Thursday, July 31, 2008

PeopleSoft, RMAN Migration, RAC Tuning, APEX, Certification, MinMax, Constraints

PeopleSoft Sequence Allocation

There's a nice posting on sequence allocation over at the PeopleSoft DBA Blog

Moving from Windows to Linux Using RMAN

Alejandro Vargas has a simple step with a pointer to a more detailed article on migrating from Windows to Linux using RMAN here.

RAC Tuning

If RAC is cool (it is) then tuned up RAC is niftier than sliced bread. So here is a posting on tuning RAC linked from H.Tonguç Yılmaz's blog.

APEX

Forget the internal password for APEX? All is not lost! Use this post and the script to which it leads and then write down the password and put it away in a safe deposit box. But don't lose the keys to the box, or forget the number.

New Blog on Apps

A new blog came to my attention recently, with some very in-depth posting on Oracle EBS. Have a look at the Know Oracle blog.

Certification

Several new items out there on the Oracle Certification Blog, like this one on certification events at Oracle Open World.

Min and Max

The Momen Blog has an interesting post warning that we should avoid querying both MIN and MAX functions in one SQL, with plan data to back up the point. My question would be: Have others among our readers seen the same behavior? It's a new one on me, and I'd be interested if others can get the problem to repeat.

Novalidate

Richard Foote, the indexing guru, brings us a second detailed article on NOVALIDATE contraints at his blog.

Case Study: Oracle's Own Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 Upgrade

Oracle went live on R12.0.3 in January 2008, and and in Steven Chan's (Sr. Director, Oracle Applications Technology Integration) blog he highlights this case study for customers planning to upgrade themselves. He presents a critical presentation from Eugene Weinstein and Sharon Leong at OAUG Collaborate 2008 (Denver).

Thursday, July 24, 2008

New Essbase, Optimizer at Open World, BI, New Blog, Mix Voting, XQuery, JRE, TKPROF on Giants

Essbase 11.1.1 is Out...

As Tim Tow tells us over at his Hyperion Blog.

The new release is also the buzz at the Be Smarter Than You Are blog.

Open World Optimizer Presentation

Want to see if the Oracle team that does the optimizer has computer DNA and Borg nanoprobe attachments? Here's your chance! They'll be at open world discussing the 11i optimizer according to this blog posting.

BI

Tim Dexter over at the BI Publisher blog tells us how to track down parameters.

New Blog

There's a new Oracle Certification Blog out there that will be worth adding to your RSS feed.

Votes from the Mix

The voting is in on what sessions folks want over at Oracle Mix according to the Grey Sparling Peoplesoft Expert's corner.

Peoplesoft and XQuery

Good practical notes on using XQuery in Peoplesoft over at Jim's Peoplesoft Blog.

JRE Update

Have you updated your JRE on the client of late? The aut disce, aut discede blog warns that there are nasty vulnerabilities out there and provides some notes on the new versions of the JRE.

Taking the Pulse of a Giant: TKPROF

So what if you need to use TKPROF on a file, but the trace file is larger than 2 GB? Probably not a very rare thing in these days of huge and growing huger systems. The Oracle Applications DBA Blog has a solution: pipes!

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne XPI and WSG Retirement Plan Announcement
Oracle announces retirement plans for the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne XPI and WSG features. Please note that an email containing this retirement and roadmap information has gone out to all JD Edwards EnterpriseOne customers who have been identified as users of this feature.

For more details on this announcement including future product availability and roadmaps, please use this link


Friday, July 18, 2008

Contributions by Angela Golla

Check out this handy link for database Maximum Availability Architecture (MAA) and other best practices documentation: http://www.oracle.com/technology/deploy/availability/htdocs/maa.htm

Oracle Advanced Compression—with Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition—helps you manage your growing amounts of data (that on average are tripling every couple of years) in a cost effective manner. Oracle Advanced Compression compresses any type of data, including structured and unstructured data such as documents, images, and multimedia, as well as network traffic and data in the process of being backed up. As a result, Oracle Advanced Compression helps you use resources more efficiently and lower storage costs. Learn more about it at: http://www.oracle.com/database/advanced-compression.html

Thursday, July 17, 2008

iPhone, BI and Hyperion, Apps Troubleshooting, New Book

Oracle on an iPhone

Well, no, not the RDBMS, yet, but you can read about iPhone and Oracle Business Indicators - First Impressions over at the Vlamis Software Solutions blog.

BI and Hyperion

At Business Intelligence - Oracle, a multipart article (this is part two) on Drilling from HFR to BI EE passing parameters.

Apps

A good article describing the process of troubleshooting a problem with iProcurement catalog bulk load over at the Oracle Apps blog.

New Performance Book

There's a new Oracle performance book out, and it comes with a recommendation from Cary Milsap, and you can't do better than that. While you're over at Cary's blog, read everything. He's a genius.

Turf Wars

Finally, next time you have a grandiose turf war over a product release between IT and Sales, just settle it with nurf weapons like in this video.


User Groups

Hyperion

AN UPDATE FOR THE NORTH AMERICA HYPERION USER (HUG) COMMUNITIES
The Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG), one of the largest independent Oracle user groups, extends its network, knowledge, and experience into the world of enterprise performance management (EPM) with the creation of the OAUG Hyperion Special Interest Group (SIG). The purpose of the OAUG Hyperion SIG is to allow its members to leverage resources to make the most out of their EPM investments. We encourage you to get involved, share your experiences, volunteer for a committee, or simply provide feedback and suggestions. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn, share best practices with your peers, and connect with experts online and at local user group meetings.

HUG MEMBERS SHOULD STAY INVOLVED
If you are already an active HUG member we encourage you to stay involved as the HUGs in North America align with the OAUG. The OAUG Hyperion SIG is already in place and looks forward to working with you. Please direct your questions to Tina Weiss in Global Customer Programs or Mark Conway on the Business Intelligence and Performance Management team.

PeopleSoft, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, JD Edwards World

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS IS LIVE FOR QUEST SOUTHEAST
QUEST SOUTHEAST 2008
Nov. 12-14, Hilton Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
The Quest Southeast Conference, in partnership with many of our key affiliate user groups from the Southeast, will also feature HCM and Beyond, presented by Quest and the Oracle HCM Users Group (OHUG). This is the second year for HCM and Beyond, a forum that focuses on human capital management education.

All customers, as well as vendors of solutions and services relevant to the PeopleSoft, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, JD Edwards World, and Oracle Utilities communities are welcome to submit a presentation proposal.


A knowledge committee of your peers will evaluate and select the education sessions based on the abstracts submitted. Review education tracks here.

Registration will go live mid-July, so check our Quest Southeast page for more details.

LEARN MORE ABOUT QUEST INTERNATIONAL USERS GROUP
Quest International Users Group is a worldwide community of more than 50,000 PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, and Oracle Utilities users. Quest and its affiliated user groups are a catalyst for maximizing members' business investments through the power of our community, tools, and experiences. Get more information about Quest, or e-mail us.

VIEW UPCOMING USER GROUP MEETINGS ONLINE
With 80+ affiliated user groups, Quest International Users Group has plenty networking opportunities year-round. Go to our events page to see if there is a regional meeting in your area or a meeting that would fit your interest, product, or industry. You can also find out more information about Quest's affiliated user groups.


ORACLE - RAC/ DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

RECEIVE TOP-NOTCH RAC EDUCATION THIS AUGUST
The IOUG and the RAC SIG are co-hosting IOUG RAC Attack!, August 4-5 in Chicago, IL, where hands-on training and conference-style technical sessions will be presented on a variety of topics related to RAC, including building, installing, configuring, backup/recovery, performance tuning, networking, failover, load balancing, workload management and more! Register today!

JOIN THE ORACLE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS USER GROUP
The Oracle Development Tools User Group (ODTUG) is an independent, global organization providing education, support, advocacy, and networking opportunities for developers. Database professionals should also consider the Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG). As Oracle's largest technology user group, the IOUG is dedicated to providing education and access to more than 20,000 database administrators, developers, architects, technical managers, and Oracle professionals throughout North America and worldwide. Hyperion customers are invited to participate in the Essbase special interest group that is aligned with the IOUG.




Monday, July 14, 2008

Financial Management News

New Help for Moving to International Financial Reporting Standards
There's good news for U.S. companies concerned about transitioning from Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) used by much of the world—in short, there's no need to panic. More...

New IBM Study Reveals How the Best-Run Global Companies Reduce Risk
The Global CFO Study 2008, conducted by IBM, delivers an analysis of more than 1,200 companies. The research looked at the common financial management characteristics of what IBM coined the "integrated finance organizations." More...

Blog Watch

Terrance Wampler's Blog
Terrance Wampler, Oracle vice president of financial applications product strategy, is responsible for driving product direction, evaluating business requirements, developing the product road map, and recommending business strategies for the Oracle Financials product set. More...

Frank Buytendijk's Blog
Frank Buytendijk, Oracle vice president of EPM strategy, is one of the world's leading experts in business intelligence and performance management. Part strategy consultant to Oracle customers, part strategist, and part trend-spotter, Frank seeks to identify challenges even before they present themselves. More...

Oracle Retail News

Oracle Unveils Industry's Most Complete, Integrated Suite for Insight Driven Retailing
Launched on June 17, 2008, Oracle Retail Release 13 is delivering what is widely recognized as the industry's most complete and integrated suite of applications for insight driven retailing. More...

New Features in Oracle Retail Release 13 Target Global Retailers of All Sizes
From expanded wholesale functionality to support for multiple sets of books, Oracle Retail Release 13 offers key new features designed to maximize returns for both midsize and major retailers expanding across global markets. More...

Oracle Retail Workspace Drives Actionable Insight from Boardroom to Stockroom
To increase productivity and accelerate profitable decision-making across the retail value chain, Oracle's new Retail Workspace—a key element in the June 2008 launch of Oracle Retail Release 13—provides single sign-on, single launch access to Oracle Retail applications, operational and analytical reports, and role-based dashboards. More...

'Empower the Green Enterprise' Award: Submit Your Nomination Today
Is your company using an Oracle product to help protect the environment? If so, submit a nomination for an “Empower the Green Enterprise” award. These awards will be presented to selected customers and their partners using any of Oracle's products to reduce their costs and improve their business efficiencies by using green business practices. Nominations need to be in by August 22 and the winners will be notified by late August. Winners will receive a free registration pass to Oracle OpenWorld. More...

Friday, July 11, 2008

Contributions by Angela Golla

Read the latest interview of Larry Ellison by Barron's Magazine at this link:

http://online.barrons.com/article/SB121097976028700003.html?page=sp


Oracle is committed to consistently improving your customer support experience. In the fall of 2008, MetaLink will receive a new user interface. To help you prepare for the transition, you may now preview MetaLink’s new user interface and provide valuable feedback about its features before the final transition.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Siebel

Latest posts on Siebel Unleashed forum

Enable Siebel logs - Video tutorial
Click on the Download link to download video to teach users in using logs and debugging issues.

ClearToQuery and ExecuteQuery
The latest post from Neel regarding where he answered some questions about a common code snippet that is used in scripting - ActivateField ClearToQuery and ExecuteQuery has received some good reviews. Check it here.

Security, APEX, Oracle Open World, DUL, Performance, Log Buffer, Upgrading

Security Tools

The old Whole Earth Catalog was subtitled 'Access to tools'. Pete Finnigan's tools page is like that, except instead of meditation pillows and organic compositing kits it gives you scripts and tools for Oracle security.

APEX Security

Patrick Wolf over at the Inside Oracle APEX blog has a good pointer to a presentation on Writing Custom Authentication Schemes for Application Express.

Open World Mix

Oracle Open World is fast approaching. The I'm just a simple DBA blog points out that you can vote for presentations you want to see at Oracle Mix.

Are you a Priority Service customer going to Open World? Don't forget to ask your SDM about the Gold Pass.

DUL

The Data UnLoader, DUL, is an Oracle service you can order when the ultimate nightmare scenario strikes, for instance, control files gone, database corrupt, SYS tablespace hosed, Martians landing in server room. Okay, maybe not the last, but you get what I mean. I was interested to read at the Oracle Internals blog about the plethora of tools out there for doing DUL without Oracle's assistance, and wanted to put it out there, but I really don't recommend it except as an experiment. If you're painted into a corner the Oracle DUL is still the best thing going.

Performance

Jonathan Lewis has an article on using V$EVENT_HISTOGRAM to get event snapshots over at Oracle Scratchpad.

Steve Karam has a nice history of the application of a band-aid and the subsequent woes therefrom. Good reading for those who've dealt with the evolution of performance problems in the real world and how to deal with them.

The Buffer

That movable feast of technical wisdom and amusement, Log Buffer: #104: a Carnival of the Vanities for DBAs, is over at Radio Free Tooting this go round. Check it out for a wide variety of postings of interest.

Upgrading

Putting on the upgrade boots and wading in? Here's several lifelines from Chris Warticki's blog. An update to his previous excellent posting on the topic that we linked to here.

JD Edwards World

JD Edwards World Customer Briefings, Denver, Colorada 2008

We will continue to offer JD Edwards World customer briefings in Denver throughout the year. See the 2008 schedule below:
July 17-18
October 16-17
November 21-22
December 18-19

Please contact Fabio Araujo to register and for additional information.

For more information on World products, training, or support, e-mail


A9.1—THE RENAISSANCE RELEASE IS NOW GENERALLY AVAILABLE
Now that A9.1 is GA, remember to visit our JD Edwards World Upgrade ResourcesDownload your copy of the newest release today. This is a password-protected site and will require a sign-on and ID. If you do not have one, our Global Support Center at 1.800.289.2999 for assistance.

New A9.1 Updates available for JD Edwards World
There are new updates available to download for A9.1 Web Enablement and A9.1 Documentation. Check the Software Delivery site to find out what is included in the new updates

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Oracle E-Business Suite

Join Oracle at Linuxworld Conference & Expo
August 5-7, San Francisco
Got Linux? Discover firsthand how your organization can lower costs and achieve a higher level of support with Oracle Unbreakable Linux support. Visit Oracle (booth #902) at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo, August 5-7 in San Francisco. Oracle CIO Mark Sunday and Oracle Chief Corporate Architect Edward Screven will co-present a keynote, "Delivering Business Value with the Next-Generation Data Center," plus you can attend live product demos in the mini theater, meet Oracle Linux experts, engage with Oracle partners in the partner pavilion, get free software and step-by-step instruction at the Oracle on Linux Experience, and much more.
Get more information

PeopleSoft Enterprise


This month's Upcoming Advisor Webcasts for PeopleSoft Enterprise
Expert information on services, products, and technologies comes straight to your desktop through Oracle Web Conferencing.

July 8 — PeopleSoft Enterprise: Drive Success Through Integrated Talent Management
July 10 — PeopleSoft Enterprise: Customer Relationship Management - Understanding and Using InfoSync
July 15 — PeopleSoft Enterprise: Talent Management Benchmarks and Best Practices
July 15 — PeopleSoft Enterprise: Campus Solutions 2008-2009 Financial Aid US Regulatory 4

Get more details on Advisor Webcasts (requires login ID and password).

Oracle User Productivity Kit (UPK) - four-part Advisor Webcast series

Attention all Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft Enterprise, and JD Edwards EnterpriseOne customers: Are you looking to get the most from your applications investment? Wondering how to jump-start an upgrade or net-new implementation? Or just trying to document best practices and drive end-user productivity? Mark your calendars for a special upcoming four-part Advisor Webcast series in August dedicated to the Oracle User Productivity Kit (UPK).

The series is recommended for any technical or functional user of Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft Enterprise, or JD Edwards. Part one will kick off with "What's New in UPK 3.1" followed by individual Advisor sessions discussing the availability of the new or enhanced UPK application-specific content for Oracle E-Business Suite R12, PeopleSoft Enterprise 9.0, and JD Edwards EnterpriseOne product lines.
Get more details on specific Advisor calls.
Find out more about UPK.

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne

The Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools team announces the availability of Update 4 for the Tools Release 8.96. This release follows the Tools release update process. Please refer to the following for more information about JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools release updates:
Customer Connection:EnterpriseOne Tools Release Process Changes

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools 8.96 Update 4 (8.96.4.0) will be the final maintenance release for the 8.96 release line. All future product maintenance, platform certifications, and product enhancements will be delivered in the 8.97 or later release.

With the release of 8.96.4.0, the Tools 8.96 release will move into sustaining support. Please refer to the following for further information on Oracle lifetime support including sustaining support:
Customer Connection: Technical Support Policies

The 8.96.4.0 update includes general maintenance, including fixes in maintenance packs 8.96.0.1 through 8.96.3.3.
Refer to the Supported Platforms pages on Customer Connection for specific details about supported platforms.


JD EDWARDS EnterpriseOne Tools 8.98 Release Early Success Customer Program

Oracle is currently accepting applications from customers and partners in all global regions for participation in the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools 8.98 release Early Success Customer Program. For further information, please review this site. For additional details about the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools 8.98 release, please reference the Statement of Direction. Applications are due by end of day August 1, 2008.

JD EDWARDS EnterpriseOne Order Promising Integration

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 8.12 and Tools Release 8.97 now provide the ability to support the query/reply and real-time model notification using native business services in a service-oriented architecture for order promising (OP). OP is a feature of the sales order entry application. The goal of OP is to return forecast and planning information to the sales order entry application. OP checks inventory levels, projected supply and demand, and capacity to determine the best promise date. To learn more, please refer to the Release Notes on Customer Connection.

Monday, July 7, 2008

New Architecture Centers
Contributed by Angela Golla

OTN gives architects their props with the debut of new centers featuring expanded coverage of SOA, XTP, Virtualization (Oracle VM + JRockit), and Enterprise 2.0.
Whitepaper: Oracle Grid Computing Best Practices
Contributed by Angela Golla

Five years after the introduction of Oracle's Enterprise Grid Computing strategy, Oracle has released a new whitepaper that focuses on the IT best practices that have emerged from successful grid implementations around the world. Download the whitepaper.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

SSD, ASM, Sizing and Benchmarks, Web Security, Hyperion, Siebel

Solid State Disks

Mike Ault is now working for a company that makes Solid State Disks and has some thoughts in this posting about how the market changes, but perception often hangs a step or two back. Thus people remember that SSDs were hideously expensive in the past but they aren't that way now. I looked at SSDs for several customers some years ago, and my main concern with the technology today is still the same, can you get the same reliability as conventional disks? I know that SSDs have their own battery backup, etc., but are they really at the point to use in mainline data storage, or more of a specialized high speed disk for redo logs (a common use in the past for clients with brutally high transaction rates)?

ASM

Alejandro Vargas' Blog has a good posting on Manually changing rebalance power on an ongoing ASM rebalance operation, with a link to a paper he wrote.

Sizing and Benchmarks

Murali Sriram has a couple of links to handy tools:

Web Security

aut disce, aut discede blog has two updates of recent vintage on security that are of interest to both developers and DBAs: A Different Form of JAR Hell and Stealing Password Hashes with Java and IE.

Hyperion

A good discussion of the coming profitability management application that sits atop Essbase over at the amusingly named Look Smarter Than You Are blog.

Siebel

A link to a whitepaper on Maximum Availability Architecture (the technology formerly known as HA) at the my Siebel sandpit blog.

Official, Youbetcha Legalese

This blog is provided for information purposes only and the contents hereof are subject to change without notice. This blog contains links to articles, sites, blogs, that are created by entities other than Oracle. These links may contain advice, information, and opinion that is incorrect or untested. This blog, links, and other materials contained or referenced in this blog are not warranted to be error-free, nor are they subject to any other warranties or conditions, whether expressed orally or implied in law, including implied warranties and conditions of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with respect to this blog, links and other materials contained or referenced in this blog, and no contractual obligations are formed either directly or indirectly by this blog, link or other materials. This blog may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without our prior written permission. The opinions and recommendations contained in this blog(including links) do not represent the position of Oracle Corporation.

Oracle, JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, and Siebel are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.