Search

FME & Oracle Compatibility

SteveatSafe
SteveatSafe
  • Updated

FME Version

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to provide some guidance on FME compatibility with Oracle Clients and Oracle Databases. 

 

FAQ

What version of FME supports a particular Oracle Client or Oracle Database?
Historically, FME's compatibility with the Oracle Client (both full and instant client flavors) and the Oracle Database has been very good and continues to be.

 

Is there any published documentation on what Oracle Clients are supported by what FME Workbench or FME Server version?
No, we do not have any published documentation that shares this information.

 

Can you provide guidance on what Oracle Client to use with FME Software?
In our experience, FME can be used with older Oracle Clients and newer Oracle Clients.  For example, we have used Oracle 19c Instant Client with FME 2018 with no issues.  The best thing you can do is to run some tests to ensure your chosen version of FME is functioning fine with the chosen Oracle Client.  We are not able to test all combinations.  SteveatSafe has personally used Oracle Instant Client 12.2 to connect with 12c, 18c, 19c, & 21c databases. 

 

Do you have any recommendations for the best compatibility match between FME and an Oracle Client?
Yes, the key consideration is to make use of the Oracle Instant Client and ensure it is the correct bit version matching that of FME (32bit | 64bit). It is required to update to the Environment Variable called PATH and if using TNS Aliases, adding a new Environment Variable called TNS_NAMES.  See the related articles at the end of this article for more information. 

 

Is there a difference between what client that FME Workbench supports vs FME Server?
No, the FME Server engine will be the same as the FME Workbench engine for the same version and build.    

 

What if I'm using the JDBC Reader/Writer format to connect to the Oracle Database?
If you are making use of the Oracle JDBC Driver there is a limitation using the ojdbc10.jar/ojdbc11.jar drivers with FME 2021 (and older) at this time due to the JRE version being used within FME (JRE8).  Our guidance is to use the ojdbc8.jar driver file (12c, 18c, 19c, or 21c) for the most compatible driver across the currently supported versions of FME software (2021--> 2017).  The ojdbc8 driver supports JRE8 that is supported by FME. 

 

We want to host the FME Server System Database on Oracle. What do we need to know?
Since FME Server uses JDBC to connect to the System Database (whether it is PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or Oracle), it is necessary to use ojdbc8.jar versions of the Oracle JDBC Driver. Please review the FME Server System Database hosted on Oracle article and the FME Server Documentation for more information.

 

What happens if testing proves an incompatibility with FME and a particular Oracle Client?
Often the problem is with the client system configuration or complications with multiple Oracle Client software on the client system.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to Safe Support and open a case for use to review.  There could be outliers. 

 

More Resources

For more information on how to use FME with Oracle Clients see the following related articles.


Help us improve this article by sharing your feedback so we can improve it for all!
 

Was this article helpful?

Comments

0 comments

Please sign in to leave a comment.