As a DBA or other behind-the-scenes toiler on the database and application tiers of your Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) system, you may sometimes encounter issues involving performance of the often-overlooked desktop tier. How can you quickly and easily confirm that the specification of your client PCs (or Macs) is adequate, and what else matters here? This information is distributed in a number of different documents that can be sometimes difficult to locate. We’ve published a new document that summarises and cross-references our minimum desktop client requirements:
Bar chart showing browser offsets for different PC configurations for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 and JRE
The document discusses the key points of:
  • Basic hardware and operating system requirements
  • Supported browsers
  • Other essential software such as Java environments
It also provides references to various other notes that explore these areas (and others) in as much detail as you will need to make informed decisions on PC and Mac deployment in an Oracle E-Business Suite system. Why does this matter? Because on the one hand your desktop PCs need to be adequately specified to act as EBS clients — the only part of the Applications system visible to end users — while on the other hand the need to contain costs is ever-present. People will often clamour for the highest specification PCs available, but providing these (if you have the resources) is not guaranteed to make a significant difference to the efficiency of users’ interaction with the EBS system. The possible need for high-spec PCs depends on several factors, including:
  • Oracle Applications modules in use – Forms-based applications can be more demanding than HTML-based ones
  • Other software – The specification needed can be significantly affected if the PCs have to run non-EBS software
  • Performance of the users – Are they or the PCs the limiting factor in the throughput that can be achieved?

It is possible that high-spec PCs will need to be provided, at least for some users. However, many users will typically be able to manage with a fairly standard PC, given that even basic models are relatively well-specified these days. So ensuring you are at at least meeting the minimum requirements is an excellent starting point in managing your desktop client PCs and the expectations of their users.

While this short article cannot give detailed advice, one point is worth making here: if your PCs are not providing the desired end-user performance, adding memory (rather than, say, upgrading the CPU) can often be your best option for giving them a new lease of life at minimal cost. For a more detailed look at this and related issues, refer to Andy Tremayne’s white paper:

Related Articles