Re: TNS:no listener Oracle 8 client to Oracle 7 database

David Andre3s wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I am trying to connect to an Oracle 7 datbase from an Oracle 8 client.
> I have read alot of posts on the web and tried to follow the advise
> but with no success.
> I have tried configuring the listener but again with no success.
> The error I always get is ORA-12541: TNS:no listener.
>
> Listener.ora is attached Below
> ****
> LISTENER =
> (DESCRIPTION =
> (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = eal7136)(PORT = 1521))
> (PROTOCOL_STACK =
> (PRESENTATION = GIOP)
> (SESSION = RAW)
> )
> )
>
> SID_LIST_LISTENER =
> (SID_LIST =
> (SID_DESC =
> (GLOBAL_DBNAME = searchenet)
> (ORACLE_HOME = C:\oracle\ora81)
> (SID_NAME = mvmc)
> )
> )
> *****
> Q. Should the HOST refer to the server or my own client machine?
>
> Where I think the problem may be is that I don't have a listener
> service on my client machine. If I run the command "lsnrctl status" or
> "lsnrctl80 status" then I simply get the message that the command is
> not recognised. Nowhere on my machine (client) do I have a lsnrctl
> executable. Should I?
> Nor are there are Oracle listening services under the NT services.
>
> When I did the install on my client machine I did a full client
> adminstrator install.
>
>
> TIA.
>
> David

The Listener is a process which you contact from your client. It's job is then to forward you onto the instance you asked to connect to.

Therefore, the Listener usually runs on the same machine as the database/instance is running on. So 'host' should be the server, not your client machine.

However, the listener can actually run anywhere, provided it knows how to forward your request onto the right instance. But you really (probably) don't want a listener running on your client PC.

First question to ask, therefore, is: is there a listener running on the server machine? On that machine, you should do lsnrctl status and see what port it's running on (I seem to recall that in version 7, the default port for a listener was 1526, not 1521). Then check what services it's aware of (ie, what instances) and craft your client-side tnsnames.ora to match that list.

Regards
HJR

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