The Beauty of Oracle’s Web Enabled Applications

Richard Byrom
Oracle Applications Consultant

UKOUG November 2004

 Agenda

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

•Disparate Reporting Reports and

Solutions Intelligence Tools
•Application Fragmentation
•Data Separation – non Applications
relational
•Lack of Standardisation
•Local as opposed to shared
Database
working environments
 Solution – Web Services

•Applications on Demand
•Secure and Universal Access
•Business Integration

Reports and
Intelligence Tools

Web
Applications

Database
 The Oracle Information Architecture

•Unified data model

•Accessible by anyone, with any device
•Global
•Configurable
•Open
 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.
 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
Web ADI – Journal Creation
 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
 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
 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
 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
 Web ADI - Internet Computing Architecture

Applicatio
2 Tier n
Applicatio
n
Applicatio
Applicatio
n
n
Applicatio
n
X
3 Tier
Databas
e
Applicatio
Applicatio
n
Browser n
Java
Application
Browser
Server
 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
 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.
 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
 Oracle Financial Analyzer - Interface
The Financial Analyzer Web interface provides access to reports, graphs,
and data entry forms through a Web browser.
 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
 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
 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
 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.
 OFA – architecture

OFA/Express Server OFA/Express Client

Browser

Application Server

Express
Database

Oracle GL

EBS Database
 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 11.5.9
Included 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
 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
 Migration Data Flow

Oracle9i
OFA/OSA APPS Security

Express Tables
databases 3. Map users to Apps security

BI Beans Repository OLAP

Tables Analytic Workspace

2. Map documents, folders,

saved selections to BI Beans
EPB Schema

Interface Tables EPB Tables

1. Map dimensions and variables

to standard schema for EPB
Oracle Discoverer Features
 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.
 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.
 Oracle Discoverer Features Matrix

Function Desktop Plus Viewer Portlets

Create / Edit Query Yes Yes No No
View Query With Dynamic Data Yes Yes Yes No
View Query With Sna pshot Data No No No Yes
BI Beans Based Charting No Yes Yes Yes
Export To Microsoft Exc el Yes Yes Yes No
Deliverable As Portlet No No No Yes
Integrated With Orac le Single Sign-On No Yes Yes Yes
Create Worksheet Parameters Yes Yes No No
Apply Para meters To Worksheet Yes Yes No No
Create / Edit Conditions Yes Yes No No
Create / Edit Calculations Yes Yes No No
Save The Workbook Yes Yes No No
 Oracle Discoverer – Web limitations
Features Not Available Made Available in
Query Building
Subqueries
Find in Item Navigator Oracle 9iAS Discoverer 9i (9.0.2)
Reporting
Find / Find Next
Undo/Redo Support
Schedule Workbooks Oracle9iAS Discoverer 9i (9.0.2)
Create / Edit title Oracle9iAS Discoverer 10g (9.0.4)
Exception formatting
Improved Printing On going improvements to be made
Select / select all
Cut / copy / paste
Item formatting
Export to Reports in XML Oracle9iAS Discoverer 9i (9.0.2)
Item properties
Analysis
Interactive pivot
Drill to detail
Drill Dialog
Drill to BLOB
Workbooks
Save/open to/from file
 Discoverer Plus Architecture

Source: Oracle Discoverer 4i Configuration Guide for Oracle9i Application Server

 Discoverer Viewer Architecture

Source: Oracle Discoverer 4i Configuration Guide for Oracle9i Application Server

 Discoverer Viewer – take the guided tour

http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/discoverer/fil
es/viewlets/9iAS_Disco_viewer_part1_viewlet.html
 Oracle Discoverer - Setup

Metalink Note 146468.1

 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
 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.
Q&
A
 Speaker Information

Name: Richard Byrom

e-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Company: Thales Information Systems
Web Site: http://www.thales-is.com
http://www.richardbyrom.com
Mobile: +44-7976123106