Odds are that you're planning an EBS upgrade soon.  EBS 11i Extended Support runs out in 2013, and EBS 12.0 Premier Support ended in January 2012. You might need to combine your EBS upgrade with a operating system upgrade or hardware migration for your servers, too.

Projects that combine EBS upgrades with migrations pose some interesting questions.  What tools do you use if you're...:

• ... upgrading to a newer version of your current operating system?
• ... migrating to a different platform with the same endian format?
• ... migrating to a different platform with a different endian format?
  

Evaluating the different options

I have published a new whitepaper that provides a comprehensive evaluation of the different mechanisms available in upgrading the Oracle E-Business Suite while considering platform migration. This document is meant as an overview to supplement existing detailed documentation that outlines specific processes to perform the migration:

• Oracle E-Business Suite Upgrades and Platform Migration (Note 1377213.1)

This whitepaper discusses the use of Transportable Database, Recovery Manager (rman), Export/Import using Datapump, Transportable Tablespaces (TTS), Rapid Install, and Release Update Packs.

Application server vs. database server upgrades

Platform migrations may considered separately for the application and database tiers, or for both tiers together. In either case, it is critical to understand that the migrations are separate processes that can be thought of logically as such. This is especially crucial in light of potentially reducing downtimes by breaking them out into separate discrete events which may have different considerations for users and administrators.

Upgrade your database server before upgrading EBS

We recommend that you migrate your database to a new version and new server platform first.  This allows you to perform this in a separate earlier downtime.

For example, you might wish to migrate your EBS 11.5.10.2 database tier running 11gR2 to Oracle Linux 5 on newer and faster hardware prior to an R12 upgrade. Performing this migration first would leave the your environment in a certified configuration that you can continue using until you wish to perform your EBS R12 upgrade.

Regardless of whether this migration is done in a separate earlier downtime or as part of a single downtime, the newer hardware would allow the EBS upgrade to go faster.

Best practices for combined upgrades

Here are our recommendations when performing EBS upgrades and platform migrations in a single project:

1. Consider the database and application tier migrations separately and plan to perform the database migration first.
   
   
2. Choose the right migration process for the database while considering the target platform, database size and process complexity.
   
   
3. Migrate and upgrade your EBS application tier from 11i to R12 by laying down the new application tier on the target platform as part of the upgrade.

For more details, see:

• Oracle E-Business Suite Upgrades and Platform Migration (Note 1377213.1)

Related Articles

• Oracle E-Business Suite Platform Smörgåsbord
• Migrating E-Business Suite Application Tier Servers to Linux
• The Scoop: Oracle E-Business Suite Support on 64-bit Linux
  
• Transportable Database 11gR2 Certified with E-Business Suite
• Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1.3 Now Available
  
• Database Migration using 11gR2 Transportable Tablespaces Now Certified for EBS 12

Are you considering a single global instance for your organization? Do you need to know about Unicode support, multilingual support, regional preferences, and other internationalization features within E-Business Suite? If so, you need to attend the next installment of our ATG Live Webcast series on Feb. 9, 2012:

Oracle E-Business Suite Internationalization and Multilingual Features

Join Maher Al-Nubani, Director, Internationalization Development, as he discusses internationalization and MLS considerations when running a global single instance of Oracle E-Business Suite. Maher will discuss unicode support, multilingual support, calendars, and others while providing you with a chance to ask your questions directly during a Q&A session at the end.

This Oracle E-Business Suite Internationalization and Multilingual Features webcast will include the following topics:

• Globalization: Meeting Local and Global Requirements
• Quick Terminology Overview
• Unicode Support
• Multilingual Support
• Regional Preferences (Locale)
• International Calendar Support
• First Dat of the Week Support
• Multilingual Report
  

Date:               Thursday, February 9, 2012
Time:              10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific Standard Time
Presenter:     Maher Al-Nubani, Director, Internationalization Development

Webcast Registration Link (Preregistration is optional but encouraged)

To hear the audio feed:
    Domestic Participant Dial-In Number:           1-877-697-8128
    International Participant Dial-In Number:       1-706-634-9568
    Additional International Dial-In Numbers Link:
    Dial-In Passcode:                                              99331

To see the presentation:
    The Direct Access Web Conference details are:
    Website URL: https://ouweb.webex.com
    Meeting Number:  596274315

If you miss the webcast, or you have missed any webcast, don't worry -- we'll post links to the recording as soon as it's available from Oracle University.  You can monitor this blog for pointers to the replay. And, you can find our archive of our past webcasts and training here.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Bill Sawyer (Senior Manager, Applications Technology Curriculum) at BilldotSawyer-AT-Oracle-DOT-com. 

I am pleased to release the replay and presentation for the latest ATG Live Webcast:

Oracle E-Business Suite Secure Configuration (Presentation)

Erik Graversen, Senior Principal Software Engineer, discusses hardening the security within E-Business Suite. Secure deployment of your E-Business Suite begins with a secure platform, but it doesn't end there. It includes hardening your O/S with both proper patch levels and configuration, along with secure configuration of your network and firewall. Add to this foundation, best practices and vendor recommendations, and you are on your way to a secure E-Business Suite environment.

Finding other recorded ATG webcasts

The catalog of ATG Live Webcast replays, presentations, and all ATG training materials is available in this blog's Webcasts and Training section.

Do you need to improve your hardware utilization, speed-up provisioning, improve end-user satisfaction, increase the productivity of your E-Business Suite system administrators? If so, you need to attend the next installment of our ATG Live Webcast series on Feb. 2, 2012:

Virtualization and Cloud Deployments of Oracle E-Business Suite

Join Ivo Dujmović, Director, Applications Development, for this wide-ranging discussion on the topics virtualization and cloud deployments of Oracle E-Busienss Suite.

The agenda for the Virtualization and Cloud Deployments of Oracle E-Business Suite webcast includes the following topics:

• Why Clouds and Virtualization Matter to You
• Oracle Cloud and Virtualization Technology
• E-Business Suite Cloud Capabilities
• Your Cloud Action Plan
  

Date:               Thursday, February 2, 2012
Time:              8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time
Presenter:     Ivo Dujmović, Director, Applications Development

Webcast Registration Link (Preregistration is optional but encouraged)

To hear the audio feed:
    Domestic Participant Dial-In Number:           877-697-8128
    International Participant Dial-In Number:      706-634-9568
    Additional International Dial-In Numbers Link:
    Dial-In Passcode:                                              99329

To see the presentation:
    The Direct Access Web Conference details are:
    Website URL: https://ouweb.webex.com
    Meeting Number:  595061451

If you miss the webcast, or you have missed any webcast, don't worry -- we'll post links to the recording as soon as it's available from Oracle University.  You can monitor this blog for pointers to the replay. And, you can find our archive of our past webcasts and training here.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Bill Sawyer (Senior Manager, Applications Technology Curriculum) at BilldotSawyer-AT-Oracle-DOT-com.

I am pleased to release the replay and presentation for the latest ATG Live Webcast:

Personalize, Customize, and Extend Oracle E-Business Suite User Interface (Presentation)

Sara Woodhull, Principal Product Manager and Gustavo Jimenez, Senior Development Manager discuss the expanded options in E-Business Suite for making meaningful user interface (UI) changes without programming. And when programming is required, they cover the tools that E-Business Suites provides for doing those customizations. The topics covered include personalizations, extensions, and customizations using forms personalizations and OA Framework personalization, the E-Business Suite SDK for Java, and E-Business Suite extensions with ADF.

Finding other recorded ATG webcasts

The catalog of ATG Live Webcast replays, presentations, and all ATG training materials is available in this blog's Webcasts and Training section.

Are you interested in the techniques and best practices to harden your E-Business Suite deployment for both internal and external users? If so, you need to attend the next install of our ATG Live Webcast series on Jan. 26, 2012:

Oracle E-Business Suite Secure Configuration

Join Erik Graversen, Senior Principal Software Engineer, for this wide-ranging discussion on the topic of hardening the security within E-Business Suite.


Secure deployment of your E-Business Suite begins with a secure platform, but it doesn't end there. It includes hardening your O/S with both proper patch levels and configuration, along with secure configuration of your network and firewall. Add to this foundation, best practices and vendor recommendations, and you are on your way to a secure E-Business Suite environment.

The agenda for the Oracle E-Business Suite Secure Configuration webcast includes the following topics:

• Hardening Systems
• General E-Business Suite Advice
• Secure Configurations Guides from Oracle
• Internal Deployment Considerations
• External Deployment Considerations
  

Date:               Thursday, January 26, 2012
Time:              11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (NOON) Pacific Standard Time
Presenter:     Erik Graversen, Senior Principal Software Engineer

Webcast Registration Link (Preregistration is optional but encouraged)

To hear the audio feed:
    Domestic Participant Dial-In Number:           877-697-8128
    International Participant Dial-In Number:      706-634-9568
    Additional International Dial-In Numbers Link:
    Dial-In Passcode:                                              99326

To see the presentation:
    The Direct Access Web Conference details are:
    Website URL: https://ouweb.webex.com
    Meeting Number:  593599795

If you miss the webcast, or you have missed any webcast, don't worry -- we'll post links to the recording as soon as it's available from Oracle University.  You can monitor this blog for pointers to the replay. And, you can find our archive of our past webcasts and training here.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Bill Sawyer (Senior Manager, Applications Technology Curriculum) at BilldotSawyer-AT-Oracle-DOT-com. 

The Critical Patch Update (CPU) for January 2012 was released on January 17, 2012. Oracle strongly recommends applying the patches as soon as possible.

The Critical Patch Update Advisory is the starting point for relevant information. It includes a list of products affected, pointers to obtain the patches, a summary of the security vulnerabilities, and links to other important documents.

Supported products that are not listed in the "Supported Products and Components Affected" Section of the advisory do not require new patches to be applied.

Also, it is essential to review the Critical Patch Update supporting documentation referenced in the Advisory before applying patches, as this is where you can find important pertinent information.

The Critical Patch Update Advisory is available at the following location:

• Oracle Technology Network

The next four Critical Patch Update release dates are:

• April 17, 2012
• July 17, 2012
• October 16, 2012
• January 15, 2013

I've previously published advice on the general priorities for applying EBS updates.  But what are your top priorities for major upgrades to EBS and its technology stack components?

Here is a summary of our latest upgrade recommendations for E-Business Suite updates and technology stack components.  These quarterly recommendations are based upon the latest updates to Oracle's product strategies, support deadlines, and newly-certified releases. 

Upgrade Recommendations for January 2012

1. EBS 11i users should upgrade to 12.1.3, or -- if staying on 11i -- should be on the minimum 11i patching baseline,
   
   
2. EBS 12.0 users should upgrade to 12.1.3, or -- if staying on 12.0 -- should be on the minimum 12.0 patching baseline,
   
   
3. EBS 12.1 users should upgrade to 12.1.3.
   
   
4. Oracle Database 10gR2 and 11gR1 users should upgrade to 11gR2 11.2.0.3.
   
   
5. EBS 12 users of Oracle Single Sign-On 10g users should migrate to Oracle Access Manager 11g 11.1.1.5.
   
   
6. EBS 11i users of  Oracle Single Sign-On 10g users should migrate to Oracle Access Manager 10g 10.1.4.3.
   
   
7. Oracle Internet Directory 10g users should upgrade to Oracle Internet Directory 11g 11.1.1.5.
   
   
8. Oracle Discoverer users should migrate to Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) or Oracle Business Intelligence Applications (OBIA).
   
   
9. Oracle Portal 10g users should migrate to Oracle WebCenter 11g or upgrade to Portal 11g.
   
   
10. All Windows desktop users should migrate from JInitiator and older Java releases to JRE 1.6.0_30 or higher.

Related Articles

• EBS 12.1 Extended Support Fees Waived for First Year
  
• EBS Support Information Center + Patching & Maintenance Advisor Available on My Oracle Support
• What's the Best Way to Patch an E-Business Suite Environment?

If you're interested in seeing the next generation of the personalization, extension, and customization tools in E-Business Suite 12, make sure that you tune into the next installment of our ATG Live Webcast series this week on Jan. 12, 2012:

Personalize, Customize, and Extend Oracle E-Business Suite User Interface

Join Sara Woodhull, Principal Product Manager, and Gustavo Jimenez, Senior Development Manager, for this wide-ranging discussion on the topic of personalizations, customizations, and extensions within E-Business Suite.

 

Do you need to change the user interface in your E-Business Suite instance? Are you dreading those UI changes? Oracle E-Business Suite provides tools, many of them that do not require programming, that will allow you to make meaningful changes. If those non-programming tools won't meet your needs, there are also programming options. This event will help you understand the best options for your particular needs.

The agenda for the Personalize, Customize, and Extend Oracle E-Business Suite User Interface webcast includes the following topics:

• Personalization, Extension, and Customization Overview
• Technology Choices
• Forms Personalizations and Extensibility
• OA Framework Personalizations and Extensibility
• Oracle E-Business Suite SDK for Java
• Oracle E-Business Suite Extensions Using ADF
  

Date:               Thursday, January 12, 2012
Time:              11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (NOON) Pacific Standard Time
Presenters:   Sara Woodhull, Principal Product Manager
                         Gustavo Jimenez, Senior Development Manager

Webcast Registration Link (Preregistration is optional but encouraged)

To hear the audio feed:
    Domestic Participant Dial-In Number:           877-697-8128
    International Participant Dial-In Number:      706-634-9568
    Additional International Dial-In Numbers Link:
    Dial-In Passcode:                                              99323

To see the presentation:
    The Direct Access Web Conference details are:
    Website URL: https://ouweb.webex.com
    Meeting Number:  598000114

If you miss the webcast, or you have missed any webcast, don't worry -- we'll post links to the recording as soon as it's available from Oracle University.  You can monitor this blog for pointers to the replay. And, you can find our archive of our past webcasts and training here.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Bill Sawyer (Senior Manager, Applications Technology Curriculum) at BilldotSawyer-AT-Oracle-DOT-com.

Password security and complexity is often a concern for security and audit teams.  With the recent release of patch 12964564, Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1.1 with a minimum database level of 11gR1 now supports password case sensitivity.  Let's review this database feature in greater detail.  

Password case sensitivity was introduced with Oracle Database 11gR1.  Passwords were not case sensitive in earlier versions.  For Oracle database versions prior to 11gR1, the passwords "Manager", "MANAGER", and "manager" were all equivalent.  In an 11gR1 database and higher with password case sensitivity turned on, each of these passwords, "Manager", "MANAGER" and "manager" are unique passwords with unique hash values.  

Password case sensitivity is turned on by default for any newly created 11gR1 or higher database .  The database parameter for this feature is SEC_CASE_SENSITIVE_LOGON:

• When this parameter is set to TRUE, password case sensitivity is enabled.
• When set to FALSE, it is disabled.  

The DBA_USERS view now has a PASSWORD_VERSIONS column that indicates the database release in which the password was created or last modified. 

If you have migrated from a prior database version to 11gR1 and SEC_CASE_SENSITIVE_LOGON is set to true, the default behavior is as follows:

• Existing users must first initiate a password change for password case sensitivity to be enforced
• New users created in the 11g database will automatically use password case sensitivity 

The following example on a generic database -- not an E-Business Suite database -- illustrates how the password case sensitivity feature works in 11g.

First, a new user, "newuser1",  is created in an 11g database.

Next, information from the DBA_USERS view is displayed.

The following shows behavior of a migrated 10g user, "system" and an newly created 11g user, "newuser1" when password case sensitivity is disabled.

Finally, the following  shows behavior of a migrated 10g user, "system" and an newly created 11g user, "newuser1" when password case sensitivity is enabled.

For instructions on how to enable password case sensitivity with EBS R12.1.1 running on the 11gR1 Database and higher, please refer to the following MOS documentation:

• Patch 12964564 README
• Database Initialization Parameters for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 (Note 396009.1)
• Oracle Application Object Library Release Notes for Release 12.1.3 (Note 1095283.1)

Related Articles

• Security Best Practices for Release 12
• Critical Patch Update for October 2011 Now Available

As a follow up to our initial certification announcement, Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.3) is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and Release 12 on HP-UX Itanium for the following configurations:

Release 11i (11.5.10.2 + ATG PF.H RUP 6 and higher) :

• HP-UX Itanium (11.31)¹

Release 12 (12.0.4 and higher, 12.1.1 and higher):

• HP-UX Itanium (11.31)

¹ For 11i, this OS is a 'database tier only' or 'split tier configuration' platform where the application tier must be on a fully certified E-Business Suite platform.

This announcement for Oracle E-Business Suite 11i and R12 includes:

• Real Application Clusters (RAC)
• Oracle Database Vault
  
• Transparent Data Encryption (Column Encryption)
  
• TDE Tablespace Encryption
  
• Advanced Security Option (ASO)/Advanced Networking Option (ANO)
  
• Export/Import Process for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and Release 12 Database Instances
• Transportable Database and Transportable Tablespaces Data Migration Processes for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and Release 12

References

• MOS Document 881505.1 - Interoperability Notes - Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0)
• MOS Document 1058763.1 - Interoperability Notes - Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0)
• MOS Document 1091086.1 - Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i with Oracle Database Vault 11gR2
• MOS Document 1091083.1 - Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Oracle Database Vault 11gR2
• MOS Document 216205.1 - Database Initialization Parameters for Oracle E-Business Suite 11i
• MOS Document 396009.1 - Database Initialization Parameters for Oracle Applications Release 12
• MOS Document 823586.1 - Using Oracle 11g Release 2 Real Application Clusters with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i
• MOS Document 823587.1 - Using Oracle 11g Release 2 Real Application Clusters with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 403294.1 - Using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) Column Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i
• MOS Document 732764.1 - Using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) Column Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 828223.1 - Using TDE Tablespace Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i
• MOS Document 828229.1 - Using TDE Tablespace Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 391248.1 - Encrypting Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i Network Traffic using Advanced Security Option and Advanced Networking Option
• MOS Document 732764.1 - Using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) Column Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 557738.1 - Export/Import Process for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i Database Instances Using Oracle Database 11g Release 1 or 11g Release 2
• MOS Document 741818.1 - Export/Import Process for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Database Instances Using Oracle Database 11g Release 1 or 11g Release 2
• MOS Document 1366265.1 - Using Transportable Tablespaces to Migrate Oracle Applications 11i Using Oracle Database 11g Release 2
• MOS Document 1311487.1 - Using Transportable Tablespaces to Migrate Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Using Oracle Database 11g Release 2
• MOS Document 729309.1 - Using Transportable Database to Migrate Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i Using Oracle Database 10g Release 2 or 11g
• MOS Document 734763.1 - Using Transportable Database to Migrate Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Using Oracle Database 10g Release 2 or 11g

Please also review the platform-specific Oracle Database Installation Guides for operating system and other prerequisites.

Related Articles

• E-Business Suite Certified with DB 11.2.0.2 on HP-UX Itanium and IBM AIX on Power
  
• Database 11gR2 11.2.0.1 Certified on HP-UX 11.31 for E-Business Suite
  
• Database 10.2.0.5 Certified with EBS on Nine Additional Platforms
  
  

As a follow-on to the original certification announcement, Oracle Database 10gR2 Patch Set 10.2.0.5.0 is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i on the following additional platforms:

• HP Tru64 (5.1b)
• IBM: Linux on POWER Systems (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, 5; SLES 9, 10)¹
• Linux Itanum (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, 4, 5; SLES 9, 10)¹

Notes:
¹ This is a database tier only (previously known as a split tier) certification where the application tier must be on a different fully certified E-Business Suite 11i platform.

Certification of 10.2.0.5 on Windows Itanium is still in progress and will be announced separately. 

This announcement includes:

• For EBS 11i version 11.5.10 CU2+ATG_PF.H.delta.6 (RUP 6) and higher:
  
  • Real Application Clusters
    
  • Oracle Database Vault 
  • TDE Column Encryption
    
  • Advanced Security Option/Advanced Networking Option (ANO/ASO)
    
  • Export/Import Process for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i
  • Transportable Database and Transportable Tablespaces Data Migration Processes for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i
    

Please refer to the original announcement for additional information pertaining to this certification.

Upgrade to 11gR2 Database instead of patching 10gR2

It's always helpful to check the latest Lifetime Support Policy documents when considering your upgrade options.  As a guiding principle, you should upgrade to the database release that gives you the longest supported timeline.

Oracle Database 10gR2 is now in Extended Support through July 2013.  In general, if you're applying database-level updates to your Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i environment, you'll get a better return on your investment of time if you upgrade directly to the latest 11gR2 database release.  Premier Support for 11gR2 runs through January 2015, and Extended Support runs through January 2018.

References

• • My Oracle Support Note ID 362203.1 - Interoperability Notes - Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i with Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.2.0)
  • My Oracle Support Note ID 362205.1 - Export/Import Process for Release 11i Database Instances Using Oracle 10g Release 2
  • My Oracle Support Note ID 362135.1 - Configuring Oracle Applications Release 11i with 10g Real Application Clusters and Automatic Storage Management
  • My Oracle Support Note ID 1072807.1  - Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i High Availability Documentation Roadmap
    
  • My Oracle Support Note ID 1139844.1 - Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i with Oracle Database Vault 10.2.0.5
  • My Oracle Support Note ID 403294.1 - Using TDE Column Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i
  • My Oracle Support Note ID 391248.1 - Encrypting EBS 11i Network Traffic using Advanced Security Option / Advanced Networking Option
  • My Oracle Support Note ID 369693.1 - Using Oracle Applications with a Split Configuration Database Tier on Oracle 10g Release 2
  • My Oracle Support Note ID 454574.1 - Using Transportable Tablespaces to migrate Oracle Applications Release 11i Using Oracle Database 10g Release 2 Enterprise Edition
  • My Oracle Support Note ID 729309.1 - Using Transportable Database to migrate Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i Using Oracle Database 10g Release 2 or 11g Enterprise Edition

I am pleased to release the replay and presentation for the latest ATG Live Webcast:

Desktop Integration Beyond Client ADI (Presentation)

Gustavo Jimenez, Senior Development Manager and Senthilkumar Ramalingam, Manager leads the discussion of the expanded options in E-Business Suite R12.x for desktop integration. Topics include an overview of prepackaged solutions for integrating Oracle E-Business Suite applications with applications such as Microsoft Excel, Word, and Projects. This session discussed using the new wizard-based Desktop Integration Framework to create custom integrators to download, validate, upload data from Excel to Oracle E-Business Suite.

Finding other recorded ATG webcasts

The catalog of ATG Live Webcast replays, presentations, and all ATG training materials is available in this blog's Webcasts and Training section.

Premier Support for Oracle Single Sign-On 10gR3 ends on December 31, 2011.  This was originally slated to be the end of error correction support for Oracle Single Sign-On 10gR3. 

Our Oracle Identity Management team has just revised that policy.  If you have an existing support contract, you will now be able to receive limited Extended Support for Oracle Single Sign-On from January 2012 through December 2012.  Only Severity 1 fixes for Oracle Single Sign-On will be released during the limited Extended Support period.  Critical Patch Updates (CPUs) for Oracle Single Sign-On will not be released during the limited Extended Support period. 

These changes are published in:

• Oracle Software Technical Support Policies (Dec. 21, 2011)
  

This is good news for those of you that have not been able to migrate to a single sign-on solution utilizing Oracle Access Manager and Oracle E-Business Suite Access Gate.  Keep in mind though, the clock is ticking and limited extended support will end in a mere 12 months.  It is strongly recommended that you use this additional time to integrate your single sign-on deployment with Oracle Access Manager and Oracle E-Business Suite Access Gate.  

Our recommendations

EBS 12 customers should move to a single sign-on solution using Oracle Access Manager 11g. 

EBS 11i customers first upgrade to EBS Release 12.1.3, then integrate with Oracle Access Manager 11g.  If an R12 upgrade is not possible, then R11i customers are encouraged to migrate their single sign-on solution to Oracle Access Manager 10gR3. 

EBS customers looking to deploy a single sign-on solution for the first time are strongly encouraged to deploy a solution using Oracle Access Manager 11g.

References

• Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Oracle Access Manager 11gR1 (11.1.1.5) using Oracle E-Business Suite AccessGate (Note 1309013.1)
• Migrating Oracle Single Sign-On 10gR3 (10.1.4.3) to Oracle Access Manager 11gR1 (11.1.1.5) with Oracle E-Business Suite (Note 1304550.1)
• Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite with Oracle Access Manager using Oracle E-Business Suite AccessGate (Note 975182.1)

Related Articles

• Oracle Access Manager 11.1.1.5 Certified with E-Business Suite 12
• Oracle Access Manager 10gR2 Certified with E-Business Suite
  
• Oracle Internet Directory 11gR1 11.1.1.5 Certified with E-Business Suite
• Why Does E-Business Suite Integration with OAM Require Oracle Internet Directory?
• In-Depth: Using Third-Party Identity Managers with E-Business Suite Release 12
• In-Depth: Using Third-Party Identity Managers with the E-Business Suite Release 11i

I am pleased to release the replay and presentation for the latest ATG Live Webcast:

Advanced E-Business Suite Architectures (Presentation)

Elke Phelps, Senior Principal Product Manager and Sriram Veeraraghavan, Senior Principal Software Engineer discuss advanced E-Business Suite architectures that can help you improve performance, scalability, business continuity, utilization, provisioning, and security.

This webcast covered the latest advanced architectural options, including the use of Oracle database high-availability features and functions such as Real Application Clusters, ASM, Active Data Guard, clouds, virtualization, Oracle VM, high-availability and load-balancing architectures, WebLogic Server, and more. This wbecast also covered the latest updates to systems management tools like AutoConfig, and included sneak previews of upcoming functionality.

Finding other recorded ATG webcasts

The catalog of ATG Live Webcast replays, presentations, and all ATG training materials is available in this blog's Webcasts and Training section.

Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 is now certified with the Oracle Database 11gR2 on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 11 running on the database tier for the following platforms and versions:

Release 12 (12.0.4 and higher, 12.1.1 and higher) with Database versions 11.2.0.2 and 11.2.0.3:

• Linux x86-64 (SLES 11)

Release 12 (12.0.4 and higher, 12.1.2 and higher) with Database version 11.2.0.2:

• IBM: Linux on System z (SLES 11)

The certification of R12 with 11.2.0.3 on IBM: Linux on System z (including SLES 11) is in progress.

These certifications cover the above 64-bit operating systems.  There are no plans to certify 32-bit SLES 11 (Linux x86).

Database Tier Only

These certifications cover only the E-Business Suite database tier.  The application tier of the E-Business Suite is not certified with SLES 11.  Customers must run the application tier on a different certified operating system (such as SLES 10). If you plan to use SLES 11 for an EBS application tier server, please contact me to discuss your business case.

Other Database Options Certified

This announcement for Oracle E-Business Suite R12 includes the following (as well as other features and options):

• Real Application Clusters (RAC)
• Oracle Database Vault
  
• Transparent Data Encryption (Column Encryption)
  
• TDE Tablespace Encryption
  
• Advanced Security Option (ASO)/Advanced Networking Option (ANO)
  
• Export/Import Process for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Database Instances
• Transportable Database and Transportable Tablespaces Data Migration Processes for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
  

References

• MOS Document 1058763.1 - Interoperability Notes - Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0)
• MOS Document 1091083.1 - Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Oracle Database Vault 11gR2
• MOS Document 456347.1 - Using Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with a Database Tier Only Platform on 11g Release 2
  
• MOS Document 396009.1 - Database Initialization Parameters for Oracle Applications Release 12
• MOS Document 823587.1 - Using Oracle 11g Release 2 Real Application Clusters with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 732764.1 - Using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) Column Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 828229.1 - Using TDE Tablespace Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 732764.1 - Using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) Column Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 741818.1 - Export/Import Process for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Database Instances Using Oracle Database 11g Release 1 or 11g Release 2
• MOS Document 1311487.1 - Using Transportable Tablespaces to Migrate Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Using Oracle Database 11g Release 2
• MOS Document 734763.1 - Using Transportable Database to Migrate Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Using Oracle Database 10g Release 2 or 11g

Please also review the platform-specific Oracle Database Installation Guides for operating system and other prerequisites.

Related Articles

• Database 11.2.0.2 Certified with EBS R12 on IBM: Linux on System z
• 11gR2 11.2.0.3 Database Certified with E-Business Suite
  

As a follow up to our initial certification announcement, Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.3) is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and Release 12 on the following IBM AIX on Power Systems operating systems:

Release 11i (11.5.10.2 + ATG PF.H RUP 6 and higher) :

• IBM AIX on Power Systems (64-bit) (5.3, 6.1)

Release 12 (12.0.4 and higher, 12.1.1 and higher):

• IBM AIX on Power Systems (64-bit) (5.3, 6.1, 7.1¹)

¹: For 12.0, this OS version requires RUP 6 (12.0.6)

This announcement for Oracle E-Business Suite R12 and 11i includes:

• Oracle Database 11gR2 version 11.2.0.3
• Oracle Database 11gR2 version 11.2.0.3 Real Application Clusters (RAC)
• Oracle Database Vault 11gR2 version 11.2.0.3
• Transparent Data Encryption (Column Encryption) using Oracle Database 11gR2 version 11.2.0.3
• TDE Tablespace Encryption using Oracle Database 11gR2 version 11.2.0.3
  
• Advanced Security Option (ASO)/Advanced Networking Option (ANO) with Oracle Database 11gR2 version 11.2.0.3
• Export/Import Process for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and Release 12 Database Instances
• Transportable Database and Transportable Tablespaces Data Migration Processes for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and Release 12
  

References

• MOS Document 881505.1 - Interoperability Notes - Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0)
• MOS Document 1058763.1 - Interoperability Notes - Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0)
• MOS Document 1091086.1 - Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i with Oracle Database Vault 11gR2
• MOS Document 1091083.1 - Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Oracle Database Vault 11gR2
• MOS Document 216205.1 - Database Initialization Parameters for Oracle E-Business Suite 11i
• MOS Document 396009.1 - Database Initialization Parameters for Oracle Applications Release 12
• MOS Document 823586.1 - Using Oracle 11g Release 2 Real Application Clusters with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i
• MOS Document 823587.1 - Using Oracle 11g Release 2 Real Application Clusters with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 403294.1 - Using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) Column Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i
  
• MOS Document 732764.1 - Using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) Column Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 828223.1 - Using TDE Tablespace Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i
• MOS Document 828229.1 - Using TDE Tablespace Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 391248.1 - Encrypting Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i Network Traffic using Advanced Security Option and Advanced Networking Option
  
• MOS Document 732764.1 - Using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) Column Encryption with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12
• MOS Document 557738.1 - Export/Import Process for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i Database Instances Using Oracle Database 11g Release 1 or 11g Release 2
• MOS Document 741818.1 - Export/Import Process for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Database Instances Using Oracle Database 11g Release 1 or 11g Release 2
• MOS Document 1366265.1 - Using Transportable Tablespaces to Migrate Oracle Applications 11i Using Oracle Database 11g Release 2
• MOS Document 1311487.1 - Using Transportable Tablespaces to Migrate Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Using Oracle Database 11g Release 2
• MOS Document 729309.1 - Using Transportable Database to Migrate Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i Using Oracle Database 10g Release 2 or 11g
  
• MOS Document 734763.1 - Using Transportable Database to Migrate Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Using Oracle Database 10g Release 2 or 11g

Please also review the platform-specific Oracle Database Installation Guides for operating system and other prerequisites.

Related Articles

• 11gR2 11.2.0.3 Database Certified with E-Business Suite
• Can E-Business Users Apply Database Patch Set Updates?
  
• On Apps Tier Patching and Support: A Primer for E-Business Suite Users
• On Database Patching and Support:  A Primer for E-Business Suite Users
  
• Quarterly E-Business Suite Upgrade Recommendations;  October 2011 Edition
  

I'm pleased to let you know that the latest Java Runtime Environment 1.6.0_30 (a.k.a. JRE 6u30-b12) is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and 12.  

What's new in Java 1.6.0_30?

See the 1.6.0_30 Update Release Notes for details about what has changed in this release.  This release is available for download from the usual Sun channels and through the 'Java Automatic Update' mechanism.

Worried about the 'mismanaged session cookie' issue?

No need to worry -- it's fixed.  To recap: JRE releases 1.6.0_18 through 1.6.0_22 had issues with mismanaging session cookies that affected some users in some circumstances.

The fix for those issues was first included in JRE 1.6.0_23. These fixes will carry forward and continue to be fixed in all future JRE releases.  In other words, if you wish to avoid the mismanaged session cookie issue, you should apply any release after JRE 1.6.0_22:  for example, JRE 1.6.0_23, 1.6.0_24, 1.6.0_25, and 1.6.0_26, and higher.

All JRE releases are certified with EBS upon release

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can apply all JRE updates to end-user desktops from JRE 1.6.0_03 and higher.  We test all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development process, so all JRE releases are considered certified with the E-Business Suite on the same day that they're released by our Java team. 

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before applying new JRE releases to your EBS users' desktops.  If you wish, your desktop administrators can enable the Java "Automatic updates" option on your end-users' desktops.

References

• Recommended Browsers for Oracle Applications 11i (Metalink Note 285218.1)
• Upgrading Sun JRE (Native Plug-in) with Oracle Applications 11i for Windows Clients (Metalink Note 290807.1)
• Recommended Browsers for Oracle Applications 12 (MetaLink Note 389422.1)
• Upgrading JRE Plugin with Oracle Applications R12 (MetaLink Note 393931.1)

Related Articles

• Mismanaged Session Cookie Issue Fixed for EBS in JRE 1.6.0_23
  
• Roundup: Oracle JInitiator 1.3 Desupported for EBS Customers in July 2009

If you're interested in seeing the next generation of the desktop integration toolset in EBS 12, make sure that you tune into the next installment of our ATG Live Webcast series this week on Dec. 15, 2011:

• Desktop Integration Beyond Client ADI
  

Join Gustavo Jimenez, Senior Development Manager and Senthilkumar Ramalingam, Manager, for this wide-ranging discussion on the topic of desktop integration within E-Business Suite.

Need to work with Oracle E-Business Suite data in desktop applications or Microsoft Office? The desktop client-based version of ADI isn't available in Oracle E-Business Suite 12. What do you use now? This session will give you an overview of the new expanded functionality available in WebADI, Report Manager, and dedicated integrators.

You have more options for desktop integration now, not less. Topics will include an overview of prepackaged solutions for integrating Oracle E-Business Suite applications with applications such as Microsoft Excel, Word, and Projects. This session will also discuss using the new wizard-based Desktop Integration Framework to create custom integrators to download, validate, upload data from Excel to Oracle E-Business Suite.

This one-hour webcast provides an overview of desktop integration with Q&A. This events are targeted to system administrators, DBAs, developers, and implementers, and you can feel free to invite your desktop users to this event to ask their questions.

The agenda for the Desktop Integration Beyond ADI webcast includes the following topics:

• Overview of Web ADI
• Overview of Report Manager
• Client ADI, Web ADI and Report Manager
• Desktop Integration Framework
• WebADI and Report Manager in Release 12.1

Date:              Thursday, December 15, 2011
Time:              8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time
Presenters:  Gustavo Jimenez, Senior Development Manager
                        Senthilkumar Ramalingam, Manager

Webcast Registration Link (Preregistration is optional but encouraged)

To hear the audio feed:

    Domestic Participant Dial-In Number:           877-697-8128
    International Participant Dial-In Number:      706-634-9568
    Additional International Dial-In Numbers Link:
    Dial-In Passcode:                                              98513

To see the presentation:

    The Direct Access Web Conference details are:
    Website URL: https://ouweb.webex.com
    Meeting Number:  278307572

If you miss the webcast, or you have missed any webcast, don't worry -- we'll post links to the recording as soon as it's available from Oracle University.  You can monitor this blog for pointers to the replay. And, you can find our archive of our past webcasts and training here.

I am pleased to release the replay and presentation for the latest ATG Live Webcast:

Planning Your Oracle E-Business Suite Upgrade from Release 11i to 12.1 and Beyond (Presentation)

Anne Carlson, Senior Director, Oracle E-Business Suite Product Strategy leads a review targeted to IT professionals who are planning, managing, or running an Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1 upgrade project. This webcast focuses on the business value of the upgrade, starting your upgrade project, planning your upgrade approach, preparing for your upgrade execution, and Oracle E-Business Suite support timelines with additional resources.

Finding other recorded ATG webcasts

The catalog of ATG Live Webcast replays, presentations, and all ATG training materials is available in this blog's Webcasts and Training section.

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) integrations with Oracle E-Business Suite can either be custom integrations that you build yourself or prebuilt integrations from Oracle.  There are five prebuilt BPEL business processes by Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 product teams:

1. Oracle Price Protection (DPP)
   
2. Complex Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (CMRO/AHL)
   
3. Oracle Transportation Management (WMS, WSH, PO)
4. Advanced Supply Chain Planning (MSC)
   
5. Product Information Management (PIM/EGO)

Earlier this year we announced the certification of BPEL 11.1.1.4 for Prebuilt E-Business Suite 12.1.3 SOA integrations.  The five prebuilt BPEL processes have now been certified with Oracle BPEL Process Manager 11g version 11.1.1.5 (in Oracle Fusion Middleware SOA Suite 11g).  These prebuilt BPEL processes are certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1.3 and higher.

Note: The Supply Chain Trading Connector (CLN) product team has opted not to support BPEL 11g with their prebuilt business processes previously certified with BPEL 10.1.3.5.  If you have a requirement for that certification, I would recommend contacting your Oracle account manager to ensure that the Supply Chain team is notified appropriately. 

For additional information about prebuilt integrations with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1.3, please refer to the following documentation:

• Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Oracle BPEL available in Oracle SOA Suite 11g (Note 1321776.1)
• Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g (11.1.1.5.0) Documentation Library
• Installing Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle Business Process Management Suite
• Release Notes for Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g (11.1.1.5)

Certified Platforms

• Linux x86 (Oracle Linux 4, 5)
  
• Linux x86 (RHEL 4, 5)
  
• Linux x86 (SLES 10)
  
• Linux x86-64 (Oracle Linux 4, 5)
  
• Linux x86-64 (RHEL 4, 5)
  
• Linux x86-64 (SLES 10) 
  
• Oracle Solaris on SPARC (64-bit) (9, 10)
  
• HP-UX Itanium (11.23, 11.31)
  
• HP-UX PA-RISC (64-bit) (11.23, 11.31)
  
• IBM AIX on Power Systems (64-bit) (5.3, 6.1)
  
• IBM: Linux on System z (RHEL 5, SLES 10)
  
• Microsoft Windows Server (32-bit) (2003, 2008) 
• Microsoft Windows x64 (64-bit) (2008 R2)
  

Getting Support

If you need support for the prebuilt EBS 12.1.3 BPEL business processes, you can log Service Requests against the Applications Technology Group product family.

Related Articles

• BPEL 11.1.1.4 Certified for Prebuilt E-Business Suite 12.1.3 SOA Integrations
  
• BPEL 10.1.3.5 Certified for Prebuilt E-Business Suite 12 SOA Integrations

Oracle WebCenter Suite is an integrated suite of Fusion Middleware 11gR1 tools used to create web sites and portals using service-oriented architecture (SOA).  Applications adapters are also available.

WebCenter version 11.1.1.5 (a.k.a. Patchset 4) is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 (12.0.6 and higher; 12.1.3 and higher). Earlier this summer, WebCenter 11g version 11.1.1.4 (a.k.a. Patchset 3) was certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12. 

Certified EBS 12 Platforms

• Linux x86 (Oracle Linux 4, 5)
• Linux x86 (RHEL 4, 5)
• Linux x86 (SLES 10)
• Linux x86-64 (Oracle Linux 4, 5)
  
• Linux x86-64 (RHEL4, 5)
  
• Linux x86-64 (SLES 10)
  
• Oracle Solaris on SPARC (64-bit) (9, 10)
• HP-UX Itanium (11.23, 11.31)
  
• HP-UX PA-RISC (64-bit) (11.23, 11.31)
• IBM AIX on Power Systems (64-bit) (5.3, 6.1, 7.1)
• IBM: Linux on System z (RHEL 5)
• IBM: Linux on System z (SLES 10)
  
• Microsoft Windows Server (32-bit) (2003, 2003 R2, 2008 for EBS 12.1 only)
• Microsoft Windows x64 (64-bit) (2008 R2 for EBS 12.1 only)
  

References

• Using WebCenter 11.1.1 with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 (Note 1074345.1)
• Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Releasee 1 (11.1.1.5) Documentation Library
• Oracle WebCenter 11g Release 1(11.1.1.5) Documentation
• Oracle Fusion Middlware Installation Guide for Oracle WebCenter 11g Release 1(11.1.1.5)
• Release Notes for Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g (11.1.1.5)

Related Articles

• WebCenter 11g (11.1.1.4) Certified with E-Business Suite Release 12
  

Oracle VM 3 is the latest release of Oracle's server virtualization and management solution. Oracle VM 3 is certified with Oracle E-Business Suite 11i and Release 12. This certification covers all current and future Oracle VM 3 updates, including Oracle VM 3.0.2 and subsequent 3.x releases.   

Oracle VM 3 supports a number of guest operating systems including various flavors and versions of Linux, Solaris and Windows. For information regarding certified platforms, installation and upgrade guidance and prerequisite requirements please refer to the Certifications tab on My Oracle Support as well as the following documentation:

• Oracle VM Release Notes for Release 3.0.2 for x86
• Oracle VM Installation and Upgrade Guide
•  Introduction to Oracle VM, Oracle VM Manager and EBS template deployment (Note 1355641.1)

References

• Oracle VM Release Notes for Release 3.0.2 for x86
• Oracle VM Installation and Upgrade Guide
• Introduction to Oracle VM, Oracle VM Manager and EBS template deployment (Note 1355641.1)

Related Articles

• OEL and RHEL 5 Certified  for E-Business Suite Release 12
• Using Oracle VM with Oracle E-Business Suite
• Support Policies for Virtualization Technologies and Oracle E-Business Suite
  

I am pleased to announce the ATG Live Webcast event for Dec. 15.

• Desktop Integration Beyond Client ADI
  

Join Gustavo Jimenez, Senior Development Manager and Senthilkumar Ramalingam, Manager, for this wide-ranging discussion on the topic of desktop integration within E-Business Suite.

Need to work with Oracle E-Business Suite data in desktop applications or Microsoft Office? The desktop client-based version of ADI isn't available in Oracle E-Business Suite 12. What do you use now? This session will give you an overview of the new expanded functionality available in WebADI, Report Manager, and dedicated integrators.

You have more options for desktop integration now, not less. Topics will include an overview of prepackaged solutions for integrating Oracle E-Business Suite applications with applications such as Microsoft Excel, Word, and Projects. This session will also discuss using the new wizard-based Desktop Integration Framework to create custom integrators to download, validate, upload data from Excel to Oracle E-Business Suite.

This one-hour webcast provides an overview of desktop integration with Q&A. This events are targeted to system administrators, DBAs, developers, and implementers, and you can feel free to invite your desktop users to this event to ask their questions.

The agenda for the Desktop Integration Beyond ADI webcast includes the following topics:

• Overview of Web ADI
• Overview of Report Manager
• Client ADI, Web ADI and Report Manager
• Desktop Integration Framework
• WebADI and Report Manager in Release 12.1

Date:              Thursday, December 15, 2011
Time:              8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time
Presenters:  Gustavo Jimenez, Senior Development Manager
                        Senthilkumar Ramalingam, Manager

Webcast Registration Link (Preregistration is optional but encouraged)

To hear the audio feed:

    Domestic Participant Dial-In Number:           877-697-8128
    International Participant Dial-In Number:      706-634-9568
    Additional International Dial-In Numbers Link:
    Dial-In Passcode:                                              98513

To see the presentation:

    The Direct Access Web Conference details are:
    Website URL: https://ouweb.webex.com
    Meeting Number:  278307572

If you miss the webcast, or you have missed any webcast, don't worry -- we'll post links to the recording as soon as it's available from Oracle University.  You can monitor this blog for pointers to the replay. And, you can find our archive of our past webcasts and training here.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Bill Sawyer (Senior Manager, Applications Technology Curriculum) at BilldotSawyer-AT-Oracle-DOT-com.

I am pleased to release the replay and presentation for the latest ATG Live Webcast:

Minimizing Oracle E-Business Suite Maintenance Downtimes (Presentation)

In this recorded webcast Elke Phelps, Senior Principal Product Manager, and Santiago Bastidas, Principal Product Manager, provide an overview of the plans and decisions you can make, and the actions you can take, that will help you minimize maintenance downtimes for your E-Business Suite instance(s). This webcast focuses on pre-patching actions, patching trials, patch deployment, and post-patching analysis.

Finding other recorded ATG webcasts

The catalog of ATG Live Webcast replays, presentations, and all ATG training materials is available in this blog's Webcasts and Training section.

I am pleased to announce the ATG Live Webcast event for Dec. 8th, 2011:

• Advanced E-Business Suite Architectures

Join Elke Phelps, Senior Principal Product Manager and Sriram Veeraraghavan, Senior Principal Software Engineer as they discuss advanced E-Business Suite architectures that can help you improve performance, scalability, business continuity, utilization, provisioning, and security. This one-hour webcasts provides an overview of advanced architectures with Q&A.

This session will cover the latest advanced architectural options, including the use of Oracle database high-availability features and functions such as Real Application Clusters, ASM, Active Data Guard, clouds, virtualization, Oracle VM, high-availability and load-balancing architectures, WebLogic Server, and more. This session will also cover the latest updates to systems management tools like AutoConfig, and may also include sneak previews of upcoming functionality.

This event is targeted to architects, system administrators, DBAs, developers, and implementers.

The agenda for the Advanced E-Business Suite Architectures webcast includes the following topics:

• Advanced Oracle E-Business Suite Architectures
• Optional External Integrations
• Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2
• Improving Performance and Scalability
• Providing Business Continuity
• Improving Utilization and Provisioning
• Improving Security

Date:            Thursday, December 8, 2011
Time:           8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time
Presenter:  Elke Phelps, Senior Principal Product Manager
                      Sriram Veeraraghavan, Senior Principal Software Engineer

Webcast Registration Link (Preregistration is optional but encouraged)

To hear the audio feed:

    Domestic Participant Dial-In Number:           877-697-8128
    International Participant Dial-In Number:      706-634-9568
    Additional International Dial-In Numbers Link:
    Dial-In Passcode:                                              98514

To see the presentation:

    The Direct Access Web Conference details are:
    Website URL: https://ouweb.webex.com
    Meeting Number:  273291684

If you miss the webcast, or you have missed any webcast, don't worry -- we'll post links to the recording as soon as it's available from Oracle University.  You can monitor this blog for pointers to the replay. And, you can find our archive of our past webcasts and training at http://blogs.oracle.com/stevenChan/entry/e_business_suite_technology_learning

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Bill Sawyer (Senior Manager, Applications Technology Curriculum) at BilldotSawyer-AT-Oracle-DOT-com.

[Nov 30, 2011 Update: Removed certified platforms as this enhancement is certified for all E-Business Suite  platforms.]

The E-Business Suite uses Java Archive (JAR) files to deliver certain types of E-Business Suite content to desktop clients.  Previously we announced the support of securing JAR files with 3072-bit certificates signed by a third-party Certificate Authority (CA).  We now support securing JAR files with in-house generated certificates.  The new steps to use an in-house Certificate Authority for securing JAR files are provided in:

• Enhanced Signing of Oracle E-Business Suite JAR Files (Note 1207184.1)
  

This enhancement is great news for those of you familiar with the warning that is triggered when using a self-signed certificate.  As a result of supporting self-signed certificates, the following warning can be avoided:

References

• Enhanced Signing of Oracle E-Business Suite JAR Files (Note 1207184.1)

Related Articles

• Two New Options for Signing E-Business Suite JAR Files Now Available
• What Are the Minimum Desktop Requirements for EBS?
• Internet Explorer 9 Certified with Oracle E-Business Suite
  

[Dec. 9, 2011 Update: The recording of this session is now available.  For details, see our Training Summary] 

I am pleased to announce the next ATG Live Webcast event on December 1, 2011.

• Planning Your Oracle E-Business Suite Upgrade from 11i to 12.1 and Beyond

Are you still on 11i and wondering about your next steps in the E-Business Suite lifecycle? Are you wondering what the upgrade considerations are going to be for 12.2? Do you want to know the best practices for upgrading E-Business Suite regardless of your version?

If so, this is the webcast for you. Join Anne Carlson, Senior Director, Oracle E-Business Suite Product Strategy for this one-hour webcast with Q&A. This session will give you a framework to make informed upgrade decisions for your E-Business Suite environment.

This event is targeted to IT professionals who are planning, managing, or running an Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1 upgrade project.

The agenda for the Planning Your Oracle E-Business Suite Upgrade from 11i to 12.1 and Beyond includes the following topics:

• Business Value of the Upgrade
• Starting Your Upgrade Project
• Planning Your Upgrade Approach
• Preparing for Your Upgrade Execution
• Oracle E-Business Suite Support Timelines
  
• Additional Resources

Date:            Thursday, December 1, 2011
Time:           8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time
Presenter:  Anne Carlson, Senior Director, Oracle E-Business Suite Product Strategy

Webcast Registration Link (Preregistration is optional but encouraged)

To hear the audio feed:

    Domestic Participant Dial-In Number:           877-697-8128
    International Participant Dial-In Number:      706-634-9568
    Additional International Dial-In Numbers Link:
    Dial-In Passcode:                                              98515

To see the presentation:

    The Direct Access Web Conference details are:
    Website URL: https://ouweb.webex.com
    Meeting Number:  271378459

If you miss the webcast, or you have missed any webcast, don't worry -- we'll post links to the recording as soon as it's available from Oracle University.  You can monitor this blog for pointers to the replay. And, you can find our archive of our past webcasts and training at http://blogs.oracle.com/stevenChan/entry/e_business_suite_technology_learning

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Bill Sawyer (Senior Manager, Applications Technology Curriculum) at BilldotSawyer-AT-Oracle-DOT-com.

Last Updated: December 9, 2011

We're glad to hear that you've been finding our ATG Live Webcast series to be useful.  If you missed a webcast, you can download the presentation materials and listen to the recordings below.

We'll update this summary with pointers to new training resources on an ongoing basis. 

---

ATG Live Webcast Replays

ATG Live Webcasts are hosted by the Oracle University Knowledge Center (OUKC).  In order to access the recorded replays below, you will need a free Oracle.com account. You can register for an Oracle.com account here.

If you are a first-time OUKC user, you will have to accept the Terms of Use. Sign-in with your Oracle.com account, or if you don't already have one, use the link provided on the sign-in screen to create an account. After signing in, accept the Terms of Use. Upon completion of these steps, you will be directed to the replay. You only need to accept the Terms of Use once. Your acceptance will be noted on your account for all future OUKC replays and event registrations.

1. E-Business Suite R12 Oracle Application Framework (OAF) Rich User Interface Enhancements (Presentation)

Prabodh Ambale (Senior Manager, ATG Development) and Gustavo Jimenez (Development Manager, ATG Development) lead a comprehensive review of the latest user interface enhancements and updates to OA Framework in EBS 12.  The webcast provides a detailed look at new features designed to enhance usability, including new capabilities for personalization and extensions, and features that support the use of dashboards and web services. (January 2011)

2. E-Business Suite R12 Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) Using the E-Business Suite Adapter (Presentation, Viewlet)

Neeraj Chauhan (Product Manager, ATG Development) leads a review of the Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) capabilities within E-Business Suite 12, focusing on using the E-Business Suite Adapter to integrate EBS with third-party applications via web services, and orchestrate services and distributed transactions across disparate applications. (February 2011)

3. Deploying Oracle VM Templates for Oracle E-Business Suite and Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise Applications

Ivo Dujmovic (Director, ATG Development) leads a review of the latest capabilities for using Oracle VM to deploy virtualized EBS database and application tier instances using prebuilt EBS templates, wire those virtualized instances together using the EBS virtualization kit, and take advantage of live migration of user sessions between failing application tier nodes.  (February 2011)

4. How to Reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Using Oracle E-Business Suite Management Packs (Presentation)

Angelo Rosado (Product Manager, ATG Development) leads the review of how EBS system admins can make their lives easier with the Management Packs for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.  This session highlights key features in Application Management Pack (AMP) and Application Change Management Pack) that can automate or streamline system configurations, monitor EBS performance and up-time, keep multiple EBS environments in sync with patches and configurations, and create patches for your own EBS customizations and apply them with Oracle's own patching tools.  (June 2011)

5. Upgrading E-Business Suite 11i Customizations to R12 (Presentation)

Sara Woodhull (Principal Product Manager, ATG Development) leads a overview of how E-Business Suite developers can manage and upgrade existing EBS 11i customizations to R12.  Sara covers methods for comparing customizations between Release 11i and 12, managing common customization types, managing deprecated technologies, and more. (July 2011)

6. Tuning All Layers of E-Business Suite (Part 1 of 3) (Presentation)

Lester Gutierrez, Senior Architect, and Deepak Bhatnagar, Senior Manager, from the E-Business Suite Application Performance team, lead Tuning All Layers of E-Business Suite (Part 1 of 3). This webcast provides an overview of how Oracle E-Business Suite system administrators, DBAs, developers, and implementers can improve E-Business Suite performance by following a performance tuning framework. Part 1 focuses on the performance triage approach, tuning applications modules, upgrade performance best practices, and tuning the database tier. This ATG Live Webcast is an expansion of the performance sessions at conferences that are perennial favourites with hardcore Apps DBAs. (August 2011)

 7. Oracle E-Business Suite Directions: Deployment and System Administration (Presentation)

Max Arderius, Manager Applications Technology Group, and Ivo Dujmovic, Director Applications Technology group, leads Oracle E-Business Suite Directions: Deployment and System Administration covering important changes in E-Business Suite R12.2. The changes discussed in this presentation include Oracle E-Business Suite architecture, installation, upgrade, WebLogic Server integration, online patching, and cloning. This webcast provides an overview of how Oracle E-Business Suite system administrators, DBAs, developers, and implementers can prepare themselves for these changes in R12.2 of Oracle E-Business Suite. (October 2011)

 8. Minimizing Oracle E-Business Suite Maintenance Downtimes (Presentation)

Elke Phelps, Senior Principal Product Manager, and Santiago Bastidas, Principal Product Manager, lead Minimizing Oracle E-Business Suite Maintenance Downtimes providing an overview of the plans and decisions you can make, and the actions you can take, that will help you minimize maintenance downtimes for your E-Business Suite instance(s). This webcast focuses on pre-patching actions, patching trials, patch deployment, and post-patching analysis. (November 2011)

 9. Planning Your Oracle E-Business Suite Upgrade from Release 11i to 12.1 and Beyond (Presentation)

Anne Carlson, Senior Director, Oracle E-Business Suite Product Strategy leads a review targeted to IT professionals who are planning, managing, or running an Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1 upgrade project. This webcast focuses on the business value of the upgrade, starting your upgrade project, planning your upgrade approach, preparing for your upgrade execution, and Oracle E-Business Suite support timelines with additional resources. (December 2011)

10. Advanced E-Business Suite Architectures (Presentation)

Elke Phelps, Senior Principal Product Manager and Sriram Veeraraghavan, Senior Principal Software Engineer discuss advanced E-Business Suite architectures that can help you improve performance, scalability, business continuity, utilization, provisioning, and security. This session covered the latest advanced architectural options, including the use of Oracle database high-availability features and functions such as Real Application Clusters, ASM, Active Data Guard, clouds, virtualization, Oracle VM, high-availability and load-balancing architectures, WebLogic Server, and more. This session also covered the latest updates to systems management tools like AutoConfig, and included sneak previews of upcoming functionality. (December 2011)

11. Desktop Integration Beyond Client ADI (Presentation)

Gustavo Jimenez, Senior Development Manager and Senthilkumar Ramalingam, Manager lead the discussion of the expanded options in E-Business Suite R12.x for desktop integration. Topics include an overview of prepackaged solutions for integrating Oracle E-Business Suite applications with applications such as Microsoft Excel, Word, and Projects. This session discussed using the new wizard-based Desktop Integration
Framework to create custom integrators to download, validate, upload data from Excel to Oracle E-Business Suite. (December 2011)

12. Personalize, Customize, and Extend Oracle E-Business Suite User Interface (Presentation)

Sara Woodhull, Principal Product Manager and Gustavo Jimenez, Senior Development Manager explore and discuss of the expanded options in E-Business Suite for making meaningful UI changes without programming. When programming is required, they cover the tools that E-Business Suites provides for doing those customizations and extensions. The topics covered include personalizations, extensions, and customizations using forms personalizations and OA Framework personalization, the E-Business Suite SDK for Java, and E-Business Suite extensions with ADF. (January 2012)

13. Oracle E-Business Suite Secure Configuration (Presentation)

Erik Graversen, Senior Principal Software Engineer, discusses hardening the security within E-Business Suite. Secure deployment of your E-Business Suite begins with a secure platform, but it doesn't end there. It includes hardening your O/S with both proper patch levels and configuration, along with secure configuration of your network and firewall. Add to this foundation, best practices and vendor recommendations, and you are on your way to a secure E-Business Suite environment. (January 2012)

14. Virtualization and Cloud Deployments of Oracle E-Business Suite (Presentation)

Ivo Dujmović, Director, Applications Development, discussed the topics of virtualization and cloud deployments of Oracle E-Business Suite. Topics covered in this presentation include why clouds and virtualization matter to you, Oracle cloud and virtualization technology, E-Business Suite cloud capabilities, and your cloud action plan. (February 2012)

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Oracle University Courses

For a general listing of all Oracle University courses related to E-Business Suite Technology, use the Oracle University E-Business Suite Technology course catalog link.

Oracle University E-Business Suite Technology Course Catalog

1. R12.x Oracle Applications System Administrator Fundamentals

In this course students learn concepts and functions that are critical to the System Administrator role in implementing and managing the Oracle E-Business Suite. Topics covered include configuring security and user management, configuring flexfields, managing concurrent processing, and setting up other essential features such as profile options and printing. In addition, configuration and maintenance of an Oracle E-Business Suite through Oracle Applications Manager is discussed. Students also learn the fundamentals of Oracle Workflow including its setup. The System Administrator Fundamentals course provides the foundation needed to effectively control security and ensure smooth operations for an E-Business Suite installation. Demonstrations and hands-on practice reinforce the fundamental concepts of configuring an Oracle E-Business Suite, as well as handling day-to-day system administrator tasks.

2. R12.x Install/Patch/Maintain Oracle E-Business Suite

This course will be applicable for customers who have implemented Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 or Oracle E-Business Suite 12.1. This course explains how to go about installing and maintaining an Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.x system. Both Standard and Express installation types are covered in detail. Maintenance topics include a detailed examination of the standard tools and utilities, and an in-depth look at patching an Oracle E-Business Suite system. After this course, students will be able to make informed decisions about how to install an Oracle E-Business Suite system that meets their specific requirements, and how to maintain the system afterwards. The extensive hands-on practices include performing an installation on a Linux system, navigating the file system to locate key files, running the standard maintenance tools and utilities, applying patches, and carrying out cloning operations.

3. R12.x Extend Oracle Applications: Building OA Framework Applications

This class is a hands-on lab-intensive course that will keep the student busy and active for the duration of the course. While the course covers the fundamentals that support OA Framework-based applications, the course is really an exercise in J2EE programming. Over the duration of the course, the student will create an OA Framework-based application that selects, inserts, updates, and deletes data from a R12 Oracle Applications instance.

4. R12.x Extend Oracle Applications: Customizing OA Framework Applications

This course has been significantly changed from the prior version to include additional deployments. The course doesn't teach the specifics of configuration of each product. That is left to the product-specific courses. What the course does cover is the general methods of building, personalizing, and extending OA Framework-based pages within the E-Business Suite. Additionally, the course covers the methods to deploy those types of customizations. The course doesn't include discussion of the Oracle Forms-based pages within the E-Business Suite.

5. R12.x Extend Oracle Applications: OA Framework Personalizations

Personalization is the ability within an E-Business Suite instance to make changes to the look and behavior of OA Framework-based pages without programming. And, personalizations are likely to survive patches and upgrades, increasing their utility. This course will systematically walk you through the myriad of personalization options, starting with simple examples and increasing in complexity from there.

6. E-Business Suite: BI Publisher 5.6.3 for Developers

Starting with the basic concepts, architecture, and underlying standards of Oracle XML Publisher, this course will lead a student through a progress of exercises building their expertise. By the end of the course, the student should be able to create Oracle XML Publisher RTF templates and data templates. They should also be able to deploy and maintain a BI Publisher report in an E-Business Suite instance. Students will also be introduced to Oracle BI Publisher Enterprise.

7. R12.x Implement Oracle Workflow

This course provides an overview of the architecture and features of Oracle Workflow and the benefits of using Oracle Workflow in an e-business environment. You can learn how to design workflow processes to automate and streamline business processes, and how to define event subscriptions to perform processing triggered by business events. Students also learn how to respond to workflow notifications, how to administer and monitor workflow processes, and what setup steps are required for Oracle Workflow. Demonstrations and hands-on practice reinforce the fundamental concepts.

8. R12.x Oracle E-Business Suite Essentials for Implementers

Oracle R12.1 E-Business Essentials for Implementers is a course that provides a functional foundation for any E-Business Suite Fundamentals course.

Oracle Solaris 11 was announced last week, and I'm pleased to also announce that Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1 is now certified on Oracle Solaris on SPARC (64-bit). This new operating system release represents a culmination of years of hard work by our Solaris engineering group.  It has a number of new and advanced features including simplified deployment and lifecycle management tools, built-in certified virtualization technologies, support on the latest generation SPARC chips, and more.

New installations of the E-Business Suite R12 on this platform will require version 12.1.1 or higher and the latest Rapid Install startCD version 12.1.1.13.  For existing 12.1 installations, we have also certified an "in place" OS upgrade or the use of cloning to a target Solaris 11 system. There are also specific requirements to upgrade technology components such as the Oracle Database and Fusion Middleware.  These requirements are noted in the links below.

References

• Oracle E-Business Suite Installation and Upgrade Notes Release 12 (12.1.1) for Oracle Solaris on SPARC (64-bit) (My Oracle Support Document 761568.1)

• Oracle Database Installation Guide 11g Release 2 (11.2) for Oracle Solaris

• Interoperability Notes Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0) (My Oracle Support Document 1058763.1)

• Cloning Oracle Applications Release 12 with Rapid Clone (My Oracle Support Document 406982.1)

Related Articles

• New Rapid Install StartCD (12.1.1.13) for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1 Now Available
• Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1.3 Now Available