Message 3511 not found; No message file for product=network, facility=TNSMessage 3512 not found; No message file for product=network, facility=TNS

tnsping Fails With "Message 3511 not found; No message file for product=network, facility=TNSMessage 3512 not found; No message file for product=network, facility=TNS" On FMW WebTier 11g (Doc ID 1509648.1)

SYMPTOMS

 After a successful installation of Fusion Middleware 11g WebTier (11.1.1.2, 11.1.1.3, 11.1.1.4, 11.1.1.5 and 11.1.1.6) on Linux x86-64
the tnsping command fails to show the correct message.

 

$WM_HOME/Oracle_WT/bin/tnsping orcl
 TNS Ping Utility for Linux: Version 11.1.0.7.0 - Production on 29-NOV-2012 08:56:08
 Copyright (c) 1997, 2008, Oracle.  All rights reserved.
 Message 3511 not found; No message file for product=network, facility=TNSMessage 3512 not found; No message file for product=network, facility=TNS
 Attempting to contact (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS_LIST = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = hostname.domain)(PORT = 1521))) (CONNECT_DATA = (SID = orcl) (SERVER = DEDICATED)))
 Message 3509 not found; No message file for product=network, facility=TNS

CAUSE

 The output of the strace command confirmed that the tnsping command fails trying to open the tnsus.msb file:

   $ strace -f -o /tmp/tnsping.strace  $ORACLE_HOME/bin/tnsping orcl

   /tmp/tnsping.strace
   --------------------
   19736 close(3)                          = 0
   19736 open("/u01/app/oracle/product/Middleware/Oracle_WT/network/mesg/tnsus.msb", O_RDONLY) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
   19736 open("/u01/app/oracle/product/Middleware/Oracle_WT/network/mesg/tnsus.msb", O_RDONLY) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
   19736 write(1, "Message 3509 not found; No messa"..., 74) = 74

That file is actually missing in all the WebTier version since 11g was released.
After a basic installation, a Webtier home has less message files than a Classic home:

WebTier:

  $ ls $ORACLE_HOME/network/mesg|wc -l
  28


Classic:

  $ ls $ORACLE_HOME/network/mesg|wc -l
  200

The reason for this is because FMW 11g installs provide the minimal RDBMS Client components required for each install type.

SOLUTION

There are two possible workarounds for this issue if tnsping is required.

1) Copy missing message files from RDBMS install or FMW 11g install where the install type has the files required e.g. in the case above Classic install has the files required in the Web Tier.

2) Install RDBMS Client for tnsping.

WORKAROUND 1
------------------
a) Copy the tnsus.msb file from a FMW 11g Classic (same version as the WebTier) ORACLE_HOME directory to the Webtier directory as follow:

   from CLASSIC ORACLE_HOME/network/mesg
   to   WEBTIER ORACLE_HOME/network/mesg

b) Retry the tnsping command and the error should not occur now.

WORKAROUND 2
------------------

a) Install RDBMS Client and use tnsping installed in this ORACLE_HOME.