ORA-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error. VM works on old MBP and Win7 but not on new MBP [mid 2015 Retina], speed or network issue?

[tlefever]

We are trying to use our VM on the new MBP Retina (mid 2015) with MacOS X 10.11 (El Capitan) but we got an Oracle startup issue. So we first converted our VM from ESX but once on the Mac laptop Oracle (v12.1.0.1.0 on WIN2012R2) doesn't open the database, error;

     ORA-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error

We didn't change any setting on the VM itself so services are running fine. Network has fixed IP with Host-only. Tried with Fusion 7.1 & Fusion 8.0.2 on new mac with no avail. Also with different VM tools versions. Tried removing the network adapter in Fusion and recreating it, no sucses.

Funny enough the same VM starts fine on PC (workstation 10.3.0 & Win7), MBP early 2011 (Fusion 7 & Mac 10.10) or ESX itself so Oracle opens the database!

Hence we are thinking in the direction of the new MBP specific? speed or network issue? Rings any bells?

Help appreciated!

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Moved to the VMware Fusion forum.

1st Did you upgrade Fusion to the latest?

If so my suggestion would be to remove VMware Tool from the existing image, then reinstall with the ones from VMware Fusion. My guess is that the vmxnet driver in use is not valid for the version of fusion you are using.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009-2015

Author of the books 'VMWare ESX and ESXi in the Enterprise: Planning Deployment Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2011 Pearson Education. 'VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment', Copyright 2009 Pearson Education.

Virtualization and Cloud Security Analyst: The Virtualization Practice, LLC -- vSphere Upgrade Saga -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[tlefever]

Hi Edward,

Thanks for your swift reply.

I uninstalled the VM Tools and reinstalled to the latest version that came with Fusion version 8.0.2, so VM Tools is now 10.0.1 b3160059 yet with no avail.

Also I removed the network adapter and recreated it (using same IP and MAC address) from Fusion but also with no success.

Cheers,

[wila]

Hello,

You've set the VM to host only, so I am assuming that you are trying to connect to the oracle database from the same VM?

As you are trying to connect via TCP, you would normally need to have a DNS server for your host DNS name. Something that you don't get with network type "host -only".

The configuration of tnsnames.ora is usually what takes care of this, maybe you can also set it to a tcpip address or just "localhost".

Eg;

ORA12 =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = localhost)(PORT = 1521))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVICE_NAME = yourdatabase)
    )
  )

Note that the above is untested and from an oracle 10 client setup adjusted to show what I mean.

PS: This sounds like an Oracle configuration issue to me, not a virtualisation one.

--

Wil

[tlefever]

Hi Wil,

Thanks for your reply, not sure if I need to change anything in Oracle as the VM starts fine when I launch it from MacOS 10.10 or Win7...

So I checked and I can TNS ping the host just fine. see screenshot.

Cheers,

[wila]

Right you are, missed the tnsping output.

Hmm.. what does:

nslookup prod-wf1

give?

Does that return the correct IP? 150.248.150.60

If so try to telnet to that IP on port 1521 and see if you get something back (you'll probably have to add the telnet client via "Add Windows Feature") and yes logically TNSPING would all test that, but we're talking Oracle here, so logic has all gone overboard and it is better to cover all our tracks

--

Wil

[tlefever]

Some more tests and it looks like it is the new MBP (mid 2015) is causing Oracle to fail. As the VM is running fine on another older MBP (we tried 2011 and earlier) but it never works on new MBP Retina (mid 2015), we tried 3 of them.

So what is new there? CPU Speed ? SSD?

We tried as well to run the VM not from an External SSD (SAMSUNG Portable 250 GB) but from a Toshiba 2TB USB3 but same problem.

We are thinking to run the VM in bootcamp (win7) workstation and see if the VM runs.

Suggestions welcome,

[wila]

Strange, well the CPU model is the big difference I suppose and perhaps the host OS.

Is the host OS of the laptop on which it works the reported MacOS 10.10 where it works?

It's probably a good idea to try in Bootcamp to exclude the CPU factor like you suggest.

--

Wil

[tlefever]

strange, bootcamp with workstation 12 and Windows10 also failed to start the Oracle DB. So it looks like the MBP is the problem element...

Also tried removed the network cards that are not in the VM anymore with (command line)

     set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1

and then device manager show/hidden and remove then there. No success.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

I think you need to do some network debugging. As  stated before Oracle requires DNS, so try to ping the DNS server FROM the VM. Try to ping the VM from outside, etc.

Find out what is causing the block? Do you have any firewall software on the rMBP? What about within the VM?

Is there a Dock involved?

Is Ethernet over Thunderbolt or something else?

Is there a unique network configuration within the rMBP?

Is there something within the VM?

Can a regular Linux VM start and work appropriately?

Can a regular Windows VM start and work appropriately?

Does the network work (ping/traceroute/etc) and only Oracle not work?

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009-2015

Author of the books 'VMWare ESX and ESXi in the Enterprise: Planning Deployment Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2011 Pearson Education. 'VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment', Copyright 2009 Pearson Education.

Virtualization and Cloud Security Analyst: The Virtualization Practice, LLC -- vSphere Upgrade Saga -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[tlefever · Accepted solution]

Bottom line is that it is a Oracle problem that doesn't like the MBP on a VM.

for reference;

VM works fine on all platforms but not on the latest MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015). So when you try to use sqlplus you might get the error that SID does not exist. Listener is working fine, but the DB process does not register with listener or work properly for that matter. But the process is running and a tnsping SID returns a OK. This is not a Oracle configuration problem as the VM and DB runs fine from the moment you run the VM on a old MBP or PC. By the way Virtualbox has the same problem so also not a Fusion problem.

I will log a case with Oracle yet I doubt this will get fixed.

[bjornsobry]

I was able to resolve this issue thanks to this article:

https://medium.com/red-pill-analytics/does-oracle-database-12c-just-not-work-on-windows-2f73e1485904...‌‌

specifically the comments at the end.

I added

cpuid.4.4.eax = “00000000000000000000000000000000”

cpuid.4.4.ebx = “00000000000000000000000000000000”

cpuid.4.4.ecx = “00000000000000000000000000000000”

cpuid.4.4.edx = “00000000000000000000000000000000”

to my VMWare Fusion vmx file.