Help Resolving ORA-12505: TNS:listener could not resolve SID given in connect descriptor

[samurrai]

Hello,

At work I am an end-user of a GIS program that connects to an Oracle database (version unknown, probably 9i). I use citrix to access the GIS program and the database. Every few months I begin receiving the error msg: "ORA-12505: TNS:listener could not resolve SID given in connect descriptor." When I contact IT they recreate my GIS program user profile to correct the issue. They are unaware of why the issue occurs and can not say why recreating my profile fixes the issue. Is there something less drastic that IT could do to diagnose/correct the issue? Is there anything I check on my system? (Step-by-step instructions would be great). It would be splendid if the issue could be resolved without obliterating and recreating my profile over and over again.

Thank you for any suggesting/assistance.

 

[sem]

Did you specify database alias?
If so then most probably your profile contains information about TNS_ADMIN - a place where your tnsnames.ora locates. Thus without this file you're connecting by host name rather than tns alias. Accidentally connect string coincides with the host name where Oracle listener runs on default (1521) port, but the name of the database is not ORCL.

Most often this relates to multiple Oracle homes or omitting domain names.


Regards, Dima

http://seminihin.narod.ru

 

[LKBrwnDBA]

...
I use citrix to access the GIS program and the database...

Do you login remotely to the cytrix server and from there execute the GIS program?

If this is the case, the issue is probably on the cytrix server side due to the fact that they have to re-create your profile every time some maintenance occurs at that server.

You may need to contact the cytrix admin and let him/her know that they should permanently add to your startup environment the TNS_NAMES environment variable that points to the correct tnsnames.ora file or the equivalent method/location being used on that server.

Good luck!





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