Explore the Oracle Financial Services Lending & Leasing solution with Oracle University’s Learning Subscription. You will have 24x7 access so that you can learn when and where it suits you, during or between billable projects and either at work or from home.

There is an emphasis on business configuration setup, origination, servicing and collection, and wholesale floor planning. You can gain practical insight into the key modules, the relationship between those modules, process flows, and capabilities of OFSLL applications. You can also learn to understand the purpose and implication of specific maintenances in day-to-day transaction processing.

To preview go to: Oracle Financial Services Lending & Leasing Learning Subscription

You can order online.

Remember: Your Oracle PartnerNetwork discount is applied to the standard price shown on our web pages.

For more information and assistance simply contact your local Oracle University Service Desk.

Written by Dr. Christoph Burandt, Senior Principal Instructor, Oracle University

The main difference between this new way and the previous way: the database storage and memory is not any more located “on premises” (that means locally located at my office or company site.)

The new approach uses a data center as storage location for the creation of a Database as a Service DBaaS,  which is also named as Database Cloud Service (DBCS).

Each database also has it’s own shape, which is VM provided, with an eligible number of OCPUs and RAM.

Let’s examine the main components of this architecture to become more familiar with this new Oracle technology.

My intention is to describe only the basic functionalities, which helps guide us through the creation process of a database deployment.

The complete architecture is presented in this video of Jean Francois Verrier.

On the left hand side of Fig.1,  there is the Oracle Cloud My Service environment, where I need to have a username like xxxxx@oracle.com and password to connect and moreover a data center and identity domain.

Oracle Cloud Terminology (Oracle Documentation):

How to get such an account?

According to Oracle documentation:

“To register for a trial or purchase a subscription to an Oracle Cloud service, you must have an oracle.com account. If you do not have an oracle.com account, the system prompts you to create an account the first time you attempt to sign up for an Oracle Cloud service.”

The Database Console will be used to create the Database Cloud Service DBCS “Shape” which is a Virtual Machine (VM) containing as basic components the RDBMS Instance plus the File System consisting of mount points where max. 10 volumes can be attached.

The Compute Console positioned in the picture below the Database Console allows after creation of the “Shape” to add more volumes, if needed.

The following table shows the default sizing settings for a database deployment:

The maximum possible storage equals 2 TB (2048 GB) for the creation process.

After creation, you can add more storage - up to 4.6 TB with local backups or up to 12TB without local backup. This means backups sent to the Storage Cloud Container.

The public key saved inside the shape allows passwordless connect to the shape with the only open port 22 using SSH.

Other ports like 1521 or, for example, 5500 to use EM Express can be opened using the predefined access rules in combination with Security IP lists, which allows to configure something like a firewall.

The Creation Process

• I use my oracle.com account to connect to Oracle Cloud My Services.
• From there I select the Create Database Cloud Service.
• The creation starts when you click on the create service link and continues with the choice of the service level: Oracle Database Cloud Service or Oracle Database Cloud Service – Virtual Image with pre-installed Oracle software.
• The first possibility: Oracle Database Cloud Service creates the VM, including a Database Cloud Service and this is my choice.

The Billing Frequency decision is the next step, but I am relaxed here because for me, it’s just a test case.

Next, I need to choose between the database versions 11gR2 (11.2.0.4) or 12cR1 (12.1.0.2). Standard Edition is only possible in the 11ggR2 version.

Beside Enterprise Edition 12c, Enterprise Edition 12c– high Performance or Enterprise Edition 12c– Extreme Performance is also offered, which includes all database options. So I take this.

All 12c Editions are Container Databases. Oracle Database 12c includes the Oracle Multitenant option for managing Pluggable Databases in the cloud.

Now I have to determine  the configuration for the service: My Service_name is MYDBCS, for the shape (predefined pairs of OCPU and RAM) I take the pair : 1 OCPU, 15 GB RAM.

Then I select the correct time zone and now – very important – I need a public key.

I can generate a private / public key pair with e.g. puttygen saving the keys in file mykey.pub for the public key and in file mykey.ppk for the private key.

The easiest way is to copy the public key value from the open puttygen application directly (I am using Windows) and paste the value into the opening window of the database console.

The private key file will later be used to connect passwordless to the Database Cloud Service. Moreover, I provide the database and data file storage size, admin user password, DB name and PDB name. By default, every non-system tablespace is encrypted using TDE.

Regarding the Backup Recovery Configuration: it's easier to choose NONE, but in this case no backup can be created. If I want to run backups of my DBCS, I must first create a Cloud Storage Container.

But before I am able to use the Oracle Storage Cloud Service, I have to select a replication policy for the service instance in case my domain spans multiple data center.

To create the storage container, I use the utility Curl, which is installed on my windows laptop. Oracle Storage Cloud Service requires authentication for any operation against the service instance.

Therefore, I need to get authentication tokens from the service as a first step, using the curl command get provided with my Cloud Services user credentials.

During the second step, these authentication tokens are used as part of the curl command put to create the Cloud Storage Container. There are more possible configurations like creation based on backup, setting character sets, RAC, Data Guard and more options to use.

Now I am ready to start the creation process. The duration depends on the data center resources.

I finally get this:

Summary

Using the Cloud technology, I still feel I'm working as a database administrator, but with changing tasks.

The Tools EM Express, SQLPLUS etc. can be used as before. But in any case, the Database Cloud Service (DNCS)  concept is really something new. I think it’s important to go on working with the Tool Oracle Cloud My Services to realize all possible features.

It's important to note the Oracle Cloud technology we have experiences very rapid development of new features, which makes it necessary to actualize frequently.

Take Oracle Database Cloud for Oracle DBAs Ed 1 if you want to go further with the DBCS. This interactive, hands-on course offered through Oracle University gives you the opportunity to really practice DBCS.

Dr. Christoph Burandt developed software for controlling and data analysis in the medical technical area before joining Oracle University in 1999. Working as training consultant, he is an Oracle Database Administration, SQL and PL/SQL Development, SQL Tuning, Performance Tuning, Data Guard and New Features expert.

WebADI and Report Manager need a digital certificate to integrate with Microsoft Office.  This digital certificate is used to sign the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code.

A new SHA-256 digital certificate is now available for EBS 12.1 and 12.2.  This replaces the previous certificate that expired in August 2016. 

There are four different updates available -- you should pick the patch that corresponds to your EBS version:

• EBS 12.2.5 - Patch 23135062:R12.BNE.C
• EBS 12.2.4 - Patch 23135071:R12.BNE.C
• EBS 12.2.3 - Patch 23135079:R12.BNE.C
• EBS 12.1.3 - Patch 22962367:R12.BNE.B (Digital signatures are not supported by Report Manager for EBS 12.1)
  

Known Issues

Office 2007 does not recognize documents that have been digitally signed using SHA-256 certificates. In such cases adding the documents storage location to 'Trusted Locations' can be used to avoid this issue. Further information is available through the Microsoft document:

• Can't digitally sign VBA projects in Office 2007 by using an SHA256 code-signing certificate (Microsoft.com)
  

References

• Microsoft Office Integration with Oracle E-Business Suite 11i and R12 (Note 1077728.1)
  

Oracle Open World is just around the corner. Like always we have an exciting lineup of events, sessions, and gatherings focusing on Data Integration to pick and choose from. Keep following this blog and social media (facebook and twitter) for regular and live updates on the happenings during OpenWorld.

Scheduling and Planning for the Event

With so much on offer it always pays to plan your schedule ahead of time so that you do not miss those sessions that you are really interested in.

This focus on document compiles everything that focuses on Data Integration Solutions. This is a “must have” bookmark that is very handy to have when planning and attending Oracle Open World. Seasoned OpenWorld attendees swear by it!

Sessions to Watch out For

While every session has its dedicated focus, attending any OpenWorld event is an exercise in priorities. Below are some, by no stretch exhaustive, crucial sessions listed in no particular order of priority.

a.Oracle Data Integration Solutions: Platform Overview and Roadmap [CON6619]– This session by Jeff Pollock, Vice President of Product Management at Oracle, covers the full range of solutions in Oracle's Data Integration platform. An overview and road-map are given for each product, including how the Data Integration Platform tackles emerging customer requirements including migration to the cloud, data warehousing in the cloud, and big data integration.

Why Attend: This session covers the overall vision and strategy of Oracle Data Integration across all DIS products. Attend this session to hear Jeff make the case for why Oracle is the best provider of Data Integration Solutions.

b.Oracle Data Integration for Cloud Data Migration and Warehousing [CON6620] - The rapid movement to cloud-based solutions brings with it a new set of data integration challenges as data moves from ground to cloud and cloud to cloud. Join this session led by Oracle Product Management to hear how the Oracle Data Integration suite of products is responding.

Why Attend: Cloud! If you are at all remotely interested in how Oracle Data Integration is taking advantage of and incorporating the latest cloud trends attend this session.

c.Oracle Big Data Integration in the Cloud [CON7472] - As more and more companies adopt the cloud platform, there is a pressing need to handle data seamlessly across various combinations of on-premises, cloud and heterogeneous data management systems and changing business models. This session is an overview of Oracle Data Integration’s cloud services and solutions that help customers manage their data movement and data integration challenges and opportunities across the enterprise. Come to the session for details about how to get started quickly in the cloud with data integration for Hadoop, Spark, NoSQL, and Kafka. You will also see the latest in self-service tools that focus on easy and reliable data preparation for nontechnical users.

Why Attend: - Combining Big Data and Cloud seamlessly is one of the top priorities for Oracle Data Integration. Attend this session to see how Oracle Data Integration contributes to and is helped by the rest of the Oracle solutions and investments in Big Data and Cloud.

Customer Appreciation Awards

To promote best practices and celebrate the accomplishments of Oracle Cloud Platform innovations around the world, Oracle will announce the winners of the 2016 Oracle Cloud Platform Awards at this event. These awards honor organizations for their cutting-edge solutions using Oracle Cloud Platform. Meet these innovators and hear how they are using Oracle Cloud Platform to transform their businesses.

We look forward to seeing you at this year’s Open World and hearing from you. For more information about Oracle Data Integration and its products visit our home page here. Happy packing!

Mark your calendars for: 

Let's use JShell to learn about Paths and Files and Streams... here we go... this seems to work, since the Output window prints out the content of my file, which has two lines "hello" and "world":

Sweet documentation explains everything:

Next, let's put that useful code snippet to some use... i.e., we'll move it into a new Java source file in my application:

And there it is, all the verbosity/expressiveness of Java wrapped around our little snippet:

Hmmm. This will be pretty useful for anyone teaching and/or learning Java.

On September 6, 2016, Oracle announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire LogFire, a provider of cloud-based warehouse management applications. LogFire's  built-for-the-cloud solution provides an integrated warehouse, inventory and workforce management platform that easily scales with increased volume and complexity.

Supply chain organizations are under enormous pressure to capitalize on evolving business trends such as omni-channel fulfillment, integrated logistics and dynamic sourcing, while simultaneously increasing efficiency and reducing costs. To meet these challenges, Oracle Supply Chain Management (SCM) Cloud offers a broad suite of innovative applications that enables organizations to modernize their supply chain processes.

The addition of LogFire will complement the logistics functionality of the Oracle SCM Cloud by adding cloud-based warehouse management capabilities.

Learn more.

In my previous article I discussed the fall updates of Integration Cloud Service. One of the features in this update is the possibility for content-based routing within integrations. I came across this feature during UKOUG Tech 15 in the beginning of December. In an two our hands-on lab I had some time to play with the content-based routing feature. The amazing thing is that it did it all on my iPad. In this article I will describe the feature and the steps to implement a common use-case.

What does Content-Based Routing mean?

The fall updates introduced content-based routing, which essentially mean that based on a value in the payload a different flow is executed. A use-case for this type of routing is the possibility to retrieve data from a different application based on the country code. With Integration Cloud Service is as easy as adding a filter on the request operation of the source connection.

Step 1: Adding a filter to route on

The first step is adding a filter to route the request on. To demonstrate this I’m using an already existing integration. This integration receives a GET request for retrieving the information of an organization. The current integration always retrieves the organization from the US site.

To add a filter a user would click on the funnel icon. Clicking on this icon will open the Expression Builder. In the Expression Builder a user can set an expression to filter requests on. This can simply be done by drag n drop the field to filter on. Read the complete article here.

SOA & BPM Partner Community

For regular information on Oracle SOA Suite become a member in the SOA & BPM Partner Community for registration please visit www.oracle.com/goto/emea/soa (OPN account required) If you need support with your account please contact the Oracle Partner Business Center.

BlogTwitterLinkedInFacebookWiki

In addition to the generic JShell integration in NetBeans, discussed yesterday, there's more finegrained support enabling project-specific JShell snippets to be run.

Each project, whether Maven-based or Ant-based, will have an "Execute Java Shell" menu item, which is shown below. When that menu item is clicked, a new VM is created, which has access to the project's path, including project-specific JShell snippets, as discussed below.

Below you see a folder "nbproject/private/jshell-snippets", which contains JShell snippets that I know will be handy for experimenting with in the context of my project:

Also, note that there's a folder called "startup", within "jshell-snippets", above. Anything in there will be executed automatically when the project-specific JShell starts up. In the case of Maven, you'll set a property in your POM, "org.netbeans.jshell.snippetsRoot", which points to a folder in which your snippets, including the optional "startup" folder, are found.

Once the project-specific JShell has started, there's a small drop-down that shows an item for each of the JShell snippets, which can be run by clicking on them:

Alternatively, you can do a Run/Debug project and then Run | Open Java Shell for Main Project, which connects to the VM where the project is run/debugged. The difference is the startup procedure. "Execute Java Shell" only starts the machine and waits for interaction from JShell, while "Open Java Shell" works with an existing process which starts as a regular application.

Hyperscale public clouds are at the center of attention in the tech industry, and rightfully so, as they are the new normal for deploying many system-of-record applications – the lifeblood of enterprises.

However, there are a multitude of applications that aren’t necessarily suitable for centralized hyperscale cloud deployment. Instead, these applications thrive in distributed computing environments. 

In this article: “Cloudlets:Where the cloud meets intelligent devices”

Robert Shimp, group vice president of Linux and Virtualization Product Management, discusses systems of engagement and systems of control and why you need to consider a cloud infrastructure that extends closer to the edge to deliver on the needs of a real-time enterprise.

Read more

Web-based content in Oracle E-Business Suite 12 runs on the Oracle Application Framework (OAF or "OA Framework") user interface libraries and infrastructure.  Since the release of Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2 in 2013, we have released several cumulative updates to Oracle Application Framework to fix performance, security, and stability issues. 

These updates are provided in cumulative Release Update Packs, and cumulative Bundle Patches that can be applied on top of the Release Update Pack. "Cumulative" means that the latest RUP or Bundle Patch contains everything released earlier.

The latest OAF update for EBS 12.2.5 is now available:

• Oracle Application Framework (FWK) Release 12.2.5+ Bundle 6 (Patch 24329530:R12.FWK.C)

Where is the documentation for this update?

Instructions for installing this OAF Release Update Pack are here:

• Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 Upgrade Considerations for OA Framework-based Applications (Note 1927975.1)

Who should apply this patch?

All EBS 12.2.5 users should apply this patch.  Future OAF patches for EBS 12.2.5 will require this patch as a prerequisite. 

What's new in this update?

This bundle patch is cumulative: it includes all fixes released in previous EBS 12.2.5 bundle patches.

This latest bundle patch includes new fixes for the following critical issues:

• The table header content overlapped with the records present at the immediate row when there is a specific personalization on the page.
• In environments with Multi-Org Access Control (MOAC) enabled, the List of Values (LOV) search returns empty results with a newly added search query filter while creating a personalized view.
• On specific JTT Interop pages, the LOV search window opens up only on double click if the LOV is dependent on the Partial Page Refresh (PPR) enabled field.

This Bundle Patch requires the R12.ATG_PF.C.Delta.5 Release Update Pack as a mandatory prerequisite.

Related Articles

• Which JDeveloper Version Works With Your EBS Release?
• Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2.5 Now Available
  
• New User Interface Features in Release 12.2.4
• New OA Framework 12.2.5 Update 4 Now Available
• New OA Framework 12.2.5 Update 5 Now Available
• 
  

Written by Nicole Fornacon, Marketing Director, EMEA/APAC, Oracle University

It's the 2020s. You've commuted to the office in your titanium flying car, to be greeted by a robotic receptionist. You’ve traveled to your virtual, interactive desk which serves you a tall coffee and scans the morning's to-do list onto your retina.

Or maybe not.

Just as we're still waiting for the paperless office to arrive, the workplace of the foreseeable future will probably still be an open-space, with a wood or metal desk, as well as human colleagues.

But according to futurists, and human resource specialists, there's a strong chance that in 5 years' time, your job will be very, very different.

So, what better time than now to figure out how the IT industry is changing and what kind of growth each role is destined to experience? Let's examine how the Cloud is changing the way IT departments work.

A few years from now, staff and managers will need to adapt to a cloud-driven environment.

Next Stop: the Cloud

The IT train is traveling at high speed towards the next big station: the Cloud.

If you haven’t already jumped in, you still have some time left. But hurry, things are going to change quickly within the next 5 years.

The pace of change can be dizzying!

Keeping up with everything emerging in IT today can drive even the most devoted tech worker to distraction.

But IT professionals who don't take the time to lift their heads from the PC and evaluate the IT landscape may be asking for career trouble 5 years out.

Because one fact is clear: organizations of all stripes are increasingly moving IT infrastructure to the Cloud.

Cutting the Wires

When you step off the elevator at the office or data center five years from now, what will you see?

Fewer servers and fewer co-workers, most likely. Maintaining on-premises data centers is a costly effort, much more so than connecting to the Cloud.

If the current trend toward moving infrastructure to the Cloud is any indication, organizations that haven't already done so will carefully consider those expenses - and many will ultimately decide to trim them over the next five years.

The Evolution of IT Skills

Ten years ago, if IT staff were plugging special cables into special switches, today we are facing a completely different scenario. Cables and switches are replaced by virtual storage volumes across the network, while applications that do their own storage allocation via APIs.

The future is about:

• Enabling the deployment and consumption of Cloud services, not installing, configuring, and managing stacks.
• IT departments now have more viable options to outsource and automate these tasks than ever before, and spend less time on-site performing mundane tasks.
• The IT department will no longer need onsite monitoring and recovering devices and systems to ensure they're ready for use. 

IT Professionals as Strategic Planners & Business Analysts 

Instead, IT professionals can spend more time as strategic planners and business analysts who ensure their organizations are structured appropriately to support cloud-based office communications.

• Companies' infrastructure will move increasingly to the Cloud.
• So will the jobs dedicated to maintaining racks. 
• This will create a need for good network engineers, help desk staff, security managers and business analysts. 

The need for server/storage engineers, systems administrators, or data center managers will decrease.

The result will be a fundamental shift in IT's overarching mission at most organizations, with the support-and-maintain mind-set giving way to a more strategic, software-centric vision for IT.

The IT staff of the future is likely to need the skills of a business-person to stay current, as their company's software requirements and the options for satisfying them will be deep, varied, and changing quickly.

IT Roles in Flux

At this point, you must be asking yourself: as the Cloud continues to gain terrain, will companies need a fully staffed IT department?

As you may have guessed, only few believe the IT department will disappear. Companies will still require talented staff who can, at the very least, manage systems integration.

But an IT department five years from now will need to keep pace with nearly constant change and the main switch will be towards a strategic mindset.

IT will no longer be the people who try to manage the database; they'll be the people who are thinking of new ways to monetize, share, and use data for organization-wide success.

As more workloads shift to the Cloud, the construction of the IT department, by necessity, must change away from traditional roles to those more focused on vendor, business, security, and service management.

The more complex and interconnected the cloud environments become, the higher amount of a general understanding and knowledge of how it all works together will be required from IT teams. The days of simple technology verticals are over.

If you want to build it, maintain it, or fix it, you have to be able to see and understand how it all connects together.

Projecting the Future

Some experts see the Cloud benefiting the IT department by paving the way for staffers to expand their roles, doing more development work, coding, tying systems together, and creating flexible applications that resemble platforms.

Also, in the years to come, everyone in the IT industry will experience a rising need for security skills, due to IT’s expanding role in development and automation projects.

Changes will occur not only within the roles, but also surrounding the structure of the IT departments. In five years, they'll look more like miniature software companies, with staff dedicated to solving their customers' problems. IT departments will be more fluid, solving co-workers' problems with an architecture that's adaptable to changing requirements.

Position Yourself for Long-Term Growth

Smart companies have corporate road maps that spell out where they'd like to be 3, 5 and 10 years out, how they're going to get there, and how technology fits into that vision.

As a smart IT professional, can you say how your skills and position figure into your company's plans, or the industry's plan as a whole?

Everything is moving to the Cloud.

There has never been a better time to invest in yourself and to train for the Cloud.

Oracle University offers Cloud Training Solutions that will show how to migrate to, implement, administer, optimize and use Oracle Cloud applications and platform.

Professional experience, coupled with Oracle Cloud training, demonstrates your skill and proficiency in the industry and sets you on the path to a better and more rewarding career.

Investing in hands-on Cloud training empowers you to stay relevant and up to date with your skills.

Explore Oracle Cloud offerings today!

In the last few months I mentioned that Oracle is developing an Agent. The Agent easily integrates your on-premises application(s) with the Oracle Cloud Services. The Agent is rolling out on all production instances next week. It was publicly announced by Bruce Tierney on the 3rd of January. He is the Director of Product Marketing for Cloud Integration and SOA. You can read his announcement on the Oracle Integration blog.

In this first article about the Agent I will go into the architectural basics,  which components are included and how it will connect Cloud to On-premises applications. The article is based on information I presented about during OpenWorld 2015.

Current / classic integration approach

The current approach for connecting Cloud / Internet hosted applications with On-premises applications is usually through one or more firewalls, and the use of a reverse proxy, Oracle API Gateway or OHS. For this a variety of expertise is needed for example to open up inbound ports in the firewall, expose a private SOAP/REST service and configure the network routing. The SOAP/REST service can for example be implemented with SOA Suite to for example communicate with the CRM to retrieve customer data.

Let look at the current / classic approach in the diagram below:

This is going to change a lot when using the Agent. It will simplify above diagram.

Common Cloud to On-Premises Integration Patterns

Currently there are three common patterns for Cloud to On-Premises integrations. They are 1. using messaging, 2. through a proxy and 3. using an agent. Read the complete article here.

SOA & BPM Partner Community

For regular information on Oracle SOA Suite become a member in the SOA & BPM Partner Community for registration please visit www.oracle.com/goto/emea/soa (OPN account required) If you need support with your account please contact the Oracle Partner Business Center.

BlogTwitterLinkedInFacebookWiki

Oracle Enterprise Manager 13c enables you to build your own private clouds and easily scale them using Oracle Cloud. Let’s take a look on great capabilities that evolves your private cloud infrastructure allowing to pursue cloud initiatives with the assurance that all systems will work together, seamlessly and efficiently, over the long term.

Agenda:

• Oracle Cloud Strategy
• Oracle Enterprise Manager 13c– Overview
• Building a private cloud
• Oracle Public Cloud Integration
• Managing cloud instances
• Summary and Q&A

Date: Thursday, September 22nd, 10am CET (9am GMT/11am EET)

Presenter: Alexey Kotelnitzky | EM&Cloud Expert, FORS Distribution

Demo: EM Public Cloud Instance adding, managing and transferring workloads

Read more.

Register here.

Join us for a complementary session for partners on the latest around Oracle Healthcare for partners, showcasing an overview on the Oracle Healthcare Foundation Platform and FY17 Partner Strategy with Jonathan Sheldon PhD, Global Vice President, Oracle Healthcare.

We look forward to having you with us for the Oracle Healthcare Foundation FY17 Partner Strategy webcast!

Join us for a complementary session for partners on the latest version of Oracle Healthcare for partners, showcasing an overview on the Oracle Healthcare Foundation Platform, Oracle Healthcare Precision Medicine and FY17 Partner Strategy as well as a technical overview on the product functionalities and demo of the product, presented by our Oracle Health Sciences experts.

Register now

The availability of Travel & Expense for Oracle Standard System Installation (OSSI) allows for the delivery into remote locations and delivery countries without Oracle local resources. Recent changes enable Oracle and its partners to profitably reach a much broader market area. Although the pricing has not changed, a T&E estimate can be added to OPS sales quotes for remote location.

Click HERE to learn more. 

This year we are very excited to have 8 partners showcasing their solutions at the Oracle Linux, Virtualization and OpenStack Showcase at Oracle Openworld.  Our showcase area will feature partner and Oracle pods as well as Mini theatre where partners will present their solutions. We have exciting demos and giveaways which should be an incentive to come by.

Our first partner we are featuring in our spotlight is SGI.