July 28, 2010

Update #1: EBS Plans for 64-bit Windows 7 Clients

windos7_logo2.pngIt just dawned on me that the reason I've been getting so many emails about 64-bit Windows 7 certifications is that I have somehow neglected to post a statement of direction about our plans.  So many emails, so little time.

There are three possible configurations:
  1. 32-bit Windows 7, 32-bit browsers, 32-bit JRE
  2. 64-bit Windows 7, 32-bit browsers, 32-bit JRE
  3. 64-bit Windows 7, 64-bit browsers, 64-bit JRE
We have certified the first configuration already:  E-Business Suite with 32-bit Windows 7 desktop clients running 32-bit versions of Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox with the 32-bit JRE. 

We are in the process of certifying the second configuration:  Oracle E-Business Suite with 64-bit Windows 7 desktop clients running 32-bit versions of IE and Firefox with the 32-bit JRE.  This certification is going smoothly, and I am optimistic that it will be completed soon. 

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July 22, 2010

EBS Sysadmin Primer: Oracle Identity Management 11gR1

[Editor: This is the third in a multi-part series from Nirzari Raichura, a senior member of our ATG Certification team, on essential Fusion Middleware concepts and tools for the EBS sysadmin]

Oracle Identity Management (OIM) 11gR1 is part of Fusion Middleware 11gR1.   Oracle Identity Management 11gR1 provides the following components as part of its default installation:
Oracle Directory Services Components
  • OID - Oracle Internet Directory
  • DIP -  Oracle Directory Integration Platform
  • OVD - Oracle Virtual Directory
Oracle Identity Federation Components
  • OIF - Oracle Identity Federation
Management Components
  • EM - Enterprise Manager
  • ODSM - Oracle Directory Service Manager

oim_architecture.pngIn order to use Oracle Identity Management 11gR1 with E-Business suite, you need OID and DIP products at a minimum.  Oracle Identity Management 11gR1 doesn't contain Oracle Single Sign-on.  You have the choice of either of the following two tools for for authentication: 
  • Oracle Single Sign-On 10gR3
  • Oracle Access Manager 10gR3

Oracle Access Manager 10gR3 is the preferred authentication solution going forward.  However, if you have plans to integrate any other products like Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports or Discoverer with E-Business Suite, you must select the Oracle Single Sign-On 10gR3 option. These products have hard dependencies on Oracle Single Sign-On 10gR3 and cannot be authenticated directly by Oracle Access Manager (you can do so indirectly, but that's a topic for a future article).

If you have already integrated your E-Business Suite environment with Oracle Single Sign-On and Oracle Internet Director 10gR3, you can upgrade Oracle Internet Directory 10gR3 to Oracle Internet Directory 11gR1 (which is part of Oracle Identity Management 11gR1). Your existing integration remains intact after the upgrade.


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July 20, 2010

Database 11gR2 11.2.0.1 Certified on HP-UX 11.31 for E-Business Suite

hp-logo.pngOur Applications Platform Engineering team has certified Oracle Database 11g Release 2 version 11.2.0.1 with:
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 (12.0.x and 12.1.x) on the HP-UX PA-RISC platform
  • Oracle E-Business Suite 11i (11.5.10.2) on the HP-UX PA-RISC and HP-UX Itanium platforms
Note: For HP-UX Itanium, this is a split configuration (or database tier only) certification. The application tier must be on a fully certified E-Business Suite 11i platform.

This announcement includes:
  • Oracle Database 11gR2 version 11.2.0.1
  • Oracle Database Vault 11.2.0.1
The operating system version covered by these certifications is HP-UX 11.31.

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July 19, 2010

Warning: E-Business Suite Issues with Sun JRE 1.6.0_21

jceecolorlogo2.gifMy colleagues in the Java division shipped Java Runtime Edition 1.6.0_21 (a.k.a. JRE 6u21, internal version 1.6.0_21-b06) last week.  See the 1.6.0_21 Update Release Notes for details about what has changed in this release.

Unfortunately, this release of JRE 6u21 (1.6.0_21-b06) still has the 'Mismanaged Session Cookie' issue that we reported in earlier articles.  This can cause a failure of the following E-Business Suite functions with certain desktop and browser combinations, notably for IE 6 and 7 users:
  • 'File -> Export' functionality
  • Opening attachments in forms
  • Opening an HTML form to a new window from forms.
  • Opening an Applet in a new window from forms
  • Trying to login again after forms session timeout fails
A JRE plug-in release with fixes for these issues is only available through patch 9915543.  Patch 9915543 contains JRE 1.6.0_20-b05.  This fixed version is not available as a download from Sun or through the Java Update Mechanism (which continues to offer only JRE 1.6.0_20-b02).  This fix will not be available through the normal Sun distribution channels until the release of JRE 1.6.0_22 (6u22).

A fixed version of the JRE 1.6.0_21 (6u21) plug-in is expected to be made available through a special patch download in the near future.

Summary of options for EBS sysadmins

At this stage, your options are to:
  1. Remain on JRE 1.6.0_17; wait for JRE 1.6.0_22
  2. Deploy any standard JRE release later than 1.6.0_17, with the understanding that some of your users may encounter issues related to "Mismanaged session cookies"
  3. Deploy JRE 1.6.0_20-b05 (released via patch 9915543)
I understand that this is a frustrating state of affairs and I apologize for the continued delay in resolving this once and for all.  We're continuing to work with our colleagues in the Java division to get this set of fixes into the main JRE codelines.  I'll post updates here as soon as I have more information to share.

The preceding is intended to outline our general product direction.  It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any contract.   It is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decision.  The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described for Oracle's products remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.

July 18, 2010

New Apps 11i AutoConfig + Templates Rollup Patch U Now Available

AutoConfig is an Oracle E-Business Suite systems administration tool that supports the automated configuration of E-Business Suite technology stack components.  A new AutoConfig update has been released for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i.

Screenshot of download page for TXK AutoConfig Rollup Patch U 9535311EBS 11i Technology Stack Rollup U (Patch 9535311) for AutoConfig is now available for download. This Rollup patchset includes fixes and enhancements to the AutoConfig Engine, tools, and EBS configuration templates.  The new template files included in this patchset have no effect on an Oracle E-Business Suite configuration until the AutoConfig utility is run.

This cumulative patch includes all previously released AutoConfig updates, including the previous AutoConfig Rollup RUP T (Patch 8217898). RUP U can be applied without applying previous AutoConfig Rollup patchsets.

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July 15, 2010

Oracle E-Business Suite AccessGate Release 1.0.2 Now Available

We are pleased to announce an update to the Oracle E-Business Suite AccessGate component, which provides integration with Oracle Access Manager 10gR3. The latest version, Release 1.0.2, provides several bug fixes, improved automation, and support for the use of Oracle E-Business Suite portlets. Oracle E-Business Suite AccessGate is available at no charge to customers who have already licensed both Oracle E-Business Suite and Oracle Access Manager.

For those of you that have already deployed Oracle Access Manager elsewhere in your company, we strongly recommend that you evaluate this integration. We believe that this latest release provides improvements in quality and usability over our previous release.

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July 14, 2010

Critical Patch Update for July 2010 Now Available

The Critical Patch Update (CPU) for July 2010 was released on July 13, 2010. 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:
The next four Critical Patch Update release dates are:
  • October 12, 2010
  • January 18, 2011
  • April 19, 2011
  • July 19, 2011

July 13, 2010

WebCenter 11g (11.1.1.3) Certified with E-Business Suite Release 12

Oracle WebCenter Suite is an integrated suite of Fusion Middleware 11gR1 products used to create social applications, enterprise portals, communities, composite applications, and Internet or intranet Web sites on a standards-based, service-oriented architecture (SOA). 

WC11gWelcome.pngWebCenter 11g version 11.1.1.3 (a.k.a. Patchset 2) is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 (12.0.4 and higher; 12.1.1 and higher).  WebCenter 11g version 11.1.1.2 (a.k.a. Patchset 1) was certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 earlier this year

For installation and configuration documentation, see:

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July 6, 2010

Latest DSTv14 Timezone Patches Available for E-Business Suite

Wooden_hourglass_small2.jpgIf your E-Business Suite Release 11i or 12 environment is configured to support Daylight Saving Time (DST) or international time zones, it's important to keep your timezone definition files up-to-date. They were last changed in January 2010 and released as DSTv13. DSTv14 is now available and certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and 12.

Is Your Apps Environment Affected?

When a country or region changes DST rules or their time zone definitions, your Oracle E-Business Suite environment will require patching if:
  • Your Oracle E-Business Suite environment is located in the affected country or region OR
  • Your Oracle E-Business Suite environment is located outside the affected country or region but you conduct business or have customers or suppliers in the affected country or region

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July 2, 2010

Database 10gR2 10.2.0.5 Certified with E-Business Suite

With the July 4 weekend coming up, it's nice to wrap up the week with a bang.  This final announcement for the week is cause for celebration.

Oracle Database 10gR2 10.2.0.5 is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i (11.5.10.2) and Release 12 (12.0.4 or higher; 12.1.1 or higher).  The 10.2.0.5 database patchset is the terminal release for the 10gR2 codeline. 

Premier Support for 10gR2 ends July 31, 2010

We've covered this several times already, but it never hurts to keep reminding you that Premier Support for the 10gR2 (10.2) database ends on July 31, 2010.

Regular readers may recall that fees for the first year of Extended Support for the 10gR2 database are waived. There is nothing that customers need to do to remain fully supported other than keep your support contracts current. Higher fees for Extended Support will start August 1, 2011 for most platforms.

This is formally documented in two different places, for those of you who appreciate convergent validation:
If you haven't already done so, I strongly recommend that you review the following article to understand the support implications for E-Business Suite environments:
If you are considering upgrade paths for your EBS environment from 10gR2, you have the choice of either 11gR1 (11.1) or 11gR2 (11.2).  For the longest Premier Support coverage, choose 11gR2.  Here's a snapshot of our EBS database roadmap as of today:

Snapshot of E-Business Suite database certification roadmap as of July 2010 showing end of premier support dates for each database release

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July 1, 2010

Discoverer 11g (11.1.1.3) Certified with E-Business Suite

Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer is an ad-hoc query, reporting, analysis, and Web-publishing tool that allows end-users to work directly with Oracle E-Business Suite OLTP data.  We certified Discoverer 11g version 11.1.1.2 (a.k.a. Patchset 1) with the E-Business Suite earlier this year. 

Discoverer 11g version 11.1.1.3 (a.k.a. Patchset 2) is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and 12.

discoverer-screenshot-graphs.png

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June 30, 2010

EBS Sysadmin Primer: Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Management Tools

[Editor: This is the second in a multi-part series from Nirzari Raichura, a senior member of our ATG Certification team, on essential Fusion Middleware concepts and tools for the EBS sysadmin]

In my previous article, I discussed the core Fusion Middleware 11g concepts, Fusion Middleware 11g components, and Oracle WebLogic Server concepts that every E-Business Suite sysadmin should understand. 

In this article, I'll give a quick overview of the essential tools that you use to manage and configure your external Fusion Middleware 11g instance.


oem_fmw_control.jpg

Tools to manage Oracle Fusion Middleware

Here's a summary of the main tools that you'll use to manage a Fusion Middleware instance:

  1. Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control
  2. Oracle WebLogic Server Administration Console
  3. Weblogic Scripting Tool
  4. Oracle Process Manager and Notification Server (OPMN)
  5. Node Manager
  6. WLS Configuration wizard

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June 29, 2010

An Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Primer for EBS Sysadmins

Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i runs Oracle9i Application Server 1.0.2.2.2 as its internal application tier.  Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 runs Oracle Application Server 10g.  Both EBS 11i and 12 can optionally be integrated with externally-deployed Fusion Middleware 11g components such as Oracle Internet Directory, Discoverer, Portal, Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, and others.

Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g is Oracle's latest suite of related and interoperable application tier server products.  Some Fusion Middleware products have dependencies on other Fusion Middleware products.  As an E-Business Suite DBA or systems administrator, it is essential that you have a good conceptual understanding of Fusion Middleware 11g concepts before jumping into administration or installation tasks. 


Fusion Middleware 11g overview diagram showing development tools identity management oem bi and other components

This information is covered in the Fusion Middleware 11g guides themselves, of course, but it's spread across many different documents.  This is the first in a series of articles in which I'll cover the essential concepts that E-Business Suite sysadmins need to know about Oracle WebLogic Server, Webcenter, Oracle Internet Directory, Portal, and Discoverer.  These concepts are important for Fusion Middleware architectural design, installation, administration, integration, configuration and troubleshooting.

Key Fusion Middleware 11g Concepts

Oracle WebLogic server (WLS) is the application server for Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g.  Most Fusion Middleware components require WLS, with notable exceptions being Oracle Internet Directory (OID) and Oracle Virtual Directory (OVD). Oracle Internet Directory and Oracle Virtual Directory can be configured with or without a WebLogic domain.

Fusion Middleware components are divided into two types:

  • Java Components:  Deployed as one or more Java applications and a set of resources.  Examples: Oracle SOA Suite, Oracle WebCenter. 
  • System Components:  A manageable process that is not deployed as a Java application.  System components are managed by Oracle Process Manager and Notification (OPMN).  Examples: Oracle Internet Directory, Oracle Virtual Directory, Oracle HTTP Server, Discoverer, Forms & Reports.

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Introducing Nirzari Raichura, Guest Author

I'm pleased to welcome Nirzari Raichura as a new contributor to this blog.  Nirzari is a key member of our team that certifies new technology stack components with the E-Business Suite, and she has a whole series of conceptual primers lined up for you.  Here's a short bio:

Nirzari possesses more than 13 years experience in the IT industry.  Throughout her career in IT, she has had extensive exposure to Oracle technologies (Middleware, Applications and Database).

Nirzari has been with Oracle since October 2003. She is a Principal Engineer - Database Administration in Oracle Applications Technology Group, at Oracle Hyderabad.

Being member of Techstack Certification team, she is involved in technology product certifications for Oracle Applications. She spends the majority of her time in understanding new technology products, defining and setting up advanced configurations for certification, and testing and releasing technology integration notes for Oracle Applications. She has worked on a variety of technology certifications from browsers, middleware, and databases for Oracle Applications.

Prior to joining Oracle, she has held positions with Phoenix IT Solutions, Applitech Solution and Birla Cellulosic.  She was a Lead Database Architect cum DBA in Phoenix IT Solutions and was responsible for successful end-to-end Implementation of various products built using Oracle technologies.

Nirzari likes challenges and loves to face them. She has passion of photography, music and traveling. If not working, you can find her busy taking pictures, mostly of her daughter or nature.

June 28, 2010

MS Visual Studio 2008 Certified with Oracle EBS 11i on MS Windows Server (32-bit)

hero-box-vs2008-small.pngMicrosoft Visual Studio 2008 is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i (11.5.10.2) as an application tier release maintenance tool.  Microsoft Visual Visual C++ 6.0 was previously required for EBS 11i.

The editions of Visual Studio 2008 covered by this announcement are:
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Standard
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Team
  • Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express (part of Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition)

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June 24, 2010

Statement of Direction: Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g + Oracle E-Business Suite Packs

acmp_amp_plugin.pngOracle Enterprise Manager 11g (OEM 11g) was announced in April 2010.  The new systems management features in this latest release have generated a great deal of interest from existing and prospective users of our Applications Management Pack (AMP) and Applications Change Management Pack (ACMP) for Oracle E-Business Suite.  We covered our roadmap for AMP and ACMP at OAUG/Collaborate earlier this year, which triggered some lively discussions about our priorities.

This is a compelling example of how you can affect the course of a product.  In response to your (sometimes very vocal) feedback, we have begun projects to certify upcoming releases of AMP and ACMP with the latest Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g platform. 

We appreciate your sharing your AMP/ACMP priorities with us, and we're excited about the prospect of running our EBS plug-ins with the latest Grid Control 11g release.  We look forward to sharing more details with you as soon as they're available.

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May 28, 2010

JRE 1.6.0_20 Build 5 Fixes E-Business Suite Compatibility Issues

Good news, worth sneaking under the publication wire prior to my vacation:  Sun Java Runtime Engine (JRE) 1.6.0_20 Build 5 (6u20-b05) fixes the mismanaged cookie session issue which could affect JRE 1.6.0_18 (6u18) to 1.6.0_20 (6u20-b02) users. This JRE release is only available through Patch 9553040. The Sun download version remains at 1.6.0_20 build 2 (6u20-b02), therefore you cannot uptake this fix through the Java automatic update facility. It is expected that this fix will be available through the usual delivery mechanism from Sun once JRE 1.6.0_21 (6u21) is released.  Until then, you can download it here:

patch-9553040.png

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New Whitepaper: Advanced Compression 11gR1 Benchmarks with EBS 12

[June 23, 2010 Update:  Our Server Technologies team has just released Note 1061366.1 that lists recommended Advanced Compression patches applicable to all customers, including E-Business Suite environments]

In my opinion, if there's any reason to upgrade an E-Business Suite environment to the 11gR1 or 11gR2 database, it's the Advanced Compression database option.  Oracle Advanced Compression was introduced in Oracle Database 11g, and allows you to compress structured data (numbers, characters) as well as unstructured data (documents, spreadsheets, XML and other files).  It provides enhanced compression for database backups and also includes network compression for faster synchronization with standby databases.

advanced-compression-tables.pngIn other words, the promise of Advanced Compression is that it can make your E-Business Suite database smaller and faster.  But how well does it actually deliver on that promise?

Apps 12 + Advanced Compression Benchmarks now available


Three of my colleagues, Uday Moogala, Lester Gutierrez, and Andy Tremayne, have been benchmarking Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Advanced Compression 11gR1.  They've just released a detailed whitepaper with their benchmarking results and recommendations.

This whitepaper is available in two locations:

Read the rest of this article... »

May 26, 2010

EBS 11i and R12 certified with DB 11gR2 11.2.0.1 on Windows

windows-logo.jpgOracle Database 11g Release 2 (11gR2) version 11.2.0.1 is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite 11i and 12 on the following Microsoft Windows Server (32-bit) and Windows x64 (64-bit) operating systems:
  • Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Windows Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit only)
Certified EBS Releases
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11.5.10.2
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.0.4 or higher
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Release  12.1.1 or higher

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May 25, 2010

Reminder: Premier Support for EBS 11i ends November 2010

Apps sysadmins are going to have a busy year.  If you're still running your E-Business Suite environment on the 10gR2 database, I hope that you're aware that Premier Support for 10.2 ends in July 2010.  But if you're still on Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i version 11.5.10, the impending end of Premier Support this year on November 30, 2010 is even more important. 

Support windows for Oracle E-Business Suite are listed here:
Premier Support runs for five years from a product's first release.  In the case of Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11.5.10, that window was increased to six years in recognition of the challenges that some of you face in justifying major upgrades in today's economy.

Here's a graphical summary of the EBS 11.5.10's support stages:

Graphical summary of E-Business Suite 11i support stages Premier Extended SustainingFirst year of Extended Support fees for EBS 11.5.10 waived

Regular readers may recall that fees for the first year of Extended Support for EBS 11.5.10 are waived.  There is nothing that customers need to do to remain fully supported other than keep your support contracts current.  Higher fees for Extended Support will start December 1, 2011 for most platforms.  This is formally documented here:

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