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Description

The ORA-28305 error indicates that the Oracle database is unable to locate the specified wallet location. This typically occurs during connection establishment when using Oracle Advanced Security (OAS) features like Transparent Data Encryption (TDE).

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Error Message

ORA-28305: unable to get valid WALLET_LOCATION

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Known Causes

4 known causes

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Incorrect Wallet Path

The `WALLET_LOCATION` parameter in the `sqlnet.ora` file is either missing, misspelled, or points to a non-existent directory.

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Missing sqlnet.ora Configuration

The `sqlnet.ora` file is missing or doesn't contain the necessary `WALLET_LOCATION` parameter.

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Environment Variables Not Set

The `ORACLE_BASE` or `ORACLE_HOME` environment variables are not properly set, causing the database to fail to resolve the correct wallet location.

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Insufficient Permissions

The Oracle database user lacks the necessary permissions to access the wallet directory or its contents.

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Solutions

4 solutions available

1. Verify and Set WALLET_LOCATION Environment Variable easy

Ensures the Oracle Wallet location is correctly defined in the environment.

1

Identify the correct path to your Oracle Wallet. This is typically a directory containing the `cwallet.sso` or `ewallet.p12` file.

2

Set the `WALLET_LOCATION` environment variable to this path. The method depends on your operating system and how Oracle is managed.

export WALLET_LOCATION=/path/to/your/oracle/wallet

3

For persistent settings, add the `export` command to your shell's profile file (e.g., `.bashrc`, `.bash_profile`, `.profile`) or the Oracle user's login script.

4

Restart the Oracle process or application that is encountering this error to pick up the new environment variable.

2. Configure Listener.ora for Transparent Wallet Access medium

Configures the Oracle Listener to automatically find the wallet for certain operations.

1

Locate the `listener.ora` file, typically found in `$ORACLE_HOME/network/admin`.

2

Add or modify the `WALLET_LOCATION` parameter within the `LISTENER` section of `listener.ora` to point to your wallet directory.

LISTENER =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = your_host)(PORT = 1521))
  )
  WALLET_LOCATION =
    (SOURCE =
      (METHOD = FILE)
      (METHOD_DATA =
        (DIRECTORY = /path/to/your/oracle/wallet)
      )
    )

3

Save the `listener.ora` file.

4

Reload the listener configuration or restart the listener service.

lsnrctl reload

5

Test the connection or operation that was failing.

3. Verify Oracle Database Configuration for Wallet advanced

Checks and potentially reconfigures the database's internal settings for wallet usage.

1

Connect to the Oracle database as a user with `DBA` privileges (e.g., `SYSDBA`).

sqlplus sys as sysdba

2

Query the `V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET` view to check the current wallet status and location as perceived by the database.

SELECT * FROM V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET;

3

If the wallet is not open or the location is incorrect, use the `ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT` statement to set the wallet location and open it. This assumes you have already set the `WALLET_LOCATION` environment variable for the database instance or are providing the path directly.

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE 'file:/path/to/your/oracle/wallet' IDENTIFIED BY your_wallet_password;
ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET WALLET OPEN IDENTIFIED BY your_wallet_password;

4

If the `WALLET_LOCATION` is not set or incorrect in the database's initialization parameters, you might need to adjust them. This is less common for ORA-28305 directly but can be a contributing factor.

5

Ensure the Oracle database process has read permissions to the specified wallet directory.

4. Check Oracle Home and Oracle User Permissions medium

Confirms that the Oracle software installation and the user running Oracle processes have the necessary access.

1

Determine the user account under which the Oracle database or related services are running (e.g., `oracle`).

2

Verify that this Oracle user has read and execute permissions on the Oracle Home directory (`$ORACLE_HOME`) and its subdirectories.

ls -ld $ORACLE_HOME
ls -l $ORACLE_HOME/bin

3

Crucially, ensure the Oracle user has read and execute permissions on the directory containing the Oracle Wallet and the wallet file itself (`cwallet.sso` or `ewallet.p12`).

ls -ld /path/to/your/oracle/wallet
ls -l /path/to/your/oracle/wallet/cwallet.sso

4

If permissions are insufficient, use `chmod` and `chown` to grant the necessary access to the Oracle user.

sudo chown -R oracle:oinstall /path/to/your/oracle/wallet
sudo chmod -R u+rx /path/to/your/oracle/wallet

5

Restart the Oracle service or application after adjusting permissions.

Oracle Error ORA-28305: Invalid Wallet Location