Alteryx Designer Desktop Knowledge Base
Definitive answers from Designer Desktop experts.Error: "System.Data.OracleClient requires Oracle client software version 8.1.7 or greater" when connecting to Oracle
Environment Details
Connecting to Oracle from Designer results in the following message:
System.Data.OracleClient requires Oracle client software version 8.1.7 or greater
This is a generic Oracle message that is not related to Alteryx indicating there is an issue finding a valid Oracle client. The error message is returned from the Oracle database, therefore please check with your DBA about the configuration and set up of the Oracle client and the Oracle database server before reaching out to Alteryx Support.
- Alteryx Designer
- All versions
- Input/Output tools
- In-DB tools
- Oracle Database
- All versions
Cause
1. The Oracle Client version is not compatible with Designer.
2. The Oracle Client is not installed or configured properly.
Resolution
Solution A
Make sure you are using an Oracle Client that has been tested with Alteryx Designer. Even though the client is installed properly, the error may occur if the client is not compatible. For information on supported Oracle Client versions, please refer to the Alteryx Help documentation for Oracle.
Solution B
If the client is compatible, test the client outside of Alteryx to confirm if it's possible to connect to Oracle. See this KB article, Procedure B - Oracle, for details to connect to SQL Plus via the command line. Contact an Oracle DBA or IT for further assistance if it is not working.
Troubleshooting Tips & Tricks
Steps
Check the Window Environment Variable for the Oracle path to make sure it is the same as the actual install path.
1. Open Windows cmd prompt as Admin.
2. Type in "path" and press Enter.
3. Look for the %Oracle_Home%\bin path.
e.g. - C:\app\<user_name>\Product\12.2.0\client_1\bin
or
4. Compare that path to the actual installation path.
5. If they are different, the path in the Environment Variables will need to be fixed to match the actual install path. A mistake in editing could affect other applications so if you are not familiar with how to edit, it is better to ask your IT Admin to fix or reinstall the Oracle client properly.
If you tried using the ODBC connection, try using the OCI (New Oracle Connection). If you do not know the TNS server name it can be found in the tnsnames.ora file. Consult an Oracle DBA for more information.
1. Go to the Oracle Client folder in Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click on the folder.
3. *On the security Tab, Add “Authenticated Users” and give this account Read & Execute permission.
4. Apply this security for all folders, Subfolders, and Files (IMPORTANT).
5. Don’t forget to REBOOT your machine; the error will persist until the machine has been restarted.
*Note: Check with your IT before changing any permission settings.
Oracle may find it difficult to navigate and select the correct version if it has more than one version installed or if there are incomplete/stagnant clients installed. If you only need one of them it is better just to remove them all and reinstall the one that is needed to effectively clean up the environment.
One way to check to see if you have the right bitness drivers installed is to set up the DSN connection through the ODBC Admin and see if any drivers populate for either the 32-bit or 64-bit connections. It's recommended to use a 64-bit client.
Procedure A - Check the Environment Variables
Check the Window Environment Variable for the Oracle path to make sure it is the same as the actual install path.
1. Open Windows cmd prompt as Admin.
2. Type in "path" and press Enter.
3. Look for the %Oracle_Home%\bin path.
e.g. - C:\app\<user_name>\Product\12.2.0\client_1\bin
or
4. Compare that path to the actual installation path.
5. If they are different, the path in the Environment Variables will need to be fixed to match the actual install path. A mistake in editing could affect other applications so if you are not familiar with how to edit, it is better to ask your IT Admin to fix or reinstall the Oracle client properly.
Procedure B - Which database connection did you use?
If you tried using the ODBC connection, try using the OCI (New Oracle Connection). If you do not know the TNS server name it can be found in the tnsnames.ora file. Consult an Oracle DBA for more information.
Procedure C - What permissions do you have?
1. Go to the Oracle Client folder in Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click on the folder.
3. *On the security Tab, Add “Authenticated Users” and give this account Read & Execute permission.
4. Apply this security for all folders, Subfolders, and Files (IMPORTANT).
5. Don’t forget to REBOOT your machine; the error will persist until the machine has been restarted.
*Note: Check with your IT before changing any permission settings.
Procedure D - How many instances of Oracle do you have installed?
Oracle may find it difficult to navigate and select the correct version if it has more than one version installed or if there are incomplete/stagnant clients installed. If you only need one of them it is better just to remove them all and reinstall the one that is needed to effectively clean up the environment.
Procedure E - Do you have the correct bitness client installed?
One way to check to see if you have the right bitness drivers installed is to set up the DSN connection through the ODBC Admin and see if any drivers populate for either the 32-bit or 64-bit connections. It's recommended to use a 64-bit client.
Aditional Informaiton
