and certain types of 'dynamic sql' statements would error off on execution. So we ran 7.3.4 client against 8.1.7 db just fine and now use 8.1.7 client to 8.1.7 db just fine.

If the client uses ODBC then you have another problem. We have run into product version to ODBC version to Oracle version bugs/problems. You have to contact the vendor products and ask about known incompatabilites. Then you have to test and be prepared to change drivers.

• Mark D Powell --