Tag Archives: summary

Oracle OpenWorld 2016 in 5 Pages

 

All of Oracle Cloud on a Page
Oracle OpenWorld 2016 Cloud Services and Products Summary

4 Days (almost 7 for me) of Product Directors and Managers spinning as many plates in the air as humanly possible, all being tossed into the Cloud with a fervor only matched by the lack of compensation being provided for conventional technology stack sales, left me with some specific value-adds for my time spent (not including the Safe Harbor information, we can’t say anything about….sshhhh.)

Note: (I’m EBS-centric and we have very little budget for hardware, so while I was amazed at the new SPARC S7 processors with on-board encryption and J/SQL optimization, alas they didn’t make it into my summary pages this year.)

AD/TXK Delta.8
Oracle E-Business Suite Applications DBA and Technology Stack Release Notes for R12.AD.C.Delta.8 and R12.TXK.C.Delta.8 (Doc ID 2159750.1)

Configuring Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.x Using Logical Host Names (Doc ID 1968231.1)

  • e-Mail Notifications at Parent and Child Levels for Request Sets
  • Save and Re-use Concurrent Program Parameters (CP Templates)
  • Regex Support in Profile Option Values and FND_MESSAGES
  • Multiple OA Framework Windows and Tabs in Multiple Browser Windows
  • EBS Healthcheck Diagnostics
  • 64-bit JDK’s on CM Tier
  • adop Improvements
  • Delta Sync Mode (syncmode=patch/delta) – changed rows only
  • Rsync support in phase=prepare
  • Custom module sync auto-supported (no custom drivers req’d)
  • Standardized logging SessionID/ExecutionID/phase/node

EBS 12.2.6.AD Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2.6 Readme (Doc ID 2114016.1)

  • Security Configuration Console
  • JSP Whitelisting
  • Redirection Whitelisting
  • AD/TKX.Delta.8 incorporated
  • More HTML User Interfaces: HTML alternatives to several existing Forms; interfaces offer simpler layouts and more modern user interactions.

–Examples include the Update Assets UI in Enterprise Asset Management, and AOL setup UIs for Users, Responsibilities, and Flexfields.

SecureFiles does not allow shrinking of the tablespace after deletions (AP Imaging)

Available Interconnect Cloud Service adapters:

  • –PL/SQL
  • –Java Beans
  • –Apps Modules

Roadmap ICS adapters:

  • –REST
  • –Concurrent Programs
  • –XML Gateway
  • –BPEL/Business Services

CAAS (Cloud Adaptive Assistant Service) – The widget Larry was text-chatting with.

Mobile Foundation and Mobile Application Framework

Foundation v6 released August 2016

–Incorporates MAF 2.3.2

–Enhancements for Approvals (HR, Projects, Service Centers, Quoting, Custom Approvals)

Foundation v7 scheduled for April 2017

MAF Roadmap items:

–Airwatch and MobileIron support

–Mobile REST API’s

–EBS Integrated Service Gateway support (SOA)

PDF Version for download:       oracle_oow16_summary_jlui

Advertisement

R12.2 Overview for Developers (Oracle e-Business Suite)

We are upgrading our Oracle e-Business Suite from 12.1.3.6 to 12.2.3.

This is a preparatory session prepared for our Development Team and may be useful to others.  All copyrights reserved; no reproduction without permission.

AUS_R12_2_for_Developers_@jhlui1 (PDF Link)

Contents Outline:

  • R12.2 Overview For Developers
  • May 5, 2014
  • James H. Lui, OCP
  • Sr. Oracle Applications DBA
  • @jhlui1

What’s Covered

  • What’s an Edition?
  • What’s an Online Patch?
  • How is Development Affected?
  • Examples
  • What Can I Do?

What’s an Edition? (Doc ID 1489116.1)

  • An edition is like a workspace or private environment where database objects are redefined. When we are satisfied with the change that we have made, those changes in the edition can be then rolled out to all the application users.
  • With Edition-Based Redefinition you can have two objects with the same name, as long as they are in different Editions.
  • An edition is effectively a version label that can be assigned to all editionable objects in a schema.

–When a new edition is used by a schema, all editionable objects are inherited by the new edition from the previous edition.

–These objects can subsequently then be altered or dropped as desired, but doing so will stop the inheritance of that object.

–From Oracle database 11gR2 onwards, each database has at least one edition, the default being ORA$BASE.

–The default edition can be displayed using the DATABASE_PROPERTIES view.

<illustration>

What Objects Can Be Editioned?

  • (Doc ID 1489116.1)
  • <illustration>

The following object types are editionable:

  • FUNCTION
  • LIBRARY
  • PACKAGE and PACKAGE BODY
  • PROCEDURE
  • TRIGGER
  • TYPE and TYPE BODY
  • SYNONYM
  • VIEW

Review contents of the APPS versus APPS_NE schemas for detai

What are The Rules for Editioning?

  • (Doc ID 1489116.1 – there are more…)

A non-editionedobject cannot depend on an editioned object.

Some examples:

– A public synonym cannot refer to an editioned object.
(why APPS-owned synonyms take precedence)

– A function-based index cannot depend on an editioned function.

– A materialized view cannot depend on an editioned view.
(why a lot of MV’s are invalidated in 12.2)

– A table cannot have a column of a user-defined data type (collection or Abstract Data Type/ADT) whose owner is editions-enabled (APPS is, APPS_NE isn’t.)

– A noneditioned subprogram cannot have a static reference to a subprogram whose owner is editions-enabled.
(APPS_NE.<package> cannot reference APPS.<function>)

Editioning Example: PTCHARMK

  • (adop phase=prepare in-progress)
  • SQL Statement which produced this data:
  • SELECT * FROM dba_editions;
  • <illustration>
  • What’s an Edition? (Doc ID 1489116.1)
  • SELECT property_value
    FROM database_properties
    WHERE property_name = ‘DEFAULT_EDITION’;
    <illustration>
  • ALTER SESSION SET edition=V_20140428_1435;

<illustration>

  • SELECT SYS_CONTEXT(‘USERENV’, ‘SESSION_EDITION_NAME’) AS edition FROM dual;

<illustration>

What’s an Online Patch?(Doc ID 1583902.1)

  • Online patching is a new patching mechanism that allows the application of patches while the system is up and running, and the users are working as normal (…while ensuring object version consistency.)
  • What are the phases that make up the Online Patching cycle?

–Prepare a virtual copy (patch edition) of the running application (run edition).

–Apply patches to the patch edition of the application.

–Finalize the system in readiness for the cutover phase.

–Cutover to the patch edition and make it the new run edition.

–Cleanup obsolete definitions or data to recover space.

  • When a patch is applied, adop will:

Synchronizethe contents of the run file system to the patch file system. (phase=prepare)

Apply patching actions on the patch file system. (phase=apply)

–During the cutover phase, the adoputility (phase=cutover) :

  • Restartsthe application tier services.
  • Swap [Patch FS] <-> [Run FS]

Online Patching: Our Filesystem (note: we moved the $INST_TOP down a level from /u01 to facilitate preservation as a separate NFS mount during refreshes)

  • /u01

–fs1/

–fs2/

–fs_ne/

–inst/

–oraInventory/

  • Online Patching: The Environment

<illustration>

Online Patching: Switching Envs(Doc ID 1545584.1 – Requires 12.2.2 minimum)

Change directory to the Base directory and run script EBSapps.env giving “run” or “patch” as argument, eg:

cd /u01/oracle/EBS122

. ./EBSapps.env run

E-Business Suite Environment Information

—————————————-

RUN File System : <EBS base dir>/fs1/EBSapps/appl

PATCH File System : <EBS base dir>/fs2/EBSapps/appl

Non-Editioned File System : <EBS base dir>/fs_ne

DB Host: <hostname.domain name> Service/SID: <SID>

Sourcing the RUN File System …

Online Patching: Switching Envs(Doc ID 1545584.1 – for PTCHARMK at 12.2.0)

Use fsauto<SID>.sh(already included in the applptch .profile)

cd ~

. ./fsauto${ORACLE_SID}.sh

Running fsauto 1.0 :

Context Name (<SID_host>) : PTCHARMK_aburpaofinm01

RUNEdition APPL_TOP     : /u01/fs1

PATCHEdition APPL_TOP   : /u01/fs2

APPL_TOP environment file : /u01/fs1/EBSapps/appl/APPSPTCHARMK_aburpaofinm01.env

Non-Editioned File System : /u01/fs_ne/EBSapps/appl

Instance Top Directory   : /u01/inst/fs1/inst/apps/PTCHARMK_aburpaofinm01

Admin Scripts Home       : /u01/inst/fs1/inst/apps/PTCHARMK_aburpaofinm01/admin/scripts

Setting RUN Edition APPL_TOP environment for /u01/fs1 …

Current PATCH_TOP: /mnt/nfs/ebs/122postinstall

applptch@aburpaofinm01 $>

What’s an Online Patch?

  • (Checking for Active Patching Sessions)
  • SELECT ADOP_SESSION_ID,
  • PREPARE_STATUS,
  • APPLY_STATUS,
  • FINALIZE_STATUS,
  • CUTOVER_STATUS,
  • CLEANUP_STATUS,
  • ABORT_STATUS,
  • STATUS,
  • ABANDON_FLAG,
  • NODE_NAME
  • FROM AD_ADOP_SESSIONS
  • ORDER BY ADOP_SESSION_ID;

What’s an Online Patch?

  • (Why should I care?)

Q: Based on the below information querying the AD_ADOP_SESSIONS table in PTCHARMK:

<illustration>

  1. Which patching session will go first, and when?
  2. Which filesystem (fs1 or fs2) and edition is Run versus Patch?
  3. Where should my custom object/code/form/report go to test in this instance?
    <illustration>
  • What’s an Online Patch?
    (Why should I care?)

Q: Based on the below information querying the AD_ADOP_SESSIONS table in PTCHARMK:

  1. Which patching session will go first, and when?
  2. Which filesystem and edition is Run versus Patch?
  3. Where should my custom object/code/form/report go to test in this instance?
    <illustration>

Examples: Editioned View
(Why we use APPS.AR_DEBUGinstead of AR.AR_DEBUG)

/* ObjName | ObjType | ObjParent | ObjOwner
AR_DEBUG | TABLE | | AR
AR_DEBUG# |VIEW | | AR
AR_DEBUG | SYNONYM | | APPS

Synonym APPS.AR_DEBUG */
/* Formatted on 5/1/2014 3:26:22 PM (QP5 v5.256.13226.35510) */
CREATE OR REPLACE FORCE EDITIONING VIEW AR.AR_DEBUG#
(
DEBUG_TYPE,
ITEM_TYPE,
ITEM_KEY,
ACTIVITY_NAME,
EXECUTION_DATE,
DEBUG_MESSAGE
)
AS
SELECT DEBUG_TYPE DEBUG_TYPE,
ITEM_TYPE ITEM_TYPE,
ITEM_KEY ITEM_KEY,
ACTIVITY_NAME ACTIVITY_NAME,
EXECUTION_DATE EXECUTION_DATE,
DEBUG_MESSAGE DEBUG_MESSAGE
FROM “AR”.”AR_DEBUG”;
CREATE OR REPLACE SYNONYMAPPS.AR_DEBUGFOR AR.AR_DEBUG#;

GRANT DELETE, INSERT, SELECT, UPDATE, DEBUG ON AR.AR_DEBUG#TO APPS WITH GRANT OPTION;

GRANT SELECT ON AR.AR_DEBUG# TO XXUSR_SELECT_R;

Examples: PL/SQL Package
(APPS.ACCOUNT_MGR)

<illustration>

Examples: PL/SQL Package
(APPS.ACCOUNT_MGR)

<illustration>
How is Development Affected?
(Doc ID 1489116.1)
Not using an APPS.<editioned object synonym>

–Views: disappearing/appearing columns, indexes, even data

–PL/SQL: dropped/altered/changed API’s, usage, references

–Triggers: disappearing/appearing constraints, functional changes

–Types: disappearing/appearing columns, indexes, even data

–Synonyms: pointers change: ViewsóTables, all the above

  • Invalid Objects Appear After Patching
  • Functional Code Behavior Changes After Patching
  • If another Developer is using an Edition:The DEFAULT_EDITION can change without warning

What to Do?

  • Always Be Aware of other Patching or Development activity going on in the instance
  • Stage Filesystem-based Code in both RUN_BASE and PATCH_BASE
  • Scheduling of Data Changes is Critical (changes can vanish)
  • Announce to all other Users if Creating/Cutting-Over a New Edition
  • Flag all Base-Object Customizations for Detection during PPA

How to Flag a Customization

  • (OAM -> Site Map -> [Maintenance] -> Register Flagged Files)
  • <illustration>

How to Flag a Customization

  • (OAM -> Site Map -> [Maintenance] -> Register Flagged Files)
  • <illustration>

MOS References

  • (support.oracle.com – CSI: 19086017)
  • Deploying Customizations in Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 (Doc ID 1577661.1)
  • Master Note: Overview of Oracle Edition-Based Redefinition (EBR) (Doc ID 1489116.1)
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2: Online Patching FAQ
    (Doc ID 1583902.1)
  • Oracle Application Framework Release Notes for Release 12.2.3 (Doc ID 1593782.1)
  • Where to Deploy Custom Java [default: $JAVA_TOP/*]
    (Doc ID 1609939.1)
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 Information Center
    (Doc ID 1583153.1)

An in-depth white paper prepared for the NorCalOAUG by John Peters (2/2014):

http://jrpjr.com/paper_archive/12_2_development.pdf

Oracle e-Business Suite Release R12.2 (.2) Upgrade – New Features Summary

Because my company asked for this, and I couldn’t find a readily available My Oracle Support document that is concise enough.

Based primarly upon:

Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 Release Value Propositions (Doc ID 1580742.1)

With additions from notes by Steve Sutphin on LearningWerks.

Modules Being Covered in this Summary

  • Application Technology
  • Asset Lifecycle Management
  • Customer Relationship Management
  • Financials
  • Procurement
  • Human Capital Management

Not all modules are covered herein (e.g. Supply Chain, Project Billing, Project Management, Value Chain) simply because we don’t have them in-use, so I couldn’t validate the accuracy of those modules.

Applications Technology - User Interfaces, Infrastructure

Oracle EBS Release 12.2 Technology Stack
Oracle EBS Release 12.2 Technology Stack
  • WebLogic Server (11.1.1.6) replacing iAS (10.1.3)
    • [10.1.2 stays for Forms and Reports]
  • Mobile Certification for OA Framework
    • iPad, iPhone, Android
  • Report Manager and Web ADI
    • Certified for MS Office 2010/32-bit
  • Integrated SOA Gateway
    • Now on WebLogic for improved integration
  • Online Patching
    • Editioned filesystem and DB objects allow side-by-side Production and Test codesets with minimal switchover downtime.

Oracle EBS Release 12.2 Online Patching Process

  • Numerous OAFramework User Interface Cosmetic and Usability Improvements

Assets (Asset Lifecycle Management,  not FA) - Workflow, Productivity

  • Support for Asset Moves
    • Transactable Assets Allows Users To Move Assets In And Out Of Inventory, Transfer Assets From One Inventory Organization To Another, And Transfer Assets From One External Location To Another External Location
  • Enhanced Integration/Ease of Use
    • Asset Sale
    • Asset Retirements
    • Project-to-Project Material Transfers
    • Grouping of Serialized Items
  • Asset Tracking Mass Update

Customer Relationship Management - Revenue Tracking

  • Channel Revenue Management
    • Increased Automation in AR Deductions Settlement
    • Accrual Accounting with Trade Profiles
    • Extended Business Processes for Supplier Ship and Debit
    • Price Protection Agreements
  • Oracle Telesales
    • Visibility to Activities across Operating Units
    • Competitor Tracking at Product Level

Financials - Productivity, Controls

  • Cross-Module Enhancements
    • Multi-Org Access Control Security profiles that now support a list of operating units
    • Ledger Sets Ledgers sharing the same Chart of Accounts, Calendar and Period Type
    • Advanced Global Intercompany System (AGIS)
    • New Bank Account Model Single access point for defining and maintaining bank accounts in AP, AR, Collections, Payroll, CashMgt, & Treasury
  • Advanced Collections
    • Party (Customer) Level Bankruptcy Tracking
    • Support for Partial Disputed Transaction Amounts
  • Assets
    • Enh. Mass Additions I/F for Legacy Conversions
    • Automated Depr. Rollback for Selected Assets
    • Impairments/Unplanned Depreciation Visibility
    • Addl. BI Publisher Reports
  • Cash Management
    • Simplified Setup and Streamlined Bank Account Reconciliation
    • Reconciliation Success Rates for First Notice Items (FlexMatch)
    • Centrally-stored Balance History – Trends and Cash Positions
    • Flexible Cash Pooling
    • Maintain and Report on Authorized Signatories
  • Customer Data Hub
    • Tax Validation Management with Tax Geography Hierarchy
    • DQM Overview Dashboard
    • DQM public Application Programming Interface
    • Real-time Address Validation for Tax Purposes
  • e-Business Tax
    • Application of Specific Tax Configs to Business Entities
    • Tax Simulator and Determination Services
    • Customer Tax Information Import
  • General Ledger
    • Allocate Financial Data From One Or More Ledgers To A Different Target Ledger
    • Data Access Sets and Ledger Sets
    • Journal Batch Copy
    • Alternate Account UI
    • New Web-based Account Analysis & Drilldown
    • Flaggable As Non-Reversable Journal Sources
    • Integration to Hyperion DRM and Fusion Acctg Hub
  • Internet Expenses (iExpense)
    • Global Per Diem and Mileage Rates
    • Mileage Accumulation
    • Automatic Matching of Advance Payments
    • Flexible Application of Cash Advances
    • Payment Holds and Automatic Notifications
    • Enhanced Itemization Controls
    • New Audit Expense Report
    • Auto-Itemization of Expenses from Visa/AMEX
    • Parallel Approvals
    • New Header-level Document Attachments
    • Support for new iOS/Android Mobile Expenses
  • Payables
    • New User Interface For Supplier Entry And Maintenance
    • Centralized Bank Account Definitions (see Summary)
    • Improved Invoice Processing with Invoice Lines
    • Contract Financing, Retainage, and Progress Terms
    • Line-Level Invoice Approval Workflows
    • Self-Service Entry for Non-PO Invoices
    • Improved iSupplier Portal
    • Scheduled AP/AR Netting Batches
  • Receivables
    • Partial Period Revenue Recognition
    • Event-based Revenue Management
    • New Credit Card Error Handling
    • Improved Chargeback Reconciliation
    • Oracle Bill Presentment Architecture (BPA)
    • Customer Communication – Auto PDF Printing
    • New Sweep Invalid Distributions Report Details of the accounting exceptions that are holding the period close for review and action. If the amount involved is not material from the reporting perspective and resolving the accounting exceptions is likely to delay the period close, then the transactions with invalid accounting can be swept to the next open period.
    • Automated Auto Lockbox Processing (via CP)
    • API Support for Unidentified Receipt Assignments
  • Subledger Accounting
    • Enhanced Multi-Reporting Currency Functionality
    • Improved Reporting and Analysis with Supporting References
  • Treasury
    • New Automatic Floating Rate Reset for Bonds
    • Automated Cash Pooling Across Legal Entities
    • Automatic Bank Account Update for Redirecting Payments to a New Bank Account

Projects - Efficiencies

  • Project Costing
    • Labor Rate Schedules by Criteria
    • Enhanced Payroll Integration
    • Total Time Costing
    • Increased Control and Visibility for Multi-Funded Contingent Workers
    • Allocate Funding Based On Time And Expense Entry
    • Batch Processing of Mass Adjustments

Procurement - Efficiencies

  • iProcurement
    • Automatic Updates of Encumbrance Dates
    • Eligible Information Template Information Stored as Attachments
    • Override Employee Charge Account Preference
    • Dual Budgetary Controls (Encumbrance Acctg)
    • Item Master Attachments Support
    • Post-Approved PO Requisition Attachment Support
    • PO Import Process Can Use Account Generator Auto-generate Charge Accounts during Requisition Import (blank charge accounts)
  • iSupplier Portal
    • Enhanced Prospective Supplier Registration – Adaptive Supplier Onboarding
    • E-Kanban Support (Flow Manufacturing)
    • Enh. Supplier Contact Information Data URL, Alt. Contact Name/Phone
  • Purchasing
    • Automatic Updates of Encumbrance Dates
    • Additional WF Extensions for Custom Validations
  • Procurement Contracts
    • Multiple Templates Applied to Purchasing Docs
    • New API’s for Templates, Questions and Constants
    • New Clause Descriptor Field
    • Clause Mandatory Attribute at Rule Level
    • Clause Section Placement by Contract Expert
    • Deletion of Provisional Sections from Solicitation to Award
    • Instruction Text including URLs
    • Multi-Row Contract Clause Variables
    • Display and Sort by Clause Number
    • Enh. Repository Contracts License Agreements, Nondisclosure Agreements, Merger Contracts, Misc. Agreements (user-defined)
    • User Defined Attribute support for Deliverables
    • Sync/Down/Upload: MS Word 2010 Certification
    • Contract Expert Performance Improvements
  • Sourcing
    • Add Requisition lines to a Draft Negotiation
    • Ability To Withdraw Responses Submitted On An RFI/RFQ
    • Track Supplier Amendment Acknowledgements
    • Staggered Awards on Split Negotiations
    • Import of Price Breaks and Tiers via Excel
    • Negative Cost Factor Support
    • New API’s to Create RFIs, RFQs, Auctions and Negotiations
    • Online Discussions Attachments and Messaging
    • Terms and Conditions Display Controls
    • Lot Pricing Summaries (also by Lot Line)
  • Spend Classification
    • Reclassify Historical Data
    • Asynchronous Classified Batch Approval Flows
    • Enhanced Training Data Upload (up to 100MB)
    • Enhanced Knowledge Base Tracking Capability
    • Improvements in Analyzing KPI Batches with Excel Export
    • Classification Code Reset by Ranges

Human Capital Management - Streamlining, Efficiency

  • Cross-Module Enhancements
    • 30 Country Localization Support
    • Managerial Task Checklists
    • Bulk Synchronization -> Incremental Sync API
    • Future-Dated Terminations, Reversals, Rehires
  • Payroll
    • Purge Process Events
    • Quick Retro Pay (single assignment)
    • Self-Service Element Entry (w/WF approvals)
  • Human Resources
    • Streamlined Re-hire Processes
    • Self-Service Internal Hire Support

Catch Up on Oracle News This Week – 01/07/2014

From the IOUG Executive Director, Josh Berman – this week’s highlights:

IOUG Podcast 15-SEP-2012 Itanium’s Back

IOUG Podcast 15-SEP-2012 Itanium’s Back / Java 7 Cloudy Bugs / Fusion HCM Taleo Talent http://ow.ly/1mtScj

IOUG Podcast 31-AUG-2012 Express and 11G

IOUG Podcast 31-AUG-2012 Express and 11GR1 Go Bye-Bye / New GoldenGate & PostgreSQL MMR http://ow.ly/1mfmDp

IOUG Podcast 24-AUG-2012 Rumors of MySQL

IOUG Podcast 24-AUG-2012 Rumors of MySQL’s Doom by Oracle / Design Piracy http://ow.ly/1m9bef

IOUG Podcast 17-AUG-2012 DBAs and Develo

IOUG Podcast 17-AUG-2012 DBAs and Developers as Leaders / OpenWorld Tech Sessions http://ow.ly/1m29G8

IOUG Podcast 10-AUG-2012 The Big Data Wo

IOUG Podcast 10-AUG-2012 The Big Data World of the Data Scientist & The DBA http://ow.ly/1lVhxb

IOUG Podcast 03-AUG-2012 OIM11gR2 / OBIE

IOUG Podcast 03-AUG-2012 OIM11gR2 / OBIEE 11.1.1.6.2 / NoSQL 2.0 Beta / OpenWorld Update http://ow.ly/1lOWy0

IOUG Podcast 28-JUL-2012 London Olympics

IOUG Podcast 28-JUL-2012 London Olympics: Remembering the Birth of the Internet http://ow.ly/1lHMCq

IOUG Podcast 21-JUL-2012 A Disasterous D

IOUG Podcast 21-JUL-2012 A Disasterous Day in the Life of a Cloud DBA / Cloud GPS http://ow.ly/1lwxrS