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Critical severityconnectivity

Oracle Database Error:
ORA-12545

What does this error mean?

TNS could not connect because the target host name could not be resolved (DNS failure) or the host refused the connection.

Common causes

  • 1Host name in the connection string cannot be resolved by DNS
  • 2Oracle host was decommissioned or renamed but the connection string was not updated
  • 3Incorrect host name in tnsnames.ora or the JDBC URL
  • 4DNS is not configured on the pipeline server for the Oracle host's domain

How to fix it

  1. 1Step 1: Test DNS resolution from the pipeline server: `nslookup <oracle_host>` or `host <oracle_host>`.
  2. 2Step 2: Update the connection string to use an IP address if DNS is not available.
  3. 3Step 3: Add a hosts file entry if DNS cannot be configured: `/etc/hosts` or `C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts`.
  4. 4Step 4: Verify the host name is correct and matches the Oracle server's fully qualified domain name.
  5. 5Step 5: Update tnsnames.ora or the ADF linked service with the correct host name or IP.

Example log output

ORA-12545: Connect failed because target host or object does not exist

Frequently asked questions

When should I use an IP address instead of a hostname?

Use IP address when DNS is not reliable or not configured for the Oracle host. However, for production systems, fix the DNS issue so connections survive IP changes — IP-based connections break silently when the Oracle host is moved.

Source · docs.oracle.com/error-help/db/ora-12545

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