Difficulties connecting Oracle SQL Developer to Power BI

[Hayden_RP]

Hello, I'm trying to get a project for work running but am very new to Power BI. I receive an error that reads "Details: "Oracle: ORA-12154: TNS:could not resolve the connect identifier specified"

Oracle SQL is running fine and, I looked up some tutorials and I was reocmmended to download Oracle Client. I downloaded it but it doesn't seem to be doing much. Is there something I'm still not understanding?

[v-karpurapud]

Hi @Hayden_RP 

We have not received a response from you regarding the query and were following up to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.

Thank You.

[v-karpurapud]

Hi @Hayden_RP 

Thank you for submitting your question to the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum, and thanks to @d_m_LNK  and @nrichards_au for offering helpful suggestions.

Could you let us know if the suggested solution resolved your issue? If it's still pending, please let us know any further details so we can help.

Best regards,
Community Support Team

[d_m_LNK]

There is a TSNames.ora file in the oracle client install folder that needs to contain the connection information for your server.   Your system admin may have a copy of one to use.

[Hayden_RP]

What I'm finding is that I can't seem to find TSNames.ora anywhere even in client folder. I looked in Oracle SQL Developer and it appears as such:

I think I'm confused in part because I don't know where to get that file in the first place and just need to figure out where to go from here.

[nrichards_au]

In Oracle SQL Developer the path to the TNSNames.Ora can be found Tools> Preferences > Database > Advanced

Bottom of the context window will be a path

[d_m_LNK]

Your Oracle DB admin should be able to help you with the connection string and/or TSNames.ora file needed to connect

Also for me I downloaded the Oracle Client for Microsoft tools Here: Oracle Client for Microsoft Tools
This will be used for power BI specifically to connect to the oracle DB

When I installed that the TSNames file will need to be located in the location: C:\Program Files\Oracle Client for Microsoft Tools\network\admin 

This was also a helpful Microsoft article to help: Connect to an Oracle Database with Power BI Desktop - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

[Hayden_RP]

I checked in with the PC for the same path and I found the TSNames.ora. I called admin to get acces to moving it because apparently it wasn't in the right spot, and it doesn't do anything when I try and load it in SQL Developer.

[d_m_LNK · Accepted solution]

Hopefully your local admin can help you get things in the right spot.  For Power BI I believe it has to use the driver for the Microsoft products I specified before and the TSNames file needs to be in that directory as well.  Hopefull your admin can help you get things moved and installed correctly.  

[nrichards_au]

So Oracle SQL Developer connects to your Oracle Database. This is typically done using an ODBC connection. In PowerBI use the get data option and choose Other then try ODBC and choose the connection to your Oracle SQL server. 

If it's not that or the server isn't obvious have a chat to your DBA or IT team about it as they'll know the details of your setup