Oracle installation error: missing privileges or synonyms (FMEMC schema)

Issue

During an Oracle advanced installation, package compilation fails with errors such as:

ORA-04063: package body "FMEMC.MC_SETTINGS" has errors
ORA-06508: PL/SQL: could not find program unit being called

or:

PLS-00201: identifier 'DBMS_LOCK' must be declared

Cause

These errors are typically caused by:

• missing Oracle privileges for the FMEMC schema
• missing synonyms for required Oracle packages and views

As a result, package bodies (e.g. MC_UTIL, MC_SETTINGS) cannot compile.

This situation occurs most often in advanced/manual installations, where required grants are not applied automatically.

For the full list of required privileges, see:
https://docs.migration-center.com/database-administrators-guide#oracle-privileges

Symptoms

• Invalid package bodies in schema FMEMC
• Errors referencing Oracle packages like:
  • DBMS_LOCK
  • DBMS_SCHEDULER
• PLS-00201 (identifier must be declared)
• ORA-06508 (program unit not found)

Diagnosis

1. Check object privileges (connected as user FMEMC)

SELECT table_name, grantee, privilege
FROM user_tab_privs
WHERE grantee = 'FMEMC'
ORDER BY table_name;

The result should be:

2. Check synonyms (connected as user FMEMC)

SELECT synonym_name, table_owner, table_name
FROM user_synonyms

The result should be:

Typical missing synonym example:

• DBMS_LOCK → causes PLS-00201
• Missing FMEMC.V$INSTANCE synonym FOR SYS.V_$INSTANCE  → causes ORA-04063: package body "FMEMC.MC_SETTINGS" has errors

3. Check invalid objects (connected as user FMEMC)

SELECT object_name, object_type, status
FROM user_objects
WHERE status <> 'VALID';

Resolution

Apply missing grants and create required synonyms, then recompile packages.

1. Grants (connected as user SYS)

Execute the commands bellow connected as user SYS.

GRANT CONNECT,RESOURCE, DBA TO FMEMC;

GRANT CREATE JOB TO FMEMC;
GRANT CREATE VIEW TO FMEMC;

GRANT SELECT ON SYS.V_$INSTANCE TO FMEMC;

GRANT EXECUTE ON SYS.UTL_TCP TO FMEMC;
GRANT EXECUTE ON SYS.UTL_SMTP TO FMEMC;
GRANT EXECUTE ON SYS.DBMS_LOCK TO FMEMC;
GRANT EXECUTE ON SYS.UTL_RAW TO FMEMC;
GRANT EXECUTE ON SYS.UTL_ENCODE TO FMEMC;
GRANT EXECUTE ON SYS.DBMS_SCHEDULER TO FMEMC;
GRANT EXECUTE ON SYS.DBMS_CRYPTO TO FMEMC;

2. Synonyms (connected as user SYS)

CREATE OR REPLACE SYNONYM FMEMC.UTL_TCP FOR SYS.UTL_TCP;
CREATE OR REPLACE SYNONYM FMEMC.UTL_SMTP FOR SYS.UTL_SMTP;
CREATE OR REPLACE SYNONYM FMEMC.DBMS_LOCK FOR SYS.DBMS_LOCK;
CREATE OR REPLACE SYNONYM FMEMC.UTL_RAW FOR SYS.UTL_RAW;
CREATE OR REPLACE SYNONYM FMEMC.UTL_ENCODE FOR SYS.UTL_ENCODE;
CREATE OR REPLACE SYNONYM FMEMC.DBMS_SCHEDULER FOR SYS.DBMS_SCHEDULER;
CREATE OR REPLACE SYNONYM FMEMC.DBMS_CRYPTO FOR SYS.DBMS_CRYPTO;
CREATE OR REPLACE SYNONYM FMEMC.V$INSTANCE FOR SYS.V_$INSTANCE;

3. Recompile packages (connected as user FMEMC)

ALTER PACKAGE FMEMC.MC_UTIL COMPILE BODY;
ALTER PACKAGE FMEMC.MC_SETTINGS COMPILE BODY;

Alternatively you compile all FMEMC packages in Oracle SQL Developer (right click on Packages node).

Verification (connected as user FMEMC)

• No invalid objects:

SELECT * FROM user_objects
WHERE  status <> 'VALID';

• Required privileges exist
• Required synonyms exist