ORA-00119, ORA-00132 Incorrect Value for REMOTE_LISTENER

In an Oracle 11g RAC environment, you might get this error when trying to start the database. This may happen for any one of the instances. When everything else is ONLINE and STABLE in your $GRID_HOME/bin/crsctl stat res -t output, still one instance fails to start.

$srvctl start instance -i <inst1> -d <db>
ORA-00119: invalid specification for system parameter REMOTE_LISTENER
ORA-00132: syntax error or unresolved network name 'scan-listener:1521'

Even though REMOTE_LISTENER setting is correct, you might get this error.

It's important to note that this issue can arise while running DBCA to start the listener also.

The SCAN address to which the listener points uses the EZCONNECT string. If the local sqlnet.ora file does not include this as a naming adapter, this error can get thrown.

For example:

sqlnet.ora file:

NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH=(TNSNAMES)

Should be:

NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH=(TNSNAMES,EZCONNECT)

ORA-00119: invalid specification for system parameter REMOTE_LISTENER ORA-00132: syntax error or unresolved network name 'example-scan:1521'

This silly error took lot of time to get fixed.

SQL> startup nomount
ORA-00119: invalid specification for system parameter REMOTE_LISTENER
ORA-00132: syntax error or unresolved network name 'example-scan:1521'

11gR2 requires remote_listener to be set to <scan_name:port> which was set properly
Another strange requirement is that the DIRECTORY_PATH PARAMETER IN sqlnet.ora should have EZCONNECT as one of values and mistakenly it was modified and had only TNSNAMES.
Once added EZCONNECT, database started up properly
NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH= (TNSNAMES, EZCONNECT)