Configuring Oracle tsnnames using netca and error ORA-12541 and ORA-01017

I was trying to configure my client to connect to the Oracle server running on a different machine. I used netca to configure create the tnsnames.ora file that is needed to connect from the client to the server.

So as user oracle I started the netca instance on the client machine.

 

I decided to test the configuration by select 'Yes' radio button.

 

I first got the "ORA-12541: TNS: no listener"  error message. This was due to the fact that I had not started the listener on the server side. So as user oracle on the server I started the listener.

$ lsnrctl start

LSNRCTL for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production on 01-MAR-2011 15:17:53

Copyright (c) 1991, 2009, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Starting /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/bin/tnslsnr: please wait...

TNSLSNR for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
System parameter file is /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/network/admin/listener.ora
Log messages written to /u01/app/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/isvp18/listener/alert/log.xml
Listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=isvp18.storage.tucson.ibm.com)(PORT=1521)))

Connecting to (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=)(PORT=1521))
STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias                     LISTENER
Version                   TNSLSNR for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
Start Date                01-MAR-2011 15:17:53
Uptime                    0 days 0 hr. 0 min. 0 sec
Trace Level               off
Security                  ON: Local OS Authentication
SNMP                      ON
Listener Parameter File   /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/network/admin/listener.ora
Listener Log File         /u01/app/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/isvp18/listener/alert/log.xml
Listening Endpoints Summary...
  (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=isvp18.storage.tucson.ibm.com)(PORT=1521)))
The listener supports no services
The command completed successfully
$ lsnrctl status

LSNRCTL for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production on 01-MAR-2011 15:18:38

Copyright (c) 1991, 2009, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Connecting to (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=)(PORT=1521))
STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias                     LISTENER
Version                   TNSLSNR for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
Start Date                01-MAR-2011 15:17:53
Uptime                    0 days 0 hr. 0 min. 44 sec
Trace Level               off
Security                  ON: Local OS Authentication
SNMP                      ON
Listener Parameter File   /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/network/admin/listener.ora
Listener Log File         /u01/app/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/isvp18/listener/alert/log.xml
Listening Endpoints Summary...
  (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=isvp18.storage.tucson.ibm.com)(PORT=1521)))
Services Summary...
Service "testgm" has 1 instance(s).
  Instance "testgm", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "testgmXDB" has 1 instance(s).
  Instance "testgm", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
The command completed successfully
$

 

 

After that I ran the test again, and this time I got a different error message. This time I got ORA-01017: invalid username/password

I clicked on the Change Login button, and entered the correct login and passowrd, which fixed the issue.

Under $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin I saw that netca had created the tnsnames.ora file for me.

$ cat tnsnames.ora
# tnsnames.ora Network Configuration File: /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/network/admin/tnsnames.ora
# Generated by Oracle configuration tools.

TESTGM =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 9.11.83.82)(PORT = 1521))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVICE_NAME = testgm)
    )
  )

$