This works for me from the command line: sqlplus jkstill@'(description=(address=(protocol=tcp)(host=hudson)(port=1521))(connect_data=(sid=ts71)))' Jared On 5/25/05, Freeman, Donald <dofreeman@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > I once had this and now can't find it. I know that you can connect = > through a db link using the entire tns connect string for the link. I = > don't remember if it had to be predefined or not. I was troubleshooting = > a link at the time and stumbled across the syntax but now can't find it. = > I've been having trouble with a link being unavailable the first time = > its is used after the db has been down. I am thinking that I want to = > either create it at run time or just use the entire connect string in a = > script. Can anyone share some examples or the syntax for this? =20 > > Don Freeman > Database Administrator 1 > Pennsylvania Dept of Health > Bureau of Information Technology > 717-783-8095 Ext 337 > > -- > //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l > -- Jared Still Certifiable Oracle DBA and Part Time Perl Evangelist -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l