How to connect Pentaho Data Integration with Oracle and TNS?

Question

I want to make a connection to Oracle with Pentaho Data Integration, but I only find material with Pentaho Server on the internet.

In Data Integration I have two possibilities to connect to Oracle:

I am lost using the "Connection Type" of the TNS type and there is this option. In addition, there is "Network Alias".

How do I create an Oracle connection in Data Integration with these settings?

Pentaho

Answer 1

You must go to your tnsnames.ora file which is located on

%ORACLE_HOME%\network\admin\tnsnames.ora 

If you are using the default TNS_ADMIN location, the file should be there. There will be an alias entry like this

 ICXPRO=
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = yourhost)(PORT = yourport))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVICE_NAME = yourservicename)
    )
  )

Sometimes instead of SERVICE_NAME you might have SID. Once you got all these details, fill up the Pentaho details as follows:

Host Name --> your host

Database Name -->  (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS_LIST=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=yourhost)(PORT=yourport)))(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVICE_NAME=yourservicename)))

Port --> Your port

Tablespace Data and Tablespace Index --> leave the fields empty, just for the purpose of press TESTING 

User --> your user
password --> your password

Sometimes, depending of the Pentaho version, the TNS string does not work for the field database name, then replace it with the Database SID.