ORA 7.3 v 9.2 client conneection 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=1526)(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 works fine.

Used HOSTNAME adapter to resolve the alias
Attempting to contact
(DESCRIPTION=(CONNECT_DATA=(SID=*)(SERVICE_NAME=xxxora2.xxx.xxx.com.au))(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=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\ORACLE\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

Simon.C...@BHPBilliton.com remove the xxx

[KMART]

Are you attempting to utilizing SQLPLUS to connect to your database?
If so the client for 9.2 will not connect to the 7.3 database. You can
install multiple oracle clients on your desktop.

Ken Martin
kma...@comcast.net