ODBC Connectivity Issue

2735601

We connect fine to another Oracle database via DSN.

However, when attempting to connect to a different database using a Driver={} and a dbq="" reference to specify the service name (which matches in tnsnames.ora),

the ODBC Dialog Box appears and challenges the credentials. A retry results in an ORA 12154 error : "TNS Could not resolve the connect identifier specified".

The credentials work fine when accessing the database via SQL Developer. However, that connection is a BASIC one.
When I select TNS as the connection type and use the TNS, that connection fails when being tested.

The behavior hints at ODBC driver issues. What is missing here ? Does the connecting workstation need a tsnames.ora file entry ?

2735601

I think I figured this out. it was the tsnames.ora file.

It didn't have the new database as an entry.

What was really strange about this: we added a System DSN but never referenced it in the connection string.

As long as the DBQ=Service Name reference was used, the connection worked fine.

I asked my manager about tsnames.ora and how it was being maintained. He said "thru LDAP".

Hmmm.....apparently, that sync mechanism is not working well at all.