Oracle EBIZ Talk

Helpful View for Concurrent Request Details

2010-10-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

Select * from apps.fnd_amp_requests_v where request_id = XXXXX

Use this View to get helpful info on the status of a concurrent request, who submitted and what responsibility it was run under. Very help View!

EBS PL/SQL multithreading example

2010-06-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some good examples of multi-threading Concurrent Program from within a PL/SQL Program.

Example1:
http://sbllc3.solutionbeacon.net/pls/a159vis2/fndgfm/fnd_help.get/US@PSA_US/fnd/@concglob

OR

Example2:

PROCEDURE CONC_MULTI_THREAD_PRG (
Errbuf OUT NOCOPY VARCHAR2
,Retcode OUT NOCOPY VARCHAR2
)
IS
ln_thread_count NUMBER;
ls_smtp_server VARCHAR2(240);
ln_smtp_server_port PLS_INTEGER;
ls_from_name VARCHAR2(240);
ls_subject VARCHAR2(240);
ls_message VARCHAR2(240);
ls_message_html VARCHAR2(240);
ln_conc_request_id NUMBER := NULL;
ls_req_data VARCHAR2(240);
ln_request_id NUMBER; -- parent request id
cnt_warnings INTEGER := 0;
cnt_errors INTEGER := 0;
request_status BOOLEAN;
BEGIN
ls_req_data := fnd_conc_global.request_data;
ln_request_id := fnd_global.conc_request_id;

IF ls_req_data IS NOT NULL THEN
put_log_line( ' Back at beginning after spawing ' ls_req_data ' threads.');
ln_thread_count := ls_req_data;

IF ln_thread_count > 0 THEN
put_log_line ( 'Checking child threads...');

-- Check all child requests to see how they finished...
FOR child_request_rec IN (SELECT request_id, status_code
FROM fnd_concurrent_requests
WHERE parent_request_id = ln_request_id)
LOOP
check_child_request(child_request_rec.request_id);
IF ( child_request_rec.status_code = 'G' OR child_request_rec.status_code = 'X'
OR child_request_rec.status_code ='D' OR child_request_rec.status_code ='T' ) THEN
cnt_warnings := cnt_warnings + 1;
ELSIF ( child_request_rec.status_code = 'E' ) THEN
cnt_errors := cnt_errors + 1;
END IF;
END LOOP; -- FOR child_request_rec

IF cnt_errors > 0 THEN
put_log_line( 'Setting completion status to ERROR.');
request_status := fnd_concurrent.set_completion_status('ERROR', '');
ELSIF cnt_warnings > 0 THEN
put_log_line( 'Setting completion status to WARNING.');
request_status := fnd_concurrent.set_completion_status('WARNING', '');
ELSE
put_log_line( 'Setting completion status to NORMAL.');
request_status := fnd_concurrent.set_completion_status('NORMAL', '');
END IF;
END IF;

RETURN; -- end of parent
END IF;

get_translations('AR_EBL_EMAIL_CONFIG','RESEND',ls_smtp_server, ln_smtp_server_port, ls_from_name, ls_subject, ls_message, ls_message_html);
get_translation('AR_EBL_CONFIG','TRANSMIT_EMAIL','N_THREADS',ln_thread_count);

put_log_line('spawning ' ln_thread_count ' thread(s)');

FOR i IN 1..ln_thread_count LOOP
put_log_line('thread: ' i);
-- TRANSMIT_EMAIL_C(Errbuf,Retcode, i, ln_thread_count, ls_smtp_server, ln_smtp_server_port, ls_from_name);

n_conc_request_id :=
FND_REQUEST.submit_request
( application => 'XXFIN' -- application short name
,program => 'XX_AR_EBL_TRANSMIT_EMAIL_C' -- concurrent program name
,sub_request => TRUE -- is this a sub-request?
,argument1 => i -- thread_id
,argument2 => ln_thread_count
,argument3 => ls_smtp_server
,argument4 => ln_smtp_server_port
,argument5 => ls_from_name);

-- ===========================================================================
-- if request was successful
-- ===========================================================================
IF (n_conc_request_id > 0) THEN
-- ===========================================================================
-- if a child request, then update it for concurrent mgr to process
-- ===========================================================================
/* -- Instead of doing the following Update, use FND_CONC_GLOBAL.SET_REQ_GLOBALS(conc_status => 'PAUSED', request_data => to_char(ln_thread_count)) -- See below
-- This program will then restart when the child programs are done, so if fnd_conc_global.request_data is NOT NULL at start of proc, check child statuses & end.
-- If either this Update, or the set_req_globals approach, is not done, the child programs will hang in Invalid, No Manager status.

UPDATE fnd_concurrent_requests
SET phase_code = 'P',
status_code = 'I'
WHERE request_id = n_conc_request_id;
*/
-- ===========================================================================
-- must commit work so that the concurrent manager polls the request
-- ===========================================================================
COMMIT;

put_log_line( ' Concurrent Request ID: ' n_conc_request_id '.' );

-- ===========================================================================
-- else errors have occured for request
-- ===========================================================================
ELSE
-- ===========================================================================
-- retrieve and raise any errors
-- ===========================================================================
FND_MESSAGE.raise_error;
END IF;

END LOOP;

FND_CONC_GLOBAL.SET_REQ_GLOBALS(conc_status => 'PAUSED', request_data => to_char(ln_thread_count));

END CONC_MULTI_THREAD_PRG;

Documentation on Bursting Engine

2007-11-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a great tutorial for anyone interested in understanding the basics of using the Java bursting engine to distribute document files.

E Business Suite Bursting

Also, A very fine white paper with additional information on the process.

Documentation on Bursting Engine

fnd_request.submit_request handy tip.

2007-07-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a HANDY TIP that could save you some time bugging why the fnd_request.submit_request procedure is returning a request_id of 0. If you are creating and running a package to run outside Oracle Applications, you may be wondering why the procedure will not be executing your concurrent program being passed into into the fnd_request.submit_request procedure.

The first make sure that you are passing in the correct parameters into the procedure. Once you are confident that you have the correct parameters make sure you call the FND_GLOBAL.APPS_INITIALIZE procedure prior to calling the submit_request procedure. Since you are executing the package outside of the application you need to intialize your user_id, responsibility_id and Applicaiton_id within your executing procedure.

It sounds like common sense but it is easy to over look!

Below is a snipit of code for submitting the gl journal import program from a Procedure:

BEGIN

...

SELECT user_id
INTO x_user_id
FROM FND_USER
WHERE user_name = ;

SELECT application_id
INTO x_appl_id
FROM FND_APPLICATION
WHERE application_short_name = 'SQLGL';

SELECT responsibility_id
INTO x_resp_id
FROM FND_APPLICATION fa, FND_RESPONSIBILITY_TL fr
WHERE fa.application_short_name = 'SQLGL' AND
fa.application_id = fr.application_id AND
fr.responsibility_name = 'General Ledger Super User';

FND_GLOBAL.APPS_INITIALIZE(x_user_id, x_resp_id, x_appl_id);

x_conc_id := fnd_request.submit_request(application => 'SQLGL'
,program => 'GLLEZL'
,description => NULL
,start_time => SYSDATE
,sub_request => FALSE
,argument1 => to_char(p_interface_run_id)
,argument2 => to_char(p_sob_id)
,argument3 => 'N'
,argument4 => NULL
,argument5 => NULL
,argument6 => 'N'
,argument7 => 'W');

...
END;

Oracle upgrade War Stories!

2007-02-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

Recently, A consultant friend of mine was bragging about how successful a recent upgrade from 11.5.9 for 11.5.10 (AP,GL,AR,CE,PO,FA) was for his project. It was a huge success he claimed! This was an upgrade with no new functionality or application being added. The entire upgrade was completed in only nine months he told me!

Success?

Nine months to go one release version up didn't seem that successful to me. Please share your view points and war stories. I need to put my friends success into perspective.

File Version Help!

2007-02-06T09:59:00.000-08:00

Need help determining a file verison in Oracle Apps. Here is a handy query that will assist you in detemining the current version a file.

SELECT afl.filename, max(afv.version),APP_SHORT_NAME, SUBDIR
FROM applsys.ad_file_versions afv, applsys.ad_files afl
WHERE afv.file_id = afl.file_ID
AND afl.filename in
('APXINWKB.fmb','APXHRUPD.rdf','CUSTOM.pll') -- insert your file names here
GROUP BY afl.filename, APP_SHORT_NAME,SUBDIR

Unix users:

If the file is not in the above tables, use the following commands to determine the version number of a file.

Change to the directory where file is:
cd $AP_TOP/reports/US

Run following command with file name:
strings -a APXHRUPD.rdf | grep '$Header'

US Daylight Saving Change (DST)

2007-02-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

Direct from ATG SUPPORT NEWSLETTER:

What is the US Daylight Saving Change (DST) for 2007?

Beginning in 2007, daylight saving time in the U.S. will begin on the second Sunday in March and end the first Sunday in November rather than beginning on the first Sunday in April and ending the last Sunday in October, as it did in the past. This change affects Canada as well. Mexico is still using the old DST rules.

403311.1
United States Time Zone Changes 2007: E-Business Suite (EBS).

Have you looked at our Knowledge Browser page on Metalink? See Daylight Savings Time (DST) USA 2007

You can also look at this external Blog about Clarifying E-Business Suite Daylight Saving Time 2007 Patching Requirements - http://blogs.oracle.com/schan/2007/01/19#a1149

OCP - Oracle Certified Professional Part V

2006-12-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

OCP- Is it really valuable?

That's the question a lot of people have . . .
OCP- Is it really valuable?

The answer to this question is not as straightforward as it appears.

OCP is really valuable for people who are in the consulting industry. When I did my OCP at that time there was a condition (not sure whether the condition still exists). There were a number of requirements for a company to become Oracle Partners and one was to have a certain number of employees who are Oracle Certified (no matter in what stream they are certified). So companies used to give more money to OCPs.

To read more click on :

An Oracle Applications Implementer's Journal

Oracle Fusion Applications

2006-12-01T10:45:00.001-08:00

A temperature check of customer opinion
By Freeform DynamicsPublished 2006 Nov 14, 22:13

Following the acquisition of PeopleSoft and Siebel Systems, software giant Oracle became the proud owner of four ERP and three CRM product lines, all originally developed on different platforms and having different tooling to manage configuration and implementation.

Against this background, customers have understandably been asking what happens next, and specifically what Oracle will be doing to ensure that past investments are protected and incremental value continues to be delivered. Oracle's answer is its Fusion Applications strategy, but are customers convinced?

Click here to download report.

Inside Oracle's bombshell plan to support Red Hat

2006-11-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

By Mark Brunelli, News Editor30 Nov 2006 SearchOracle.com

Oracle's bombshell plan to offer full support for Red Hat Inc.'s Linux distribution at half the price sent shock waves through the IT industry.
Operating systems expert Tony Iams, a vice president and senior analyst with Ideas International in Port Chester, New York, says the move represents the first time a major applications vendor has jumped into the operating systems business in such a dramatic way. But, he adds, it's also a move that should have come as a major surprise to Red Hat.
SearchOracle.com caught up with Iams to discuss the details of Oracle's plan and get his opinion on whether or not Oracle's strategy will severely hurt Red Hat's business over the long term. Here are some excerpts from that conversation:

Click here to read full article.

Inside Oracle's bombshell plan to support Red Hat

Demystifying Fusion — OAUG’s Three-Step Fusion Program

2006-11-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

For those who are a member of OAUG this might be a good session to attend. If anyone does attend, please share your comments.

Learn more about the OAUG’s new Fusion program by attending the OAUG eLearning Community Thursday session, Demystifying Fusion — OAUG's Three-Step Fusion Program, which will be held on Thursday, November 30, 2006, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard (New York) Time and then again at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard (New York) Time.

Co-hosted by John Stouffer and Floyd Teter, OAUG Fusion Council chairs, this session is designed to “lift the curtain and show how the magic tricks are performed.” Subjects will include Fusion technology, Oracle’s path to Fusion Applications, building business processes in Fusion and the roadmap to Fusion Applications.

Register today for this must-attend session via OAUG eLearning.

Fusion Applications - The More You Know, The Better You'll Feel

2006-11-22T16:09:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting blog that gives one users opinions of Oracle Apps. Floyd Teter has several blogs worth looking at to get a customer's prospective on the future of Oracle Fusion. I posted his lastest blog and you can follow the link below to read his other blogs.

Fusion Applications - The More You Know, The Better You'll Feel

Every morning, I check my favorite Oracle-related news sources and blogs for the latest buzz. Today, I stumbled across a great piece of research at The Register. The article, "Oracle's Fusion Applications Strategy: What The Customers Think", is based on 321 responses to a survey of Oracle Applications Users who are members of The Register's Technology Panel. This is pretty similar to the Fusion Applications Customer Profiling initiative recently completed by the International Oracle User Council (IOUC), but The Register's sample size is much larger.

The IOUC survey results were recently presented during Oracle OpenWorld (OOW). You can find the presentation and review the results for yourself at the OOW presentation download site.

The Register survey results indicated that Oracle Application customers were concerned about:

1. Oracle's lack of clarity and consistency in dealing with the future management of its multiple product lines.

2. The possibility that Oracle will delivery an immature and inelegantly integrated set of applications in order to meet self-imposed schedule milestones.

3. Fear about costs, disruption and protection of investments, mostly rooted in a concern that a migration to Oracle Fusion Applications will be forced upon them at some time in the future.

After sharing these concerns and concluding that only 15% of customers were completely sold on the Oracle Fusion Application strategy, The Register survey disclosed another very interesting result: there is a clear correlation between the level of customer confidence and the customer's depth of Fusion knowledge. For example, customers stating that the Fusion story is well understood in their organizations are also very confident of their investment being protected. These same customers are also very confident that they will obtain benefits in application flexibility through Oracle Fusion Applications. In other words, the more customers understand about Fusion Applications, the more confident they become in Oracle's Fusion Applications strategy...the more you know, the better you'll feel.

I share this timely information from The Register survey because the Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG) is teaming with Solution Beacon to provide Oracle Applications customers with a wonderful opportunity to feel better with The Road To Las Vegas workshops. The overriding theme of the workshops is "Demystifying Fusion - OAUG's Three Step Fusion Program". The presentations will include some recommendations on getting your organization to Fusion Applications, as well as some hands-on workshops (BPEL and RAC are just a few of the workshop subjects). The overall intent of The Road to Las Vegas is to educate Oracle Applications customers about Fusion Applications - including Release 12, which is an interation on the way to Fusion Applications.

So, the bottom line: you'll feel better about Oracle Fusion Applications if you attend The Road to Las Vegas workshops ;)

http://orclville.blogspot.com

How Customers Can Prepare for Fusion Today

2006-11-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

Click the link below access a quick pod cast on how customers can start preparing for Fusion today.

How Customers Can Prepare for Fusion Today

One World may not be enough for some of us!

2006-11-06T19:24:00.001-08:00

Here's a post copied from an informative blog by Frank Scavo at "The Enterprise System Spectator". I think that Frank has hit the nail on the head! It look like Larry's truly wants to rule the world. Start shorting your shares of Red Hat.

Oracle plays hardball with Linux support

Oracle just threw a monkey-wrench into the Linux machine shop. It announced last week at its user conference that it will take Red Hat's distribution of Linux, remove Red Hat's trademarks, and begin maintaining the product under a support agreement for about half the price of what Red Hat charges.

Oracle is touting its new offering, dubbed Unbreakable Linux, as a way to increase the enterprise-class status of Linux. "Oracle's Unbreakable Linux program is available to all Linux users for as low as $99 per system per year," said Oracle co-President Charles Phillips in Oracle's press release. "You do not have to be a user of Oracle software to qualify. This is all about broadening the success of Linux. To get Oracle support for Red Hat Linux all you have to do is point your Red Hat server to the Oracle network. The switch takes less than a minute."

What's striking in Oracle's press release is how many other parties are quoted as positive about Oracle's move. Oracle got Dell, Intel, HP, IBM, Accenture, AMD, Bearing Point, EMC, BMC, and NetApp all to say good things about Oracle's decision. Some of them that have their own Linux support services, such as HP and IBM, are caught between maintaining their relationship with Oracle and building their own Linux businesses.

Red Hat is in a really tough position, with its stock plunging 24% on the news. It responded on its website, with a FAQ entitled "Unfakeable Linux," in which it points out deficiencies and incompatibilities in Oracle's offering, specifically Oracle's lack of support for Red Hat and JBoss applications, as well has potential hardware, software, and other incompatibilities between Oracle and Red Hat Linux. (Red Hat's website is extremely slow today, probably because of all the hits it is getting from the Linux community on this FAQ.)

As usual, the most insightful commentary is on Slashdot, if you can find it. For example, "Korgan" writes...
Actually, the whole reason they're doing this is because they're pissed off with Red Hat for buying JBoss when Oracle wanted it.

I kid you not. Search Google for comments from Larry just after Red Hat made the purchase and you'll see why.

This is just continuing that. Oracle at the time said they were considering their own Linux distro in an attempt to compete with Redhat. To paraphrase Ellison...

If Redhat are going to step on our toes, we'll stomp on theirs

This isn't going to make any real difference to Redhat in the long term. Oracle would be smart to position their distro as the best possible platform for their own primary products (such as the databases, ERP software and so on.) However, the chances of that are pretty slim.

Given Oracle just recently released a mammoth patch for their 9i and 11i products that, while containing more than 100 bug fixes, didn't manage to fix all known bugs, I seriously doubt they're in any way prepared to take on the responsibility of a full fledged Enterprise ready Operating System. This is going to kick them hard.
Although I think this may overstate Oracle's motives, I don't think it is far off. It wouldn't surprise me at all, now, if Oracle's intention is to drive down Red Hat's stock price and ultimately be able to buy Red Hat along with its recent JBoss acquisition.

That would allow Oracle to own the entire technology stack, from operating system through database and middleware, all the way to enterprise applications.

To read more of Frank's blog please click on the link:The Enterprise System Spectator

OpenWorld 2006 sessions are now available online

2006-11-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

The presentations for the OpenWorld 2006 sessions are now available online. You can download PDFs of their presentations or watch videos of the keynote speakers.

The login information needed to download these presentations is displayed at the top of the Content Catalog. You will need to use the following usr id and password

Username: cboracle
Password: oraclec6

Click the link below access the presentations:

OpenWorld 2006 Applications Technology session

Inside the Oracle Concurrent Manager

2006-11-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

Here is a nice article by Terry Oakes and Don Burleson concerning troubleshooting the Concurrent Managers

The concurrent managers in the Oracle e-Business suite serve several important administrative functions. Foremost, the concurrent managers ensure that the applications are not overwhelmed with requests, and the second areas of functions are the management of batch processing and report generation.
This article will explore tools that are used by experienced administrators to gain insight and improved control over the concurrent management functions. We will explore how the concurrent managers can be configured via the GUI, and also explore scripts and dictionary queries that are used to improve the functionality of concurrent management.

Follow this link for the remainder of the article.
Inside the Oracle Concurrent Manager

ATG News RUP (Rollup) FAQ

2006-11-02T04:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a useful excerpt from Oracle's latest ATG news letter release that discusses Oracle's current ATG patch roll up methodology.

This note briefly describes the new ATG (Application Technology Group) Minimum Patching Baseline and on-going baseline policy. As of April 2006, ATG has changed its Patching Baseline to ATG Product Family Pack H Rollup 3 (also known as ATG_PF.H RUP 3, patch 4334965, or just "RUP 3"). We have received many questions about what the minimum patching baseline and changes to it really mean. This note will describe the patching baseline policy, answer questions about how you may be affected, and give recommendations about how you should manage your applications installations given this policy.
First a brief discussion of our patching process: For any new bug fix that we make, our standard process is to make the changes in our main line (latest) files. Once the fix is successfully developed and unit tested, we create an unreleased patch containing these changes and include that patch in the next ATG RUP. This next ATG RUP remains unreleased "in-progress" for a period of time, accumulating all new fixes over that time, but also includes all previous fixes from earlier RUPS (it is cumulative). Approximately every six months we freeze the contents of the in-progress RUP and then put it through comprehensive integration testing, install testing and Applications product team certification. Although the cumulative nature of the RUP makes it large in terms of number of files delivered, the heavy investment in testing ultimately makes it safest way for you to get general maintenance updates. Another important benefit of moving to an ATG RUP is that you are no longer "alone" on some custom code level for ATG, but part of a larger community on the same code level. This allows both you and Support to benefit from the collective wisdom of customers who have already adopted that code level (We regularly update the "About doc" for each RUP with the latest in known issues or advice).
Since RUPs are only produced about twice a year, we must use a different technique to release fixes for serious defects quickly. The standard process for this case is to create a one-off patch, which involves choosing a baseline code level (such as one of the ATG RUPs) and then defining a small patch that includes the fixed files plus any other files necessary to satisfy code dependencies. This code dependency analysis can be hard to do if the fixed files have changed significantly relative to the baseline, and at some point it becomes necessary set limits on the earliest code level against which we will produce one-off patches. One-off patches have the advantage of being small, but do not go through Applications product team certification or exhaustive regression testing, and are therefore not recommended for general uptake if that same fix is also available in a RUP.
The ATG Minimum Patching Baseline defines the earliest code level against which we will develop a new one-off patch. The purpose of defining a minimum patching baseline is to keep the code-dependency analysis problem manageable and keep the number of expected testing combinations reasonable. This policy allows ATG Development to focus our efforts on providing better service to the majority of you who are staying reasonably current with ATG RUPs. As time goes and new RUPs are released we must correspondingly advance the minimum patching baseline. The new policy is that we will support the Current and Previous production Rollups (RUP N and RUP N-1) as baselines for general one-off patching. For example: since ATG RUP 4 was released on August 4 2006, we are shifting to a policy where ATG RUP 3 is the minimum patch baseline and ATG RUP 4 is default patching baseline (with some lag-time to allow for uptake of RUP 4).
Please note that the minimum patching baseline only affects the production of new ATG patches. All existing patches that were released for issues on earlier baselines will remain available for customer download. Earlier code levels are fully supported, in that Support and ATG Development will analyze any reported issues, even from earlier ATG code levels. But if the resolution to a reported issue requires the creation of a new one-off patch, then that patch will have a dependency on at least the minimum patching baseline.

Here are some frequently asked questions:
Q: I do not plan to upgrade to ATG RUP 3 (or RUP 4) for many months, can I expect continued support during this time?
A: The baseline policy does not affect whether you are considered supported. Support and ATG Development will investigate all reported issues to the best of our ability. The baseline policy only affects the development of new patches. If you are not on the ATG minimum patching baseline and require an emergency fix against your code level, it might be possible to produce a backport for you, but this will require a backport request, business impact justification, and VP approval.
Q: I am running happily on an older code level, should I plan to upgrade to the ATG minimum patching baseline?
A: Anyone not currently on the ATG Minimum Patching Baseline (RUP 3) is advised to make plans to update to ATG RUP 4 by the end of this calendar year. ATG RUP 3 is the minimum baseline, but if you need to upgrade you might as well move directly to RUP 4. You should NOT wait for a reason to move to RUP 4, staying current with ATG RUPs should be a regular planned activity, even if a system appears to be running fine. The RUPs contain a number of performance, stability, functional, and security fixes that are not available through any other mechanism, and in any case it is better to move to ATG RUPs under controlled conditions, rather than as a side effect requirement from applying some other change.
Q: Are existing patches and technology certifications affected by the new ATG Minimum Patching Baseline?
A: No. Existing patches and technology certifications that were tested against earlier ATG code level will remain valid options for you. For example, the 10gR2 Database certification requires 11.5.10 CU2, and this fact is not changed by the new ATG baseline. Similarly, all existing product and ATG patches that work against earlier code levels remain available. The baseline policy only affects production and testing of new patches from ATG.
Q: Will application product team patches now require the ATG Minimum Patching Baseline as a pre-requisite?
A: This is a decision that application product teams will make independently. In general, applications patches should list their minimum ATG code level as the prerequisite.
Q: Will ATG RUP 4A work on 11.5.9 or earlier?
A: Yes, but with some caveats. Our goal with ATG RUPs is to release all known defect fixes while maintaining 100% backward compatibility with existing applications product code (which we understand can be more difficult to upgrade than technology code). ATG RUPs are in fact the only patches from ATG that go through a full backward compatibility certification program by all Applications product families. Any behavior change at the technology layer carries some risk of causing an unintended side-effect at the application product level, and we find and correct most such issues during RUP certification. But in some cases an in-compatible ATG change must remain in effect for security or stability reasons or is discovered too late. Incompatible changes at the ATG level may require a small "co-requisite" patch for affected application products to continue operating as normal. Make sure to read the "About" document for the ATG RUP carefully to find the latest news on known co-requisite patches for Applications products. We are continually striving to eliminate unnecessary co-requite patches and prevent the introduction of new ones.
The ATG Minimum Patching Baseline and RUP policy are intended to provide the best long-term product quality for you, offering a predictable and sustainable approach to continuously improve the E-Business Suites stability, performance, and security. We encourage everyone to make proactive adoption of ATG RUPs a standard practice.

11i: CPU October 2006 - E-Business Suite Impact

2006-10-31T18:43:00.000-08:00

For those who are in the process of evaluating the impact of the recent October CPU patches as it concerns the E-Business Suite, Integrigy has published a useful analysis report. 11i: CPU October 2006 - E-Business Suite Impact

Oracle Form Personalization

2006-10-30T18:56:00.000-08:00

For those who are interest in Oracle Form Personalization in 11.5.10 here is a useful blog by Joel Asselin The Apps Traction Blog. There you will see several examples of Forms Personalization ranging from simple to complex. You can also follow my Favorite Link --> "The Apps Traction Blog: Joel Asselin" to get to this blog.

11i: Best Practices for Securing the E-Business Suite Updated

2006-10-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent blog by Stephen Kost CIO of Integrigy. To read more blogs by Stephen Kost click on my Favorite's link Oracle E-Business Security Blog :Stephen Kost

October 26, 2006

Oracle has updated the white paper "Best Practices for Securing Oracle E-Business Suite version 3.0.4" Metalink Note ID 189367.1. The major changes to the document include -
Added the new Oracle Applications 11.5.10 application accounts AME_INVALID_APPROVER and XML_USER to the list of accounts that require passwords changes and that should be disabled. (p. 21)
Additional instructions for securing the APPLSYSPUB database account. (p. 52)
Added the forms FNDFFMDC ("Define Descriptive Flexfield Segments") and FNDFFMVS ("Define Flex Value Sets")to the list of forms that accept SQL statements. (p. 47)If you already implemented all the recommendations, you should look at the following -
Check for the application accounts AME_INVALID_APPROVER and XML_USER and disable them and change the password if they exist.
Review access to the forms FNDFFMDC and FNDFFMVS. I have not reviewed what responsibilities usually have access to these forms. Since they involve Flexfields, these two are different than the other AOL forms on the restricted access list and may require some work to secure. If you have not implemented the "Managed SQL*Net Access Feature" in 11.5.10, then direct SQL*Net access to the database and access to the APPLSYSPUB database account is your most significant security hole. The most significant issue is that many of the security vulnerabilities fixed in the Critical Patch Updates can be easily exploited (see page 3 of our analysis). However, Integrigy has previously not recommended changing the APPLSYSPUB password because of known issues and since the password is often displayed or could be easily obtained. Rather we have pushed clients to make sure the APPLSYSPUB account is as secure as possible (see here).Almost all the disclosure issues with the APPLSYSPUB password have been corrected in 11.5.10.2 and the issues with changing the password seem to have mostly been resolved. There is a procedure on page 52 that describes how to change the APPLSYSPUB account and the required patches to make sure AutoConfig changes the password in all the correct places.

New World Order or Last days in Rome?

2006-10-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

The future is coming! Will Oracle pull this off or is this just another sales pitch? Listen to the following Podcast Podcast: Oracle's Fusion User Experience is a Key Ingredient to their Customers' Success and feel free to comment.