PeopleSoft: Visual Cobol 4.0 in Visual Studio 2017 - Can debug, but does not connect to Oracle db.

[Dan Strange]

We've been on PeopleSoft since 2004 and have the MicroFocus compiler/runtime for our Linux platform.

The area I support, Student Financials, has nearly a million lines of Cobol code.

Since 2004 management has allowed me to also install MicroFocus Cobol 3.1 for many years, then 5.1, now Visual Cobol 4.0 on a Windows 10 machine.  This has been excellent and has allowed me to debug line by line the code that is executed on the Linux platform.  For instance, the Tuition Calculation is composed of 30+ Cobol programs 10 levels deep.  

I've always been able to connect to the Oracle database, sign in, and debug any program.

It's been a learning curve to figure out Visual Studio, but I'm able to compile our Tuition Calculation Cobol stack and begin debugging it.

PeopleSoft manages access to the backend database by Cobol subroutines, being able to use Oracle, DB2, etc.  

The PeopleSoft subprogram, PTPSQLRT.cbl, is responsible for connecting to the database, then executing all sql.

The Cobol program calls .dll routines which interact with the database, I think they are C programs. 

It's worked in the past, but now it is unable to connect to the Oracle database. It calls a subprogram called C_SQLCNC which I think is within a .dll, it returns that it cannot connect to the database.  I've worked with our Infrastructure team and we're able to Ping the test database from the Windows 10 machine.

Any ideas what might be going on? 

I hate to lose this Tool!  It's been so helpful in debugging the processes in Cobol.

Thanks,

  Dan Strange

  Tech Lead, PS Student Finance

   UNT ITSS

[Chris Glazier]

Have you asked Oracle about this problem? Peoplesoft is an Oracle product and they provide the support for the application.

What is the actual SQLCODE value being returned for the connection? If the connection is being done in a C program and that is failing it most likely has very little to do with Visual COBOL at all.

Thanks

[Dan Strange]

Thank you, Chris, for your quick reply!

I do have a case open with Oracle.  It's a bit frustrating because Oracle does support issues with MicroFocus Cobol on an App Server or a Process Schedler Server, Unix/Linus/Windows.  And they think I'm on a Windows server.

Also, since I've installed this on a Windows 10 machine, without it being  a server, they officially don't support it.

I'm getting ready to reply back to them because in the past since 2004, it worked fine.

My hope is to find someone with this setup, Visual Cobol installed on Windows 10.  Oracle may be able to provide a list.

Regarding the actual SQLCODE returned by Oracle, I've attached a couple of screen shots.  I don't know what Oracle is returning because the call to C_SQLCNC only returns a 404.  Then the Cobol programs have code to interpret it as Unable to connect to database.

Question:  Do you think it would help if Oracle got me in contact with an MF Tech?  I ask because a few years ago when I installed MicroFocus 5.1, Oracle contacted MicroFocus and the tech was helpful.  I think it was centered on the proper compile procedure and how to use the MF debugger.  But, I thought he also helped with this database connect problem as well.

Thanks!

[Chris Glazier · Accepted solution]

We would be happy to assist with any questions that Oracle might have about our product but Peoplesoft support is handled by Oracle. You or Oracle can open a ticket with Micro Focus customer support, if you are current on maintenance. We really don't know much about what is actually going on behind the scenes in this application. If the application cannot connect to the database, it is more than likely that the Oracle client environment is not setup correctly, which again is an Oracle issue.

I am not sure what to do if you are running on an unsupported platform on which Oracle has never tested. Hopefully, like you said, another customer on this forum may have done this already and may have some pointers for you.

[Dan Strange]

Thank you, Chris.  If I resolve it and am able to connect, I'll reply.

Thanks

[greiner]

i had never a Problem to connect to a Oracle database with odbc with correct username and Password. It's the same procedure for all database Connection. Define and odbc Connection, test it and use this in your Connection string. Can you publish a extract from your Cobol code, otherwise it is difficult to find a solution for you!