Configure an Oracle Database Server for SAM monitoring

This article describes how to add an Oracle client to the SolarWinds Platform server so you can monitor Oracle database servers with SAM templates that include the Oracle User Experience Monitor. 

Updated instructions are now available in the SAM documentation. See Configure Oracle database servers for SAM monitoring.

Prepare for Installation 

Verify that you have an Oracle name and password with read access to the following Oracle views:

• dba_free_space
• v$sysstat
• v$rowcache
• v$librarycache
• v$sgastat
• v$session

Check for existing Oracle Client installations on the SolarWinds Platform server and Additional Polling Engines (APEs) in your environment, and then delete them, if necessary.

1. Log into the SolarWinds Platform server.
2. In File Explorer, navigate to the installation directory. By default, this is at C:\Program Files (x86)\Solarwinds\Orion\APM.
3. If an \OracleClient directory exists, stop SolarWinds Platform services. See How to Start, Stop, or Restart SolarWinds Services with the SolarWinds Service Manager in the SolarWinds Platform. 
4. Delete existing Oracle Client files.
5. Repeat these steps to remove any Oracle Clients from APEs, as necessary.

Install an Oracle Client

Download the ODP.NET driver from the Oracle website 

1. Log into the SolarWinds Platform server.

Download the 32-bit version of ODP.Net driver.

Note:

• Download the NT_193000_client.zip for the 32-bit version of Oracle Client, even if SAM is installed on a 64-bit version of Windows. 
• 
• You will be prompted to accept Oracle's license agreement and enter a valid OTN username and password. Please check with your Oracle administrator on the user name and passowrd.
• If you do not have an OTN username and password, you can register an account with Oracle. Registration is free.
• Once you have login, you will see the "File Download" dialog box.

1. Run the downloaded file to install the Oracle driver.
2. The installer window is automatically closed after a few seconds, which is expected.
3. Verify that files were installed in C:\Program Files (x86)\Solarwinds\Orion\APM\OracleClient.

4. Check the file properties of each .dll file to ensure that the account under which the SolarWinds JobEngine v2 service runs has high enough privileges to load required libraries. 
   
   

5. Restart all SolarWinds Platform services.

6. Repeat these steps to install the Oracle Client on APEs in your environment.

Notes:

• The account under which the SolarWinds Platform services run must have Full Control privileges for files in the OracleClient directory.
• You cannot use Oracle credentials with limited permissions to run the SQL statements defined in the Oracle User Experience monitor. This will produce an error similar to the following: Table or view doesn't exist.
• If you have multiple polling engines, the Oracle Client software must also be installed on Additional Polling Engines.
• Additional .NET downloads for Oracle Data Access Components are available here.
• APM appears in the default SAM installation path, C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\APM, because "APM" was the original name for SAM.

Learn more 

• ODBC User Experience monitor (online help)
• Oracle Database (online help)
• Oracle User Experience Monitor Component (SolarWinds Lab Bits video)
• Monitor Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) connection between Oracle and another server
• Monitoring Those Hard to Reach Places: Linux, MySQL, Oracle, Java and More (THWACK Camp)
• Use the SAM Oracle Database template and Oracle User Experience monitor without ODBC