Oracle PS Infogram This Week: Coding, Linux, JDeveloper, Solaris, Python, SQL Developer, WLS, Hyperion

Coding

This site has some awfully handy freebies, the Oracle Solaris 11 Compatibility Checker Tool, for instance, and other projects and code samples: Oracle Sample Code.

Linux

Ten Tips on Linux system performances from William Jiang.

JDeveloper/ADF

Shay Shmeltzer's Weblog brings us a demo on Passing Parameters Between Web-Services and JSF Pages.

Solaris

The MarkusWeb[er]log lets us know about the First Ever Oracle Solaris Online Forum, coming up on April 14th.

Python

There are several free books available online for learning Python. Please be careful when downloading any online freebies, I've noticed a trend toward the sites being on the riskier side of the Internet's tracks, but the comments and the ones I checked out for these books certainly seem to be okay: 6 Free E-Books on Learning to Program with Python.

Visualization

i-proving.ca, an agile development blog, has this intriguing article/script on Visualizing dependencies between Oracle objects (with Groovy & Graphviz).

SQL Developer

Oracle SQL Developer 3.0 is now production.

You can download the software from OTN, read the release notes and review all the latest docs and demonstrations.

WLS

James Bayer's Blog lets us know about some outstanding new resources available for WLS: A Few WebLogic and Exalogic Links to end March 2011, including the new WebLogic Information Center.

Data Warehouse

The Data Warehouse Insider is starting a monthly New Best Practice series that should be of great utility. They are looking for input from their readers for what people want to know. Please drop them a line.

Hyperion

in 2 Hyperion has some valuable insights on Smart View and IE8 Timeout.

Contributions by Angela Golla, Infogram Contributor

A listing of helpful notes for the E-Business Suite Technology Stack is available in Note:828157.1. Check it out.

Oracle Infogram This Week: ECM/UCM, I/PM, Splunk, RDBMS, Business IT, Hyperion, Exadata, MySQL, Solaris, Mobile, GoldenGate, Memories, Changes

ECM/UCM

I was researching an issue for a client on UCM and found a posting of interest (with an index of other postings at the bottom) at the Online Apps DBA blog: Integrate UCM (ECM/Content Server) with Microsoft Active Directory as LDAP Provider

I/PM

A little old, but there's some good material in here for those of you considering the move from 10g/Appserver I/PM to the new Java version integrated with WLS: Oracle I/PM 11g Webcast Recap, over at the Oracle Enterprise 2.0 blog.

Splunk

Splunk is a tool for indexing and organizing logs that I'd not heard of before today. Sounds useful and interesting. I'd be interested to know how our customers are using it: Splunk 4.2 Operational Intelligence.

RDBMS

Some good under the covers material on indexing from Richard Foote: Oracle11g Bitmap-Join IOTs (Us and Them) and SQL joins: Nested Loops Join – the Smaller Table is the Driving Table, the Larger Table is the Driving Table from Charles Hooper.

Business IT

Continuing my only moderately daft concept from a past issue of the Infogram Ports and Thoughts this article: Paying Too Much for Custom Application Implementation points to another aspect of future computer assisted IT: development. There is always going to be a human laying down the core elements and dealing with the tricky bits, but what about the simple, patterned connecting the dots kind of work described here? How much easier would it be if these pieces of code were expressed not as words on a screen, but objects in the metaverse? Simple programming tasks could potentially be reduced to game that pays its participants micro fees for solving puzzles, lining up objects in patterns that translate to consistent pieces of functioning code on the back end. But the question that naturally arises is: if the computer can formulate the elements to present to humans why can't it just go ahead and finish the process? Well, it can, at least after The Singularity.

Hyperion

In 2 Hyperion brings us the second part of their Hyperion Troubleshooting and Debugging Guide.

Exadata

Kevin Closson asks the question: Will Oracle Exadata Database Machine Eventually Support Offload Processing for Everything?

MySQL

CBR Software Open Source lets us know that: Oracle introduces enhanced MySQL Enterprise Edition.

Solaris

The Constant Thinking blog brings us: How to Set Up a ZFS Root Pool Mirror in Oracle Solaris 11 Express.

Mobile Computing

Oracle Launches Application Development Framework Mobile Client from eWeek.

GoldenGate

I mentioned a series of books that looked interesting last week, including at least one on GoldenGate. I'm not the only person interested: How to Set Up a ZFS Root Pool Mirror in Oracle Solaris 11 Express.

Memories

Tom Kyte looks back: I can relate...

It can be worse. He could be saying ...we used Gopher.

Changes

Oracle Stops All Software Development For Intel Itanium

Contributions by Angela Golla, Infogram Contributor

Extended Support started on December 1, 2010 for EBS customers on release version 11.5.10. In addition, Extended Support for our R12.0.x customers will start on February 1, 2012 - less than a year from now. Like Extended Support for 11.5.10, our R12.0.x customers will also have minimum baseline patch requirements for new bug fixes as described in our EBS Error Correction Support Policy (ECP) (Doc ID 1195034.1).

Oracle Priority Service Infogram This Week: OOW, Linux, GoldenGate, EBS, DBA, Security, BPM, ADF, Expirations

OOW

It's posted on the SOA Community Blog, but it applies to anyone with an interest in Oracle. It's time to submit papers for OOW 2011: Call For Papers Oracle Open World 2011.

Exadata

Tanel Poder is rapidly becoming 'Mr. Exadata'. He was Mr. Oracle Internals before this, so it's a short trip. You can read his useful posting on Oracle Exadata Performance series – Part 1: Should I use Hugepages on Linux Database Nodes? and decide for yourself if he officially gets the title.

Linux

If you're a sysadmin for Linux you just about live on the command line, but how about the growing number if DBAs that are accustomed to 'graphical everything'? Here is an intro to some of the essential commands that will make it easier for you to get more effective control of your OS at the command line: Linux Command Line Made Easy (at coolpctips.com).

For those of you going down to the metal level on your optimization, the InfraRed blog has this: Oracle Linux 6 enhancements for x86 systems.

And while all that is going on you might want to trace. For that you can have a look at the Scott James Remnant blog: Tracing on Linux.

GoldenGate

PACKT Publications seems to be bringing out a series of books on GoldenGate. I haven't seen the reviews and would be interested to see if you have worked with any of these books and have comments/reviews. Please comment here (moderated comments, so it will post with a slight delay), or let your SDM know what you think of the series: Oracle GoldenGate: Considerations for Designing a Solution

EBS

Suddenly find yourself awash in the sea of EBS? Or perhaps you're an old hand but haven't worked with Fixed Assets? In either case you may find this introduction to the components of Fixed Assets handy: Oracle EBS – Fixed Assets : Overview. It's over at Know Oracle.

DBA

Some valuable material on working with AWR snapshots when evaluating batch run times from Jonathan Lewis at his Scratchpad blog: AWR Snapshots.

Security

If there's one thing cooler than old underground bunkers no longer used, it's these places--old underground bunkers being used at full capacity to keep parts of the Web functioning if the balloon goes up: The emergency internet bunkers from PC Pro.

BPM

Safari has an eBook version of the book: Getting Started with Oracle BPM Suite 11gR1. If you are trying to read everything you can on a Kindle, this search over at Safari might help:

http://support.safaribooksonline.com//psi/search/searchResultsView.asp?ft=3&categoryID=&search=1&kbid=&catsearch=&asearch=&ft1=3.

ADF

Mobile is the new Big Thing. I know it is for me. And ADF is there: Mobile Application Development with oracle ADF Mobile.

Expirations

Time marches on. We change the clocks, we check the smoke detector batteries...and realize that Premier Support for EBS R12.0 customers ends on January 31, 2012.

For customers who want to be on Extended Support for R12.0, there is a minimum baseline defined.

Information about the MBL can be found in the Error Correction Support Policy which can be downloaded from:

https://supporthtml.oracle.com/ep/faces/secure/km/DocumentDisplay.jspx?id=1195034.1

Also worthy of consideration is this reminder on 10g Forms at Grant Ronald's Blog: Alert for Forms customers running Oracle Forms 10g.

Contributions by Angela Golla, Infogram Contributor

Oracle RDBMS 11g Upgrade Portal
Upgrading to Oracle Database 11g Release 2 provides the latest in efficient, reliable, secure data management for mission-critical on-line transaction processing applications, query-intensive data warehouses, and content management and Web2.0 applications. The right planning, preparation, and upgrade steps will make the upgrade process simpler, faster, and more predictable from start to finish. Learn more at: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/upgrade/index.html

Oracle Priority Service Infogram This Week: APEX, Migration, Ports and Thoughts, JRuby, EBS, Siebel, Exadata, DBA, MOS, PeopleSoft, Linux

APEX

Dimitri Gielis' blog brings us a series on new APEX features, ending in this one on APEXBlogs v2 - Search.

A quick review from Marc Sewtz on one of the new APEX 4.0 books out: Oracle APEX 4.0 Cookbook.

Migration

Not geese, though they are on the move, but an OS/RDBMS: Migrating from IBM AIX/DB2 Power systems to Oracle Technologies .

Ports and Thoughts

Here's a useful article on ports in OBIEE: OBIEE 11g Managing Ports over at Senthilkumar Rajendran's Blog, and a somewhat off the wall thought of my own.

I've always found a lot of complications arising in enterprising computing from the seemingly innocuous items like ports and firewall settings and I think we've almost reached the technology turning point where games meet business and business benefits. By this I mean 3D virtualization of technical processes. Some realms, like architecture and engineering, make heavy use of computer generated virtualizations in applications like CAD. But IT itself could benefit from a virtualized version of our servers, networks and processes.

Imagine, for instance, that you can see the ports in this article as 'real' ports with plugs in them in an immersive environment like that of an online world. Then think of the possibilities if you extend that model to more complex items. Imagine, for instance, that you have a database running on a server and all the processes are visible as avatars. You can actually see the optimizer carrying out sorts (and immediately understand why a query is insanely slow). You can see that the file system is nearing full because of some error logs because you can see an avatar tossing the errors into a translucent barrel representing the storage mount point. Perhaps when the barrel is full the avatar will start clanging its metallic head on the side of the barrel to get your attention. The list goes on and on.

Computer power, graphics and interfaces are close to the point at which such systems could be practically implemented. Not only will this mean that you will be able to visualize these processes. You will be inside there with your own avatar and directly intervene and investigate. It may be a hard sell to management on this kind of a game environment (especially if they find the sys admins are generating bogus processes just so they can kill-9 them with laser pistols), but once such a system is in place the secondary benefits will be seen. The primary benefit is opening system and database management to a much larger pool of people. Just as there are more DBAs able to manage a DB using a graphic interface like OEM than the 'old school' command line DBA, there will be a scale of magnitude larger pool of people able to control technical processes using avatars in an immersive environment. Consider the next generation of technicians which is hitting the server rooms now. They are as comfortable in a video game as the old command line guys are programming a VCR (and yes, that's why command line DBAs are scary, they actually can program VCRs. But the VCR is very nearly gone, so they need to update their skill-set to something difficult in our modern technological world. Navigating hideously long LOVs comes to mind). Ok, off the soapbox for the week. If you are working on a system to control technical systems using avatars in a metaverse, please let me know. I'd love to publish more on the subject here.

JRuby

Interested in JRuby? Are you an Oracle type? Want to put the two together. Here you go: Using JRuby with Oracle Database .

EBS

From Oracle Application APPSLab: Should I Implement a Shared Appl Top? And if so How?

Siebel

Siebel Essentials informs us that there is a new certification available: Siebel CRM 8 Business Analyst.

Exadata

Kevin Closson uses a sneaky introduction to move into a useful posting on Exadata: Exadata Database Machine: The Data Sheets Are Inaccurate!

DBA

A back to basics item from the Momen Blog that is not really basic and is in fact a potential massive time saver: Massive Deletes Vs Truncating Partitions.

MOS

I've mentioned the HTML version of MOS here before, and list it on the links area of the blog, but I was happy to see that Jonathan Lewis also took note of it. You can't do everything in it, but if you just need to do searching and working with your SRs day to day it's fine, and it's faster than Flash.

PeopleSoft

Oracle Introduces Oracle’s PeopleSoft Mobile Inventory Management.

Linux

An introduction to Linux Performance Monitoring and Tuning over at The Geek Stuff.

Contributions by Angela Golla, Infogram Contributor

The PeopleSoft Information Portal provides a single entry point for locating documentation, training, and other useful information to help with implementation and improve your daily experience with Oracle products.

Just Released: EBS Data Model Comparison Report

The EBS Data Model Comparison Report provides the database object definition changes between two EBS releases to help users to preview the database object definition changes before upgrading their instances from one release to another and understand the impact of the database object changes that may affect the customization or business flows.
See Doc ID: 1290886.1 for more details.

Oracle Priority Service Infogram This Week: Java, Data Warehousing, EBS, WLS, Storage and Memory, Hyperion, Scripting, EJB, DBA, Security, Exadata

Java

The Oracle Technology Network Blog (aka TechBlog) brings us the glad tiding that Java.net Reborn.

The Aquarium, a blog which deals exclusively in virtual, programmatic fish, announces that GlassFish 3.1 is here!

Data Warehousing

The Data Warehouse Insider blog lets us know that Conventional Parallel Inserts do Exist in Oracle 11. It's a good thing. I thought I was just seeing things.

EBS

This week from the Oracle E-Business Suite Technology blog:

Oracle E-Business Suite Plug-in 4.0 Released for OEM 11g (11.1.0.1)

New Oracle E-Business Suite R12 OS and Tools Requirements on IBM AIX on Power Systems

WLS

James Bayer's Blog has a very useful item for the WLS techies up at his blog: Look Inside WebLogic Server Embedded LDAP with an LDAP Explorer.

Storage and Memory

A good white paper over at Technet on Oracle Database Smart Flash Cache will help fill in the details on this valuable 11g feature.

Meanwhile, over at Storage Mojo, the decades long discussion of the pluses, minuses and expenses of SSD rolls on: Flash isn’t storage!

Hyperion

In 2 Hyperion has another great series going: Oracle EPM Troubleshooting and Debugging Guide (Part 1 of 2)

Scripting

The Pythian Blog announces that: DBD::Oracle 1.28 Release Candidate 2 has appeared on the scene.

EJB

The ADF Unleashed blog gives us a tip on: Simulating LOV (List Of Values) in EJB.

DBA

I like this article. It gives you a few scripts for a question that a DBA always has to ask when called away from some vital task or other to answer the phone: Who are you and what do you WANT?!. What’s my name? - Finding out user information by asking the user, over at the Global Oracle Contractors Network.

Security

It may be old hat for a tough and smart security expert, but for the rest of us it's good to have an explanation of cryptography basics in English: Web Cryptography: Salted Hash and Other Tasty Dishes, over at A List Apart.

Exadata

The books on Exadata are starting to appear. This is an announcement of some early release chapters available from Tanel Poder: Expert Oracle Exadata book – Alpha chapters available for purchase!

Berkeley DB

I'm a relational type, but I'll be the first to admit that there are some applications where you just need a big bin to store things without losing track. That, and several other applications, are where Berkeley DB comes in. Have a look at: Using Oracle Berkeley DB as a NoSQL Data Store over at Technet.