ORACLENERD: TNS-12533: TNS:illegal ADDRESS parameters

TNS-12533: TNS:illegal ADDRESS parameters

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

I kept receiving this error recently but until today, never bothered to investigate it. To get around it, I would just comment out the bottom half (where the problem was) of the tnsnames file.

Today I had enough.

I removed all but the top most entry, saved the file and did a tnsping <first_entry>.

OK (40 msec)

I added in the second entry, tnsping <second_entry>

OK (210 msec)

I added in the third entry

TNS-12533: TNS:illegal ADDRESS parameters

Removed it.

Success.

WTF?

 TESTING = 
  (DESCRIPTION = 
    (ADDRESS = 
      (PROTOCOL = TCP)
      (HOST = localhost)
      (PORT = 1521)
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA = 
      (SERVICE_NAME = TESTING)
    )
  )

It's probably difficult to see...maybe a picture would do better.

see it?

How about now?

hidden stuff

Still don't see it?

still?

I almost gave up as well.

This should help.

yup, stupid huh?

A freaking space? Really? 8+ years and this is the very first time I am seeing this...seems strange I haven't encountered this before.

Labels: debug, ORA-12533, oradb

¶ 2/02/2010 09:16:00 AM

Comments:

Welcome to the club :)

# posted by

Coskan Gundogar : February 2, 2010 at 12:16 PM

it is common error.
when save into unix machine after edit the file in windows with DOS format.
please remember save it as unix format.

# posted by

Anonymous : February 10, 2010 at 8:31 PM

Don't you know you should be using the 'netmgr' utility to create these. What are this fancy CLI tools you are using :)

# posted by

Bradd Piontek : February 11, 2010 at 10:52 PM

Shouldn't you be torturing @purlygirl tonight instead of me?

# posted by

oraclenerd : February 11, 2010 at 11:07 PM

okay, I'll stop torturing you and reading your blog *sniff*

# posted by

Bradd Piontek : February 11, 2010 at 11:15 PM

Thanks a lot. I got the same error from today morning and didnt have a clue what could be wrong as the same tns file worked for my previous builds. It is working after I remove the space.

# posted by

Anonymous : March 12, 2010 at 4:29 AM

Great post, helped me fix the error. I was sent a TNS names entry and wasn't able to connect even though the instance was on the same server as another production system that I was able to connect to and it was from the same TNS file. I saved the file in UNIX format and then resaved as Windows and it worked. Something so simple yet so frustrating.

# posted by

Anonymous : March 26, 2010 at 5:40 AM

Glad it helped...who knew it could be something so tiny as a space?

chet

# posted by

oraclenerd : March 26, 2010 at 11:20 AM

Thanks Google and thanks to you fantastic eye !!!

# posted by

Anonymous : August 8, 2010 at 12:15 AM

Thanks a lotttt, it worked for me as well...Wasted one whole day in fixing it, but he entry looked fine...and now I realize wat was going

# posted by

khushboo : May 27, 2011 at 3:07 AM

Great post! Thanks.

# posted by

Paul Eden : November 25, 2011 at 11:50 AM

This just got me as well! for me it was the entry that proceeded after the TNS which I was getting the fail on. Thanks for the great blog.

# posted by

Arremelle : December 2, 2011 at 6:51 AM

I too faced a similar rouge space causing said error. Your article saved a several minutes (dare I say hours) troubleshooting the same.

Appreciate you taking the time to post so that people like me can save themselves.

Thanks.

Rohit N.

# posted by

Rohit N : September 18, 2012 at 9:01 AM