IBM Support

Unable to login: ORA-12500 Listener failed to start a dedicated server process

Troubleshooting


Problem

Error ossucrs when attempting to login to an Impromptu catalog accessing an Oracle datasource via SQL*Net, or when attempting to test a data source in Framework Manager or accessing a Query Subject in Framework Manager.

Symptom

QE-DEF-0285 Logon Failure
QE-DEF-0325 The cause of the logon failure is:
QE-DEF-0068 Unable to connect to at least one database during a multi-database attach to 1 databases in: PMS Retentions

UDA-SQL-0031 Unable to access the PMS Retentions database.
UDA-SQL-0446 Oracle returned an error message.
ORA-12500: TNS: Listener failed to start a dedicated server process.
UDA-SQL-0107 A general exception has occured during the operation "Attach".

This happens even if you are able to test datasource connection in Cognos Connection which is on the different machine.

Error:

ORA-12500 Listener failed to start a dedicated server process

Resolving The Problem

This is an Oracle error message being returned from the Oracle database layer.

First, confirm that a successful connection can be made outside of Impromptu or Framework Manager, in SQL*Plus, using the same login. If this is successful confirm that the following is not true.

For Impromptu: If the Oracle instance that the Impromptu catalog accesses has been changed, (under the Catalog Tables dialog), then the catalog was redistributed to Users, the logical Database Name in the Database Definition will remain the same. However, unless the same changes are made on the users' machines, the above error may occur. This is due to the old instance still being referenced in the cognos.ini file. Remark out the the database definition in the cognos.ini, and reopen the catalog to reenter the connection information in the ini file, or copy the cognos.ini file from the administrator's machine to replace the users' cognos.ini files.

Note: Confirm the paths are correct in the ini if copying over this file. Always back up ini files before making any changes.

For Framework Manager: Ensure that you have the Oracle client installed and that tnsnames.ora is configured correctly, as it will utilize the Oracle client to access to the database.

If a successful connection cannot be made in SQL*Plus please contact your DBA or Oracle vendor.

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Historical Number

59547

Document Information

Modified date:
28 November 2022

UID

swg21348364

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