Troubleshooting PSS Storage Manager Connection Issue: Oracle OLE DB Provider Not Found

Overview

This article addresses the issue where users cannot connect to PSS Storage Manager, receiving the error message "Provider cannot be found." The problem may occur despite a successful connection to the Oracle database via ODBC. This error typically results from missing or improperly registered Oracle OLE DB Provider files.

 

Problem Definition

Symptoms:

• Error: "Provider cannot be found. It may not be properly installed."
• Successful connection to Oracle Database through ODBC but failure in PSS Storage Manager.
• Using an Oracle client with an Oracle database in a QA environment.
• Oracle client DLL OraOLEDB**.dll is present but cannot be registered using regsvr32.exe.

Possible Causes:

• The Oracle OLE DB provider is not correctly registered.
• Missing dependencies (such as oci.dll, orannzsbb**.dll) required by the OraOLEDB**.dll file.
• The Oracle client installation is corrupted.

Solution

Step 1: Locate Oracle OLE DB Provider

1. Open Command Prompt as an Administrator. To do this:

   • Press Win + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin).

2. Navigate to the Oracle OLE DB provider location, usually at:

   C:\oracle\product\<oracle version>\client_1\BIN
   1. If the DLL file is not in the location specified above is not found, perform a search for the DLL file OraOLEDB**.dll using the Windows Explorer and note down the path

3.  (Optional) Confirm the existence of the DLL file by typing the following command:

   dir

Step 2: Register Oracle OLE DB Provider

1. Once confirmed, register the DLL using regsvr32.  If the Oracle client is a 32-bit version, use the following command: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\regsvr32.exe "C:\path\to\OraOLEDB12.dll"

2. If you encounter the error "The specified module could not be found," make sure:

   • You are using the correct regsvr32.exe from C:\Windows\SysWOW64\.
   • The full path to the DLL is enclosed in quotes.

Step 3: Check for Missing Dependencies

If the issue persists, there might be missing dependencies. The OraOLEDB**.dll file depends on other DLLs (such as oci.dll and orannzsbb**.dll).

1. Download Dependency Walker here.
2. Run the tool and open OraOLEDB**.dll.
3. The tool will display any missing or incompatible DLLs.

Step 4: Reinstall the Oracle Client (if necessary)

If Dependency Walker identifies missing dependencies or if the Oracle client installation is corrupted, reinstall the Oracle client.

Summary

If you are unable to connect to PSS Storage Manager and receive the error "Provider cannot be found," follow the steps to confirm and register the OraOLEDB**.dll file. If the issue persists, check for missing dependencies using Dependency Walker. A reinstallation of the Oracle client may be required if the installation is corrupted or dependencies are missing.