JR51297: ADD ORACLE 12C SUPPORT TO ORACLE CONNECTOR AND DRS CONNECTOR IN INFORMATION SERVER v11.5

InfoSphere Information Server, Version 11.5 for Linux
InfoSphere Information Server, Version 11.5 for Windows
InfoSphere Information Server, Version 11.5.0.2 for Linux
InfoSphere Information Server, Version 11.5.0.2 for AIX
InfoSphere Information Server, Version 11.5.0.2 for Windows
InfoSphere Information Server, Version 11.5.0.1 for AIX

APAR status

• Closed as suggestion for future release.

Error description

• Oracle Connector allows only for values "10g" and "11g" to be
  specified in the "Oracle client version" property. Similarly,
  DRS Connector allows only for values "10" and "11" to be
  specified for the "Oracle" property under "Variant" property
  when "Database type" property is set to value "Oracle". The two
  supported values in the two connectors suggest that
  theconnectors assume the Oracle Client installation on the
  Information Server engine tier to be one of 10gR2 or 11g(R1/R2).
   The two connectors should allow for values "12c" and "12",
  respectively, and should in that case assume Oracle Client
  installation 12c.
  
  Limitations in Oracle Connector and DRS Connector exist in
  respect to processing VARCHAR2, NVARCHAR2 and RAW values with
  extended sizes up to 32767 bytes when connecting to Oracle
  Database 12c with extended maximum size enabled for these column
  types. For example, when unbounded VarChar columns is present on
  the input link to the Oracle Connector stage or DRS Connector
  stage, and a value larger than 4000 bytes is provided for that
  column, the connector will fail to insert it to the database.
  Similarly in this scenario, if the connector is configured to
  automatically create target table, it will create a table with
  the length of 4000 instead of 32767.
  

Local fix

• To connect to Oracle Database 12c with Oracle Connector and DRS
  Connector, the value "11g" and "11" can be specified,
  respectively. The installed Oracle Client version in this case
  should be 11gR1 or 11gR2. It is also possible to use Oracle
  Client version 12c in this case, but since the two connectors
  will explicitly try to dynamically link to the Oracle Client
  library from version 11gR1 or 11gR2, then depending on the
  platform and the Oracle Client distribution type in place (Full,
   Instant Basic, Instant Basic Lite), it may be necessary to
  manually create a symbolic link for the Oracle Client 11g client
   library to point to the Oracle Client 12c library, for example:
  ln -s libclntsh.so.12.1 libclntsh.so.11.1
  When such a symbolic link is present, the Oracle Connector and
  DRS Connector will dynamically link to Oracle Client 12c client
  library by the means of the provided symbolic link.
  
  To work around the limitations in respect to processing
  VARCHAR2, NVARCHAR2 and RAW values with extended sizes up to
  32767 bytes when connecting to Oracle Database 12c with extended
  maximum size enabled for these column types, the environment
  variables CC_ORA_UNBOUNDED_STRING_LENGTH and
  CC_ORA_UNBOUNDED_BINARY_LENGTH cab be set. By setting these
  environment variables to value 32767, the connector will assume
  the maximum size in bytes of 32767 for VarChar/NVarChar and
  VarBinary link column value, respectively, instead of assuming
  the maximum size of 4000. When automatically creating tables
  based on unbounded VarChar, NVarChar and VarBinary input link
  columns, the connector will create tables with the VARCHAR2,
  NVARCHAR2 and RAW table columns of size 32767, instead of the
  size 4000, 4000 and 2000, respectively. For this workaround to
  apply it is necessary to use Oracle Client 12c installation,
  because Oracle Client 11gR2 installations and earlier will not
  allow for processing atomic VARCHAR2, NVARCHAR2 and RAW values
  larger than 4000 bytes even if the
  CC_ORA_UNBOUNDED_STRING_LENGTH and
  CC_ORA_UNBOUNDED_BINARY_LENGTH variables are set to accomodate
  such larger values. The Oracle error codes that will be returned
  in this case include ORA-01461 or ORA-24920.
  

Problem summary

Problem conclusion

Temporary fix

Comments

• The Oracle 12c support for Oracle Connector is now available in
  Information Server version 11.5.  The DRS Connector support will
  be added later.
  

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

Applicable component levels