Connecting to Discoverer 10G

Does this sound familiar?

Connecting to Discoverer Administrator or Desktop as an apps user for the first time on a a project and you get the error message:

"Invalid Username and Password"

You have the oracle apps user checkbox ticked and have validated that both the username and password are correct and have checked your TNS Names file.

Rather than shout at the Apps DBA, here is what you need to do:

1) Create the following 2 new environment variables (path=control panel, system, advanced, environment variables) :

FND_SECURE =\secure
FND_TOP=

for me is C:\Oracle\BIToolsHome_1\

2) Rename the application dbc file from the $FND_TOP/secure directory to the name of the connect entry in your TNSNAMES.ORA file.

For example, if your TNSNAMES entry looks like this:
MYDATA.WORLD = (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(Host = myserver.myorg.com)(Port = 1521)) (CONNECT_DATA = (SID = MYDATA)) )

then your dbc file must be named MYDATA.DBC


Happy discovering!