Protocol adapter error
One of the errors that defeats a lot of new users who install the Oracle Database on the Windows operating system is a two-step event. The first step occurs when you try to connect to the database and it raises the following error:
SQL*Plus: Release 18.0.0.0.0 - Production on Fri Jan 7 21:00:42 2022 Version 18.4.0.0.0 Copyright (c) 1982, 2018, Oracle. All rights reserved. ERROR: ORA-12541: TNS:no listener |
The second step may occur after you get the “no listener” error when you try to start the Oracle listener and it fails to start. The Oracle listener control command is:
lsnrctl start |
When it returns the following error:
LSNRCTL FOR 64-bit Windows: Version 18.0.0.0.0 - Production ON 07-JAN-2022 21:02:20 Copyright (c) 1991, 2018, Oracle. ALL rights reserved. Starting tnslsnr: please wait... Unable TO OpenSCManager: err=5 TNS-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error TNS-00530: Protocol adapter error |
The problem is generally in two configuration files. They are the listener.ora and tnsnames.ora files. This typically occurs when the developer fails to set the localhost in the Windows operating system hosts configuration file. The chain of events that causes these errors can be avoided when the user puts the following two lines:
127.0.0.1 localhost ::1 localhost |
in the following hosts file:
C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts |
You can typically avoid these errors when you configure the hosts configuration file correctly before installing the Oracle Database. That’s because the Oracle database installation will use localhost keyword instead of the current, and typically DHCP assigned, IP address.
The loss of connectivity errors typically occur when the IP address changes after the installation. DHCP IP addresses often change as machines disconnect and reconnect to a network.
You can fix a DHCP IP installation of an Oracle database by editing the listener.ora and tnsnames.ora files. You replace the IP addresses with the localhost keyword.
The listener.ora and tnsnames.ora files look like the following for an Oracle Database 21c Express Edition (provided you installed them in a C:\app\username directory:
listener.ora
# listener.ora Network Configuration File: C:\app\username\product\21.0.0\dbhomeXE\NETWORK\ADMIN\listener.ora
# Generated by Oracle configuration tools.
DEFAULT_SERVICE_LISTENER = XE
SID_LIST_LISTENER =
(SID_LIST =
(SID_DESC =
(SID_NAME = CLRExtProc)
(ORACLE_HOME = C:\app\username\product\21.0.0\dbhomeXE)
(PROGRAM = extproc)
(ENVS = "EXTPROC_DLLS=ONLY:C:\app\username\product\21.0.0\dbhomeXE\bin\oraclr21.dll")
)
)
LISTENER =
(DESCRIPTION_LIST =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = localhost)(PORT = 1521))
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC)(KEY = EXTPROC1521))
)
) |
tnsnames.ora
# tnsnames.ora Network Configuration File: C:\app\mclaughlinm\product\21.0.0\dbhomeXE\NETWORK\ADMIN\tnsnames.ora
# Generated by Oracle configuration tools.
XE =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = localhost)(PORT = 1521))
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVER = DEDICATED)
(SERVICE_NAME = XE)
)
)
LISTENER_XE =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = localhost)(PORT = 1521))
ORACLR_CONNECTION_DATA =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC)(KEY = EXTPROC1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SID = CLRExtProc)
(PRESENTATION = RO)
)
) |
As always, I hope this helps those looking for a solution to something that can take more time than it should to fix.
Subscribe via RSS