EM 11g, 12c, 13c : Database Target Metric Collections Fail with "ORA-12638 - Credential Retrieval Failed" (Doc ID 731934.1)

Last updated on AUGUST 19, 2021

Applies to:

Symptoms

Database targets are being monitored via 11g Grid Control agent or the 12c / 13c Cloud Control Agent. Some of the database metric collections are reporting a metric collection error as below:

Metric Group Archive Area
Target orcl.com (Cluster Database)Target Information
Event Reported Jul 17, 2016 2:03:25 AM EDT
Last Updated Jul 17, 2016 2:03:28 AM EDT
Message 12638 at /opt/oracle/product/agent/plugins/oracle.sysman.db.agent.plugin_12.1.0.6.0/scripts/db/dbarchfull.pl line 92.
Last Comment 12638 at /opt/oracle/product/agent/plugins/oracle.sysman.db.agent.plugin_12.1.0.6.0/scripts/db/dbarchfull.pl line 
92. : on Jul 17, 2016 2:03:25 AM EDT
Internal Event Name archFull
Event Type Metric Evaluation Error
Category Error
Recorded Jul 17, 2016 2:03:25 AM EDT

In the 11g <AGENT_HOME>/sysman/log/emagent.trc or the 12c/13c <AGENT_INST>/sysman/log/gcagent.log , the following errors are reported:

2008-07-08 04:48:07 Thread-280 ERROR vpxoci: ORA-12638: Credential retrieval failed
2008-07-08 04:48:07 Thread-280 WARN vpxoci: Login 0x1101fa8 failed, error=ORA-12638: Credential retrieval failed
2008-07-08 04:48:07 Thread-280 WARN TargetManager: Exception in computing dynamic properties of {ORCL1, oracle_database },CheckRAC::ORA-12638: 
Credential retrieval failed

The <AGENT_INST>/sysman/log/emagent_perl.trc also reports the ORA-12638 error for multiple scripts:

failedLogin.pl: Mon Jul 11 09:32:22 2016: ERROR: Could not connect to dbsnmp@(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=agenthost.domain)(Port=9001))
(CONNECT_DATA=(SID=orcl1))): ORA-12638: Credential retrieval failed (DBD ERROR: OCIServerAttach)
dgDatabases.pl: Mon Jul 11 09:36:07 2016: ERROR: SQL Error: ORA-12638: Credential retrieval failed (DBD ERROR: OCIServerAttach)

Changes

Kerberos / AD authentication is configured for the target database.

Cause

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