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Description

The ORA-29265 error indicates that a required HTTP header could not be found in the HTTP response received by the Oracle database. This commonly occurs when using the `UTL_HTTP` package to interact with web services or APIs.

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Error Message

ORA-29265: HTTP header not found

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Known Causes

4 known causes

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Missing Header

The web server or API endpoint did not include the requested HTTP header in its response.

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Incorrect Header Name

The code using `UTL_HTTP` is requesting a header with an incorrect or misspelled name.

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Firewall Issues

A firewall or proxy server might be stripping out certain HTTP headers before they reach the Oracle database.

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Web Server Configuration

The web server might be misconfigured and not sending the expected HTTP headers.

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Solutions

4 solutions available

1. Verify HTTP Request Headers in PL/SQL medium

Ensure the PL/SQL code making the HTTP request is correctly formatting and including necessary headers.

1

Locate the PL/SQL package or procedure that utilizes `UTL_HTTP` to make the HTTP request.

2

Examine the `UTL_HTTP.SET_HEADER` calls. Ensure that the header names and values are correctly spelled and formatted.

BEGIN
  -- Example of setting a header
  UTL_HTTP.SET_HEADER(r_req, UTL_HTTP.HOST_HEADER, 'your.api.host.com');
  UTL_HTTP.SET_HEADER(r_req, 'Content-Type', 'application/json');
  -- Check for common missing headers like Authorization, Accept, etc.
END;

3

If the remote service requires specific headers (e.g., `Authorization`, `Accept`, `Content-Type`), confirm they are being set.

4

If the error occurs during a POST or PUT request, verify that the `Content-Length` header is correctly set or that chunked encoding is handled properly by the server.

2. Check `UTL_HTTP` Configuration and Network Access medium

Verify that the Oracle database has the necessary network access and `UTL_HTTP` is configured to allow outbound connections.

1

Ensure that the `UTL_HTTP` package is enabled for the user executing the code. This is typically done by granting `EXECUTE` privilege on `UTL_HTTP`.

GRANT EXECUTE ON UTL_HTTP TO your_user;

2

Verify that the Oracle database server can resolve and reach the target host and port. Use `tnsping` or `ping` from the database server's operating system if possible.

3

If using an HTTP proxy, ensure that `UTL_HTTP.SET_PROXY` is correctly configured in your PL/SQL code or via `UTL_HTTP` configuration parameters.

BEGIN
  UTL_HTTP.SET_PROXY('your.proxy.server.com:8080', NULL, NULL);
END;

4

Check firewall rules on the database server and network to ensure that outbound HTTP/HTTPS traffic to the target host and port is allowed.

3. Examine Remote Server's HTTP Response for Clues medium

Analyze the response from the remote server to identify why it's not providing expected headers or is rejecting the request.

1

Modify your PL/SQL code to capture and log the entire HTTP response from the remote server, including status codes and headers.

DECLARE
  r_req   UTL_HTTP.req;
  r_resp  UTL_HTTP.resp;
  l_buffer VARCHAR2(32767);
BEGIN
  r_req := UTL_HTTP.begin_request('http://your.api.host.com/your/endpoint', 'POST');
  -- Set your request headers here
  UTL_HTTP.set_header(r_req, 'Content-Type', 'application/json');

  r_resp := UTL_HTTP.get_response(r_req);

  DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Status Code: ' || r_resp.status_code);
  FOR i IN 1 .. UTL_HTTP.count_headers(r_resp) LOOP
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(UTL_HTTP.get_header_name(r_resp, i) || ': ' || UTL_HTTP.get_header_value(r_resp, i));
  END LOOP;

  LOOP
    UTL_HTTP.read_text(r_resp, l_buffer, 32767);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(l_buffer);
  END LOOP;
EXCEPTION
  WHEN UTL_HTTP.request_failed THEN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Request Failed: ' || UTL_HTTP.get_detailed_sqlerrm);
  WHEN OTHERS THEN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('An error occurred: ' || SQLERRM);
END;

2

Look for specific error messages or status codes (e.g., 400 Bad Request, 401 Unauthorized, 403 Forbidden) in the response. These often indicate missing or invalid headers.

3

If the remote API documentation specifies required headers, cross-reference them with the headers you are sending and the headers received in the response.

4. Investigate `tnsnames.ora` and `sqlnet.ora` for Proxy Settings advanced

Ensure proxy settings within Oracle's network configuration files are not interfering with `UTL_HTTP` requests.

1

Locate the `$ORACLE_HOME/network/admin` directory (or equivalent path for your Oracle installation).

2

Open `tnsnames.ora` and `sqlnet.ora` in a text editor.

3

Check for any explicit proxy configurations in `sqlnet.ora` that might be overriding `UTL_HTTP.SET_PROXY` or causing unexpected behavior.

Example: # Example of a proxy setting that might be present
# USE_LOCAL_DNS=FALSE
# TCP.VALIDATION_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT=1000
# SQLNET.INBOUND_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_listener=300

4

Ensure that if a proxy is required, it's correctly defined either in `UTL_HTTP.SET_PROXY` within your PL/SQL or in `sqlnet.ora` if you are using Oracle Net Services for proxy resolution.

Oracle Error ORA-29265