16 replies to this topic

[sandbox]

Hey gang, long time no see, my bad! Anyway, I got me a question. Does anybody know how to connect to a remote oracle database using toad? When I read the docs for toad I get the impression that I have to have a local oracle installation in order to use toad, but that just seems silly.

I guess I'm stuck at the point of trying to figure out how to tell toad where to look for all of the configuration information it needs for the connection if I don't have any "Oracle Home" directories.

:crosses fingers:

Peace!

[sandbox]

Um, nevermind, I just figured it out.

Here's how you do it (Although I've done my best to present an accurate procedure, I can't guarantee this will work for everyone. Messing around with your environmental variables is not for the weak, proceed with caution):

1) Prepare your mind for information that should be used once and then quickly discarded. Otherwise the following information may stick to your brain and take up valuable space. You are warned.

2) Install the oracle instant client. I don't know why...I kinda wish I did. You probably can get away with installing just the basic package. Unzip the files to a directory, and then copy the path of this directory to the clipboard.

3) Add this directory to the PATH environmental variable. To do this, right click on My Computer, go to the Advanced tab, and click 'Environment Variables'. Under System variables, find 'Path'. Select it, and click edit. ctrl-v to paste the directory into the string, and say OK. e.g.:

Before: %SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel;
After: %SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel;C:\instantclient;

4) In the same window, under 'User variables for ...', Click the New button. Call the variable 'TNS_ADMIN'. ctrl-v to paste the directory path into the 'variable value' field. Say OK, and close out the 'My Computer' properties windows.

5) Create a file called 'TNSNAMES.ORA' in your instant client installation directory. In this file designate the connection parameters for your database. Mine looked something like this:

DB_ALIAS =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = ip.add.re.ss)(PORT = 1521))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SID = orcl)
      (SERVER = DEDICATED)
    )
  )

replace the DB_ALIAS, ip.add.re.ss, port, and SID with your settings. If you don't know what any of this means, good for you, you'll live longer.

6) Reset your computer, fire up Toad, and then open a new connection. You should see DB_ALIAS as an option under the database field. Set your username and password, hit connect, and you should be in business.

I guess Toad looks in certain places for the drivers and configuration files it needs to connect to oracle. Setting the environmental variables tells Toad where to look. If you had a local install of Oracle I imagine you could fire up Toad and all the files it needed would already be in the right place, but you can follow these steps instead. Woot!

[iGuest]

Thanks . It worked for me

-sibu

[iGuest]

Thanks for the instructions, I was able to connect to oracle using TOAD 8.5.0.50 g

-Anjan

[iGuest]

unable to connect
Connect To Remote Oracle Database With Toad

I had done the same thing what you had done. Still I am gettting errors like tns name cannot be resolved. Can you please help me in this

-reply by sowjanyakumar

[ejroley]

FeedBacker, on May 20 2008, 04:37 AM, said:

unable to connect

Connect To Remote Oracle Database With Toad
I had done the same thing what you had done. Still I am gettting errors like tns name cannot be resolved. Can you please help me in this

-reply by sowjanyakumar

[ejroley]

check out...
http://ora-13200.ora-code.com/all.html for error code issues. It gives you at least a starting point to out figuring out what is wrong.

try pinging your server that you want to connect to. from your DOS prompt type tnsping 10.11.112.23 (the server ip you are trying to connect to)
it's usually a syntax or spelling error in your tnsnames.ora file. If you've been up all night trying to figure out how to connect, re-check your syntax and keeps notes in notepad or wordpad for reference.


if you are remote access and required Cisco VPN or other VPN connection (from Home) you may want to add the destination entry to your C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\host file (on XP)

[iGuest]

Ya.I connected successfully.Thanks a lot.
One more doubt I have...The main page of the Toad opend successfully.
But when I type "select * from tab" it is showing no rows selected...Why it is showing like that...

-reply by sai prasad

[iGuest]

Connect To Remote Oracle Database With Toad
Connect To Remote Oracle Database With Toad

Replying to sandbox

Thanks a lot, it got connected.
--Swapna.