You might receive the error: "ERROR: Unable to load Oracle client (libclntsh.so)" when connecting to an Oracle database in SAS® 9.4M7 (TS1M7)


In SAS 9.4M7, you might see the following error when you try to connect to an Oracle database.

ERROR: Unable to load Oracle client (libclntsh.so) 

SAS 9.4M7 changed how Oracle client libraries are loaded. In SAS® 9.4M6 (TS1M6) and earlier releases, SAS® Deployment Wizard asked for the Oracle client version and linked the SAS engine to a specific Oracle client library file, such as libclntsh.so.11.1. In SAS 9.4M7, SAS Deployment Wizard does not ask for the Oracle client version. Instead,the engine searches for the libclntsh.so file to load the Oracle client library automatically. 

Most Oracle Instant Client packages include the libclntsh.so link file. The problem occurs when the installed Oracle Instant Client packages do not include the libclntsh.so link file. 

To resolve this error, go to the $ORACLE_HOME and $ORACLE_HOME/lib directories and look for the libclntsh.so* file.
If the libclntsh.so file is missing, create a link to the client version file libclntsh.so.xx.xx using code similar to the following:

unix_prompt> ln -s libclntsh.so.11.1 libclntsh.so

or

unix_prompt> ln -s libclntsh.so.12.1 libclntsh.so

Note: The Oracle client install saves executable files in the $ORACLE_HOME/bin directory and library files in the $ORACLE_HOME/lib directory. However, the Oracle Instant Client saves both executable files and library files in an unzipped $ORACLE_HOME directory.