Upgrading Oracle Applications Release 11i – Lessons Learned
Session Leaders John Stouffer, Solution Beacon Alicia Hoekstra, Solution Beacon
Release 11i Workshops Orlando, FL • Chicago, IL • St. Louis, MO • Los Angeles, CA San Ramon, CA • Boston, MA • Dallas, TX www.solutionbeacon.com
© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Experiences
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John Stouffer u Oracle Apps DBA with over 15 years experience performing more than 400 installations and upgrades u Releases 8 through 11i u Taught first ever Release 11 Install/Admin Classes for Oracle u OAUG Upgrade SIG Chair u Oracle Fusion Council Chair Alicia Hoekstra u Working with Oracle Applications since 1993 u Releases 8 through 11i Performed 12 simultaneous upgrades in 1998 Completed more than dozens of 11i upgrades
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Are you an OAUG Member?
Member Benefits include: n Advocacy opportunities to influence Oracle on product enhancements, usability, new features, Oracle support, pricing and quality n Knowledge that showcases the latest trends and techniques used by industry leaders through our national and regional events and our publications, such as OAUG Insight magazine n Communication with other OAUG members worldwide through participation in OAUG committees, leadership positions, interaction with Oracle Corporation's user initiatives, frequent member surveys, and Oracle management briefings n Education through the hundreds of career-enhancing presentations in our conference paper database archive, as well as discounts to conferences and Oracle education n Networking with Oracle customers, industry experts, thirdparty software firms, and other Oracle Applications specialists through our Member Database and Online Vendor Directory
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© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Audience Profile
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Functional u Management u Analyst u End User Technical u Database Administrator u Web Administrator u Developer Current Application Release u Release 10.7, 11.0.x, 11.5.x Current User Interface(s) u Character, SmartClient, Citrix, OADM, NCA, ICA, JInitiator
© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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The Project
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Every project is different Know where you’re starting from (The Assessment) u Stabilize your current environment u Baseline current environment Know where you’re going (The Plan) u Upgrade or Re-implement u Specific Release u Architecture Know what it takes (The People) u Sufficient personnel for all project roles
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Typical Upgrade / Migration Steps – An Overview
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© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
System Review and Initial Project Planning – minimum 3-8 days (Production) System Stabilization (Production) and Detailed Project Planning – Environment/Resource Dependent Test Upgrade and Support – 5-?+ days (use a Complete and Current Copy of Production) Application Testing and Support – Environment/Resource Dependent Extensions Re-Development and Remediation – Environment/Resource Dependent Training – Environment/Resource Dependent System Integration Testing – Environment/Resource Dependent Production Upgrade and Support – 3+ days
Upgrade Timeline – One Example
System Review/Project Planning System Stabilization Test Upgrades & Support Application Testing Redevelopment Team Training Integration Testing Production Upgrade User Training
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System Review and Project Planning
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Hardware – Limited Number of Supported Platforms Software – Operating System, Oracle RDBMS, Tools, and Oracle Applications Installation and Technical Configuration – Upgradeable Combination – Server Partitioning Complete Resources – Technical, Functional, Education Extensions (Interfaces, Customizations) Environment – Split Configuration, Multi-User, Multi-Tier User Interface(s) and Desktop Configuration Project Planning (Approach, Timing)
© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Technical Assessment Report
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Systems Overview Current Risks/Issues General Remarks and Findings Specific Findings and Recommendations u Security / Risk Related u Performance / Stability Related u General / Standards Related Instance Details
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System Stabilization
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Prioritize Repair /Replace Baseline Hardware Acquisition and Installation PreUpgrade Configuration (10.7/11.0.x) as of 7/15/01 – check MetaLink! u 7.3.4 “Minimum” u 8.0.6 “Minimum” u 8.1.7 / 7.3.4 Server Partitioned (10.7) u Module patch sets “Minimum” (patch current not required)
© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Test Upgrades and Support
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Hardware and Software Installation/Configuration 10.7/11.0 Pre- and Post-Upgrade Steps / Activities u Category 1, 2, 3, AutoUpgrade, Database Maintenance Patch u Category 4, 5, 6, Post Upgrade Tasks, Install Help Database Rebuild – Cleanup/Optimize/Resize Timings – 1st upgrade “technical”, 2nd upgrade “functional” Extensions Undocumented Upgrade Issues Patches User Interface(s) and Access u Client Configuration (CPU, Memory) u JInitiator and Browser
© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Test Upgrades and Support
Backup / Recovery n Patching n Cloning n Startup / Shutdown n Monitoring n Simplified OFA
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Application Testing
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Data Validation Functionality Patches User Interface(s) and Access u Client Configuration (CPU, Memory) u Browser u JInitiator Future Usage u Products u Functionality Extensions (‘as-is’ or Redeveloped)
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Extension Re-Development
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Extensions include: u Enhancements u Customizations u Interfaces New Application Database Structures New Application Functionality New Tools Test Continuing Interfaces Test Continuing Enhancements/Customizations
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© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Training
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Technical Navigation New Features New Functionality Changes in Business Process Character v. SmartClient v. Citrix v. OADM v. NCA v. R11i (ICA)
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System Integration Testing
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A ‘final’ test upgrade Test New and Continuing Functionality w/Extensions (enhancements and interfaces) End-to-End Business Process Testing Performance or Stress Testing
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Production Upgrade and Support
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Project Planning Impact n Communication and Preparation n Timing Expected n Test Upgrade Window Delays n Adequate Testing n Patches – Significant Impact n Post-Upgrade Production Support
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© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Major Upgrade Issues
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Hardware – Adequate Network/Connectivity – Adequate Client Configuration – Adequate Software – Certified – PATCHES Resources – Personnel/Time Extensions (Scope) Environment Stability New Modules (Scope) User Training u Interface u Functionality Server Configuration
© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Information Sources
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OAUG Members Only Papers/Presentation Database Oracle’s MetaLink Multiple List Servers u OAUGnet u OAUGnet-DBA OAUG Upgrade SIG www.solutionbeacon.com (see OAUG’s website at www.oaug.org for more information on list servers and related Oracle information sites)
© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Questions & Answers
Remember:
KISS
Keep It Simple and Supportablesm
Thank You!
John Stouffer jstouffer@solutionbeacon.com www.solutionbeacon.com
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© 2005 Solution Beacon, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Alicia Hoekstra ahoekstra@solutionbeacon.com Real Solutions for the Real World.®