Database Connection to SDE 9.2 using Oracle 11g client not allowed

[JoshuaBixby]

Similar to my earlier posting, I am cross posting this information to make it easier for others to find.

[INDENT]When attempting to make a Database Connection to SDE 9.2 using Oracle 11g client, the following message appears:

    Database Connection:
    Failed to connect to the specific server.  Do you wish to continue?
    ArcGIS 9.2 geodatabases do not support direct connect using Oracle 11g clients.  Please use the Oracle 10g client or the application server.

What is odd about this message is that it appears in ArcGIS 9.3/9.3.1 but went away with ArcGIS 10.  Since connecting to SDE 9.2 using Oracle 11g client works in ArcGIS 10.0, it appeared the connection problem in 9.3/9.3.1 was really a client issue and not a server or SDE issue.

This is either an ArcGIS 10.0 bug or ArcGIS 10.1 bug.

http://betacommunity.esri.com/project/feedback/view.html?cap={74C6DFC2-4C1E-42D2-9420-D7D05E434F9C}&...
[/INDENT]

[EugeneYang]

Backward connection to 9.2 geodatabase from ArcGIS 10.1 is not longer supported. We support backward connection up to 3 releases (10.0, 9.3.1 and 9.3), so ArcGIS 10.1 can only connect as far back as 9.3.

Thanks
Eugene

[JoshuaBixby]

I did come across the Help page that shows 10.1 is not compatible for direct connects to SDE 9.2.  That being said, if backwards compatibility for 3 versions is an Esri standard design, why doesn't ArcGIS 9.3.1 SP2 support direct connect using Oracle 11g client to SDE 9.2 SP6 but ArcGIS 10.0 SP2 does?  ArcGIS 9.3.1 is a whole lot closer to 9.2 than 10.0.

[VinceAngelo]

Oracle 11g was released after ArcSDE 9.2.   11g support was introduced at ArcSDE 9.3,
so 11g server DLLs for ArcSDE 9.2 were never created.

- V

[JoshuaBixby]

OK, bear with me on this one....

I understand why 11g server DLLs were created for SDE 9.3 and later and not SDE 9.2 or earlier.  That being said, I am trying to understand why I can direct connect using Oracle 11g client in ArcGIS Desktop 10 to SDE 9.2 but why I can't direct connect using Oralce 11g client in ArcGIS Desktop 9.3/9.3.1 to that very same SDE 9.2?  Is the fact it works in ArcGIS Desktop 10 a bug, i.e., it works but it shouldn't really work, or was there a change in support between ArcGIS Desktop 9.3/9.3.1 and ArcGIS 10?

The situation I am seeing:
[INDENT]ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 Oracle 11g Direct Connect to SDE 9.2  -->  Doesn't work
ArcGIS Desktop 10 Oracle 11g Direct Connect to SDE 9.2     -->  Works
ArcGIS Desktop 10.1 Oracle 11g Direct Connect to SDE 9.2  -->  Doesn't work
[/INDENT]From everything said in response to my original question, none of the above scenarios should work, right?
[INDENT]
[/INDENT]

[VinceAngelo]

I was explaining why 9.3.1 could not use 11g to Direct Connect to 9.2.  I'm surprised that 10.0 could,
since there was adequate reason why it shouldn't, but 10.1 doesn't because 9.2 has aged out.

- V

[JoshuaBixby]

It was the fact that 10.0 was connecting that was throwing me off.  Accepting that ArcGIS Desktop 10 direct connects using Oracle 11g to SDE 9.2 should not work but do, the behavior of 9.3/9.3.1 and 10.1 make sense.

Thanks.

[EugeneYang]

We made a special build of 9.2 direct connect driver with 11g at ArcGIS 10. That's why you saw the difference between 9.3.1 and 10.

The error message is clearly misleading. we will update the error message at 10.1 Final (NIM071374). Thanks for bringing this up to us.

Eugene

[JoshuaBixby]

And thank you for providing additional information to clarify the situation.

[Rolandvan_Zoest]

We (Wageningen University, Netherlands) are facing the same problem:
no more DirectConnect/OperatingSystemAuthenticated connections between AG-10.1-DT and our SDE-9.2 database ...

Eugene: wouldn't it be a better solution not to update the error-message, but just provide a suitable driver ?  It could be justified by considering 9.3.1 as a minor release  ...  😉

Thanks,
Roland