ORA-00119

ORA-00119: invalid specification for system parameter LOCAL_LISTENER

What are the symptoms?

The local_listener parameter has been set, the listener is running, but when attempting to start the instance an ORA-00119 is reported:

SQL> startup

ORA-00119: invalid specification for system parameter LOCAL_LISTENER

ORA-00132: syntax error or unresolved network name 'LIST_ANDY'

Why is this happening?

Oracle only checks for listeners running on the default port (1521). It would have to spend all day trying every possible port number otherwise. You'll need to give it some help to find your listener.

How do I fix it?

Simply add an entry to the servers tnsnames.ora pointing at the listener. For example my listener 'LIST_ANDY' is running on port 3801, so I would add the following entry to my tnsnames:

LIST_ANDY = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = fermat)(PORT = 3801))

Test it with tnsping:

tnsping <listener_name>

Then try starting your instance again - it should work now.