Tuesday, February 2, 2010

TNS-12533: TNS:illegal ADDRESS parameters

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.
at

23 comments:

  1. Coskan GundogarFebruary 2, 2010 at 12:16 PM

    Welcome to the club :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2010 at 8:31 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.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bradd PiontekFebruary 11, 2010 at 10:52 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
  4. oraclenerdFebruary 11, 2010 at 11:07 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bradd PiontekFebruary 11, 2010 at 11:15 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 12, 2010 at 4:29 AM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousMarch 26, 2010 at 5:40 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.

    ReplyDelete
  8. oraclenerdMarch 26, 2010 at 11:20 AM

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

    chet

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousAugust 8, 2010 at 12:15 AM

    Thanks Google and thanks to you fantastic eye !!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. khushbooMay 27, 2011 at 3:07 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

    ReplyDelete
  11. PaulNovember 25, 2011 at 11:50 AM

    Great post! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  12. ArremelleDecember 2, 2011 at 6:51 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.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Rohit NSeptember 18, 2012 at 9:01 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.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Gilberto Pe-CurtoJuly 19, 2013 at 2:21 PM

    I am having this error now.
    I am going to try solve it using this hint.

    And if this is the problem i am going to cut my tongue after...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Gilberto Pe-CurtoJuly 19, 2013 at 2:23 PM

    I am curring battleing with this error.
    I will try to solve it using this hint and if this is the case i am going to cut my tongue after...

    ReplyDelete
  16. UnknownMarch 7, 2014 at 9:40 AM

    At last i got i to work
    Thanks !

    ReplyDelete
  17. UnknownJuly 28, 2015 at 5:29 AM

    THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! you are officially my hero for the day

    ReplyDelete
  18. Stef102July 31, 2015 at 3:33 AM

    Your Post Saved me!
    It was not a space in my case, rather a tab at the end of one of the lines... Gives the same issue

    ReplyDelete
  19. UnknownOctober 15, 2015 at 8:21 AM

    Darned missing ')' at the end of the block got me - was hard to see until I found your blog entry. Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. UnknownMay 2, 2016 at 6:18 PM

    Thank you for your Post.It helped me with the issue I have been having

    ReplyDelete
  21. The PsychoJuly 3, 2016 at 11:49 PM

    Thanks to this post even in 2016 we are being saved !!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. UnknownNovember 7, 2016 at 10:22 AM

    thanks you just saved me too, those pesky spaces ;)

    ReplyDelete
  23. UnknownMarch 21, 2017 at 1:28 PM

    last bracket was missing and getting the same error
    test.world =
    (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST=(ADDRESS=(COMMUNITY=tcp.world)(PROTOCOL=TCP)
    (Host=server1vip)(Port=1523)))
    (CONNECT_DATA=(SID=test))
    ====>>>)

    ReplyDelete