ORA-12571: TNS:packet writer failure

Hi there,

I have Oracle v8.0.3.0.6 running on a NetWare v4.11 SP9 server. As far as I can tell Oracle is working. I can load up SVRMGR30.NLM, login as internal or scott, do select, issue some commands such as 'archive log list' and I don't get any errors. This is a home setup and I am still fairly new to Oracle, even though I have been going to the Oracle classes for a year. Seems like one can spend a lifetime learning Oracle...

Here are some NLMs that are loaded that I thought might be of importance in troubleshooting this:

ORACLE80.NLM
  Oracle8 Server for NetWare v8.0.3.0.6
  Version 8.00f June 26, 1998
  Copyright (c) Oracle Corporation 1990, 1998. All rights reserved.

TNSLIB80.NLM
  Oracle TNS Library v8.0.3.0.6 - Production   Version 8.00c June 26, 1998
  Copyright (c) Oracle Corporation 1990-1997. All rights reserved.

TNSLSN80.NLM
  Oracle TNS Listener v8.0.3.0.6 - Production   Version 8.00c June 26, 1998
  Copyright (c) Oracle Corporation 1990-1997. All rights reserved.

Workstation is a WinXP Pro SP1 with Novell Client 32 v4.83 SP1. Yesterday I have installed the Client portion of Oracle, but when I attempt to connect via "Oracle Net8 Easy Config" I get "ORA-12571: TNS:packet writer failure" error -- please see below:

The test did not succeed.
ORA-12571: TNS:packet writer failure

There may be an error in the fields entered or the server may not be ready for a connection. You can check the server and retry, or continue.

NetWare v4.11 has IPX (Ethernet_II -- 055FF004) and IP bounded (172.16.0.10 - subnet 255.255.0.0) and I can connect to it over IPX from WinXP as well as ping it via IP. WinXP has 2 NICs in it, one is connected to the cable modem and gets its IP address via DHCP and the other one is connected via 10BaseT hub to the NetWare server and its static IP address is 17.16.0.30 - subnet 255.255.0.0. I can RCONSOLE to the NetWare server as well as PING WinXP workstation (172.16.0.30) from the NetWare server.

I have done some basic searches on the Internet, and the best thing I found was to turn on traces and report this to Oracle. I don't really know which things to put in trace and where, and where the logs go, etc. OK, I was just poking around and see NET80 directory with LOG and TRACE subdirectories as well as LISTENER.ORA file, where there is a line TRACE_LEVEL_LISTENER=OFF. Perhaps I should try setting that to ON... and see what I get in either LOG or TRACE subdirectories. Perhaps I will be able to interpret the output of these traces, but somehow I doubt I will know what to do next... Should this configuration even work to begin with ? Meaning Oracle 8 Client on WinXP ? Can I use Oracle 9 Client to "talk" to Oracle 8 ? Oracle v9.x is not available for NetWare anymore, so I am trying to use v8.x. I guess I can go with Oracle for Windows but I rather learn on NetWare because I support stuff on NetWare and want to learn more about it, etc. I just tried connecting via SPX using the service name I found in TNSNAMES.ORA file -- USSDNW411FS1-SPX, but received a failure as well -- please see below:

The test did not succeed.
ORA-12224: TNS:no listener

There may be an error in the fields entered or the server may not be ready for a connection. You can check the server and retry, or continue.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Pete Received on Fri Sep 13 2002 - 00:05:04 CDT