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Copyright © 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

2. Best Practices for
Maintaining Oracle
E-Business Suite 12
CON8289
David Heisler and John Khamissi
Proactive Services / Customer Support
E-Business Suite, ATG

3. The following is intended to outline our general product
direction. It is intended for information purposes only, and may
not be incorporated into any contract.
It is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or
functionality, and should not be relied upon in making
purchasing decisions. The development, release, and timing of
any features or functionality described for Oracle’s products
remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.
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4. Program Agenda
 Introduction
 Best Practices and Recommendations
 Additional Tips and Resources
 Q&A
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5. Oracle Services
Enabling the success of your Oracle hardware and software investments
Oracle Experts
Helping You
Succeed with
Your Oracle
Investments
5
Complete
Support for
Oracle Hardware,
Software, and
Engineered
Systems
Copyright © 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Mission Critical
Support Services
for All Oracle
Applications and
Technologies
Your Complete
Training Source
for Oracle
Hardware and
Software
Extend Your Oracle
Investments to the
Cloud with Value,
Choice, and
Confidence

6. Oracle Premier Support
Comprehensive Coverage
Service and
Support
Tools and
Resources
Product
Innovation
Quickly diagnose
and resolve issues
Get the most of your
Oracle products with
proactive services
Keep pace with
change and capitalize
on new opportunities
 Oracle knowledgebase
 Updates
 Product health checks
 New releases
 My Oracle Support
Community
 Tools to assist with
patching and upgrades
 Expert technical support
 Rapid-response field
service
 Lifetime Support
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7. Helping you get the most value from
Oracle Premier Support
Get Proactive Portfolio—an integral component of your Premier Support Contract
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8. Oracle Support
Best Practices and
Recommendations for
Maintaining Oracle
E-Business Suite 12
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9. Evolution
Then
Now
10.7, 11, early 11i
R12, 11i (latest)
Patching
Diagnostics
Workflow Maintenance
Upgrades
Interactions with Support
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10. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. Launch
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11. 11
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12. Prevent
Prevent known problems, help keep
your Oracle software and systems
healthy.
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13. Prevent
Then
Now
WWS ftp site  Metalink
Non-centralized documentation
Patching & Maintenance Advisor (313.1)
Manual methods for locating patches
Patch Wizard
Oracle Forums
Oracle Communities
Separate Diagnostic Scripts / CCP’s
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My Oracle Support
Workflow Analyzer / Concurrent Proc
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14. Prevent
Patching and Maintenance Advisor (313.1)
 Provides end-to-end baseline guide for patching
– End-to-end of a patching cycle
– 2 patching scenarios: Proactive & Reactive
– All corners of EBS are covered – not just apps patches
 Links Oracle E-Business patching documents together
– Patch plan examples
 Provides Oracle Development recommended patching guidelines
– Types of patches to target first to get current
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15. Prevent
Patch Wizard
 Creates patch recommendations
– Instance specific
– Based only on Oracle recommended, urgent and critical patches.
– Can be filtered by EBS Product
 Analyzes patch impact on file system
 Tracks customized files and warns when a patch updates them
 Downloads and merges patches
 Patch Wizard Doc ID 976188.1 (can be launched via 432.1)
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16. Prevent
Combine Tools for Maximum Impact
 Patching Communities
– Patching questions and answers.
– Search for issues with specific patches you are applying.
– Common patch application utility issues.
 Patch Wizard
– Create reports, track customizations, analyze, download & merge patches
– Analyze specific one-off, product, family and rollup patches for impact.
 Patching & Maintenance Advisor (313.1)
– Solidify end-to-end patching strategy
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17. Prevent
Workflow Analyzer
 SQL script created by Proactive Services which outputs HTML report
 Identifies and/or Recommends:
– Workflow system setup and configurations
– Best practices
– Workflow errors & volumes
– Aged records
 Join discussions about WF Analyzer in the Core Workflow community.
 Workflow Analyzer Doc ID 1369938.1 (can be launched via 432.1)
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18. Prevent
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19. Prevent: Workflow Analyzer
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21. Prevent
Concurrent Processing Analyzer
 SQL script created by Proactive Services which outputs HTML report
 Identifies and/or Recommends:
– Concurrent Processing system setup and configurations
– Best practices
– Long Running Reports during Business hours
– Available and Applied ATG CP patches and known 1-off patches
– Purge eligible Records
– Many more helpful tips and information.
 Join discussions about CP Analyzer in the Core CP community.
 CP Analyzer Doc ID 1411723.1 (can be launched via 432.1)
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22. Prevent
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23. Prevent
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24. Prevent
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25. Resolve
Discover capabilities and tools to help
you resolve issues.
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26. Resolve
Then
Now
Forums, e-mail lists
Communities, Social Media
Single Metalink notes
PICs, Search Helper
Few & Far Between one-off scripts
Diagnostics
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27. Resolve
Oracle Diagnostics
 Self Service Resolution
– Resolves problems without the need to contact Oracle Support
 Reduction in Resolution Time
– Minimizes time spent resolving issues by increasing Support’s efficiency
 Problem Avoidance
– Resolves configuration and data issues that potentially cause process failure
 E-Business Suite Diagnostics Overview (Doc ID 342459.1)
– Launch from 432.1
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28. Resolve
 E-Business Suite Diagnostics are organized into the following groups:
Over 400 different Oracle Diagnostics in 12.1
 Setup Diagnostic tests assist in resolving product setup issues.
 Activity Diagnostic tests gather information about data and configuration
relevant to a particular functionality / issue, examine that information,
provide feedback, and suggest appropriate actions.
Data Collection tests gather information relevant to a particular product /
functionality / issue.
 Functional Categories typically align with the product menu structure
and include both activity and data collection tests.
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29. Resolve
Product Information Centers (PICs)
 Product specific documentation indexes
 Best Practices, Tools, Knowledge
 Targeted, Interactive content
 Nearly 100 individual PIC documents (444.1 or launched via 432.1)
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30. Resolve
Communities and Social Media
 Oracle EBS Twitter (Oracle_EBS)
– http://twitter.com/Oracle_EBS
 Oracle EBS Communities
– http://communities.oracle.com
– Search, post, discuss, follow threads (rss)
– Communities.Oracle.com
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31. Upgrade
Leverage capabilities and tools to
help guide you through the upgrade
process.
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32. Upgrade
E-Business Suite Upgrades 11i to 12.1
Then
Now
Upgrade Guide, Release Notes, misc.
one-off docs
Upgrade Advisor (269.1)
Gather patches from various sources
Oracle Pre-Install Patch Report
Create custom SQL scripts & manual
data comparison
EBS Comparison Reports
Upgrade Guide in PDF format
Maintenance Wizard
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33. Upgrade
Upgrade Advisors (269.1)
 Start-to-Finish lifecycle guide for an upgrade from 11i to 12.1.3
– Includes multimedia content, blogs, links to specific communities
 Consolidates all upgrade documentation
– Development and Support docs
– Steps can be marked as they are read/completed
 Includes detailed upgrade information for:
– Manufacturing, Human Capitol Management and Financials
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34. Upgrade
Reports for Pre-Upgrade
 Consolidated Upgrade Patch 2 (CUP2) released - Patch 16791553
 Preinstall Patch Report: 1448102.1
– Contains a 5 minute overview video
– Has it’s own Community Support Thread
– Updated monthly with new patches
 Seed Data Comparison Report: 1327399.1
– Contains a 7 minute overview video
 Data Model Comparison Report: 1290886.1
– Contains a 4 minute overview video
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35. Upgrade
Maintenance Wizard
 Interactive HTML Upgrade Guide with additional steps added by
support for known issues and pitfalls.
 Create Maintenance Wizard users, assign upgrade tasks, run
automated upgrade steps from a browser
 Create custom steps for your unique environments.
 Stores instance specific upgrade data
– Separate database installation
 Nearly obsoletes the need for the PDF Upgrade Guide
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36. 36
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37. Upgrade
Combine Tools for Maximum Impact
 Upgrade Advisor (269.1)
– Solidify end-to-end upgrade strategy.
 Maintenance Wizard (215527.1)
– Assign and track upgrade tasks and progress.
 Upgrade Community
– Questions & Answers
– Common and unique upgrade issues.
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38. Pack Lightly..
 Launch everything from 432.1
 Combine strategies and tools for best results.
 Break free of outdated maintenance practices.
 Visit Demo Grounds / Stars Bars
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39. Additional Tips
and Resources
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40. Test Your Upgrade Plan!
Plan
Test
Upgrade
Multiple practice rounds determine correct steps and patches to ensure a successful and
smooth upgrade.
Test
More rounds => Less Risk
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Copyright © 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

41. Best Practices/Recommendations
 Use communities to search for known issue discussions.
 Use diagnostics and product analyzers to examine your system.
 Use Product Information Centers and Search helpers
 Stay current on tech stack patching on forms, web and database tiers.
 Stay current on family pack updates and release rollup patches.
 Upgrade to EBS 12.1.3 / 11.2.0.3 RDBMS
– Use patch wizard tool to compile list of critical post upgrade patches.
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Copyright © 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

42. While You’re at Oracle OpenWorld…
 Support Breakout Sessions
– Oracle Database
– Oracle E-Business Suite
– SQL Tuning
 Support Stars Bar
Moscone West, Level 2
 Oracle experts
– Oracle Exadata
 Live demos
– Siebel CRM
 Mini-briefings
– PeopleSoft
– JD Edwards
 Videos
– Oracle Business Analytics
– Oracle Fusion Middleware
– Oracle Solaris
– Oracle RAC Cluster
– Oracle Communications Solutions
– Sun Server and Storage Systems
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Copyright © 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Sun
12 – 4
Wed
9-5
Mon
10 - 6
Thurs
9-1
Tues
10 - 6

43. TOP Recommendations
 Prevent issues
– Patching Communities
– Patch Wizard
– Patching & Maintenance Advisor (313.1)
 Resolve issues yourself
– Diagnostics
– Product Information Centers
– Communities and Social Media
 Upgrade to latest levels
– Upgrade Advisor
– Maintenance Wizard
– Upgrade Community
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Copyright © 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

44. Q&A and Important Support Resources
• Discover more about Get Proactive:
http://www.oracle.com/goto/proactivesupport
• MOS Community:
http://communities.oracle.com/portal/server.pt/community/ebusiness_patching/358 - EBS Patching Community
•
•
https://communities.oracle.com/portal/server.pt/community/core_concurr
ent_processing/493 - Core Concurrent Processing Community
•
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https://communities.oracle.com/portal/server.pt/community/core_workflo
w/244 - Core Workflow Community
My Oracle Support Community - Oracle E-Business Suite Pre-install
Patches Report (Doc ID 1448102.1) for R11i to R12.1 Upgrades
Copyright © 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

45. Q&A and Important Support Resources
• Product Information Center (PIC):
Oracle Workflow (WF) Product Information Center (PIC)
• Concurrent Processing - Product Information Center (PIC)
• Application Technology Group (ATG) Product Information
Center (PIC)
• Upgrade/Maintenance Advisors:
Upgrade Advisor: E-Business Suite (EBS) Upgrade from
11.5.10.2 to 12.1.3
• Patching & Maintenance Advisor: E-Business Suite (EBS) 11i
and R12
• Download this Presentation:
• Presentation available on the EBS upgrade Community:
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46. Thank you!
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