Oracle 7.3 v 9.2 client connection problems

[Tig]

Hi all.
I have a need to connect to an Oracle 7.3.3.5 database. I have a user
who successfully connects to it with her Oracle 7.3 client. I have an
Oracle 9.2 client installed on my machine.

I had her send me her tnsnames.ora from her PC. The entry I wanted was
as follows (some letters replaced with xxx for security reasons):

xxxora2_prod2 =
(DESCRIPTION=
(ADDRESS=
(PROTOCOL=tcp)(PORT=1521)(HOST=xxxora2.xxx.xxx.com .au)
)
(CONNECT_DATA=
(SID=prod2)
)
)

She has an ODBC connection using her Ora 73 client drivers which works
fine.

I then add the same entry to my
C:\oracle\ora92\network\ADMIN\*tnsnames.ora file.

Now if I ping this hostname, it works fine.

If I tnsping this hostname it also works fine - see below:

Used HOSTNAME adapter to resolve the alias
Attempting to contact
(DESCRIPTION=(CONNECT_DATA=(SI*D=*)(SERVICE_NAME=x xxora2.xxx.*xxx.com.au))(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL*=TCP)(H OST=xxxora2.xxx.xxx.com*.au)(PORT=1521)))

OK (70 msec)

If I try and tnsping the tnsname, however, I get an error:

TNS-03505: Failed to resolve name

And if I then try and create an ODBC connection using my client I get a
short wait and then an "Unable to connect" "SQLState=08004" "ORA-12154:
TNS:could not resolve service name" error.

The existing entries in my (9.2 client) tnsnames.ora don't have a SID,
they have a SERVICE_NAME. So I change mine from SID to SERVICE_NAME.
My file now looks like this:

xxxora2_prod2 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(FAILOVER = ON)
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = xxxora2.xxx.xxx.com.au)(PORT
= 1526))
)
(CONNECT_DATA=
(SERVICE_NAME = prod2)
(INSTANCE_NAME = prod2)
)
)

If I now try and create the connection, I get a "Unable to connect"
"SQLState=S1000" "ORA-12705: invalid or unknown NLS parameter value
specified" error.

I have checked my HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\OR*ACLE\NLS_LANG value
which is AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1 so that looks OK.

Does anyone have any ideas?? I am a developer not a DBA and haven't
played with Oracle clients for years.

If I change the port number to 1521 and try again I get a "ORA-12514:
TNS:listener could not resolve SERVICE_NAME given in connect
descriptor" error, but I am just clutching at straws now.

Thanks!
Simon Cullen
Australia
[e-mail]*m remove the xxx

[IANAL_VISTA]

"Tig" <Si**********@BHPBilliton.com> wrote in
news:11**********************@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com:

Hi all.
I have a need to connect to an Oracle 7.3.3.5 database. I have a user
who successfully connects to it with her Oracle 7.3 client. I have an
Oracle 9.2 client installed on my machine.

I had her send me her tnsnames.ora from her PC. The entry I wanted
was as follows (some letters replaced with xxx for security reasons):

xxxora2_prod2 (DESCRIPTION (ADDRESS
(PROTOCOL=tcp)(PORT=1521)(HOST=xxxora2.xxx.xxx.com .au)
)
(CONNECT_DATA (SID=prod2)
)
)

She has an ODBC connection using her Ora 73 client drivers which works
fine.

I then add the same entry to my
C:\oracle\ora92\network\ADMIN\*tnsnames.ora file.

Now if I ping this hostname, it works fine.

If I tnsping this hostname it also works fine - see below:

Used HOSTNAME adapter to resolve the alias
Attempting to contact
(DESCRIPTION=(CONNECT_DATA=(SI*D=*)(SERVICE_NAME=x xxora2.xxx.*xxx.com.a
u))(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL*=TCP)(HOST=xxxora2.xxx.xxx.c om*.au)(PORT=1521)))

OK (70 msec)

If I try and tnsping the tnsname, however, I get an error:

TNS-03505: Failed to resolve name

And if I then try and create an ODBC connection using my client I get
a short wait and then an "Unable to connect" "SQLState=08004"
"ORA-12154: TNS:could not resolve service name" error.

The existing entries in my (9.2 client) tnsnames.ora don't have a SID,
they have a SERVICE_NAME. So I change mine from SID to SERVICE_NAME.
My file now looks like this:

xxxora2_prod2 (DESCRIPTION (ADDRESS_LIST (FAILOVER = ON)
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = xxxora2.xxx.xxx.com.au)(PORT
= 1526))
)
(CONNECT_DATA (SERVICE_NAME = prod2)
(INSTANCE_NAME = prod2)
)
)

If I now try and create the connection, I get a "Unable to connect"
"SQLState=S1000" "ORA-12705: invalid or unknown NLS parameter value
specified" error.

I have checked my HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\OR*ACLE\NLS_LANG value
which is AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1 so that looks OK.

Does anyone have any ideas?? I am a developer not a DBA and haven't
played with Oracle clients for years.

If I change the port number to 1521 and try again I get a "ORA-12514:
TNS:listener could not resolve SERVICE_NAME given in connect
descriptor" error, but I am just clutching at straws now.

Thanks!
Simon Cullen
Australia
[e-mail]*m remove the xxx

V7.3 does NOT interoperate with V9.2. Period. End of statement.
V8.1.7 or V9.0 client s/w can inter-operate with all the above.

[Rauf Sarwar]

Tig wrote:

Hi all.
I have a need to connect to an Oracle 7.3.3.5 database. I have a user who successfully connects to it with her Oracle 7.3 client. I have an
Oracle 9.2 client installed on my machine.

I had her send me her tnsnames.ora from her PC. The entry I wanted was as follows (some letters replaced with xxx for security reasons):

xxxora2_prod2 =
(DESCRIPTION=
(ADDRESS=
(PROTOCOL=tcp)(PORT=1521)(HOST=xxxora2.xxx.xxx.com .au)
)
(CONNECT_DATA=
(SID=prod2)
)
)

She has an ODBC connection using her Ora 73 client drivers which works fine.

I then add the same entry to my
C:\oracle\ora92\network\ADMIN\*tnsnames.ora file.

Now if I ping this hostname, it works fine.

If I tnsping this hostname it also works fine - see below:

Used HOSTNAME adapter to resolve the alias
Attempting to contact
(DESCRIPTION=(CONNECT_DATA=(SI*D=*)(SERVICE_NAME=x xxora2.xxx.*xxx.com.au))(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL*=TCP)(H OST=xxxora2.xxx.xxx.com*.au)(PORT=1521)))
OK (70 msec)

If I try and tnsping the tnsname, however, I get an error:

TNS-03505: Failed to resolve name

And if I then try and create an ODBC connection using my client I get a short wait and then an "Unable to connect" "SQLState=08004" "ORA-12154: TNS:could not resolve service name" error.

The existing entries in my (9.2 client) tnsnames.ora don't have a SID, they have a SERVICE_NAME. So I change mine from SID to SERVICE_NAME.
My file now looks like this:

xxxora2_prod2 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(FAILOVER = ON)
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = xxxora2.xxx.xxx.com.au)(PORT
= 1526))
)
(CONNECT_DATA=
(SERVICE_NAME = prod2)
(INSTANCE_NAME = prod2)
)
)

If I now try and create the connection, I get a "Unable to connect"
"SQLState=S1000" "ORA-12705: invalid or unknown NLS parameter value
specified" error.

I have checked my HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\OR*ACLE\NLS_LANG value
which is AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1 so that looks OK.

Does anyone have any ideas?? I am a developer not a DBA and haven't
played with Oracle clients for years.

If I change the port number to 1521 and try again I get a "ORA-12514:
TNS:listener could not resolve SERVICE_NAME given in connect
descriptor" error, but I am just clutching at straws now.

Thanks!
Simon Cullen
Australia
[e-mail]*m remove the xxx

We have an old server with 7.3.4 that we keep around for testing. You
are in a no win situation... you won't be able to connect to 7.3.x from
9.2.x client.

Here is an attempt using 9.2 client:
SQL*Plus: Release 9.2.0.5.0 - Production on Fri Apr 8 08:45:27 2005

Copyright (c) 1982, 2002, Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved.

SQL> connect system/oracle@L73
ERROR:
ORA-24439: Connections to Oracle7 server are no longer supported

SQL> exit

Here is an attempt using 8.1.x client:
SQL*Plus: Release 8.1.7.0.0 - Production on Fri Apr 8 08:45:37 2005

(c) Copyright 2000 Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved.

SQL> connect system/oracle@L73
Connected.
SQL> exit
Disconnected from Oracle7 Server Release 7.3.4.0.0 - Production
With the distributed, replication and parallel query options
PL/SQL Release 2.3.4.0.0 - Production

C:\>

Regards
/Rauf

[Tig]

Thank you Rauf. Yes, it appears that as you said it is an Oracle
support issue, and I "won't be able to connect to 7.3.x from 9.2.x
client".

I got this from the Oracle site:
"However, since Oracle 7.3.4 was desupported before Oracle9i Release 2
(9.2) was released, 9.2 does not support Oracle 7.3.4."
So in spite of the fact that there are tens of thousands of productive
Oracle 7.3.x servers out there in commercial usage, Oracle doesn't
think anyone would want to connect to them. :( And yes, I know 7.3.x
is old now.

I do have an Oracle 7.3 client on the PC provided to me here, but it
looks as though the Oracle 9.2 client clobbered it, so I will get the
7.3 client re-installed. This should fix the problem. I don't need the
Oracle 9.2 client at the moment so I will get rid of it. Supposedly the
two clients should co-exist happily but I guess I won't try that until
i have a need for it.

Thanks,
Simon

Rauf Sarwar wrote:

Tig wrote:

Hi all.
I have a need to connect to an Oracle 7.3.3.5 database. I have a user who successfully connects to it with her Oracle 7.3 client. I have an Oracle 9.2 client installed on my machine.

We have an old server with 7.3.4 that we keep around for testing. You
are in a no win situation... you won't be able to connect to 7.3.x

from 9.2.x client.

ERROR:
ORA-24439: Connections to Oracle7 server are no longer supported

Regards
/Rauf

[Tig]

Thank you Rauf. Yes, it appears that as you said it is an Oracle
support issue, and I "won't be able to connect to 7.3.x from 9.2.x
client".

I got this from the Oracle site:
"However, since Oracle 7.3.4 was desupported before Oracle9i Release 2
(9.2) was released, 9.2 does not support Oracle 7.3.4."
So in spite of the fact that there are tens of thousands of productive
Oracle 7.3.x servers out there in commercial usage, Oracle doesn't
think anyone would want to connect to them. :( And yes, I know 7.3.x
is old now.

I do have an Oracle 7.3 client on the PC provided to me here, but it
looks as though the Oracle 9.2 client clobbered it, so I will get the
7.3 client re-installed. This should fix the problem. I don't need the
Oracle 9.2 client at the moment so I will get rid of it. Supposedly the
two clients should co-exist happily but I guess I won't try that until
i have a need for it.

Thanks,
Simon

Rauf Sarwar wrote:

Tig wrote:

Hi all.
I have a need to connect to an Oracle 7.3.3.5 database. I have a

user

who successfully connects to it with her Oracle 7.3 client. I have

an

Oracle 9.2 client installed on my machine.

We have an old server with 7.3.4 that we keep around for testing. You
are in a no win situation... you won't be able to connect to 7.3.x

from

9.2.x client.

ERROR:
ORA-24439: Connections to Oracle7 server are no longer supported

Regards
/Rauf