# "ORA-12154: TNS:..." error after successful oracle connection

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ora-12154-tns-error-after-successful-oracle-connection/187699>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [April 28, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ora-12154-tns-error-after-successful-oracle-connection/187699 "2010-04-28T00:35:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kimda](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@kimda](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kimda)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ora-12154-tns-error-after-successful-oracle-connection/187699/1 "2010-04-28T00:35:26Z")

</div>

Hi,

After a few days of struggling, I was able to run this command  
successfully.

ruby -r oci8 -e “OCI8.new(‘xxx\_dba’, ‘xxx’, ‘//xxxx:1521/  
[xxxxx.xxx.org](http://xxxxx.xxx.org)’).exec(‘SELECT 1 from dual’) {|r| puts r.join}”

I got “1.0” as output and I got my prompt back.

So, I went back to the RoR app that I am working on, started WEBrick  
in Radrails but I got this error:

ORA-12154: TNS:could not resolve the connect identifier specified

RAILS\_ROOT: ./script/…/config/…  
Application Trace | Framework Trace | Full Trace

env.c:257:in oci8lib.so  
C:/web/IPSO/app/controllers/attending\_ips\_controller.rb:140:in  
`get_most_recent_record' C:/web/IPSO/app/controllers/attending_ips_controller.rb:26:in `new\_edit’  
-e:4:in `load’  
-e:4

C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/oci8.rb:229:in `initialize' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/ active_record/connection_adapters/oracle_adapter.rb:585:in `new’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/  
active\_record/connection\_adapters/oracle\_adapter.rb:585:in  
`new_connection' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/ active_record/connection_adapters/oracle_adapter.rb:621:in `initialize’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/  
active\_record/connection\_adapters/oracle\_adapter.rb:35:in `new' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/ active_record/connection_adapters/oracle_adapter.rb:35:in `oracle\_connection’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/  
active\_record/connection\_adapters/abstract/connection\_specification.rb:  
262:in `send' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/ active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_specification.rb: 262:in `connection\_without\_query\_cache=’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/  
active\_record/query\_cache.rb:54:in `connection=' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/ active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_specification.rb: 230:in `retrieve\_connection’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/  
active\_record/connection\_adapters/abstract/connection\_specification.rb:  
78:in `connection' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/ active_record/base.rb:427:in `find\_by\_sql’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/  
action\_controller/base.rb:1101:in `send' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/ action_controller/base.rb:1101:in `perform\_action\_without\_filters’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/  
action\_controller/filters.rb:696:in `call_filters' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/ action_controller/filters.rb:688:in `perform\_action\_without\_benchmark’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/  
action\_controller/benchmarking.rb:66:in  
`perform_action_without_rescue' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/benchmark.rb:293:in `measure’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/  
action\_controller/benchmarking.rb:66:in  
`perform_action_without_rescue' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/ action_controller/rescue.rb:83:in `perform\_action’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/  
action\_controller/base.rb:435:in `send' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/ action_controller/base.rb:435:in `process\_without\_filters’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/  
action\_controller/filters.rb:684:in  
`process_without_session_management_support' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/ action_controller/session_management.rb:114:in `process’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.5/lib/  
action\_controller/base.rb:334:in `process' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.5/lib/dispatcher.rb: 41:in `dispatch’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.5/lib/webrick\_server.rb:  
113:in `handle_dispatch' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.5/lib/webrick_server.rb: 79:in `service’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/httpserver.rb:104:in `service' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/httpserver.rb:65:in `run’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:173:in `start_thread' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:162:in `start’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:162:in `start_thread' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:95:in `start’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:92:in `each' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:92:in `start’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:23:in `start' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:82:in `start’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.5/lib/webrick\_server.rb:  
63:in `dispatch' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.5/lib/commands/servers/ webrick.rb:59 C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:31:in `gem\_original\_require’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:31:in  
`require' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.4.4/lib/ active_support/dependencies.rb:495:in `require’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.4.4/lib/  
active\_support/dependencies.rb:342:in `new_constants_in' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.4.4/lib/ active_support/dependencies.rb:495:in `require’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.5/lib/commands/server.rb:  
39  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:31:in  
`gem_original_require' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:31:in `require’  
script/server:3

env.c:257:in oci8lib.so  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/oci8.rb:229:in `initialize' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/ active_record/connection_adapters/oracle_adapter.rb:585:in `new’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/  
active\_record/connection\_adapters/oracle\_adapter.rb:585:in  
`new_connection' C:/ruby_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/ active_record/connection_adapters/oracle_adapter.rb:621:in `initialize’  
C:/ruby\_prod/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/  
active\_record/connection\_adapters/oracle\_adapter.rb:35:in `new’  
…  
…

does this mean my database.yml is not right? I am using exactly same  
database.yml compare to prod box.  
database.yml

development:

adapter: oracle  
database: //xxxx:1521/xxxxx.xxx.org  
username: xxxx\_dba  
password: xxxx

this setup is working fine in prod box that runs ruby 1.8.6, rails  
2.1.0, and oracle instant client. The only difference that I can think  
of is that prod box runs mongrel as a windows service.

am I missing something here?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kimda](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@kimda](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kimda)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ora-12154-tns-error-after-successful-oracle-connection/187699/2 "2010-04-28T02:20:22Z")

</div>

kimda \<tkkscf@…\> writes:

Hi kimda

The TNS error message from Oracle suggests the problem is with your  
database string.

But your ruby oci8 diagnostic looks good (providing all the x’s match)  
and  
I’ve checked here and a similar ruby oci8 connection string also works  
for  
me in Rails. (I usually rely on tnsnames.ora which is why I had to  
change  
my connection string to check.)

However, I’m not running rails thru radrails - I’m using mongrel\_rails  
from  
command line here.

The only thing I can think of is that the process running radrails has  
some  
problem using or supplying the connection info to Oracle.

Might be worth running rails from the command line in the same process  
that can successfully run the ruby oci8 command.

regards

Greg

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kimda](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@kimda](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kimda)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ora-12154-tns-error-after-successful-oracle-connection/187699/3 "2010-04-28T06:22:42Z")

</div>

Glad to hear it kimda. Thanks for letting me know it worked.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kimda](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@kimda](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kimda)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ora-12154-tns-error-after-successful-oracle-connection/187699/4 "2010-04-28T05:03:06Z")

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Hi Greg,

You were right! Running the server from command line solved my issue.

thanks!  
Daniel