Database Management

Replace the Oracle JDBC driver with a different version in DPA

This article describes how to replace the Oracle JDBC driver used by SolarWinds DPA with a different version of the driver.

First published date

11/29/2018 10:37 PM

Last published date

11/14/2023 12:05 AM

Overview

SolarWinds DPA connects to Oracle databases using a JDBC driver. This article describes how to replace the Oracle JDBC driver with a different version of the driver.
DPA ships with a few Oracle drivers that can be enabled for use. One version is set as the default. versions that are not in use will have the listed extension .jar.support  for example ojdbc14.jar.support. 

Product section

Database Performance Analyzer

Resolution

Notes:

  • If you upgrade the JDBC driver, it could be overwritten if you reinstall or upgrade DPA. Depending on which version of JDBC ships with DPA you might need to re-install the JDBC driver as a result. DPA defaults to a Oracle driver and version that is most compatible and tested for the Oracle versions listed as supported in the admin guide for each DPA release at the time of the release. 
  • If you don’t experience issues with the connections to your databases, SolarWinds recommends downloading the same driver version with the latest security fixes.
  • For driver compatibility see Version Compatibility for Oracle JDBC Drivers (© 2022 Oracle, available at https://docs.oracle.com/, obtained on November 17, 2022). DPA's JDK version in use for current release is maintained here to find the JDK in use for your DPA release you can sign into DPA as an admin and view options -> DPA diagnostics System tab or contact support. 
Important! SolarWinds supports only the drivers shipped with DPA or that have otherwise been declared as officially certified. If you choose to use an unsupported driver, SolarWinds does not guarantee that the driver will work as expected. SolarWinds is not responsible for providing fixes or work-arounds for any problems caused by an unsupported driver.

To upgrade:

  1. Download the driver from the JDBC/UCP Download Page (© Oracle, available at https://www.oracle.com, obtained on November 17, 2022).
  2. Stop DPA.
  3. Remove the current driver file or change its extension to prevent to prevent DPA from using the file:
    1. Go to the following folder:
      • Linux: <DPA_HOME>/iwc/tomcat/webapps/iwc/WEB_INF/lib
      • Windows: C:\Program Files\SolarWinds\DPA\iwc\tomcat\webapps\iwc\WEB-INF\lib 
    2. Locate the current driver file and remove or rename it. For example, change the extension from ojdbc8-12.2.0.1.210720.jar to ojdbc8-12.2.0.1.210720.jar.support.
  4. Copy the new JDBC driver into this directory.
  5. Restart DPA, and the new driver will be used automatically.