jdbc connectivity issue in perl

i read through loads of archives before asking this. but still can't 
figure out where i am going wrong

i have a small perl prog trying to connect to an oracle 9i db through 
DBD::JDBC. here's the code snippet:


my $url="jdbc:oracle:thin:\@somehost.com:1790:TEST";
my $hostname="somehost.com";
my $port=1790;
my 
$dsn="dbi:JDBC:hostname=$hostname;port=$port;url=$url;jdbc_character_set=ASCII";
my $user=some_user;
my $password=some_pwd;
print "DEBUG: connecting to JDBC using this conn string -- $dsn\n";
my $dbh=DBI->connect($dsn, $user, $password) or die $DBI::errstr;


and here's the error i get



DEBUG: these are the drivers: ExampleP JDBC Proxy Sponge
    DBI 1.38-nothread dispatch trace level set to 2
DEBUG: connecting to JDBC using this conn string -- 
dbi:JDBC:hostname=somehost.com;port=1790;url=jdbc:oracle:thin:@somehost.com:1790:TEST;jdbc_character_set=ASCII
    -> 
DBI->connect(dbi:JDBC:hostname=somehost.com;port=1790;url=jdbc:oracle:thin:@somehost.com:1790:TEST;jdbc_character_set=ASCII, 
some_user, ****)
    -> DBI->install_driver(JDBC) for linux perl=5.006001 pid=11683 
ruid=1000 euid=1000
       install_driver: DBD::JDBC version 0.64 loaded from 
/usr/local/share/perl/5.6.1/DBD/JDBC.pm
    <- install_driver= DBI::dr=HASH(0x81d35bc)
    -> connect for DBD::JDBC::dr (DBI::dr=HASH(0x81d35bc)~0x838c664 
'hostname=somehost.com;port=1790;url=jdbc:oracle:thin:@somehost.com:1790:TEST;jdbc_character_set=ASCII' 
'some_user' **** HASH(0x822baa4))
1   -> trace in DBD::_::common for DBD::JDBC::dr 
(DBI::dr=HASH(0x838c664)~INNER)
1   <- trace= 2 at JDBC.pm line 88
    !! ERROR: 101 'I/O Error  '
    <- connect= undef at DBI.pm line 585
    -> errstr in DBD::_::common for DBD::JDBC::dr 
(DBI::dr=HASH(0x81d35bc)~0x838c664)
       error: 101 'I/O Error  '
    <- errstr= 'I/O Error  ' at DBI.pm line 588
       DBI 
connect('hostname=somehost.com;port=1790;url=jdbc:oracle:thin:@somehost.com:1790:TEST;jdbc_character_set=ASCII','guo_user',...) 
failed: I/O Error
DBI 
connect(hostname=somehost.com;port=1790;url=jdbc:oracle:thin:@somehost.com:1790:TEST;jdbc_character_set=ASCII','guo_user',...) 
failed: I/O Error   at ./db.pl line 25
    -> $DBI::errstr (&) FETCH from lasth=HASH
    >> DBD::JDBC::dr::errstr
    <- $DBI::errstr= 'I/O Error  '
    -> $DBI::errstr (&) FETCH from lasth=HASH
    >> DBD::JDBC::dr::errstr
    <- $DBI::errstr= 'I/O Error  '
I/O Error   at ./db.pl line 25.
    -- DBI::END
    -> disconnect_all for DBD::JDBC::dr (DBI::dr=HASH(0x81d35bc)~0x838c664)
1   -> FETCH for DBD::JDBC::dr (DBI::dr=HASH(0x838c664)~INNER 
'jdbc_connections')
1   <- FETCH= ( undef ) [1 items] at JDBC.pm line 316
    <- disconnect_all= undef at DBI.pm line 653
!   -> DESTROY for DBD::JDBC::dr (DBI::dr=HASH(0x838c664)~INNER)
!   <- DESTROY= (not implemented) during global destruction

can someone tell me whats happening?
--
k.p.