Question

How to check if Oracle client is installed

Asked by: stopm

I have a Solaris server with an application that is using a Oracle 9 database with Oracle 8 client and i want to now start using a Oracle 9 client for my application.
How can i check if Oracle 9 client is already installed ?

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Asked On
2009-02-26 at 02:08:41ID24179329
Tags

Oracle

Topics

Oracle Database

,

Oracle 9.x

,

Sun Solaris

Participating Experts
5
Points
125
Comments
17

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Answers

 

by: sdstuberPosted on 2009-02-27 at 10:33:22ID: 23758481

check your oracle homes.

each oracle home will point to a different directory tree.

probably something like

c:\oracle\8.1.7
or
c:\oracle\ora92

they might not be so conveniently named  so,  to test the version of each the easiest way
is to go to the BIN directory under each and run one of the tools  like sqlplus, tnsping, namesctl, etc.  they should print a banner that shows what version they are.

for example, here's my tnsping banner that shows I've got 9.2.0.8 installed under that tree

C:\Oracle\ora92\bin>tnsping -?
 
TNS Ping Utility for 32-bit Windows: Version 9.2.0.8.0 - Production on 27-FEB-20
09 13:32:33
 
Copyright (c) 1997, 2006, Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.

                                              
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:

Select allOpen in new window

 

by: omarfaridPosted on 2009-02-27 at 22:36:38ID: 23762135

look into oracle installer it should tell you what oracle packages are installed. also, see if you have tnsnames.ora in your oracle subdirs.

 

by: stopmPosted on 2009-02-28 at 01:40:23ID: 23762819

Thanks.

If i do a tnsping from the 9.2 bin directory i get the error below but still get ok message. (dont get this error messages  from 8.1 tnsping
TNS Ping Utility for Solaris: Version 9.2.0.6.0
Copyright (c) 1997 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.
Message 3511 not found;  product=network; facility=TNS
Message 3512 not found;  product=network; facility=TNS
Attempting to contact (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = ******)(PORT = 1521)) (CONNECT_DATA = (SID = ****)))
OK (0 msec)
-------------
If i try sqlplus from 9.2 bin i get this error. (8.1 is fine)

SP2-0642: SQL*Plus internal error state 2165, context 4294967295:0:0
Unable to proceed
----------------
Tnasnames .ora file has symbolic link from 9.2 network/admin directory to /var/opt/oracle

I am unable to run installer yet as dont have permissions (long story), so i am still not 100% sure that 9.2 client is installed. Unless somene someone can advise otherwise ???

 

by: sdstuberPosted on 2009-03-04 at 13:05:48ID: 23799504

yes, you have a 9.2 client installed,  your tnsping results confirm that.

However, your sql*plus error indicates you may have a problem with your installation.

if you can't run the installer to fix it I think you're stuck until you either get that permission or have someone with the privileges do so for you.

 

by: johnsonePosted on 2009-03-05 at 05:11:40ID: 23805030

These are your errors.  They would be normal processing messages from tnsping.  Are you sure your environment was set correctly when you ran from the 9.2 home?  PATH, LD_LIBRARY_PATH and ORACLE_HOME would all need to point to that home.


TNS-03511 Used parameter files: string

Cause: Prints out the path of the parameter files(sqlnet.ora,tnsnames.ora) used in the process of resolving the NAME.


TNS-03512 Used string adapter to resolve the alias

Cause: Prints out the name of the adapter which resolved the TNS alias.

 

by: slightwvPosted on 2009-03-05 at 05:25:10ID: 23805120

Just to throw my 2 cents into the mix:

I think the problem is with the term 'installed'.  Yes, you have the 9.2 client binaries on the machine but were they actually installed using Oracle's installer or was the directory merely copied from another machine?

since you don't have permissions to run the installer, I'm guessing a sys admin just copied the folder from another machine.  you might get by with just having the admin staff run the root.sh script to finish up all the root level activities.

Side note:  this might mess up the 8 client install a little.

 

by: LindaCPosted on 2009-03-29 at 05:25:25ID: 24012386

What you are experiencing might be the following:
You are inside the Solaris server with a user that is not part of the dba group.
What you can do is the following:

1-Ask your Sys Admin to include you in the dba group.  If that cannot be because of security issues, or other issues ... then modify your .profile in the following way to change the paths of ORACLE_HOME to where the 9.2 installation is located.  If you don't know where the 9.2 installation is located do the following in order to locate the ORACLE_HOME for the version 9:

find / .-name "oracle.exe"  > delete_me
Then do the following:   more delete_me
If you find for example the oracle.exe inside the delete_me in this path:  /home/app/oracle/product/9.2/bin      then   your ORACLE_HOME is /home/app/oracle/product/9.2 (without the  bin.

Inside the .profile that is located in the directory when you enter the server do a vi .profile and in the first line add the following path.

ORACLE_HOME=/home/app/oracle/product/9.2
export ORACLE_HOME

Then the other "environment variables"  like the PATH variable, must have the ORACLE_HOME as part of the definition, and also the ORACLE_HOME/bin.

Please remove other pointers to the 8 version oracle in your path.

 

by: johnsonePosted on 2009-03-29 at 05:50:29ID: 24012468

On UNIX, the executable is oracle, not oracle.exe.

find / -name oracle > delete_me

Of course the find will only work if you have permission to walk the directory tree where the executable is installed.

 

by: slightwvPosted on 2009-03-30 at 05:07:43ID: 24017980

>>You are inside the Solaris server with a user that is not part of the dba group.

You can try this as an experiment to see if it helps but I would not recommend this as a permanent fix.  This really should not have anything to do with the problem.  Also, depending on the user, this could have some bad side effects.  This will allow the user to be able to connect as the SYS database user.

 

by: LindaCPosted on 2009-03-30 at 06:51:58ID: 24018876

>>This will allow the user to be able to connect as the SYS database user.

This depends on the sqlnet.ora how you configure this.

 

by: slightwvPosted on 2009-03-30 at 07:40:08ID: 24019385

I really don't want to hijack this question but:  Unless Oracle has changed something recently, if you're logged in locally to the database server any member of the dba group can connect as SYS regardless of the sqlnet.ora file.  Even if the sqlnet.ora file could prevent this, dba group members have write privileges on this file so they can just change it.

I stand by what I said: It might be good for a test but I would never give a general user dba group privs.

 

by: LindaCPosted on 2009-03-30 at 07:43:09ID: 24019421

We give a user dba privilege if he/she really need it, so check with your Administrators, eat with them and talk for what uses you need this.

 

by: LindaCPosted on 2009-03-30 at 07:45:06ID: 24019440

Oh my!  I'am not fat.  Instead of eat with them, is seat with them.

 

by: stopmPosted on 2009-04-07 at 03:14:27ID: 31551522

After some persuasion DBA confirmed i9.2 client was installed

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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