Datasource to Oracle will not connect

[ErikTR]

Hi all,

We have some old servers running CF-9.
They connect to an Oracle server. No problems. The datasource is set up in CfAdmin, everyting funcions fine.

Now I would like to set up a developer-site on my workstation - a Windows10, and I have Java10 installed.

I install Coldfusion-2018, developer edition. Everything seems to be ok. The service starts, and I can run a little script in my browser that dumps out the server-configuration.

Then I try to set up a datasource (DS) to an Oracle database on a server.

The server is across a VPN-tunnel, but everything should be set up properly. I have Sql Developer installed, and everything functions fine from that utility.

But I do not get a connection when setting up the DS in CfAdmin.

Having done the DS-parameters and pressing Submit, It says in the bottom left corner: "Waiting for 127.0.0.1", and after some 30 seconds this msg is returned:

• Connection verification failed for data source: MYDATASOURCE
  java.sql.SQLException: Timed out trying to establish connection
  The root cause was that: java.sql.SQLException: Timed out trying to establish connection

The parameters I put in are, I choose 'Other' for DS-type, and in the next screen:

• DS name: MYDATASOURCE
• JDBC url: jdbc:oracle:thin:@//<fully-qualified-server-name>:1521/MYSID
• Driver Class: oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver  (and I have copied in the ojdbc8.jar file to the <cf-root>/cfusion/lib folder)
• User name and password are correctly typed
• No Advanced settings

When I connect in Sql Developer, I always get a line in VPN tunnel administrator 'Proxifier', saying that I have a VPN-connection.
No such thing occurc when trying CfAdmin.

Also if I name the driver class wrongly or take away the ojdbc-file, I instantly get a different error (saying "no driver-class found") when I connect.

It seems to me that the Cf-system do not send out a connect-request to the server. May be it sends it to localhost? (ie. 127.0.0.1)?

Anyone who can shed some light on this?

Also, I tried the Coldfusion-2016, and also tried both versions with 'Developer edition' and '30 day trial'.
I also tried the CF-9, but that would not work at all. May be to old for Win-10? But making 2016 or 2018 work, would be just fine!

I also tried setting up the DS as an Oracle-choice (as opposed to 'Other')

Regards, Erik

[WolfShade]

Hello, ErikTR,

First of all, you are making a ginormous leap from CF9 > CF2018.  You're skipping CF10, 11, and 2016, which by itself is setting yourself up for some issues.  Tags deprecated, or attributes of tags deprecated, or changed how things work.  Security after CF9 was vastly improved and incorporated oWasp ESAPI.  Not to mention, CF2018 is, I believe, using a much later version of Java than CF9 was using.

You do not mention what version of Oracle database you are using.  Could it be that the version of Oracle that CF9 works with might be too old and unsupported for CF2018?  I'd check with Charlie Arehart​, he always seems to be on top of information like that.

Also, you are showing that CF is looking at 127.0.0.1 (localhost) to connect, but early in your post you mention a database server as if it's a separate machine.  Is this the case?  If the Oracle server is on the same system as CF, then 127.0.0.1 should work.  But if it's on a different computer, then you need that IP address or FQDN for the connection to work.

HTH,

^ _ ^

[Dave Watts]

WolfShade​, I suspect the reason that it's using 127.0.0.1 is because it's tunneling through localhost to get to the VPN. This is not unheard of with VPN software.

Dave Watts, Fig Leaf Software

[Dave Watts]

I suspect this is because ColdFusion is running as a service with its own user account (or rather, what Windows calls a security context) and you're running SQL Developer within your own user account. The VPN tunnel may only be available to your user account. Try running CF as an application from within your user account by using the cfstart.bat file which is probably within c:\coldfusionXXXX\cfusion\bin. Make sure you have the service turned off before trying to do this.

Dave Watts, Fig Leaf Software