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<TD>Note:200254.1</TD>
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<TD VALIGN=TOP><STRONG>Subject: </STRONG></TD>
<TD>Troubleshooting Guide for REP-0186 for Oracle Reports 2.5.7.x.x thru 6.0.8.x.x</TD>
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<TD VALIGN=TOP><STRONG>Type: </STRONG></TD>
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<PRE>
PURPOSE <br>================ <br> <br>This troubleshooting guide is being provided to consolidate the <br>known solutions for the REP-0186 error, thus far, to simplify the <br>search for potential solutions for the error for Oracle Reports <br>versions 2.5.7.x.x thru 6.0.8.x.x. <br> <br>SCOPE & APPLICATION <br>================================== <br> <br>This bulletin is intended for the novice to intermediate level user <br>who is trying to troubleshoot the REP-0186 error encountered while <br>setting up the Reports Server on either NT/2000 or Unix server. <br>Each section entails a review of the most common causes and potential <br>solutions, or steps to isolate which part of the setup is at fault. <br> <br>You may not be able to solve every issue, but you will be able to <br>handle the more common ones. <br> <br>TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE FOR REP-0186: <br>======================================== <br> <br>A. When does it occur? <br>----------------------------- <br>The REP-0186 error has been known to be received: <br> <br>1. shortly after installation <br> <br>2. when starting the reports server: <br> <br> a. On MS Windows, when attempt to start as a service: <br> Start-->Settings-->Control Panel-->Services--> <br> Start Oracle Reports Server[Rep60_service-name]. <br> <br> b. On MS Windows, when attempt to start as a non-service from command line: <br> <br> rwmts60.exe -listen name=<reportserver_name> <br> <br> c. On UNIX, when attempt to start it using shell script: <br> <br> $ORACLE_HOME/developer6i/reports60_server start <br> <br> d. On UNIX, when attempt to start it manually from the command line: <br> <br> rwmts60 name=<reportserver_name> & <br> <br> <br>B. What occurs? -- The Error Syntax <br>----------------------------------------------- <br> <br>REP-0186: Daemon failed to listen to port. <br> <br>-or- <br> <br>REP-0186 - the Developer/2000 Reports Server <report server name> <br>service returned service specific error 186 - Daemon failed to <br>listen to port #. <br> <br>-or- <br> <br>The Oracle Reports Server [Rep60_service-name] service returned <br>service specific error 186 when trying to open the Reports Server <br>service Rep60_service-name. <br> <br>C. Why does it occur? -- The Error Defined <br>-------------------------------------------- <br> <br>This is the most common explanation of the error: <br> <br> When the Report Server process is started, the process reads <br> the tnsnames.ora file to get the parameters needed to listen <br> for report requests. The error is typically caused by a <br> misconfiguration in the tnsnames.ora or sqlnet.ora files, a <br> setup in the environment, or the client server architecture <br> is not configured properly. <br> <br>D. How do you fix it? -- Steps to Troubleshoot the REP-0186 <br>-------------------------------------------------------------- <br> <br>1. Check your machine setup. <br> <br> On MS Windows, you will get this error if your machine is set <br> up as DHCP, where a Random IP address is allocated to the machine <br> when connecting to the network. If this is the case, then in <br> your TNSNAMES.ORA, make sure you are giving the machine NAME for <br> the Reports Server entry. Do not use an IP address as it will be <br> different every time your machine connects to the network. This <br> name should be the same as the HOST name found from - <br> Network Neighborhood->Properties->Protocol->Tcp/ip->Properties->DNS <br> <br> For example: mymachine.us.oracle.com <br> <br>2. Another primary cause for this error is that the Reports Server <br> Service cannot find a valid entry in the tnsnames.ora file. <br> When the Reports Server starts, it tries to read the entry in the <br> tnsnames.ora file. There may be multiple files called tnsnames.ora <br> on the machine. The following steps will help in setting the <br> default location for this file: <br> <br> For MS Windows: <br> <br> a. Click Start-->Run and type in REGEDIT; press enter; click OK. <br> b. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/ORACLE folder and <br> locate the DEVELOPER ORACLE_HOME. <br> c. With this folder open, right-click in the right-hand pane and <br> select New-->String. <br> d. Enter "TNS_ADMIN" (without the quotes) for the new string. <br> e. Double-click on the new string, and enter the <drive>:\<path> <br> to where your centralized tnsnames.ora file is stored for <br> string's value. This setting to the registry will define a <br> common TNS_ADMIN directory, allowing for a central file to be <br> managed. <br> <br> For UNIX: <br> <br> a. To check this setting on a UNIX platform, type <br> 'echo $TNS_ADMIN' at the command prompt. <br> b. Edit the $ORACLE_HOME/developer6i/reports60_server script file, <br> noting the following (example) settings after the entry for <br> ORACLE_HOME: <br> <br> csh: <br> setenv TNS_ADMIN $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin <br> <br> bsh/ksh: <br> export TNS_ADMIN=$ORACLE_HOME/network/admin <br> <br> Tip: Oracle products will look for the tnsnames.ora file in <br> the following order: <br> <br> 1.) The tnsnames.ora file in the user's home directory <br> <br> 2.) $TNS_ADMIN/tnsnames.ora <br> <br> 3.) /var/opt/oracle/tnsnames.ora for Solaris <br> <br> 4.) $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames.ora <br> <br> (Note: $ORACLE_HOME should point to the path where Oracle <br> Developer is installed.) <br> <br>3. Misconfiguration of the TNSNAMES.ORA and/or SQLNET.ORA files is by <br> far the most common known cause: <br> <br> a. There should be only one TNSNAMES.ORA found in the following <br> directory for the Developer_Home: <br> <br> WIN: D:\ORANT\net80\admin (where ORANT is Developer Oracle Home) <br> UNIX: $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin <br> <br> b. Add the reports server line to the first line of the tnsnames.ora file: <br> <br> <tnsname>.<domain_name>=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=<machinename/IPaddress>
(Port=1949)) <br> <br> Example: <br> repserv,repserv.world=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=<serverdnsname>
(PORT=1949)) <br> <br> Conditions: <br> Where <serverdnsname> is the DNS name of the server. The server's IP <br> address may also be used instead. This assumes "world" is the name <br> of the default domain in the sqlnet.ora file. <br> <br> Where tnsname is the same name as the Reports Service/Process. <br> <br> Tips: <br> To get the IP address of a Unix machine, type <br> 'nslookup machinename' at the command prompt. The command nslookup <br> should reside in the /usr/sbin directory. <br> <br> To get the IP address of a PC, go to the Control Panel, choose <br> the Network option, and then choose the 'Protocols' tab. Then <br> press the 'Properties' button. <br> <br> c. Verify in the tnsnames.ora file the Reports Server entry is <br> typed correctly. Ensure that: <br> 1. there are no spaces or carriage returns, <br> 2. the entry is all on one line and was not created by Net8 <br> Assistant, <br> 3. there are no space characters around the equal "=" signs, and <br> 4. underscore (_) or hyphens (-) are avoided whenever possible. <br> <br> d. Verify SQLNET.ORA (Oracle_Home\network\Admin) entries for: <br> <br> names.default_domain = world <br> name.default_zone = world (or valid entries for domain.) <br> <br> Explanation: Check the sqlnet.ora file to see if the domain <br> has been defined. For example, it is sometimes defined as <br> 'world'. If it has been defined, then make sure that it is <br> used in the tnsnames.ora. Note that sqlnet.ora should be in <br> the same directory as tnsnames.ora. <br> <br>4. The port you are attempting to use is already allocated. <br> This might happen when you have 2 reports servers trying to use the same port. <br> <br> You can check this by giving the following command - <br> <br> netstat -a | grep <port number> <br> <br>5. Set the ORA_NLS33 to $ORACLE_HOME/ocommon/nls/admin/data. <br> <br>6. Navigate to Start-->Settings-->Control Panel-->Services, find the <br> Oracle Reports Server [<RepServerName>] and start the service. If <br> the Service still fails to start, then: <br> <br> a. ensure that there is a printer (local or network) installed. <br> <br> b. ensure the Reports Server Service is started as a user with <br> printer privileges. That is, in the Control Panel -->Services, <br> click the Oracle Reports Server [<RepServerName>], and click the <br> Startup button. Under the "Log on As" section, select "This Account", <br> then click the ellipsis (...) button. In the dialogue box that <br> comes up, select a user that has access to the system's printer, <br> and type in the user's password, (do this even if the asterisks (*) <br> appear), and click OK. Legacy versions required a printer <br> driver be installed on the Server in order to format document <br> output, even when creating cached documents for the web. <br> <br> [NOTE: On a Unix platform, use the following environment variables: <br> <br> TK6_PRINTER printer_name <br> ORACLE_PRINTER printer_name <br> PRINTER printer_name <br> TK6_PRINT_STATUS echo <br> <br> **If the above does not work, then try 'TK_PRINT_STATUS echo'. <br> <br> They can be used to set a default printer. If none is set to a <br> valid printer, it will use the first entry in the uiprint.txt file. <br> [See <a target=corner
href="ml2_documents.showDocument?p_id=74872.1&p_database_id=NOT">[NOTE:74872.1]</a> for further details.] <br> <br> c. Restart the Reports Server Service. <br> <br>7. Run the CLI command to verify that a report can be run to the server <br> in the Start/Run prompt: <br> <br> For Reports 2.5: r25cli32 server=<repserver name> report=<report name> <br> userid=scott/tiger destype=printer batch=yes <br> For Reports 3.0: r30cli32 server=<repserver name> report=<report name> <br> userid=scott/tiger destype=printer batch=yes <br> For Reports 6.0/6i: rwcli60 server=<repserver name> report=<report name> <br> userid=scott/tiger destype=printer batch=yes <br> <br>8. Finally, if none of the above works, rename the tnsnames.ora file <br> in Oracle_Home\Network\Admin directory, and copy in the <br> tnsnames.ora file from the Oracle_home\Network\Admin\Sample <br> directory and create a reports server entry. <br> <br>9. If all other steps fail, make sure you are using the IP address of the <br> Reports Server machine (not the database machine) in the tnsnames.ora <br> file. <br> <br> <br>Other Special Circumstances: <br>---------------------------- <br> <br>10. If you have installed 9iAS 1.0.2.x.x on MS Windows NT/2000 to run <br> Oracle Reports 6i with Oracle Portal and receive the error <br> 'REP-186 service returned service specific error 186' when <br> attempting to start the service via Start->Settings->Control Panel-> <br> Services, you may have the following variables set in the wrong <br> location: ORACLE_HOME, TNS_ADMIN, and ORACLE_SID <br> <br> The only variable that needs to be set in System Variables is <br> WV_GATEWAY_CFG to work properly with Oracle Portal. <br> <br> Steps to fix: <br> <br> a. Unset the ORACLE_HOME, TNS_ADMIN, ORACLE_SID variables from System <br> Variables <br> <br> Control Panel ---> System ---> Advanced ---> Environment Variables <br> ----> System Variables <br> <br> b. Set appropriate variables using Regedit for each Oracle_Home. <br> c. Select the correct Oracle_Home for Developer through Oracle_Home <br> Selector (There are multiple Oracle Homes so make sure you select <br> the one for Oracle Reports.) <br> d. Start the Oracle Reports Service. <br> <br>11. You are trying to get the Reports Server working on your new high-powered <br> Dual Processor NT. The installation was fine, and now you are trying <br> to start the service. It returns "Service Specific Error -186" and is <br> not starting. <br> <br> You were able to get it running on a standard NT but not on this server. <br> <br> Step to fix: <br> <br> Get the latest BIOS version for your NT model. The newer BIOS allows <br> the starting of the Reports Server. <br> <br> <br> Explanation: <br> <br> The Reports Server can utilize Dual processors once it is running. <br> However, during startup, it needs a regimented sequential startup. <br> The Reports Server process has tags in it to inform the CPU of this <br> need. The older BIOS does not recognize the tags, and thus, brings <br> up the Reports Server in the most efficient method, and the REP-186 <br> occurs. <br> <br> The newer BIOS from the manufacturers have proven compatible with <br> the Reports Server, and have been successful for numerous installations. <br> <br> <br>REFERENCES: <br>============ <br> <br><a target=corner
href="ml2_documents.showDocument?p_id=100307.1&p_database_id=NOT">[NOTE:100307.1]</a> Report Server 6.0 Trouble Shooting Guide <br><a target=corner
href="ml2_documents.showDocument?p_id=22243.1&p_database_id=NOT">[NOTE:22243.1]</a> Installing the RDBMS and Tools Separately <br><a target=corner
href="ml2_documents.showDocument?p_id=51101.1&p_database_id=NOT">[NOTE:51101.1]</a> Running a Report on a Remote Server from a Form <br><a target=corner
href="ml2_documents.showDocument?p_id=565243&p_database_id=BUG">[BUG:565243]</a> REPORTS SERVER GIVES MISLEADING REP-186 ERROR WHEN STARTING UP <br> 2ND SERVER INSTANCE. <br></PRE>
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