Adding Configuration Files to Oracle Database 12c Instant Client

Happy New Year!

Though I generally prefer to use the full Oracle client, I have many customers that use the Instant Client to save space. However, this setup frequently is missing the configuration files that may be necessary for some applications to be able to find database servers.

If you are missing any of the files sqlnet.ora, ldap.ora, or tnsnames.ora, then this post is for you. In the full client, these files are stored in {ORACLE_HOME}/network/admin; in the Instant Client, this folder may not even exist – but there’s no reason to panic!

First, check to see if you have an environment variable called TNS_ADMIN. If so, this is where your files should be placed. Check to make sure they’re not already there.

If there is no environment variable called TNS_ADMIN, create one and put the full path to the Oracle base folder. Place the files in this folder. Generally, no reboot is necessary.

Sources:
Oracle Instant Client FAQ
Configuring sqlnet.ora and tnsnames.ora on the client side

One Reply to “Adding Configuration Files to Oracle Database 12c Instant Client”

Leave a Reply