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Admin
TRWTF is not using LDAP for your lookups.
Admin
WTF-12154: WTF: could not post frist! comment specified.
Admin
tnsnames.ora is always great fun, especially since the client looks for the file in multiple places in a particular order.
Spend half a day with the right version in a correct place, until I found the wrong version in an even more correct place (i.e. a folder higher in the search list)
Admin
I've seen a bunch of Oracle environments for a bunch of different organizations, and not one of them has ever used LDAP.
While that would be the "smart" approach, nobody does it.
Also: "It was just like a computer, only slower." was a full-of-win line.
Admin
Sorry, but he needs to 'fess up to what happened so they can document the issue. What happens if a circumstance arises when someone else removes this software from their PC? If this is a known issue, they can document it.
TRWTF, of course, is that they didn't back up that file share.
Admin
I don't see what was Oracle's fault.
Admin
So rather than use a script to copy tsnames.ora from the share to the user's drive, (say the login script), they decided the best way was to just have the file shared out to everyone from the same location. Wow talk about slow performance issues!
And I thought "shared" Access databases were bad...
Admin
Also, QFF.
Admin
no filesystem on embedded stuff...
nah, this is just stupidism
Admin
The real WTF is putting company critical info on a computer which is given to the newby as work-station.
Admin
TRWTF is using Oracle. Amiright?
Admin
That's what I thought at first too, but no, it was on a remote share that he had full permissions on.
Admin
Ha! I had this happen to me too. The Oracle 9i client removes the tnsnames file that is configured in the registry, whether it's local or not. But we had a backup so it wasn't a huge deal.
It's fixed in 10g and up.
Admin
Nah, you're missing it. The file wasn't on his workstation, it was on a shared network drive somewhere. It just so happens that uninstalling the oracle software caused it to remove that file as well.
If anybody on the system had uninstalled their copy of the software, same problem.
Admin
It probably didn't host the file, but it had access through it over some file share, and the permissions to delete it.
Admin
Admin
It wasn't on his computer, it was on a network share. The uninstall removed all files used by the client INCLUDING the file on the share.
Admin
No, TNSNAMES.ORA wasn't on Lenart's computer. It was on some share somewhere. When Lenart uninstalled Oracle Client from his computer, the uninstaller just went to the share and deleted TNSNAMES.ORA.
And I don't think there would be performance issues doing it this way -- the file is read, not written to, and furthermore, it's only read at connect time. Of course, not backing the file up was TRWTF.
Admin
They have a single tnsnames.ora file that was removed by someone running something that they did not understand the impacts of. No backup of the file, no ldap/oid lookup instead, no maintaining the one gold copy of that file in a location that would not be removed by a client uninstall and using TNS_ADMIN or other methods to point to it.
More like dumb implementation?
Admin
"Though the file server was backed up, that particular share hadn't been. "
Yep, read over that the first time around. </facepalm>
Admin
I'm still trying to figure out this whole "dry market" thing. People keep complaining that they can't find jobs, but I keep having people call me wanting me to interview for some developer position somewhere. Last 6 weeks I've had 3 calls. Granted I would have to relocate, but it wouldn't be a problem to find a new job. A friend of mine was laid off last year and found a new company in about 3 weeks. The longest I personally have ever been out of work was 5 weeks, and that was because I was unwilling to relocate at the time.
I think it's the same thing as the homeless person holding a sign that states "Will work for food" right beneath the McDonald's sign that says "Now accepting applications". Yeah, I've seen that, literally. You can't tell me this guy can't find work, he just can't find work he wants to do all the time.
Admin
More likely (if they halfway thought about this), most users have only read only access to the file. However, since he was in support, he had read/write access to the file in case something had to change.
TRWTF is why he would remove a program so integral to his job. That isn't cruft - that's software he will likely be using to test out issues and resolve problems.
Admin
Pre-emptive explanation- I would still keep the version of the program the typical users are using to access the db on the computer, in case there is a bug with the program, or another issue about a setting that the instant access program has that he will have to test.
Admin
[quote user="Cryo"][quote user="nonpartisan"]
TRWTF is why he would remove a program so integral to his job. That isn't cruft - that's software he will likely be using to test out issues and resolve problems. [/quote]
Because the instant client doesn't include any tools or management utilities. It also only provides ODP.NET connections, but we can assume that his company didn't need any ODBC support.
Admin
Oracle? Man!
Just use MySQL like everyone else.
And of course he shouldn't have owned up! Next time the problem occurs, he can say, "I've been doing some testing and...", and be the hero.
Admin
Whilst I agree with you to an extent I think it's important to note that there is a difference between finding jobs and actually being good enough for it.
I have friends who can't find work, not because they're not receiving phonecalls for interviews but simply because they're not good enough (a bit harsh, yes, but true)
Admin
That was my first thought while reading the article, it would also explain the slow running PC. But no, the file was in a share.
Admin
There would be performance issues if say thousands of people tried to connect at the same time and the file server was inadequate to handle that many requests...not that far fetched. This is especially bad for VPN/Remote users...
Of course you are right. Not having this config information backed up/documented is the real WTF!
Still, a login script would work better IMHO...
Admin
tnsnames isn't the database, just a small (ours is 3KB) config file. I doubt there's any significant performance penalty from that.
Admin
Does oracle need write permission to the file in question?
Seems like the share should have been read only (and backed up).
Admin
It's not actually unreasonable to assume that uninstalling client software will only affect files on the client PC. Do you really check the exact details of what the uninstall program does every time you uninstall something? Or do you, like the rest of us, just go ahead and do 'something that you do not understand the impacts of'?
Sure, not backing up the file was insane; but the Oracle software shouldn't have deleted it in the first place.
Admin
Though not technological, you could have a nifty WTF by figuring out if he actually lives in a nice home and getting before/after pictures of panhandler/homeowner. Bonus points if it's in a more expensive neighborhood.
Admin
Admin
Admin
TRWTF is that as soon as lennart deinstalls the client, knowing we're reading TDWTF, we all know the culprit already. Sigh...
Admin
Well written. This could be Today's Puzzler on Tech Talk.
Admin
Admin
At least it was cheap db :)
Admin
I agree wholeheartedly. However, a lot of people do the math, and find out they make more collecting unemployment and sitting at home than getting a part time job (or two). This is only exacerbated by the constant extension of benefits.
Also, this why some quote unemployment as "unemployed and UNDERemployed"
Admin
I get the point you're trying to make, and to some extent I agree (particularly when I hear women moaning about 'man-droughts'), but this is an argument I hear all the time, and it's an over-simplification of a problematic issue.
Admin
It's easy to find a job once you have experience. There are far more jobs for experienced workers than there are experienced workers to fill them.
When you're fresh out of college like this guy, nobody wants to take a chance on you.
This represents a sort of catch-22: you need experience before you can work, but you need to work to get experience. Internships don't help much.
Admin
This implementation should be used much more generally.
For instance, when I shut down my computer it would be great if all sites I regularly go to stop as well; it makes it much easier to keep up with things.
Admin
These stories need to be written better to not give it away. The moment I read that he uninstalled the program and a minute later got a call saying "The database is gone" then I knew exactly what had happened.
It still amazes me how utterly clueless some companies are, and how they can actually stay in business if people that stupid are running/working for them. If idiots can start businesses and make millions of dollars... think of how much money intelligent people could make?
Admin
I miss IHOC
Admin
Menu Session\New Connection - Tab to the right allows to switch between TNS, Direct connection and LDAP. You'd obviously have to have an LDAP descriptor pointed at your Oracle instance.
Admin
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=toad+ldap+descriptor
Also, are you suggesting all of that company's internal customers are Toad users? If anything, LDAP still should have been the preferred method for the population and tnsnames should be a fallback for the IT developers. And since they're IT, they should be expected to maintain their own tnsnames relevant to their applications.
Admin
Not me. I miss Irish Girl!
Admin
+1 on "OP should tell the people concerned exactly how it happened."
WTF #1, which pales in comparison to...
WTF #2
The only way I've seen a global read/write network drive work well is if it gets wiped periodically so people don't keep important things there.
Admin
Irish girl on an IHOC t-shirt?
Admin