The Beauty of Oracle’s Web Enabled Applications

1. The Beauty of Oracle’s Web Enabled Applications Richard Byrom Oracle Applications Consultant UKOUG November 2004

2. Agenda • Problem Statement • Solution • Oracle’s Response • Conclusion • Questions & Answers

3. Problem Statement • Disparate Reporting Solutions • Application Fragmentation • Data Separation – non relational • Lack of Standardisation • Local as opposed to shared working environments Reports and Intelligence Tools Applications Database

4. Solution – Web Services • Applications on Demand • Secure and Universal Access • Business Integration Reports and Intelligence Tools Web Applications Database

5. The Oracle Information Architecture • Unified data model • Accessible by anyone, with any device • Global • Configurable • Open

6. Oracle Product Specific Solutions • This presentation will look at Web ADI, Web OFA/EPB and Web Discoverer • It’s primary purpose is to encourage attendees to look at having all of these products running via a single web interface through 11i E-Business Suite.

7. Web ADI – Product Roadmap • Web ADI • Journal Wizard – Released • Asset Wizard – Assets Team • Inventory Wizard – Assets Team • Budget Wizard – Patch Set E • Report Manager • Report Submission and Publishing – Patch Set G • Report Wizard – Patch Set H • Analysis Wizard – Patch Set H

8. Web ADI – Journal Creation

9. Web ADI – Coming in 11.5.10 • General Ledger • Upload daily rates • Upload and download historical rates • Upload Journals • Financials Intelligence • Upload budget and forecast information

10. Web ADI – Coming in 11.5.10 • Project Accounting • Download lists of projects, issues and change documents • Download and upload budget and forecast information • Student Systems • Download student lists • Download and upload unit grades and assessment item outcomes • Download and upload progression outcomes

11. Web ADI – Coming in 11.5.10 • Engineering Online • Download and upload items in the engineering Catalog • Sales Compensation • Download commission statement • Internal Controls Manager • Upload all risk library objects – processes, • risks, controls, and audit procedures

12. Web ADI – Coming in 11.5.10 • Public Sector Financials International • Download and upload Inflation Accounting data • Trade Management • Create resale data (point of sales or indirect • sales data) • Customer or partner claim reason codes • Upload customer or partner claims

13. Application Application Application Application Application Application Database Application Application Browser Java Application Server Browser Web ADI - Internet Computing Architecture 2 Tier X 3 Tier

14. Web ADI – Installation Setup • Metalink • Download and install Patch Set C 2819091 • Download and install Rollup Patch 5 3624372 • Both of these patches are included in 11.5.10 • Setup • In the System Administrator responsibility give yourself the Web ADI Responsibility – this will give you three menus • Create Document • Create Layout • Create Mapping

15. What is OFA? • Oracle Financial Analyzer is a pre-packaged Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) application built with a Visual Basic front-end and an Oracle Express multi-dimensional data structure back-end. It is tightly integrated with Oracle General Ledger.

16. Financial Analyzer Highlights • Intuitive, easy information access • OFA is an “End-User Managed” Application • Utilizes Oracle Express, a specialized OLAP database designed for powerful analysis, fast reporting, computations and modeling • Robust Data Security by user at several levels: • Financial Data Item (locking Actuals, Budget, etc.) • Dimension level (e.g. CCtr) • Deployment Architecture Flexibility • centralized (server based), distributed, stand alone • Integrated with Oracle GL via GL Link, but can run independently

17. Oracle Financial Analyzer - Interface • The Financial Analyzer Web interface provides access to reports, graphs, and data entry forms through a Web browser.

18. Benefits of Web Publishing • Uses standard browser - no client s/w • Currently no license fee for web-only users • Accesses the Shared database • Simplifies administration • Minimizes disk usage • Tremendous flexibility in distributing specific slices of data to subsets of users

19. Limitations of Web Publishing • Provides read-only access • Calculated rows & columns do not display • Calculated FDIs and Models can be substituted • Numeric scaling does not work • Various formatting features do not work • Licensing rules may change

20. Oracle Financial Analyzer – Setup Information • System Requirements • In addition to the standard Financial Analyzer server components, the following server components must be installed: • Express Server, including Oracle Express Web Agent. The following configuration options must be selected in Express Configuration Manager: • The Web Authentication Type property on the Web Agent tab must be set to BASIC • The Require Password Encryption property on the Security tab must be set to NO • A supported Web server such as Apache

21. Oracle Financial Analyzer – Set up steps • Browser requirements • Users must have the appropriate browser installed on the PC. • User requirements • To access Financial Analyzer through the Web interface, you must have a valid user ID. You must also be set up as a user in Financial Analyzer. • Methods of Access • Financial Analyzer can be configured for direct access, or for access through Oracle Applications.

22. OFA – architecture OFA/Express Server OFA/Express Client Browser Application Server Express Database Oracle GL EBS Database

23. Enterprise Planning and Budgeting • Product to be released end of September, 2004 • Delivered as part of Oracle Applications, but can be run standalone • Delivered as a patch to Oracle Applications 11.5.9Included as part of the rapid install for 11.5.10 • Backports of EPB to 11.5.8 or earlier are not feasible • Requires Oracle9i Database 9.2.0.5 plus OLAP Option • If a customer has 10.7 or 11.0.x or no Oracle Applications, then the product can be a standalone solution

24. Migration From OFA and OSA • OFA and OSA 6.4 will be supported until mid 2008 with error correction support until end of 2006 • Oracle will provide a migration path for existing customers of OFA and OSA to migrate their implementations to EPB • Migration paper on http://www.oracle.com/applications/cpm

25. BI Beans Repository Tables AnalyticWorkspace Migration Data Flow Oracle9i APPS Security OFA/OSA Expressdatabases Tables 3. Map users to Apps security OLAP 2. Map documents, folders, saved selections to BI Beans EPB Schema InterfaceTables EPB Tables 1. Map dimensions and variables to standard schema for EPB

26. Oracle Discoverer Features

27. Oracle Discoverer Components • Discoverer Plus - http://hostname.domain/discwb4/html/english/welcome.htm • A web-based development tool used to access the EUL to create and modify workbooks.

28. Discoverer Viewer • Discoverer Viewer - http://hostname.domain/discoverer4i/viewer • Oracle Discoverer 4i Viewer is a tool for viewing workbooks created by users of the client/server or web versions of Discoverer Plus. • Oracle Discoverer 4i Viewer can also be used to integrate database output into a web site and portal and is easily customized to conform to a particular web site look and feel, or to build custom Discoverer applications for the web.

29. Oracle Discoverer Features Matrix

30. Oracle Discoverer – Web limitations

31. Discoverer Plus Architecture • Source: Oracle Discoverer 4i Configuration Guide for Oracle9i Application Server

32. Discoverer Viewer Architecture • Source: Oracle Discoverer 4i Configuration Guide for Oracle9i Application Server

33. Discoverer Viewer – take the guided tour • http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/discoverer/files/viewlets/9iAS_Disco_viewer_part1_viewlet.html

34. Oracle Discoverer - Setup • Metalink Note 146468.1

35. Single Sign-On • Build a portal or information gateway for all of your products • OFA, Discoverer and ADI can be run from the Apps logon page. • Where separate roles exist linkage should be maintained

36. Conclusions • Web Services provide you with Platform independent solutions for your application and reporting needs. • Use the Oracle Tools together to support your strategy. • Oracle’s web strategy and associated products allow you to adopt a web services strategy in your organisation.

37. Q & A

38. Speaker Information • Name: Richard Byrom • e-mail: richard.byrom@thales-is.com • richard@richardbyrom.com • Company: Thales Information Systems • Web Site: http://www.thales-is.com • http://www.richardbyrom.com • Mobile: +44-7976123106