Spring boot Oracle Gradle : Cannot load driver class: oracle.jdbc.OracleDriver

Question

I am creating spring boot app and connecting to Oracle DB in AWS instance. My config is

spring.datasource.url= jdbc:oracle:thin:@xxxx.com:1521/xxxx
spring.datasource.username=xxxxxx
spring.datasource.password=xxxxxx
spring.datasource.driver-class-name=oracle.jdbc.OracleDriver
spring.datasource.schema=xxxxxx
#hibernate config
spring.jpa.database-platform=org.hibernate.dialect.Oracle10gDialect
server.port=8081

The build.gradle is

dependencies {
implementation 'org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter'
implementation 'org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-data-jpa'
implementation 'org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-web'
implementation 'io.springfox:springfox-swagger2:2.9.2'
implementation 'io.springfox:springfox-swagger-ui:2.9.2'
// https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/com.oracle.jdbc/ojdbc7
implementation 'com.oracle.jdbc:ojdbc7:12.1.0.2'
testImplementation 'org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-test'
}

When I trying to run the app, it is getting below error. This error is showing the driver class not found. I am confused from where the error is coming. So I am posting below stacktrace of my exception.

    org.springframework.beans.factory.UnsatisfiedDependencyException: Error creating bean with name 'org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.orm.jpa.HibernateJpaConfiguration': Unsatisfied dependency expressed through constructor parameter 0; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'dataSource' defined in class path resource [org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jdbc/DataSourceConfiguration$Hikari.class]: Bean instantiation via factory method failed; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.BeanInstantiationException: Failed to instantiate [com.zaxxer.hikari.HikariDataSource]: Factory method 'dataSource' threw exception; nested exception is java.lang.IllegalStateException: Cannot load driver class: oracle.jdbc.OracleDriver
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.createArgumentArray(ConstructorResolver.java:769) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.autowireConstructor(ConstructorResolver.java:218) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.autowireConstructor(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1341) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBeanInstance(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1187) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:555) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:515) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.lambda$doGetBean$0(AbstractBeanFactory.java:320) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.getSingleton(DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.java:222) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.doGetBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:318) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:199) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.instantiateUsingFactoryMethod(ConstructorResolver.java:392) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.instantiateUsingFactoryMethod(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1321) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBeanInstance(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1160) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:555) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:515) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.lambda$doGetBean$0(AbstractBeanFactory.java:320) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.getSingleton(DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.java:222) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.doGetBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:318) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:199) ~[spring-beans-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.getBean(AbstractApplicationContext.java:1105) ~[spring-context-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.finishBeanFactoryInitialization(AbstractApplicationContext.java:867) ~[spring-context-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:549) ~[spring-context-5.1.9.RELEASE.jar:5.1.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.web.servlet.context.ServletWebServerApplicationContext.refresh(ServletWebServerApplicationContext.java:141) ~[spring-boot-2.1.8.RELEASE.jar:2.1.8.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refresh(SpringApplication.java:744) [spring-boot-2.1.8.RELEASE.jar:2.1.8.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refreshContext(SpringApplication.java:391) [spring-boot-2.1.8.RELEASE.jar:2.1.8.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:312) [spring-boot-2.1.8.RELEASE.jar:2.1.8.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1215) [spring-boot-2.1.8.RELEASE.jar:2.1.8.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1204) [spring-boot-2.1.8.RELEASE.jar:2.1.8.RELEASE]
    at com.saix.entitlement.EntitlementSaixApplication.main(EntitlementSaixApplication.java:10) [main/:na]
Caused by: org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'dataSource' defined in class path resource [org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jdbc/DataSourceConfiguration$Hikari.class]: Bean instantiation via factory method failed; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.BeanInstantiationException: Failed to instantiate [com.zaxxer.hikari.HikariDataSource]: Factory method 'dataSource' threw exception; nested exception is java.lang.IllegalStateException: Cannot load driver class: oracle.jdbc.OracleDriver

Answer 1

It is hard to tell where the error comes from exactly. From the error message, it seems that the Oracle Driver has not been resolved correctly. Gradle should report issues of that kind.

Oracle has just recently started to publish JDBC drivers to Maven Central. Read about the official announcement on the Oracle Developers blog: Oracle JDBC drivers on Maven Central.

Long story short, the driver com.oracle.jdbc:ojdbc7:12.1.0.2 is not among them. MVN Repository shows that the driver you defined is published on the ICM (polish university) repository. As long as you didn't define the repository in your build file, Gradle could not resolve this particular driver version.

If you're okay to use the latest available driver, try with

implementation 'com.oracle.ojdbc:ojdbc8:19.3.0.0'

If you need the specific driver version mentioned in your question, you can try the following:

1. Define the ICM repository in your build file and let it resolve from there.
2. Download the driver to a local lib directory or Maven repository and let Gradle pick up the driver from there (How to add local .jar file dependency to build.gradle file?).
3. Upload the driver in question to a private Maven repository instance (Nexus, Artifactory) should you have access to one. This is a common setup in corporate environments.

Answer 2

Ensure that , the dependency is in maven central : http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/com/oracle/. When i checked i couldn't find it. Also ensure that the mavenCentral() or mavenLocal() that you are using has the dependency that you are trying to download. Verify that the jar generated after the build contains the ojdbc7.jar . If it's not present the jar is not getting resolved by gradle correctly and you need to check your configurations. Also try using the driver in the compile configuration(incase it's an issue with your gradle version) :

compile ("com.oracle.jdbc:ojdbc7:12.1.0.2")

If the issue is because of the jar being not there, download it manually and add it to your local maven repo then build with that to verify.