Diagnosing and Fixing ORA-00017: Session Requested to Set Trace Event in Oracle

by

The ORA-00017 error in Oracle occurs when a session attempts to set a trace event, but the session does not have the necessary privileges to do so. This error can be encountered when troubleshooting performance issues or debugging specific problems within the database. Here are multiple examples and sample code to help diagnose and fix this issue.

1. Diagnosing the Issue:
When encountering the ORA-00017 error, it is important to first identify which session is attempting to set the trace event. This can be done by querying the v$session view to find the offending session. Use the following SQL query to identify the session:

“`sql
SELECT sid, serial#, username, program
FROM v$session
WHERE event = 'client message'
“`

This query will return the SID, SERIAL#, USERNAME, and PROGRAM of the session that is attempting to set the trace event.

2. Fixing the Issue:
Once the offending session has been identified, there are several ways to address the ORA-00017 error:

a. Grant the necessary privileges:
If the session is a privileged user (such as a DBA) and needs to set trace events for debugging purposes, you can grant the necessary privileges using the following SQL statement:

“`sql
GRANT ALTER SESSION TO username;
“`

Replace “username” with the actual username of the session that needs the ALTER SESSION privilege.

b. Revoke the offending session’s privileges:
If the session is not authorized to set trace events, you can revoke the offending session’s privileges using the following SQL statement:

“`sql
REVOKE ALTER SESSION FROM username;
“`

Replace “username” with the actual username of the session that needs to have the ALTER SESSION privilege revoked.

c. Investigate the application code:
If the ORA-00017 error is being triggered by an application, it may be necessary to review the application code to understand why the trace event is being set. This could involve working with developers to modify the application code to remove the unnecessary trace event setting.

By following these steps, you can diagnose and fix the ORA-00017 error in Oracle, ensuring that sessions are appropriately authorized to set trace events and that any unnecessary trace events are removed from application code.

Leave a Comment