Crystal Reports work fine on laptop but not on deployment to server.

It's almost defiantly a tnsnames problem.  The vendor code equates to ORA-12154.

Does the server maybe have multiple Oracle_homes?
From the server see if you can tnsping the instance.  From a command prompt:  tnsping ORCL

Where ORCL is the database from the tnsnames file.

Yes that pings fine

By using Process Monitor I have found the following thing in c:\windows\system32\inetsrv\sqlnet.log:

"Fatal NI connect error 12560, connecting to:
 (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=BEQ)(PROGRAM=oracle)(ARGV0=oracleORCL)(ARGS='(DESCRIPTION=(LOCAL=YES)(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=beq)))'))(CONNECT_DATA=(SID=ORCL)(CID=(PROGRAM=c:\windows\system32\inetsrv\w3wp.exe)(HOST=LIGHTSHIP)(USER=NETWORK?SERVICE))))

  VERSION INFORMATION:
      TNS for 32-bit Windows: Version 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
      Oracle Bequeath NT Protocol Adapter for 32-bit Windows: Version 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
  Time: 29-MAR-2007 15:14:42
  Tracing not turned on.
  Tns error struct:
    ns main err code: 12560
    TNS-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error
    ns secondary err code: 0
    nt main err code: 530
    TNS-00530: Protocol adapter error
    nt secondary err code: 126
    nt OS err code: 0"

Interesting bit is this part "CONNECT_DATA=(SID=ORCL)" This should be surley my SID as defined in TNSnames.ora, in this case its "CIMSG".  where is it getting that SID from?  My TNSNAMES.ORA is in c:\oracle\product\10.2.0\client_2\ is this the correct place?

My TNSNAMEs.ORA reads as:

CIMSX =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 10.0.0.19)(PORT = 1521))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVICE_NAME = x)
    )
  )

CIMSG =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 10.0.0.19)(PORT = 1521))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVICE_NAME = g)
    )
  )

EXTPROC_CONNECTION_DATA =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC)(KEY = EXTPROC0))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SID = PLSExtProc)
      (PRESENTATION = RO)
    )
  )

What Crystal runtime and dlls did you install?

Did you install the Crystal database driver?

mlmcc

If you have installed Oracle client try to ping the Listener:

C:\>tnsping CIMSX

It will show the directory of tnsnames.ora file and if it can reach
the listener.

Is the server  10g?
If yes try to post LISTENER.ORA here.

Ah... now you might be onto something.  I installed the Crystal Reports XI Release 2 server install. (crXI2_net_server_install.zip)

Whats that about a Crystal Database Driver? I have the Oracle client installed on the web server aswell.  Thought Crystal talked to that..

How did you connect the report to the database?  Most reports use a Crystal database driver.

mlmcc

In Crystal I used the OLE DB (ADO) connection and then selected the "Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Oracle"

Did you install the MS OLE DB Provider for Oracle?  That is not the Oracle client that you installed.

mlmcc

I am not sure which file(s) you need.  Here are the 2 from CR8
P2SORA7.DLL  - Oracle
P2SMON.DLL - ADO

mlmcc

mlmmc - So could be a school boy error here - Even though I have installed the Oracle Client on the server, I also need to install the MS OLE DB Provider for Oracle on it aswell?  That would make sense then, because the report on the server would be looking for that.  Where can I donwload that from and is it straight forward to install?

Glad i could help

mlmcc