Utl_file.invalid_path exception shown, even when dir path given

Question

hello all,
I am facing an issue while accessing server-file on my server machine throught the package UTL_FILE.
my procedure gives UTL_FILE.INVALID_PATH exception, where as i have given the path in the UTL_FILE_DIR (INIT.ORA) file. The whole scenario is that i connect to that folder using USER/PASSWORD. so my questions are simple:
1. Before accessing the path, should i authenticate i.e. give user id/password or
2. Should i just access the file as
f_hdlr := utl_file.fopen('/myserver/myfolder','test.txt','R');
Rest of the code is as follows:
declare
f_hdlr utl_file.file_type; -- File Handler
s varchar2(200); -- String to Store Text Data
f_dir varchar2(200):= '\\myserver\myfolder'; -- File Directory
f_name varchar2(200):= 'mohsin.dat'; -- File Name
f_mode varchar2(1):= 'R'; -- File Mode
begin
f_dir := '//myserver/myfolder';
dbms_output.put_line(f_dir);
f_hdlr := utl_file.fopen(f_dir,f_name,f_mode);
loop
utl_file.get_line(f_hdlr,s);
dbms_output.put_line(s);
end loop;
exception
-- File Read Exceptions
when NO_DATA_FOUND then
dbms_output.put_line(' No data Found in '||f_name);
utl_file.fclose(f_hdlr);
-- Utl_File Exceptions
when utl_file.invalid_path then
dbms_output.put_line(' UTL Exception: File Access not allowed/Invalid Path. ');
utl_file.fclose(f_hdlr);
-- General Exception
when OTHERS then
dbms_output.put_line(' Other Error ');
utl_file.fclose(f_hdlr);
end;
NOTE: I am using Windows XP, and my machine is not server machine, i am accessing the server-file from my server machine available on network path.
Kindly guide me, if any one have a clear idea about it.

Answer 1

The whole scenario is that i connect to that folder using USER/PASSWORD. You can connect to the folder using the userid/password, but the OS user under which the Oracle database software is running may not be able to access the folder.
You MUST make sure that the operating system user under which the Oracle database software is running has access to the folder you are trying to read/write from within Oracle connected session.