How do I create SQL*Net Connect String ?

I have WinNT. I don't have oracle installed.
But I do have oracle odbc driver.
where should I put tnsnames ?
And what is the next step after that ?

You will need to install Net8 which comes in the Oracle client CD. The oracle odbc driver needs the Net8 layer to be installed.


sora

Keep oracle driver in a folder structure similar to an oracle intsalled one like 'D:\Oracle\Ora81\jdbc\lib\drivers.*' and append this to classpath. For thin drivers no need of client or net8 to be installed.

--- k_murli_krishna

Let me try it !

How did you get an Oracle ODBC driver without having any part of Oracle installed?  You certainly do not need a  complete Oracle database install or even a complete Developer2000 installation to use ODBC to connect to Oracle, but if you want to use an Oracle ODBC driver you need at least an Oracle client install.  If you have the Oracle client install and want to use the Oracle ODBC driver, then you have to create a SQL*Net Connect String in your tnsnames.ora file.  The easiest way to do this is with a wizard that is installed when you install the Oracle client.

With WinNT, you should be able to use a Microsoft ODBC driver to connect to Oracle if you prefer.  Then you may not need any part of the Oracle client install.

I have install oracle client. And I can create a data source by using MS ODBC for Oracle.

Then, I used Oracle ODBC Test program to test my connect.
And I got this error :

SQLSTATE:NA000
Native Error Code:3121
Driver Message:[Microsoft][ODBC driver for Oracle][Oracle]ORA-03121:no interface driver connected - function not performed.


I want to connect to the Oracle in unix box.

OK, I have downloaded a trial version of Oracle8.
I have installed it on my box. Now, I have everything I need to connect to a remote db.

I used net8 comf. asst. to create a local service name.
I put Test as a service name, and choose TCP as protocol.
Then, I click yes to perform a test. Then, I got this

Connecting...ORA-12504: TNS:listener was not given the SID in CONNECT_DATA
The test did not succeed.

Some of the information you provided may be incorrect.
Press Back to review the information provided for net service name, or Change Login to change username.

How to fix it ?????

You certainly do not need a full Oracle8 install just to use the Oracle ODBC driver.  An Oracle8 client installation is all that you need.  It sounds like the part that is missing is the Net8 (or SQL*Net) configuration after the install.

If you really do have a full Oracle8 database installation as well as the Oracle8 client installation, it may be more complicated depending on how many Oracle homes you have.  It is simplest with just one Oracle home, but if you have multiples, you will have to configure SQL*Net correctly in each one.

Did you set up a SQL*Net alias for the Oracle database you want to connect to on your Unix server?  If not, you need to run the Net8 wizard again to do that.  Then I suggest testing that from a DOS prompt.  Navigate to your Oracle_home\bin directory, then type:
tnsping [alias]
and press [Enter].

(The [alias] is whatever name you set up in the Net8 wizard for the database on Unix that you want to connect to.)

I noticed that the error message you posted in your latest comment seems to be coming from the Microsoft ODBC driver, not the Oracle ODBC driver.  Did you install both of them?  That may be complicating things for you too.

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