The 4 Step Plan to Leverage your Oracle Forms Investment into the Mobile/ Cloud Generation

Copyright: AuraPlayer 2015
Mia Urman
miaurman@auraplayer.com
@miaurman
www.oracleformsinfo.com

Oracle Forms
Statement of direction
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/issue-archive/2010/toolssod-3-129969.pdf

Mia Urman
miaurman@auraplayer.com
• Oracle Development Geek for 15 years.
• 5 years at Oracle as a senior support analyst and local product
manager of Forms and ADF.
• CEO and Founder of AuraPlayer - Addressing Oracle Forms
modernization challenges encountered at blue chip customers
• Board member of ODTUG, Leader of the ilOUG Oracle
Developer Group and presenter of Oracle tools at international
conferences OOW, Kscope, UKOUG …

• Mission critical back office systems
• Can’t access business processes from external
applications
• Systems developed years ago, lack documentation
• Migration to a new technology challenging if at all
possible
• Redevelopment takes years and involves enormous
cost and risk
Customers are frozen need a way ….
Oracle Forms/ EBS Challenge

Into the FUTURE

CLEAN UP
UPGRADE
MODERNIZE
INTEGRATE
INNOVATE!
Our Game Plan:
Leverage your EXISTING investment

Clean Up
Don’t Migrate/Upgrade What’s Not in Use
• Are any modules obsolete?
• Review usage of the system
• What forms are now obsolete?
• What reports are not run?
• Do we will use PLL / OLBs?
• Remove dead code
• Delete multiple copies of same sources
• Merge forms that perform similar tasks
• Systems replaced by packaged apps?

Oracle Forms
9i/10g
IAS
Forms 11g
Weblogic
Server
Forms 3.0
Oracle Forms
4.0 – 6i
Client Server
Upgrade Road Map

Why Upgrade Your Forms?
• Ensure support (C/S de-supported 2004/10g Dec. 2011)
• Certification – New browsers, O/S, Java versions
• New features - SOA, REUI, JavaScript
• Strategic Middleware - Runs on WebLogic
• Upgrade is Seamless from 10g to 11g
• Platform for integration
• Ensure the highest level of security

Suggested Work Plan
• Backup ALL related files !!
• Pilot Upgrade of application (50-100 forms)
• Clean up environment – unused, dead code
• Check forms for C/S or OS Specific features
• Get an estimate of the work, time, cost
• Freeze C/S - all new developments should be web
• Modernize Look and Feel of the application
• Do full upgrade in modules / Phases
• Testing should be with each module!
• Do Production Pilot (Phased rollout)

Forms Look and Feel Modernization
• Toolbar and navigation
• Look and Feel Project
• Color / Font / Size
• Prompts / Titles
• Images
• Frames
• OLB, templates for visual standards

• Forms to XML Converter
Impact Analysis & Programmatic
manipulation of text files
• JDAPI
Make Global Changes via API
Manipulating Forms in Batch

Yes - Java in Forms!
Java Beans
– Java Bean Area - layout object on canvas
– Use custom trigger to get and set properties
PJC – Portable Java Component
– Change default behavior/properties of objects
Java Classes – Run Web Services
– Run Java code in forms triggers
– Java importer – PLSQL java wrapper
JavaScript
– Interact with objects in the browser page - Maps

Java Beans & PJCs

Java Importer
Importing Java Classes into Forms

Webservices
Call External Services From Forms
package CurrencyConverter
/* currconv3.mypackage.CurrConv3Stub */ IS
function new
return ora_java.jobject;
function
getrate( obj ora_java.jobject,
a0 varchar2, a1 varchar2)
return ora_java.jobject;
end;
 Run external Webservices from within Oracle Forms triggers
• Create a Web Service
proxy in Jdeveloper
• Call the WS client from the Forms
application using the Java Importer

JavaScript in Forms

JavaScript Integration
Two way client Side communication

Oracle Forms Events
Highly Available Asynchronous Communication

Using Events in Forms

Hybrid Options
• Living Side By Side
Forms running alongside new technologies
• Visual Integration
Create a common UI –
Forms & ADF/APEX/Java
• Process / Service Integration
Run common business logic DB/Events
• Innovation
Run Forms business process from new
environments - AuraPlayer

Forms & External Apps
Living In Harmony
Form System External System
Security / Management
Web.show_document
Common Bus LogicAQ Messages
web.javascript_eval_expr

By Jim Cote, Oracle

Bringing Legacy Forms to the Mobile World

Your Employees Have Gone Mobile
Time For Your Enterprise to Catch Up!

Mobile Strategy
“We can run our system using Remote Desktop…”

DO NOT run Forms on the mobile
run your BUSINESS on the mobile

Understand Your Business Needs
Observe real end users doing real work:
Can we make them more productive?
Watch surrounding and environmental challenges:
Can we improve employees user experience.
Are users missing data to do their jobs?
Enhance data gathering: cameras, SMS,
social media, personal , location, voice
Types of Users – Occasional, Internal/external

Analyze Your Mobile Needs
Mobile Requirements
• What OS: iOS / Android / Windows / BYOD?
• Type of Applications – Browser Based / Hybrid
• Device type, Screen size
• New Hardware / Software needed?
• New development tools and environments
• Mobile developers
Challenges to Consider
• Slower network – Disconnects - Offline / Connected
• No mouse, Function keys - Gestures
• Smaller screen / Less screens
• Difficult to touch small elements - Harder to type
• Mobile Infrastructure – Security, Load

Mobile Application
Framework
Oracle Mobile
Suite
Oracle Mobile
Cloud Services
Oracle’s Mobility Products
Oracle Mobile
Security Suite
Service Bus /
SOA Suite

Wizard Based Mobile Development
Deploy to iOS or Android

Business Services Development
• Code logic with Java
• Lightweight JVM
• Easy access to Remote - Web service
• SOAP
• REST XML, REST JSON
• Local Business Logic
• Java Classes
• SQLite DB - Portable, lightweight relational database

Do you still carry around one of these?

 Mobile devices can lose/turn off connectivity
 Offline access to data is a common requirement
 But it will increase the complexity of your application
 If you cache data locally you must consider
– When to cache the data
– How much data to cache
– When to synchronize updates
– Recording the order of updates
– How to deal with synchronization conflicts
– Security of the data if the device is lost
Security
Data Caching Challenges

How Do We Do It ?

• Understand business process we want to translate to the small screen.
• Selecting what input and output data we to run the business process.
• Identifying expected results
What output data and messages do we want to receive from the Forms system?
• Decide Navigation of user through the app
How We Do It: Step 1
Define Business Process and Data

• Expose business processes as services
• Use pre-built APIs supplied by providers to build connected systems
• Create your own Services using development tools
Create the Service Layer

Introducing AuraPlayer
Unlock Oracle Forms Systems as WebServices
Expose existing systems as Webservices
without writing one line of code!
Same System Many UI / Devices

Oracle Forms / EBS Service Layer

Oracle Forms Mobility
Unlock Oracle Forms Systems to Mobile/Cloud
Expose existing systems as Web Services
without writing one line of code
Same System, Many UI / Devices

Oracle
11g DB
DMZ
External Network
FireWall
Internal Network
Desktop
Solution Architecture
One System – For both Desktop and Any UI

Jdeveloper – Build Mobile Project

• Create AMX pages and design new mobile UI
Create Mobile UI - Jdeveloper

Let’s See it in Action
Demo time!

The Process : Oracle Forms to Mobile/Cloud
1. Enable the Oracle Forms process 
2. Generate a Webservice (Wizard) 
3. Connect WS to Oracle Mobile Cloud or SOA Suite or Weblogic 
4. Create the Mobile App 

Check out the full story
• System: Insurance proposal generation and sales system.
• Customer Need: Oracle Forms 11g was unable to run on mobile devices.
AuraPlayer was used to create HTML5 pages from Forms
• Technologies: Forms 11g Weblogic / Tomcat / DMZ / HTML5j
• Benefit to Customer:
• Cost Savings: Insurance policy can be generated in 9 minutes instead of 3
days
• Revenue Generating: Agents can now sell policies in remote areas and via
new channels (banks) without any additional hardware/software.
Jubilee Life (a member of the Aga Khan group) is an insurance company in Pakistan
with a clientele of over one million corporate and individual insured parties.
Customer Success Story: Jubilee Life Insurance

• Surgery Scheduling System - Mobilization of Oracle Forms surgical scheduling
system using MAF and AuraPlayer.
• Scheduling application serves over 1000 surgeons for over 500 procedures and
about 2,000,000 surgeries a year.
• Increased efficiency and maximized information availability for surgeons and
medical center customers.
Matrix is a leading information technology company in Israel, employing
over 6,500 IT Professionals with sales revenues of over 2 billion NIS.
Check out the Oracle Customer Story
Customer Success Story: Matrix Mobilizes
Oracle Forms Using Oracle Mobile Framework

Migration

Innovation By Migration
Things to Consider
• This is a PROJECT. No silver bullet
• Need a business reason to redevelop
• Need thorough understanding of the Forms application
• No tool can re-write your business logic
• Need deep knowledge of the new technologies
• UI implications – HTML vs Applet
• Investigate 3rd party tools for migration assistance
Benefits of Migration
• No Oracle Forms maintenance/licenses
• Fully portable system
• No applet, full HTML client
• Larger developer pool

Migration Statistics from our Survey
• How long did it take for total redevelopment?
• 1 year of 25-35 developers then 2 years 30 people fine tuning – Average 3-5 years
• What was your biggest challenge during redevelopment?
• Lack of knowledge, documentation on the original Oracle Forms
• Lack of knowledge in the new technology stack
• Hard to train new implementation partners on new technology
• How long did it take to train the Forms staff to the new technology?
• 1 year for experienced developer to understand the ADF stack and experts in the new
technology
• Hard to find ADF experts easier to find Java developers.
• How much was your budget?
• Average of 2 – 5 million dollars to redevelop 400 Forms

• Asses Your Requirements
• What systems do we need to integrate with? UI requirements?
• What platforms do we need to deploy to?
• Understand Your Existing System
• Where does the business logic sit today?
• What functionality is duplicated in other systems?
• Do we have documentation? Developer resources?
• Define Timeline and Budget
• Decide on Implementation Method
• Integrate, Migrate, 3rd party solution
Moving Forward

4 Step Plan To Future
Step 1
Upgrade
• Customer Upgrades to 11g
• Weblogic Suite / Modernize / SSO
Step 2
Mobility
• Mobilize Existing Use Cases
• Mobile Framework / SOA Suite / Security / Cloud
Step 3
Hybrid
• Phased Hybrid Development
• Oracle ADF / J2EE / APEX
Step 4
Migrate
• Phased Migration to New Technologies … Maybe

Summary
• Clean up Forms environment – unused, dead code
• Upgrade to Latest version – Forms 11gR2
• Modernize Look and Feel - Incorporate Java elements
• Chose right tool for the job
• Refactor code to the DB
• Systems on common infrastructure Weblogic – SSO
• Slowly evolve teams and systems
• Start thinking about system INNOVATION – ADF Mobile
• Use AuraPlayer to move systems to the next generation platforms / environments
without migration

Questions?

Stay in touch with the family
• Oracle Forms on the Oracle Technology Network
• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/forms
• Oracle Technology Network Forms Forum
• https://community.oracle.com/community/development_tools/forms
• Oracle Communities (My-Oracle-Support)
• https://community.oracle.com/community/support/middleware/oracle_forms
• Follow us on Twitter
@OracleFormsPM
Oracle Forms

Mia Urman (Me )
miaurman@AuraPlayer.com
@miaurman
Forms Community Blog
www.oracleformsinfo.com
AuraPlayer
www.AuraPlayer.com
PJC Master site
http://forms.pjc.bean.over-blog.com/
Forms Look and Feel Project
http://fdtool.free.fr/LAF/doc/Oracle_Forms_Look_and_Feel_project.htm
More Information

The 4 Step Plan to Leverage your Oracle Forms Investment into the Mobile/ Cloud Generation

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The 4 Step Plan to Leverage your Oracle Forms Investment into the Mobile/ Cloud Generation