More problems with orapwd file and shipping redo logs

OEL Linux 11.1.0.6

I had a orapwd file set up on both databases and have restarted the databases since I re-created the orapw file. I could connect using ‘sqlplus sys/password@tnsnames_alias as sysdba’ between both nodes and the sys password is the same on both nodes.  However archived redo logs files were not shipping across to the standby node and I was pulling my hair out struggling to get it to work.

Error messages were :-

*** 2008-05-09 09:44:43.898
Redo shipping client performing standby login
OCISessionBegin failed. Error -1
.. Detailed OCI error val is 1031 and errmsg is ‘ORA-01031: insufficient privileges
‘
An attempt to establish secure session using password verifier based approach will be attempted..
OCISessionBegin failed. Error -1
.. Detailed OCI error val is 1031 and errmsg is ‘ORA-01031: insufficient privileges
‘
An attempt to establish secure session using password verifier based approach will be attempted..
OCISessionBegin failed -1
.. Detailed OCI error val is 1017 and errmsg is ‘ORA-01017: invalid username/password; logon denied
‘
*** 2008-05-09 09:44:44.127 1095 krsh.c
Error 1017 received logging on to the standby
————————————————————
Check that the primary and standby are using a password file
and remote_login_passwordfile is set to SHARED or EXCLUSIVE,
and that the SYS password is same in the password files.
returning error ORA-16191
————————————————————


The passwords were lowercase on both nodes. In fact I was using  a cut’n’paste to create both password files, only replacing  the node name.
Eventually I fixed the problem by re-creating the password files on both nodes (for the 3^rd or 4^th time) and restarting the databases. I added the parameter ignorecase=y and everything sprung to life.

This gets me to think that the password was being translated to uppercase when it came across to the remote node

There is a bug on Metalink (6804839) ORA-01017 (16191) LOGGING ONTO STANDBY WHEN SEC_CASE_SENSITIVE_LOGON=FALSE

The bug detail itself is not public but the title seems to confirm that it that bug is likely to be related to my problem although in my case sec_case_sensitive is set to true on both nodes already.

How annoying metalink can be, searching all sources for ORA-01017 or 16191 (both in the title of that bug) does not bring it up.

Another suggestion was to copy the orapwd file from one server to the other and ensure that permissions are correct

So the short answer is that if you are stuck with a similar problem try recreating the orapwd file with ignorecase=y set