Implementing snapshot replication using pl/sql and dbms_sql

Question

Hi All,
I'm trying to implement snapshot refresh programmatically using a control table to trigger the event and a separate pl/sql stored procedure for each table refresh. I can drop and re-create the snapshots outside of pl/sql with no problem. Once in pl/sql, I'm using the dbms_sql package to wrap the snapshot drop and create statements. The drop statement works fine but I'm getting the following error on the create statement:
BEGIN pk_manage_data_replication.sp_refresh_lcanswertype; END;
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01031: insufficient privileges
ORA-06512: at "SYS.DBMS_SYS_SQL", line 824
ORA-06512: at "SYS.DBMS_SQL", line 32
ORA-06512: at "AIRES_REFP.PK_MANAGE_DATA_REPLICATION", line 75
ORA-06512: at line 1
The stored procedure code is as follows:
procedure sp_refresh_lcanswertype is
cid           integer;
begin
-- drop the snapshot
cid := dbms_sql.open_cursor;
dbms_sql.parse (cid, 'drop snapshot lcanswertype', dbms_sql.v7);
dbms_sql.close_cursor(cid);
-- recreate the snapshot
cid := dbms_sql.open_cursor;
dbms_sql.parse (cid, 'create snapshot lcanswertype
          pctfree 5
tablespace lcdata as
select id
,possibleanswers
,creatorptr
,datecreated
,pk_manage_data_replication.sf_get_moddate(''LCANSWERTYPE'',moddate) moddate
from lcanswertype@airess1', dbms_sql.v7);
dbms_sql.close_cursor(cid);
end sp_refresh_lcanswertype;
Any ideas???
Thanks,
Jim

Answer 1

An old chestnut. You have been granted the privilege CREATE SNAPSHOT through a role (probably CONNECT). We can only build procedures (and views) on privileges that have been granted to the uuser directly.
Cheers, APC