topic Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users in Data Management Questions

Oracle client doesn't work for some users

BillyBuerger — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 15:53:46 GMT

I have a system running an Oracle database (12c, 64bit) and I need to have ArcMap running on this same system connect to the database. ArcMap is 32bit so I also have the 32bit Oracle 12c instant client on the system. The user I was connected as when I set all of this up works fine having the 64bit oracle server path first in the environment variables. But any other user on this system gets the "Failed to connect to database ... database client software failed to load..." error. All of the discussions on this topic seem to focus on the environment path which I did in order to get the first user to work. But everything is setup the same for the other users yet it doesn't work for them. Is there anything else that could cause the Oracle client to fail to load? Is there any other logs or checks you can perform to see where the problem is coming from?

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

MichaelVolz — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 16:27:52 GMT

Besides the PATH environmental variable pointing to your Oracle Client install, do you also have an environmental variable pointing to your tnsnames file where your Oracle database(s) would be defined?

Do you have other applications being used on the other computers where the endusers might be hitting a different Oracle database version (e.g. 10g, 11g) where the order of the Oracle Client versions in the PATH variable might be important with respect to the Oracle 12c version?

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

BillyBuerger — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 16:39:03 GMT

I tried adding the TNS_ADMIN variable pointing at the tnsnames.ora file but that doesn't appear to have changed anything. And that sounds like it would be a different issue. It would have to load the oracle client before doing anything with the tnsnames so I would expect a different error if it just wasn't able to resolve the database naming.

This is a self contained system right now. Only local users. So no other versions or systems are being accessed and only the one version of ArcMap and Oracle are being used.

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

MichaelVolz — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 16:44:08 GMT

Do you have the tnsnames.ora file saved onto each machine (This is what I am guessing since you say it's a self contained system that is not on a network)? Are you sure each tnsnames.ora file on every computer is the same?

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

George_Thompson — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 16:46:04 GMT

Remove the 64-bit client from the PATH variable and make sure that the PATH variable is set as a "System variable" and not a "User variable". Put the Oracle 32-bit client at the beginning and restart the ArcGIS client.

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

BillyBuerger — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 17:09:55 GMT

Yes, single system so only one tnsnames.ora file. At least with the way I've been doing things for years, I never touch the tnsnames.ora file. I let oracle manage that on the server and all clients use tns-less connections.

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

BillyBuerger — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 17:11:50 GMT

I have some active sessions on the system right now that I will have to wait for before I can try this again. But I'm pretty sure I tried this already with the same result. It almost seems like something is stopping the specific user from accessing the oracle client software. But I checked permissions and made sure everyone has access to the folder with the oracle client and nothing has changed.

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

BillyBuerger — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 18:25:44 GMT

Yeah, I confirmed that removing the 64bit oracle and only including the 32bit oracle in the path doesn't change anything for the user that doesn't work. The user that does work stops working if I remove the 32bit oracle path as would be expected.

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

George_Thompson — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 18:33:36 GMT

You may need to open a case with the Geodata team https://community.esri.com/groups/technical-support?sr=search&searchId=ec3e969a-ef78-4b2a-905e-756cbc1b8a4b&searchIndex=0‌ to have them review the issue in more detail.

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

MichaelVolz — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 19:01:26 GMT

William:

What version of ArcMap are you working in?

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

BillyBuerger — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 19:03:50 GMT

10.2.1

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

RexRobichaux2 — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 23:54:02 GMT

Hi William-

I just wanted to confirm what you said in the first post and that it is the Oracle instant client installed vs the admin client?

Also, you mention system in a couple of places- are these different windows users on the same machine trying to open ArcMap 10.2.1 and connect to that Oracle database or are these users on different machines?

If this is all one one machine, could you try (while logged in as you / the successful user) try opening ArcMap as one of the other users who is having issues (shift + right click < run as different user) and test. Also, depending upon the results of this- log onto the machine as one of the problematic users- and run ArcMap as yourself and re-test. Sorry- just trying to get a little better understanding of the configuration.

Can you provide a screenshot of the database connection properties of the connection as well? Thanks!

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

TroyBum72 — Fri, 25 May 2018 12:15:53 GMT

Was this ever resolved? I think I have the same issue. I am reading this as a permissions issue. One machine. 2 clients. We have done this successfully for years. For some reason a user who, like me has the same administrator permissions, can't access the 32 bit client but CAN access the 64bit. I install them side by side in the same Oracle Directory - sub 12c32 and 12c64. I know the path is right and am not worried due to years of success on a documented process. User can not access the Oracle/12c32 folder structure or run SQL Plus from start menu or command prompt, I am fine. Of course can't connect in Catalog. All permissions seem to be the same and inherit applied through the entire drive (which happens to be a 😧 drive, but I have another user with a C: drive issue so I don't think the drive is the issue). I truly feel this is a Windows permission issue. I spent over 1 hour on the phone with support yesterday, no success. I was hoping my issue truly is the same and that your issue was resolved. Any help is appreciated!

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

BillyBuerger — Wed, 30 May 2018 21:05:05 GMT

I never got it to work. In the end, I setup a VM on the same hardware to act as the "client" while the physical system acted as the server. Then I didn't have to try to work around having the server and client software running on the same windows installation.

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

TroyBum72 — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 21:23:14 GMT

Thank you. I did get it to work. I had to remove access to the folder for an Oracle user set up at during client install. This is new crap that happens with the administrator client at 12c. It has been a while since I noticed this causing a problem. Then I had to reapply my folder permissions at the top-level directory including inheritance and all so that "authenticated users" had access to these directories. Not sure why things were jacked up but they were.

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

BillyBuerger — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 18:03:12 GMT

Thanks for the info. The project we were setting this up for is done now and the resources have been reallocated. But when I get the chance, I'll try your solution so I know for myself in the future.

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

MichaelVolz — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 18:04:46 GMT

Would you have the ability to use the Oracle Instant client instead of the Oracle Admin client?

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

TroyBum72 — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 18:12:42 GMT

Nope. Tried that. We do have people who use SQL Developer quite a bit.

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

deleted-user-TvScMv0jHDIa — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 06:51:18 GMT

I'm currently having the same problem too.

I did read this on Oracle's help site

Starting with Oracle Database 12c, during installation, you can specify an Oracle Home User associated with the Oracle Database home on the Specify Oracle Home User screen. The Oracle Home user owns all the Windows services run by the Oracle Database software. You can either specify an existing Windows user, or have the installer create the user for you. The Oracle Home user and several database services with the proper Access Control Lists (ACLs) are configured during installation.

Select Use Windows Built-in Account if you do not specify an Oracle Home User during installation. Then the services for the Oracle home run as the LocalService or LocalSystem user.

from webpage

Installing Oracle Database Client

Re: Oracle client doesn't work for some users

deleted-user-TvScMv0jHDIa — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 00:59:07 GMT

This seems to have gotten my computer working but I don't know if it's a fix for everyone

I copied the admin folder from a working computer

C:\oracle\product\11.2.0\client_admin\network\admin.

The hint I saw said to copy the tnsnames.ora file but in my case the folder was empty so I copied all the files

then I followed the instructions from this website

Use 32 and 64bit Oracle Client in parallel on Windows 7 64-bit for e.g. .NET Apps · Realfiction

Basically they suggest making a softlink shortcut folder in both the 32bit and 64 bit folders in the c:windows folder

using a cmd window and the mklink command

and then to create an entry in the environment path in the advanced settings which points to where the shortcut folder is in the c:\windows\system32 folder .