Configure Pentaho data Integration to connect to Oracle DB - oracle

Question

I have configured Oracle VirtualBox with DB, user and populated a small DB.
In the same machine I've installed Pentaho Data-Integration(Spoon), the JDBC driver and I'm trying to create a connection to Oracle DB but without success.
This is where I'm typing the credentials/data:
Host Name: localhost
Database Name: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS_LIST=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=localhost)(PORT=1521)))(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVICE_NAME=ORCL)))
Port Number: 1521
User Name: SYSTEM
Password: oracle
This is the error message:
Error connecting to database [oraConn12c] : org.pentaho.di.core.exception.KettleDatabaseException:
Error occurred while trying to connect to the database
Error connecting to database: (using class oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver)
IO Error: NL Exception was generated TNS-04605: Invalid syntax error: Unexpected char or LITERAL "(" before or at ( DESCRIPTION =
org.pentaho.di.core.exception.KettleDatabaseException:
Error occurred while trying to connect to the database
Error connecting to database: (using class oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver)
IO Error: NL Exception was generated TNS-04605: Invalid syntax error: Unexpected char or LITERAL "(" before or at ( DESCRIPTION =
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.normalConnect(Database.java:459)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.connect(Database.java:357)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.connect(Database.java:328)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.connect(Database.java:318)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.DatabaseFactory.getConnectionTestReport(DatabaseFactory.java:80)
at
.......
... more .....
Caused by: java.sql.SQLRecoverableException: IO Error: NL Exception was generated TNS-04605: Invalid syntax error: Unexpected char or LITERAL "(" before or at ( DESCRIPTION =
at oracle.jdbc.driver.T4CConnection.logon(T4CConnection.java:743)
at oracle.jdbc.driver.PhysicalConnection.connect(PhysicalConnection.java:666)
at oracle.jdbc.driver.T4CDriverExtension.getConnection(T4CDriverExtension.java:32)
at oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver.connect(OracleDriver.java:566)
at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:664)
at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:208)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.connectUsingClass(Database.java:569)
... 52 more
Caused by: oracle.net.ns.NetException: NL Exception was generated TNS-04605: Invalid syntax error: Unexpected char or LITERAL "(" before or at ( DESCRIPTION =
at oracle.net.resolver.AddrResolution.resolveAddrTree(AddrResolution.java:733)
at oracle.net.resolver.AddrResolution.resolveAndExecute(AddrResolution.java:493)
at oracle.net.ns.NSProtocol.establishConnection(NSProtocol.java:595)
at oracle.net.ns.NSProtocol.connect(NSProtocol.java:230)
at oracle.jdbc.driver.T4CConnection.connect(T4CConnection.java:1452)
at oracle.jdbc.driver.T4CConnection.logon(T4CConnection.java:496)
... 58 more
Hostname : localhost
Port : 1521
Database name : (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS_LIST=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=localhost)(PORT=1521)))(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVICE_NAME=ORCL)))
How can I configure it in order to connect Pentaho/Spoon to the Oracle DB?
The oracle DB seems to be working fine, I've also tried with other users/databases that I created, but the result is the same.

Answer 1

I was able to resolve this same issue by removing 'Host Name' and 'Port Number' details from the connection window. Leaving only the 'DB Name' string.

Answer 2

I had a similar issue. Could solve it that way for the client tool, but not for the carte server.
I fixed it with an JNDI connection.
put this in your pdi\simple-jdni\jdbc.properties
mydb/type=javax.sql.DataSource
mydb/driver=oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver
mydb/url=jdbc:oracle:thin:#(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS_LIST=(ADDRESS(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=myhost)(PORT=myport)))(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVICE_NAME=myservicename)))
mydb/user=myuser
mydb/password=mypassword
and this connection in your repositories.xml:
<connection>
<name>JNDI</name>
<server>myserver</server>
<type>ORACLE</type>
<access>JNDI</access>
<database>mydb</database>
<port>myport</port>
<username>myuser</username>
<password>mypassword</password>
<servername/>
<data_tablespace/>
<index_tablespace/>
<attributes>
<attribute><code>FORCE_IDENTIFIERS_TO_LOWERCASE</code><attribute>N</attribute></attribute>
<attribute><code>FORCE_IDENTIFIERS_TO_UPPERCASE</code><attribute>N</attribute></attribute>
<attribute><code>IS_CLUSTERED</code><attribute>N</attribute></attribute>
<attribute><code>PORT_NUMBER</code><attribute>myport</attribute></attribute>
<attribute><code>QUOTE_ALL_FIELDS</code><attribute>N</attribute></attribute>
<attribute><code>SUPPORTS_BOOLEAN_DATA_TYPE</code><attribute>N</attribute></attribute>
<attribute><code>USE_POOLING</code><attribute>N</attribute></attribute>
</attributes>

Answer 3

Adding
(FAILOVER_MODE=(type=select)(method=basic)(retries=20)(delay=3))))
to the end of the string solved it for us.