OGG-01423 No valid default archive log destination directory found for thread 1

Today while I was trying to set up GoldenGate sync between Oracle database 11.2.0.1 running on Windows 10 with Oracle database 12.1.0.2 running on openSUSE (this is a lab set up), I received the following error when attempting to start the real time extract.

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ggsci > ADD EXTRACT DEMO1E, TRANLOG, BEGIN NOW ggsci > ADD EXTTRAIL E:\oracle\ogg112101\dirdat\ea, EXTRACT DEMO1E, Megabytes 200 ggsci > start extract DEMO1E

INFO all command showed the process as ABENDED.
The report file DEMO1E.rpt shows the below.

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... ... ...   2015-12-04 02:48:50  WARNING OGG-01423  No valid default archive log destination directory found for thread 1.   2015-12-04 02:48:50  INFO    OGG-01515  Positioning to begin time Dec 4, 2015 1:59:16 AM.   Source Context :   SourceModule            : [er.common]   SourceID                : [er/common.cpp]   SourceFunction          : [extract_start_point]   SourceLine              : [2090]   2015-12-04 02:49:10  ERROR   OGG-00446  Error 5 (Access is denied.) opening log file E:\ORACLE\ORADATA\ORCL\REDO03.LOG for sequence 57. Not able to establish initial position for begin time 2015-12-04 01:59:16.   2015-12-04 02:49:10  ERROR   OGG-01668  PROCESS ABENDING.

A similar issue may arise if the source is a RAC clustered database under different scenario, but this is not a RAC database but a standalone.

So why is this error reported? (see highlighted error line)
If you look at the archive log destination in the database, we have defined it to use the FRA.

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SQL> archive log list Database log mode              Archive Mode Automatic archival             Enabled Archive destination            USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST Oldest online log sequence     55 Next log sequence to archive   57 Current log sequence           57   SQL> sho parameter log_archive_dest_1   NAME                                 TYPE        VALUE ------------------------------------ ----------- ------------------------------ log_archive_dest_1                   string

Also, there is no value defined in the default archive location ( the database is created using DBCA while installing the Oracle software using default values)

Hence, I tried to give a location to the archive log so that GoldenGate can check in the location specified. I did the below.

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SQL> alter system set log_archive_dest_1='location=USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST' scope=both;   SQL> sho parameter log_archive_dest_1   NAME                                 TYPE        VALUE ------------------------------------ ----------- ---------------------------------- log_archive_dest_1                   string      location=USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST

Now, after setting the location, I started the extract to which the response is positive with the following contents in the report file.

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1	ggsci > start extract DEMO1E

The report file contents...

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... ... ...                2015-12-04 02:57:23  WARNING OGG-01423  No valid default archive log destination directory found for thread 1.   2015-12-04 02:57:24  INFO    OGG-01515  Positioning to begin time Dec 4, 2015 2:56:48 AM.   2015-12-04 02:57:24  INFO    OGG-01052  No recovery is required for target file E:\oracle\ogg112101\dirdat\ea000000, at RBA 0 (file not opened).   2015-12-04 02:57:24  INFO    OGG-01478  Output file E:\oracle\ogg112101\dirdat\ea is using format RELEASE 11.2.   *********************************************************************** **                     Run Time Messages                             ** ***********************************************************************     2015-12-04 02:57:25  INFO    OGG-01515  Positioning to begin time Dec 4, 2015 2:56:48 AM.   2015-12-04 02:57:25  INFO    OGG-01516  Positioned to Sequence 57, RBA 3447824, SCN 0.0, Dec 4, 2015 2:56:48 AM.   2015-12-04 02:57:25  INFO    OGG-01517  Position of first record processed Sequence 57, RBA 3447824, SCN 0.2086081, Dec 4, 2015 2:57:15 AM.

Now, we have the same warning message, but the extract process started to process the first record. (I'm still wondering why does it throw Access is denied for online redo log when all the permission required is available ;-) )

Happy Troubleshooting!!