First guest post....

So, yesterday I wrote my first guest post for the EBS OCP/OCE certification blog.
Check the blog for more interesting posts....

http://ebizocp.blogspot.com/

10g OCA certification

After waiting a few weeks, I finally received the OCA certificate....

guest posts...

A colleague blogger of mine, Mohan Dutt, asked me to write some posts on his own blog.
His blog (http://ebizocp.blogspot.com/) is about Oracle EBS OCP and OCE. Very interesting stuff. I accepted his invitation and agreed to write some posts for his blog.
I am going to share my OCE and OCP experience with his blog readers also....

So, be sure to visit his blog also.

Upgrade jinitiator

a simple tip I ran into at work.
We were working on a jinitiator upgrade (1.3.1.25 to 1.3.1.28), and the upgrade must be tested on both test and production environment.

How can we be sure only a few people will test the new jinitiator, while the rest is still working with the old jinitiator ??

The answer is easy. By using a profile option at user level.
The profile is : 'ICX: Forms Launcher ' , and will have the following value... http://host.domain:port/dev60cgi/f60cgi
When you want a few users to work with another version than the default jinitiator (for example 1.3.1.28), adjust the url like this :
http://host.domain:port/dev60cgi/f60cgi?config=jini13128 at user level.
This way only that user is working with the new jinitiator....

Also be sure to adjust the appsweb.cfg and add the second new jinitiator...

MO: Operating Unit not set....

This morning I was asked to look at a EBS login problem.

The customer received the following error when logging in :


oracle.apps.fnd.framework.OAException: Application: FND, Message Name: SQL_PLSQL_ERROR. Tokens: ROUTINE = AppsConnectionManager.appsInitialize(int,int,int,int,Connection):-1,-1,-1,0,oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleConnection@1d12d84; REASON = java.sql.SQLException: ORA-20001: Oracle error -20001: ORA-20001: FND-ORG_ID PROFILE CANNOT READ: N, OPTION, MO: Operating Unit has been detected in FND_GLOBAL.INITIALIZE.ORA-06512: at "APPS.APP_EXCEPTION", line 70ORA-06512: at "APPS.FND_GLOBAL", line 64ORA-06512: at "APPS.FND_GLOBAL", line 1028ORA-06512: at "APPS.FND_GLOBAL", line 541ORA-06512: at line 1; ERRNO = 20001; (Could not lookup message because there is no database connection) at oracle.apps.fnd.framework.server.OAExceptionUtils.processAOLJErrorStack(OAExceptionUtils.java:988) at oracle.apps.fnd.framework.OACommonUtils.processAOLJErrorStack(OACommonUtils.java:866) at oracle.apps.fnd.framework.webui.OAPageBean.validateUser(OAPageBean.java:4572) at oracle.apps.fnd.framework.webui.OAPageBean.preparePage(OAPageBean.java:687) at oracle.apps.fnd.framework.webui.OAPageBean.preparePage(OAPageBean.java:497) at oracle.apps.fnd.framework.webui.OAPageBean.preparePage(OAPageBean.java:418) at _oa__html._OA._jspService(_OA.java:88) at oracle.jsp.runtime.HttpJsp.service(HttpJsp.java:119) at oracle.jsp.app.JspApplication.dispatchRequest(JspApplication.java:417) at oracle.jsp.JspServlet.doDispatch(JspServlet.java:267) at oracle.jsp.JspServlet.internalService(JspServlet.java:186) at oracle.jsp.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:156) at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:588) at org.apache.jserv.JServConnection.processRequest(JServConnection.java:456) at org.apache.jserv.JServConnection.run(JServConnection.java:294) at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:534)

So it seems the profile option 'MO:Operating Unit' is not set, or is set with a wrong value.
I decided to query the fnd_profile_option_values table and check how the profile was set. The query did not produce any rows, so the profile option is empty ??

Anyway, a colleague of mine showed me a sql script to restore the old value of the profile option.

DECLARE
stat boolean;
BEGIN
dbms_output.disable;
dbms_output.enable(100000);
stat := FND_PROFILE.SAVE('ORG_ID',, 'SITE');
IF stat THEN
dbms_output.put_line( 'Stat = TRUE - profile updated' );
ELSE
dbms_output.put_line( 'Stat = FALSE - profile NOT updated' );
END IF;
commit;
END;

The script did put a value for the MO:Operating Unit in the fnd_profile_option_values table. After bouncing Apache, the problem was solved.

Oracle Database 10g: Administration I (1z0-042)

Today I passed the 1z0-042 exam, Oracle Database 10g: Administration I.
One step closer to OCP EBS Dba...

The next exam will be Oracle Database 10g: Administration II, the final one to become a OCP Dba 10g. Offcourse, there is also the hands on after both exams, but first I will try to pass the OCP exam.

After preparing for the OCA exam, it's now time for a holiday. I will be gone for a week, visiting France..

Troubleshooting Single Sign On.....

During the bootcamp and the SSO setup, I ran into some errors when trying to log in Oracle EBS.
One of the problems you can encounter is that the redirection to your SSO login page is not working. To find out what's the problem you can check the following :

1. Is OID running ? You can log on to OID using the orcladmin account, http://as10g.test.com:7779/oiddas
2. Is the iAS10g for your SSO running ? Check $ORACLE_HOME/opmn/bin/opmnctl status
3. Can you login EBS using the AppsLocalLogin.jsp url....(to check if the EBS services are running)
4. If this is working fine, check your config document again. Maybe something went wrong when administrating your EBS node with SSO (txkSetSSOReg.pl script)

Also check Metalink
- note 376811.1 :'Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 with Oracle Internet Directory and Oracle Single Sign-On '
- note261914.1 : Integrating Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i with Oracle Internet Directory and Oracle Single Sign-On
- note 444573.1 : Basic checks for user integration when using Oracle E-Business Suite 11i with Oracle AS 10g
- note 295606.1 : Oracle Application Server 10g with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i Troubleshooting

Back home

Last Friday I returned home from two weeks in Montpellier. Until the last day, we worked with EBS R12 and had some great discussions regarding Single Sign On. I had configured Single Sing On with EBS R12 and tested some features the last day.

I wanted to know what would happen if a user did exist in OID, but not in EBS . There is a profile option which takes care of this issue. If the profile 'APPS_SSO_OID_IDENTITY ' is set to 'enabled', OID will create the EBS user if it does not exist..
I also noticed that when the user password is changed in EBS, this password is also transferred to OID. But I don't think passwords should be changed in EBS anymore when using Single Sign ON.....

And after two weeks of working with R12, I returned home with more R12 experience and also with more friends !
I would like to thank the staff of the Oracle/IBM Joint Solution Center in Montpellier for making the bootcamp possible. Especially Paul Bramy, for his enthusiasm and help. I also want to thank my fellow bootcampers for sharing knowledge and experience, Pascal Labrevois and Andrea Cobis. I hope to speak them soon again...

Last week - RAC week

So, the last week of the bootcamp in Montpellier arrived. Yesterday I spend some time installing Oracle Portal, but from today I am concentrating Oracle RAC 10g. I am planning to install a RAC database using ASM. Because I have little experience with these Oracle products, it seems valueable to me.
At the same time a colleague is working on a DMZ implementation with EBS R12, so I will be looking over his shoulder also.
Last week I also installed Oracle Discoverer and maybe we can also look at the integration of Discoverer with EBS R12. I already performed the steps mentioned in note 373634.1. Since Oracle Discoverer is not part of the EBS R12 rapid install anymore, we are curious how it is working with EBS R12....

SSO and EBS R12

First week is almost over here in Montpellier. What have I done till now ?

1. - I have installed GRID control 10gR2 and upgraded it to R3. But the EBS plugin is not yet available for AIX, so I could not go on with GRID.
2. - I have installed Oracle AS10gR2 and implemented Single Sign On the EBS R12.
3. - I have installed Oracle Discoverer and configured it with SSO, so that you can also login to Discoverer using your SSO account
4. - I have managed to configure a cloned R12 environment in SSO.

Also EBS R12 was cloned from a multi node configuration to a single node configuration.
Next week I will be focusing on RAC.

EBS R12 on AIX

To start this post I would like to sum up our IBM hardware setup, on which we are working with EBS R12

Hardware:
2 4-node AIX cluster with on each 2 DB servers + 2 APPS servers
+ 1 Apps server for a Single Sign On installation and Grid Control.

Software:
- EBS release 12 for AIX
- EBS release 11.5.10.2 for AIX
- 10gR2 DB + 10.2.0.3 patchset
- 10gAS R3 ( 10.1.0.2.2 )
- 10gGrid Control (R3)
- ASM
- CRS

We have started with two multinode installations of EBS R12 on AIX. One with a vision database and the other one with an empty database. The environment with an empty database is going to be used for cloning. But after installing EBS R12 we ran into a forms problem. When creating a forms session in EBS, a FRM-92101 error occurs. We are investigating what the problem could be. I also found out OPMNCTL does not work from the command line..

opmnctl status
Unable to connect to opmn.
Opmn may not be up.

Could be same problem.
From an IBM colleague in the US we received a solution we are about to test.
More to come....

Montpellier

I have arrived in Montpellier. I got stuck in Paris for more then a hour, but around 01:00 this morning I arrived at my hotel.
After a few hours of sleep, I hooked up with another EBS dba, and together we went to IBM France for the bootcamp.

We first designed our strategy for the coming 2 weeks as you can see on the picture.
Next we divided the tasks and made sure everybody was able to login the machines.
We are now starting with an EBSR12 install, both vision and an empty database.
Also we are installing a Grid control 10GR3 to manage the databases....unfortunately the EBS plugin is not yet available for the IBM platform...(only Linux and Solaris..)

Program EBS R12 Bootcamp

I received the program for the upcoming two weeks in Montpellier. During the EBS R12 bootcamp we will try to investigate the following subjects :

1) Application-tier focus:
· Shared APPL_TOP
· Shared oAS (10.1.2 (forms) or 10.1.3 (oc4j) or both?)
· OAS Load Balancing (10.1.2, 10.1.3, both?)
· DMZ implementation, covering, possibly, Reverse Proxy and APPL_TOP or oAS Cloning
· Single Sign-On
· Integration with Oracle Business Intelligence (Discoverer / OBI EE)
· Upgrade to oAS 10.1.x if and when available

2) DB-Tier focus:
· RAC 10g (how to add an extra node)
· Database Vault with R12

3) General Architecture focus:
· Cloning (Full, Appl_top, oAS 10.1.2 oAS 10.1.3)
· Upgrading from R11 to R12 (no hands on - just review of steps)

4) Additional ideas
· Grid Control plugins
· MLS Impact. This is a time killer, but I would anticipate to document the translation steps, in dotted line, in a document deliverable, if any.
· Cross platform deployment. Looks like we don’t have the hardware ready for that, but maybe Paul may be able to get us some space in a zVM host to move the database here. The blazing speed of an IBM z9 platform is always refreshing.
· OCFS/GPFS
. Java (JRE) Plug-In 1.5.0_12 for EBS 11i

Java (JRE) Plug-In 1.5.0_12 Certified with Apps 11i

For EBS R12 you could already use the Sun Java plugin instead of the Oracle Jinitiator.
Now the standard Sun java plugin is also certified for EBS 11i (11.5.9 and later..)
Version 1.5.0_12 is certified for 11i.
For more about this see the Steven Chan blog

http://blogs.oracle.com/schan/2007/06/26#a1672

EBS R12 bootcamp 2007

I will be blogging about R12 the next two weeks. From 2-7 till 13-7, I am participating in a Oracle/IBM EBS R12 bootcamp in Montpellier (France).
This bootcamp is organized by the Oracle/IBM Joint Solutions Center. At first a colleague of mine was invited, but he could not find the time and suggested I should go in his place....:)

So, for two weeks I will be working with R12 only...and will try to blog this adventure.

What's the use of blogging ??

I ran into the following post on the blog of Adam Darowski. He is talking about the new resume...check it out.

http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/2007/03/06/the-blog-is-the-new-resume/

Oracle Certified Expert

Because I passed the Oracle 11i System Administrator exam (1z0-232), I can now call myself an Oracle Certified Expert.

Yesterday I received a certificate....

Missing oraInventory

When running the http patch, I received some errors...It seemed the oraInventory was not valid, at least the http entry was missing.
The oraInventory that was incomplete was the global oraInventory. I noticed that the local oraInventory in the $IAS_HOME was complete, but running the patch with this oraInventory did not work. Something about the oraInventory...
In the file oraInst.loc (usually in the /var/opt/oracle directory), the location of the global oraInventory is shown. In the global oraInventory you find the installed ORACLE_HOMES and in the ORACLE_HOME you find the local oraInventory for that ORACLE_HOME.
I find out n Metalink that the global oraInventory can be restored if the local oraInventory is valid.
The perl script OUIsetup.pl in the $ORACLE_HOME/appsoui/setup (IAS_HOME) directory can be used to recreate the global oraInventory.
After recreating the global oraInventory the http patch was successfully applied.

new templates after patch

The other day I patched a database and I had to run autoconfig at the end.
It seemed a template was modified by a patch, and this template had a customized version.
The following lines were produced by autoconfig...

Starting Utility to Report Version Conflicts at Fri Jun 01 00:19:04 MEST 2007Using VersionConflictListGenerator.java version 115.4
[ INFO_REPORT ]
[ AD_TOP ]
[ VERSION CONFLICTS INFORMATION ]
Template shipped by oracle is having a version different than the template lying in custom directory.Template shipped by Oracle : /opt/software/applmgr/SID/appl/ad/11.5.0/admin/template/APPLSYS_ux.env(version: 115.89)Custom template : /opt/software/applmgr/SID/appl/ad/11.5.0/admin/template/custom/APPLSYS_ux.env(version: 115.88)Please resolve the differences between the two templates or refer to metalink note 165195.1 for further details.

So, autoconfig shows me which templates have a different version. Now I have to find out which customizations are made to this template and update the customized template to the higher version of the template. You can use the unix 'diff ' command to compare the two templates.
Adjust the customized template and run autoconfig again..
You can also look into the patch logfile to find out which templates are modified....

Blog value

A half year ago (December 2006) I posted the value of my blog. At that moment It was worth
564.54 dollar...
A half year later...

My blog is worth $3,951.78.
How much is your blog worth?