Hibernate version: 2.1.8

Mapping documents:
*** hibernate-service.xml ***

<server>
<mbean code="org.jboss.hibernate.jmx.Hibernate" name="jboss.har:service=wmsHibernate">
<depends>jboss.jca:service=LocalTxCM,name=OracleDS</depends>
<attribute name="SessionFactoryName">java:/ora/SessionFactory</attribute>
<attribute name="DatasourceName">java:/OracleDS</attribute>
<attribute name="Dialect">net.sf.hibernate.dialect.Oracle9Dialect</attribute>
<attribute name="MaxFetchDepth">3</attribute>
<attribute name="ReflectionOptimizationEnabled">true</attribute>
<attribute name="QueryCacheEnabled">true</attribute>
<attribute name="ShowSqlEnabled">false</attribute>
<attribute name="JdbcBatchSize">25</attribute>
<attribute name="JdbcScrollableResultSetEnabled">true</attribute>
<attribute name="CacheProviderClass">
net.sf.hibernate.cache.HashtableCacheProvider
</attribute>
</mbean>
</server>

*** oracle-ds.xml ***

<datasources>
<local-tx-datasource>
<jndi-name>OracleDS</jndi-name> <connection-url>jdbc:oracle:thin:@192.20.10.01:1521:MYSID</connection-url>
<driver-class>oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver</driver-class>
<user-name>sys</user-name>
<password>admin</password>
<min-pool-size>5</min-pool-size>
<max-pool-size>50</max-pool-size>
<blocking-timeout-millis>50000</blocking-timeout-millis>
<idle-timeout-minutes>1</idle-timeout-minutes> <valid-connection-checker-class-name>org.jboss.resource.adapter.jdbc.vendor.OracleValidConnectionChecker</valid-connection-checker-class-name> <exception-sorter-class-name>org.jboss.resource.adapter.jdbc.vendor.OracleExceptionSorter</exception-sorter-class-name>
<metadata>
<type-mapping>Oracle9i</type-mapping>
</metadata>
</local-tx-datasource>
</datasources>


Code between sessionFactory.openSession() and session.close():
boolean user_found = false;
Session session = null;
try {
session = new ContextResources().getHibernateFactory().openSession();
Query query = session.createQuery("from TerminalUser as tu where tu.TuPassword = :paswd ");
query.setParameter("paswd",passwd);
Iterator it = query.iterate();
while(it.hasNext()) {
TerminalUser tu = (TerminalUser)it.next();
if ((tu.getId().getEmployeeId()).equalsIgnoreCase(uname)) {
user_found = true;
}
}
session.close();
//Setting session to null, just in case...
session = null;
}
catch(Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace(); //DEBUG
try {session.close();session = null;}catch(Exception e1) {}
throw new DataBaseException();
}


Name and version of the database you are using:
Oracle 9i v9.2.0.1.0


JBoss version: 4.0.1sp1

Hibernate tool: Hibernate Synchronizer

The code above is used inside a stateless session EJB.
It appears that even by calling session.close() the DB connection used does not return to the connection pool. I've also tried getting a connection directly from the connection pool and provide it to hibernate (in openSession() method), but no luck. My pool is only getting smaller...

Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong?

Have you considered asking on the JBoss forums?

Yes, but at that time the JBoss forum was down. I'll c/p the question there, if its more relevant. Thanks.