Passwords for user accounts on the Data Warehouse and select others of Penn's central Oracle databases expire every three months. In addition, users attempting to log in with an incorrect password more than six times will have their accounts locked (see below). Users will receive an automatic email four days before their password is due to expire, reminding them of the upcoming deadline, and directing them to a web site where they can change their password.
Changing Passwords
The password change application uses PennKey for login, and requires that the Oracle ID match the PennKey entered. Accounts will be both unlocked and reset. Users with access to multiple databases may reset their passwords in those databases all at once by checking the appropriate boxes.
Business Objects users, please note: you must click both the boxes for Business Objects and Business Objects DB Credentials in addition to the box for your database (for example, Data Warehouse). When you click a box, a checkmark appears. If you do not click in all of the boxes, you will get an error when you attempt to use Business Objects.
New passwords must comply with the following requirements.
Oracle passwords must:
- Be between 8 and 20 characters long.
- Be different from the User ID, and different from the last password (note that simply changing the case letters in the password is not sufficient).
- Contain at least one digit (although not in the first position), one lowercase letter, and one uppercase letter. Your password should not contain any non-alphanumeric characters (e.g., !@#$%^&*,;).
- Be complex, i.e. no simple dictionary words.
Since users can connect to the various Oracle databases using a variety of query tools (Business Objects, SQL*Plus, ODBC, or others), they may experience password expiration errors in different forms. Although there is no way to actually change a password when logging in to query a database with an end-user tool (as one can with BEN Financials, or a network logon, for example), users experiencing errors like the following can change their passwords using the web application, and then should be able to log in with the new password. Sample errors include:
Business Objects InfoView and Web Intelligence (Webi) (Business Objects web interface):
If you log in to InfoView with an incorrect password, or, if you change only your database password in the Password Changer and neglect to click the box next to Business Objects as well, you will get the following error message in InfoView:
If you reset your password in the Password Changer and only click the boxes for the database and for Business Objects, but not for Business Objects DB Credentials, or, if you reset your password for Business Objects and Business Objects DB Credentials but not for your database, you will get the following error in InfoView:
The solution for all the above errors in Business Objects Infoview or Web Intelligence is to go back to the Password Changer and reset your password, making sure to click the boxes next to your database (for example, Data Warehouse) and also click the boxes next to Business Objects and Business Objects DB Credentials.
ODBC - Microsoft Access:
ODBC - Other tools (i.e., FileMaker Pro):
SQL*Plus (Oracle client, installed locally; Note: this option does allow you to change your password):
A user may attempt to log in a maximum of six times in a row. If the sixth attempt is also incorrect, the users account will be locked automatically. In this case, the Oracle error (similar in appearance to the one above) is ORA-28000. If you get this error, please use the password changer to reset your password; this will also unlock your account.
If you've experienced a different error, or have other questions or problems while changing your password, please email oraclepass@pobox.upenn.edu for assistance, and include your user ID and phone number in your message. Please do not send your password in your email message.