“Cannot create an instance of OLE DB provider” error as Windows Authentication user

Question

I am trying to run openrowset from MS SQL Server on an Oracle server.

When i execute the following command:

select * from
OPENROWSET(\'OraOLEDB.Oracl         


        

Answer 1

When connecting to SQL Server with Windows Authentication (as opposed to a local SQL Server account), attempting to use a linked server may result in the error message:

Cannot create an instance of OLE DB provider "(OLEDB provider name)"...

The most direct answer to this problem is provided by Microsoft KB 2647989, because "Security settings for the MSDAINITIALIZE DCOM class are incorrect."

The solution is to fix the security settings for MSDAINITIALIZE. In Windows Vista and later, the class is owned by TrustedInstaller, so the ownership of MSDAINITIALIZE must be changed before the security can be adjusted. The KB above has detailed instructions for doing so.

This MSDN blog post describes the reason:

MSDAINITIALIZE is a COM class that is provided by OLE DB. This class can parse OLE DB connection strings and load/initialize the provider based on property values in the connection string. MSDAINITILIAZE is initiated by users connected to SQL Server. If Windows Authentication is used to connect to SQL Server, then the provider is initialized under the logged in user account. If the logged in user is a SQL login, then provider is initialized under SQL Server service account. Based on the type of login used, permissions on MSDAINITIALIZE have to be provided accordingly.

The issue dates back at least to SQL Server 2000; KB 280106 from Microsoft describes the error (see "Message 3") and has the suggested fix of setting the In Process flag for the OLEDB provider.

While setting In Process can solve the immediate problem, it may not be what you want. According to Microsoft,

Instantiating the provider outside the SQL Server process protects the SQL Server process from errors in the provider. When the provider is instantiated outside the SQL Server process, updates or inserts referencing long columns (text, ntext, or image) are not allowed. -- Linked Server Properties doc for SQL Server 2008 R2.

The better answer is to go with the Microsoft guidance and adjust the MSDAINITIALIZE security.

Answer 2

In SQL Server Enterprise Manager, open \Server Objects\Linked Servers\Providers, right click on the OraOLEDB.Oracle provider, select properties and check the "Allow inprocess" option. Recreate your linked server and test again.

You can also execute the following query if you don't have access to SQL Server Management Studio :

EXEC master.dbo.sp_MSset_oledb_prop N'OraOLEDB.Oracle', N'AllowInProcess', 1

Answer 3

Aside from other great responses, I just had to give NTFS permissions to the Oracle installation folder. (I gave read access)

Answer 4

Ran into this issue where the linked server would work for users who were local admins on the server, but not for anyone else. After many hours of messing around, I managed to fix the problem using the following steps:

1. Run (CTRL + R) “dcomcnfg”. Navigate to “Component Services -> Computers -> My Computer -> DCOM Config”.
2. Open the properties page of “MSDAINITIALIZE”.
3. Copy the “Application ID” on the properties page.
4. Close out of “dcomcnfg”.
5. Run “regedit”. Navigate to “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID{???}” with the ??? representing the application ID you copied in step #3.
6. Right click the “{???}” folder and select “Permissions”
7. Add the local administrators group to the permissions, grant them full control.
8. Close out of “regedit”.
9. Reboot the server.
10. Run “dcomconfig”. Navigate to “Component Services -> Computers -> My Computer -> DCOM Config”.
11. Open the properties page of “MSDAINITIALIZE”.
12. On the “Security” tab, select “Customize” under “Launch and Activation Permissions”, then click the “Edit” button.
13. Add “Authenticated Users” and grant them all 4 launch and activation permissions.
14. Close out of “dcomcnfg”.
15. Find the Oracle install root directory. “E:\Oracle” in my case.
16. Edit the security properties of the Oracle root directory. Add “Authenticated Users” and grant them “Read & Execute”, “List folder contents” and “Read” permissions. Apply the new permissions.
17. Click the “Advanced Permissions” button, then click “Change Permissions”. Select “Replace all child object permissions with inheritable permissions from this object”. Apply the new permissions.
18. Find the “OraOLEDB.Oracle” provider in SQL Server. Make sure the “Allow Inprocess” parameter is checked.
19. Reboot the server.

Answer 5

Similar situation for following configuration:

• Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard
• MS SQL server 2008 (tested also SQL 2012)
• Oracle 10g client (OracleDB v8.1.7)
• MSDAORA provider
• Error ID: 7302

My solution:

• Install 32bit MS SQL Server (64bit MSDAORA doesn't exist)
• Install 32bit Oracle 10g 10.2.0.5 patch (set W7 compatibility on setup.exe)
• Restart SQL services
• Check Allow in process in MSDAORA provider
• Test linked oracle server connection

Answer 6

For error 7302 in particular, I discovered, in my registry, when looking for OraOLEDB.Oracle that the InprocServer32 location was wrong.

If that's the case, or you can't find that string in the registry, then you'll have to install or re-register the component.

I had to delete the key from the GUID level, and then find the ProgID (OraOLEDB.Oracle) key, and delete that too. (The ProgID links to the CLSID as a pair).

Then I re-registered OraOLEDB.Oracle by calling regsvr32.exe on ORAOLEDB*.dll.

Just re-registering alone didn't solve the problem, I had to delete the registry keys to make it point to the correct location. Alternatively, hack the InprocServer32 location.

Now I have error 7308, about single threaded apartments; rolling on!