Invalid or unknown NLS parameter value specifiedBR0310E Connect to database

Question

Dear all ,
While installing Db instance (4.7 e,HPIA64-oracle), in database update stati.
  got error like
"WARNING 2008-03-19 01:36:25
Execution of the command "/sapmnt/C2P/exe/brconnect -u / -c -f crsyn -o SAPC2P" finished with return code 3. Output: BR0801I BRCONNECT 6.40 (11)BR0280I BRCONNECT time stamp: 2008-03-19 01.36.25BR0301E SQL error -12705 at location db_connect-2ORA-12705: invalid or unknown NLS parameter value specifiedBR0310E Connect to database instance C2P failed
ERROR 2008-03-19 01:36:25
CJS-00288  Could not update database statistics.<br>DIAGNOSIS: Command brconnect -u / -c -f crsyn -o SAPC2P returned 3.<br>SOLUTION: See brconnect.log for details.
Brconnect.log shows like
R0801I BRCONNECT 6.40 (11)
BR0280I BRCONNECT time stamp: 2008-03-19 01.36.25
BR0301E SQL error -12705 at location db_connect-2
ORA-12705: invalid or unknown NLS parameter value specified
BR0310E Connect to database instance C2P failed
BR0280I BRCONNECT time stamp: 2008-03-19 01.36.25
BR0804I BRCONNECT terminated with errors
How resolve this issue.
Regards,
satish kumar

Answer 1

Hi Sergo,
those notes are a bit outdated, that is the reason I indicate to read the FAQ.
If you read it carefully you will realize of several things:
1) the oracle client to be used depends on the SAP kernel version
2) the way the oracle client is "linked" with the kernel depends also on the version.
You can take a look at the powerpoint attached to the note.
For the sake of simplification I'll go from kernel 4.6D (and forgot the exceptions)
Kernel 4.6D was linked against oracle client 8.0
The ORA_NLS33 has to point to the NLS files of that version. But oracle made something easier.
Oracle NLS files for version 8.1 are also compatible with 8.0.
This means that, even when the client was 8.0, you could use NLS files of 8.1.7 without any error (the one is refered in this thread)
Another thing is that the oracle client library was included on the SAP kernel, it was statically linked, SAP only needed the NLS files.
This changed a little with newer kernels.
What happens with Kernel 6.20?
SAP does not includes the client inside the KERNEL, now the oracle library is dinamically linked. By default the kernel looks for it on the /oracle/client/81x_64/lib (assumming here 64 bit)
ORA_NLS33 can point to the oracle client or the oracle home, again we have compatibility.
But, then oracle start doing "funny" things with oracle 9i.
SAP kernel 6.40 is dynamically linked against this oracle client version. Now the search directory is /oracle/client/92x_64. But NLS files are not backwards compatible (later on Oracle provided information about a couple of environment variables to be able to use 9i nls files with 8x client)
it is more, nls files are not even compatible between oracle 9i versions.
For that reason, it could be that you have installed in your oracle home, lets say 9.2.0.7 and your ORA_NLS33 pointing to the oacle home.
But SAP kernel is using (if your environmet variables are OK) the library on the /oracle/client/92x_64 and you get the error ORA-12705 even when you think everything is OK.
Again, my recommendation is to follow the proper note.
If you are using a kernel that uses the client 9.2 then you have to configure the environment variables as the correspondent note for that client (539922 Installing the ORACLE client software 9.2.X for UNIX t) or other note that could complement it (like installing several clients on one server)
Hope the explanation is clear.
Note. This is only valid for UNIX, in windows it is a different history.