[asp.net] ORA-12154 could not resolve the connect identifier specified

This is an old question but Oracle's latest installers are no improvement, so I recently found myself back in this swamp, thrashing around for several days ...

My scenario was SQL Server 2016 RTM. 32-bit Oracle 12c Open Client + ODAC was eventually working fine for Visual Studio Report Designer and Integration Services designer, and also SSIS packages run through SQL Server Agent (with 32-bit option). 64-bit was working fine for Report Portal when defining and Testing an Data Source, but running the reports always gave the dreaded "ORA-12154" error.

My final solution was to switch to an EZCONNECT connection string - this avoids the TNSNAMES mess altogether. Here's a link to a detailed description, but it's basically just: host:port/sid

http://www.oracledistilled.com/oracle-database/oracle-net/using-easy-connect-ezconnect-naming-method-to-connect-to-oracle-databases/

In case it helps anyone in the future (or I get stuck on this again), here are my Oracle install steps (the full horror):

Install Oracle drivers: Oracle Client 12c (32-bit) plus ODAC.

a. Download and unzip the following files from http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/enterprise-edition/downloads/database12c-win64-download-2297732.html and http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/windows/downloads/utilsoft-087491.html ):

i. winnt_12102_client32.zip

ii. ODAC112040Xcopy_32bit.zip

b. Run winnt_12102_client32\client32\setup.exe. For the Installation Type, choose Admin. For the installation location enter C:\Oracle\Oracle12. Accept other defaults.

c. Start a Command Prompt “As Administrator” and change directory (cd) to your ODAC112040Xcopy_32bit folder.

d. Enter the command: install.bat all C:\Oracle\Oracle12 odac

e. Copy the tnsnames.ora file from another machine to these folders: *

i. C:\Oracle\Oracle12\network\admin *

ii. C:\Oracle\Oracle12\product\12.1.0\client_1\network\admin *

Install Oracle Client 12c (x64) plus ODAC

a. Download and unzip the following files from http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/enterprise-edition/downloads/database12c-win64-download-2297732.html and http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/windows/downloads/index-090165.html ):

i. winx64_12102_client.zip

ii. ODAC121024Xcopy_x64.zip

b. Run winx64_12102_client\client\setup.exe. For the Installation Type, choose Admin. For the installation location enter C:\Oracle\Oracle12_x64. Accept other defaults.

c. Start a Command Prompt “As Administrator” and change directory (cd) to the C:\Software\Oracle Client\ODAC121024Xcopy_x64 folder.

d. Enter the command: install.bat all C:\Oracle\Oracle12_x64 odac

e. Copy the tnsnames.ora file from another machine to these folders: *

i. C:\Oracle\Oracle12_x64\network\admin *

ii. C:\Oracle\Oracle12_x64\product\12.1.0\client_1\network\admin *

* If you are going with the EZCONNECT method, then these steps are not required.

The ODAC installs are tricky and obscure - thanks to Dan English who gave me the method (detailed above) for that.