Hi,

PL/SQL Developer is a such a useful program. But occasionally, I run into issues connecting to certain databases. For example, I could not connect to mcs9idb instance ever through PL/SQL Developer although I am able to connect just fine from Oracle's SQL Developer through JDBC technology.

The error I get: ORA:12154: TNS: Could not resolve the connect identifier specified.

I am able to connect to almost all other databases. Then why single out this mcs9idb????

Please advise.

Please find attached the PL/SQL About --> Info pages:

--- Info ---

PL/SQL Developer
Version 7.1.5.1398
Windows XP Professional 5.1 Build 2600 (Service Pack 3)

Physical memory : 2,086,808 kB (614,236 available)
Paging file : 4,022,900 kB (2,534,896 available)
Virtual memory : 2,097,024 kB (1,905,408 available)

Parameters
C:\Program Files\PLSQL Developer\plsqldev.exe

Preferences
Session mode: Multi
OCI Library: D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\bin\oci.dll
Use OCI7: False

Preference Files
C:\Program Files\PLSQL Developer\Preferences\Default\Default.ini
C:\Program Files\PLSQL Developer\Preferences\suddray\default.ini

Plug-Ins

Aliases
ABRLDB-DEV
ABRLDB-QA
mcs9idb
MFF-SIM-LOCAL
MFF-SIM-US
...

Homes
OraClient11g_home1 (D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1)

DLLs
D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\bin\oci.dll

TNS File
D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\network\admin\tnsnames.ora

Using
Home: OraClient11g_home1
DLL: D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\bin\oci.dll
OCI: version 9.2
Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition Release 10.2.0.3.0

Character Sets
Character size: 3 byte(s)
CharSetID: 871
NCharSetID: 2000
Unicode Support: True
NLS_LANG: AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8MSWIN1252
NLS_CHARACTERSET: UTF8
NLS_NCHAR_CHARACTERSET: AL16UTF16

--- Registry ---

SOFTWARE\ORACLE
inst_loc = C:\Program Files\Oracle\Inventory

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\Desktop Sharing Run-Time

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\Desktop Sharing Run-Time\Driver Usage
{6EC12D06-9C55-4609-9105-C33093D5717C} =

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\JInitiator
Java Runtime = Default
JIT Enabled = 1
JIT path = symcjit
Java Runtime Parameters = -mx64m -Dcache.size=50000000
Show Console = 0

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\JInitiator\1.1

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\JInitiator\1.1.8

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\JInitiator\1.1.8.14
Home = C:\PROGRA~1\Oracle\JINITI~1.14

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\JInitiator\1.3.1.22
JavaHome = C:\Program Files\Oracle\JInitiator 1.3.1.22

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\JInitiator\Default
Home = C:\PROGRA~1\Oracle\JINITI~1.14

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_OraClient11g_home1
ORACLE_HOME = D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1
ORACLE_HOME_NAME = OraClient11g_home1
ORACLE_GROUP_NAME = Oracle - OraClient11g_home1
NLS_LANG = AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8MSWIN1252
ORACLE_BUNDLE_NAME = Enterprise
OLEDB = D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\oledb\mesg
StmtCacheSize = 0
OO4O = D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\oo4o\mesg
ORACLE_HOME_KEY = SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_OraClient11g_home1
SQLPATH = D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\dbs
MSHELP_TOOLS = D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\MSHELP

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_OraClient11g_home1\OLEDB
CacheType = Memory
ChunkSize = 100
DistribTX = 1
FetchSize = 100
OSAuthent = 0
PLSQLRset = 0
PwdChgDlg = 1
SchRstLng = 10000
UserDefFn = 0
DisableRetClause = 1
VCharNull = 1
TraceCategory = 0
TraceFileName = c:\OraOLEDB.trc
TraceLevel = 0
TraceOption = 0
SPPrmDefVal = 0
StmtCacheSize = 10
MetaDataCacheSize = 0
DBNotifications = 0
DeferUpdChk = 0

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_OraClient11g_home1\OO4O
CacheBlocks = 20
FetchLimit = 100
FetchSize = 4096
HelpFile = D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\oo4o\doc\oraclec.chm
PerBlock = 16
SliceSize = 256
TempFileDirectory = c:\temp
OO4O_HOME = D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\oo4o

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\ODP.NET

SOFTWARE\ORACLE\ODP.NET\1.111.6.0
DllPath = D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\bin
TraceFileName = C:\odp.net1.trc
TraceLevel = 0
TraceOption = 0
StatementCacheSize = 10
FetchSize =


My tnsnames.ora file
--------------------------
ABRLDB-QA =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = rstn-sol14.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = abrldb)
)
)

ABRLDB-DEV =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = rstn-sol18.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = abrldb)
)
)


mspdev94_IP =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 10.141.29.114)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = dvolr05)
)
)


mspdev94 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdev94.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = dvolr05)
)
)



mspdev95 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdev95.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = dvolr05)
)
)



mspdev6970vip =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdev6970vip.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = dvolr02)
)
)


mspdev6970vip_IP =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 10.141.29.248)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = dvolr02)
)
)


mspdev33 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdev33.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1525))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = dev10gr2)
)
)


mspdv144 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdv144.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = dvsss03)
)
)


simdev13_1 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdv148.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = dvols03)
)
)


simqa13_1 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdv148.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = dvols03)
)
)


simqa13_INTG-QA2 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdv322.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = qaols11)
)
)

rmsqa13_INTG-QA2 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdv322.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = qaols11)
)
)

simqa13_INTG-QA3 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdv322.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = qaols10)
)
)

rmsqa13_INTG-QA3 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdv322.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = qaols10)
)
)

rwmsqa13_INTG-QA3 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdv322.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = qaols10)
)
)


rwmsqa13_INTG-QA2 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspdv320.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = qaols11)
)
)


mcs9idb=
(DESCRIPTION=
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 10.146.84.81)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = mcs9idb)
)
)

RMS12LOCALSSI=
(DESCRIPTION=
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = i3sn150e.idc.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = birladb)
)
)


MFF-SIM-LOCAL=
(DESCRIPTION=
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = i3sn150e.idc.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = birladb)
)
)


MFF-SIM-US=
(DESCRIPTION=
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mspcst10.us.oracle.com)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = retek)
)
)




My sqlnet.ora file
------------------------
# sqlnet.ora Network Configuration File: D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\network\admin\sqlnet.ora
# Generated by Oracle configuration tools.

# This file is actually generated by netca. But if customers choose to
# install "Software Only", this file wont exist and without the native
# authentication, they will not be able to connect to the database on NT.

SQLNET.AUTHENTICATION_SERVICES= (NTS)
NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH= (TNSNAMES, EZCONNECT)


Thanks in advance,
Suddha Satta Ray

Perhaps you can enable Oracle Net tracing by setting "trace_level_client = USER" in the sqlnet.ora configuration file? The trace file may shed some light on this.

1. Edit D:\app\suddray\product\11.1.0\client_1\network\admin\sqlnet.ora using notepad or wordpad
2. Change trace_level_client=OFF to trace_level_client=USER (or add this line)
3. Save the sqlnet.ora file
4. Run PL/SQL Developer and reproduce the problem
5. Tracing file is located in PL/SQL Developer directory (sqlnet.log). Please send this file to me.
6. Change trace_level_client=USER to trace_level_client=OFF
7. Save the sqlnet.ora file

Can you connect via sql*plus? this would test your tnsnames file.
SQL*Developer, uses Java and bypasses the TNSNames.ora.

Also try to TNSPing the connect string.

Hello,
Is this resolved yet? I'm having the same problem with Win7 64bit.
Oracle client (sqlplus) connects just fine, but pl/sql dev gives the
ora-12154 error. "tnsping wdg2" reports okay too.

Thanks,
--wg

Did you perhaps install in the "Program Files (x86)" directory? If so, you are probably running into an Oracle Net bug when using a directory name with parentheses. You will need to upgrade to an Oracle11g client or install in a different directory.