Thursday, November 29, 2007


Oracle APPS Password Security

Oracle applications 11i Implementations has a Security weakness. Oracle application 11i passwords are stored in the database. Apps password stores in2 tables: FND_USER and FND_ORACLE_USERID tables Stores internal oracle applications database accounts. The APPS and APPLSYS database accounts must always have the same password

The APPS.fnd_user table has all applications accounts and there Are 2 Password columns provide for ENCRYPTION.

ENCRYPTED_FOUNDATION_PASSWORD

  1. ENCRYPTED_USER_PASSWORD

The above 2 columns any also contains 1 of the String Values
1.External: Means User Authentication is Delegated So password is not stored in the FND_USER Table

2.INVALID Some Default Oracle apps Accounts access is blocked by directly updating the FND_USER Table.

3.X Means like INVALID

4.ZG If the Encryption Algorithm fails the Error MSG is stord in password column

The Passwords in FND_ORACLE_USERID maintained independent of the database, So Any changes to the account passwords using ALTER USER statements not reflect in the table. If you want change the passwords in FND_ORACLE_USERID can done by utility called FNDCPASS or sysadmin “ORACLE Form”

The Oracle Application passwords can be 1 to 100 chars length and longer Passwords are truncated at 100 Chars.

Oracle Apps passwords Encryption done by APPS.FND_WEB_SEC Or JAVA Class Oracle.apps.fnd.security.websessionManagerProc
Oracle.apps.fnd.security.AolSecurity
Oracle.apps.fnd.security.AolSecurityPrivate

You can find this class information at $JAVA_TOP Directory.

You can download the class and Using Java class Converter You can see how the code is written. The Actual Encryption and Decryption calls are in the “oracle.apps.fnd.security.AolSecurityPrivate” Java class. The Guest account Password is stores in System Profile. You can get by using

Select APPS.FND_PROFILE.VALUE('GUEST_USER_PWD') from dual.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Traceing TNS Entries(Hacking Oracle Applications)
How to get Tns entries from front page of oracle application Screen.

For more visibility Click on Image



Step 1: Click on About link Page. Then your are able to see the following screen
Step 2: Click on Page Context Tab


For more visibility Click on Image



You are able to Get following Information.
1) Data base Name (Hostname)
2)Port no#
3)SID Name
Step 4: Build Tns Entries With following method and Paste it in local machine
Try to connect with default Password apps/apps


"SID"=
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)
(HOST = "Host Name")
(PORT = "Port number")) )
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME ="SID" )
) )

  • Connect with Default username/password :
APPLSYSPUB/PUB

This username/password is hard-coded in FND_TOP/secure/appsweb.cfg file.

  • Once you get the DataBase access Use following Select statement gets the front URL access
.


  • select HOME_URL from icx_parameters


You will get Front-end access login Screen.
By useing APPS.FND_WEB_SEC package change the SYSADMIN or user password At SQL Prompt.

Example 1:
--Change Sysadmin Password from PL/SQL
set serverout on
declare
ret varchar2(200);
begin
ret := fnd_web_sec.change_password('SYSADMIN',
'Welcome1');
dbms_output.put_line('Result of Package'||ret);

---Y Means Success Else Fail.
end;
Commit;


Step 4: Finally Click on Java System Properties Scroll Down the Page. Your able to see the Unix Login user name(Back End User Access)
Step 5:Try to connect unix server with Default Password.



Sunday, November 11, 2007

The technology stack for Release 12
The technology stack for Release 12 takes advantage of the latest Oracle technologies for the database and application server tiers.These components are installed in the ORACLE_HOME directories, while other components are rehosted in the APPL_TOP

Oracle Technology Components

Oracle Database 10g
- 10.2
XDK (Database) - 10.1.0.4
XDB - 10.1.0.4
XDK (Application tier) - 10.1.3
Oracle HTTP Client - 10.1.3
Oracle Application Server - 10.1.2 and 10.1.3
Developer Client Libraries - 10.1.0.4.2
Oracle Database iAS Client Libraries - 10.1.0.4.2
Oracle HTTP Server - 10.1.3
Oracle JDeveloper - 10.1.3
OracleAS Discoverer 10g - 10.1.2.0.2
OJSP - 2.0

The Rehosted Components are:

BI Beans - 3.1
JDBC
- 10.2
JDK for Web tier - 5.0
JDK for concurrent processing tier - 5.0
Sun Java Plug-in - 5.0

The Non-Embedded Applications Integration Components:
These components all provide newer versions of Java-related features and technologies.

OracleAS 10g Portal - 10.1.4
OracleAS 10g Single Sign-On and Oracle Internet Directory
- 10.1.2.0.2
Oracle Collaboration Suite - 10g Release 1
Oracle Enterprise Manager - 10g Release 1

Friday, November 02, 2007

PO Workflow Debug
The following is exceptionally useful when trying to diagnose problem encountered during workflow execution.This can be exceptionally useful in determining why a section of code is failing.
Step 1) clearing any existing debug entries
truncate table po_wf_debug
Step2) Set Profile Option ‘PO: Set Debug Workflow ON’ to Yes, then reproduce the issue
Step 3)
SELECT document_id,
document_number,
authorization_status,
debug_message
FROM
po_wf_debug ;
optionally add itemtype and itemkey to limit the data returned.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

How To Identify All Requisitions And Purchase Orders With Errored Activities

Ref :Metalink Note:464407.1

The following scripts have been provided to return requisitions and purchase orders with erroredactivities:

SELECT prh.segment1,
prh.org_id,
prh.authorization_status,
ac.display_name Activity,
ias.activity_result_code Result,
ias.error_name ERROR_NAME,
ias.error_message ERROR_MESSAGE,
ias.error_stack ERROR_STACK
FROM
po_requisition_headers_all prh,
wf_item_activity_statuses ias,
wf_process_activities pa,
wf_activities_vl ac,
wf_activities_vl ap,
wf_items i
WHERE ias.item_type = 'REQAPPRV'
AND ias.item_key = prh.wf_item_key
AND ias.item_type = prh.wf_item_type
AND ias.activity_status = 'ERROR'
AND ias.process_activity = pa.instance_id
AND pa.activity_name = ac.name
AND pa.activity_item_type = ac.item_type
AND pa.process_name = ap.name
AND pa.process_item_type = ap.item_type
AND pa.process_version = ap.version
AND i.item_type = 'REQAPPRV'
AND i.item_key = ias.item_key
AND i.begin_date >= ac.begin_date
AND i.begin_date
ORDER BY prh.segment1, ias.execution_time
Purchase Orders:
SELECT
pha.segment1,
pha.org_id,
pha.authorization_status,
ac.display_name Activity,
ias.activity_result_code Result,
ias.error_name ERROR_NAME,
ias.error_message ERROR_MESSAGE,
ias.error_stack ERROR_STACKFROM
po_headers_all pha,
wf_item_activity_statuses ias,
wf_process_activities pa,
wf_activities_vl ac,
wf_activities_vl ap,
wf_items i
WHERE ias.item_type = 'POAPPRV'
AND ias.item_key = pha.wf_item_key
AND ias.item_type = pha.wf_item_type
AND pha.authorization_status IN ('IN PROCESS', 'PRE-APPROVED')
AND ias.activity_status = 'ERROR'
AND ias.process_activity = pa.instance_id
AND pa.activity_name = ac.name
AND pa.activity_item_type = ac.item_type
AND pa.process_name = ap.name
AND pa.process_item_type = ap.item_type
AND pa.process_version = ap.version
AND i.item_type = 'POAPPRV'
AND i.item_key = ias.item_key
AND i.begin_date >= ac.begin_date
AND i.begin_date <>
ORDER BY pha.segment1, ias.execution_time;

Friday, October 19, 2007

R12 Technical features
R12 is Moving jinitiator to Native Sun Java Plug-in (Sun J2SE1.5(5.0))
Browser Supports
1) Ie 6.0
2)Netscape 7.2
3)Firefox 1.5
4)Safari 2.0 only Macintosh OSX(10.4)
 Concurrent Processing Features 
1)Request Set Submission in OAF
2)Multi-Org Access Control (MOAC)
3)Restart and Hold for Request Sets
4)Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
Request Set Submission in OAF
Earlier ,request sets could be submitted through forms user interface.But in you can submitconcurrent Request through HTML based UI.There is no applet download required .This feature supportsPartial page rendering.
Restart and Hold for Request Sets
This is Another New feature end users will be perform on Concurrent Reuqest sets Restart and Hold.your able to restart the failed setsYou can also place a Hold on a Request Set that is currently running. This will hold the Request Set at the end of the current executing stage until the hold is manually removed If a Running Request Set is placed in Hold, the next stage is never executed. Once the hold is removed, the set goes back on the queue and will be picked up by the next available manager for execution. This gives you the ability to pause a running Request Set and resume it at a later timeBoth of these new operations can be executed from the Forms and the OAFramework.
Multi-Org Access Control (MOAC)
R12 introduces another new feature Multi-Org Access Control for Concurrent Requests,Aloows a user to acessmultiple organizations from a single responsibility
The key setup steps are:
Define the customer organizationsSet the Concurrent Program Operating Unit Mode to S (Single) M (Multiple) or null.
Define the MO: Security Profile profile option.
There are two key profile options for MOAC.
The first is the MO: Security Profile.
This profile option is setup on Install and contains a list of HR global profile options.
The second key profile is the MO:
Default Operating Unit which you can use to set the default Operating Unit for a user.
Role Based Access Control (RBAC) in Request Submission and Viewing
This is final feature Role Based Access Contol.This feature is used to to restrict access to data in Concurrent Processing This allows administrators to limit which Concurrent Programs and Concurrent Request Sets a user is allowed to Submit for processing, and also which Concurrent Requests the user is able to view.
legacy Report Access Level profile is no longer supported, and will not work in R12.
In earlier releases, request groups were tied to responsibilities via the "Define Responsibilities" form. This has been deprecated in R12.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

XML Publisher in R12
Oracle XML Publisher is a new Java-based product available within the technology stack of Oracle E-Business Suite. Utilizing a set of familiar desktop tools such as Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word, users can create and maintain their own report formats based on development delivered XML data extracts. Oracle XML Publisher then converts these documents to the XSL-FO format. Users can also obtain third party provided PDF forms, such as government tax forms, and merge XML data generated from Oracle E-Business Suite to fill the forms with the required data.
The new features are:
Oracle XML Publisher now supports data generation. The Oracle XML Publisher data engine enables you to rapidly generate any kind of XML data structure against one or multiple databases in a scalable, efficient manner. The data template is an XML document that you construct to communicate your request for data to the data engine. The data engine can be called to execute the data template using the Concurrent Manager or an API. The data engine supports schema generation, flexfields, single and multiple data queries, distributed queries against multiple databases, query links, parameters, multiple data groups, aggregate functions, and event triggers. The data engine can also generate a default RTF template.
The Oracle XML Publisher Template Manager now allows you to define a template as "translatable." When you define a template as translatable, Oracle XML Publisher extracts the translatable strings. You can then export the strings into an XLIFF (.xlf) file. This XLIFF file can then be sent to a translation provider, or using a text editor, you can enter the translation for each string. Upload the translated XLIFF file back to the Template Manager to make the translated template available at runtime.
The Template Builder for Word and the Template Viewer are two desktop tools that increase your productivity using Oracle XML Publisher. The Template Builder is tightly integrated with Microsoft Word to automate many RTF template design tasks. It allows you to:
Insert data fields, tables, forms, and charts
Browse and update the content of form fields
Extract boilerplate text into an XLIFF translation file and test translations
The Template Viewer is a Java application that facilitates the rapid development of templates by providing advanced preview capabilities.
The XML Publisher Administrator responsibility now provides an administration interface. Using this interface you can set configuration properties, define font mappings, upload font files, and define currency formats. You can configure the behavior of Oracle XML Publisher at the site level, data definition level, and template level. Previously the properties available through this feature were configurable only through the Oracle XML Publisher configuration file, and only at the server level. For customers who have already configured their systems using the xdo.cfg file, a command line utility is available to migrate their existing settings to the database.
Upload Font Files and Create Font Mappings
You can now upload fonts through the administration interface to make them available to Oracle XML Publisher at runtime. You can also create font mappings to map fonts used in your template to other fonts to be published in PDF output. The mapping can be defined at the site level, the template level, or the data definition level.
Define Currency Formats
This feature allows you to map a number format mask to a specific currency so that your reports can display multiple currencies with their own corresponding formatting.
Graphics Support
Drawing/shape support: Users can now use Microsoft Word’s native support for predefined drawing objects and custom drawings. In addition, they can manipulate shapes by stretching, compressing, skewing, and repeating them in the final output based on XML data or parameters. This behavior can also be applied to composite shapes in the template.
Background/watermark support: The native MS Word functionality to add backgrounds and watermarks, text or images is now supported.
SVG image support: Users can now embed SVG images directly in the template.
SVG chart output support: Charts generated in the template are now converted to the SVG format. This conversion improves both the chart image and supporting labels for the chart.
Hyperlink support for shapes: You can add a hyperlink to a shape to enable users to click the image in the document and link to an internal or external destination. The link can be static or dynamically determined at runtime.

Conditional Formatting
If construct: Rather than requiring the normal xsl:if statement, Oracle XML Publisher now supports the more familiar “if … then … else” construct.
Fixed-row enumeration: Users can now specify a fixed number of rows for a table regardless of the amount of data coming into the template at runtime.
Currency formatting: Numeric values can now be formatted according to their associated currency code.
Data Manipulation with an RTF Template Brought Forward/Carry Forward page totals: Used frequently in financial reporting, this feature allows you to calculate the page total for a given field, display it at the bottom of the page to be carried forward, and then display it at the top of the subsequent page as the brought forward total. Updateable variables: Updateable variables differ from standard XSL variables in that they are updateable during the template application to the XML data. This functionality allows you to create many new features in your templates that require updateable variables, such as a running total.
Parameters: You can now declare parameters in your template and pass values at runtime.
Batch Processing Enhancements This release provides better support for batch processing based on RTF templates by providing support for the following new features:
Restart page numbering for section breaks: For example, if generating invoices for multiple customers, you can now restart the page numbering for each new invoice.
Reset header and footer: Similarly, if header and footer data are being supplied from the data (such as customer name), they can be reset for each new invoice.
Number and Date Formatting You can now use the Oracle number and date format masks to control the display of numbers and dates. The Oracle masks ensure that at runtime the appropriate locale-specific formatting is used. The Microsoft native formatting masks are also supported.PDF Bookmark Support
Oracle XML Publisher can now generate the bookmark links that display in the PDF navigation pane. These links can either be static bookmarks or dynamic and based on the incoming data stream.Support for Variable Page Layouts Within a Report Odd and even header and footer support: You can now define different headers and footers for odd and even pages in your output.

Last-page-only content support: You can specify the layout and content of the last page of the report. This feature is useful for documents such as checks, invoices or purchase orders in which content such as the check or a summary must appear in a specific place only on the last page. Truncate Table Data You can now choose to truncate data in a table cell that is too big for the cell. Previously all data was wrapped.Multicolumn Pages Microsoft Word’s native multicolumn page function is now supported. Initial Page Number You can now define the page number from which you want the first page of a report to begin.Check Boxes You can now include a check box in your template that you define to display as checked or unchecked based on a value from the incoming data.
The printing of large documents, such as those that are thousands of pages long, is problematic in Oracle E-Business Suite using regular printing functionality. This release provides the ability to split an incoming document into multiple print jobs that can be directed to the printer or printers, enabling load balancing across a set of printers.
Previous releases of Oracle XML Publisher provided the ability to generate Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) formats using an RTF template to communicate payment requests to a financial institution in an electronic format. This release builds on that functionality providing several enhancements. In addition, Oracle XML Publisher now has the ability to accept a remittance message from the financial institution in the electronic format and to generate XML data from the message for the calling application to update its reconciliation tables.
This release delivers the ability to create merged PDF documents from multiple subdocuments based on a command file
Table of contents: The table of contents can span multiple documents.
Bookmarks: This feature is the Adobe interpretation of bookmarks, that is, the links that appear on the left side of the document when opened in Adobe client software.

Master header/footer layouts: These layouts can support portrait and landscape page formats in the same document.

Section and master page numbering: Users can implement page numbering across the complete master document, or across a section made up of multiple subdocuments and numbering on the base documents.
Hyperlinks: The control file allows the user to build a set of cross-referencing hyperlinks within the master document and across multiple separate documents.
Preamble/postscript text: The user can add text prior to or after the insertion of a subdocument into the master document.
These features allow the user to build composite documents from subdocuments in a fast, scalable fashion.

Monday, October 15, 2007

R12 Script Files Info
adautocfg.sh - run autoconfigadstpall.sh - stop all services
adstrtal.sh - start all services
adapcctl.sh - start/stop/status Apache only
adformsctl.sh - start/stop/status OC4J Forms
adoacorectl.sh - start/stop/status OC4J oacore
adopmnctl.sh - start/stop/status opmn
adalnctl.sh - start/stop RPC listeners (FNDFS/FNDSM)
adcmctl.sh - start/stop Concurrent Manager
gsmstart.sh - start/stop FNDSM
jtffmctl.sh - start/stop Fulfillment Server
adpreclone.pl - Cloning preparation script
adexecsql.pl - Execute sql scripts that update the profiles in an AutoConfig runjava.sh - Call java executable with additional args, (used by opmn, Conc. Mgr)

Oracle Application Framework Features in Oracle R12
The new features are:
  1. Service Interface
  2. Service Tester
  3. “Swan” User Interface
  4. Personalized SPEL Bindings
  5. Oracle JDeveloper 10g Release 3 (10.1.3)
  6. Personalization Administration
  7. Improved About Pages
  8. Administrator Personalization Usability Enhancements
  9. External Content in OA Framework Pages
  10. Read-only Required Items
  11. Favorites
  12. Configurable Start Page
  13. Attachment Security
  14. SQL Component Extensibility
  15. Flexfield Enhancements

Service Interface
The service interface is a Java interface that is designed to support both web services and local Java APIs. The service interface provides consistent APIs and error handling behavior across the different application products. Included is support for the new Service Data Object standard to increase interoperability in a Service Oriented Architecture. Service data objects are used to represent business objects in a standardized manner. See the Oracle Integration Repository for more information on how to register and discover services, and optionally configure a service as a public Web service.
Service Tester
The service tester user interface is used to create unit and integration tests. The tests are recorded in documents as structured XML data. For integration testing, each test file can contain multiple test suites, and each test suite can have multiple test cases. As part of periodic system tests, service tests can be played back from either JDeveloper or from the operating system command line. The service tester supports the following features: Field masking, so that variable data such as the current date does not cause a test failure Pipelining, where the output of one test is used as the input of a subsequent test An option to suppress the commit of test data
“Swan” User Interface
The new “Swan” user interface (UI) greatly improves the look and feel of the Oracle E-Business Suite, significantly enhancing usability and productivity. The “Swan” UI brings together some of the best UI concepts from Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft, and JD Edwards applications. Oracle E-Business Suite will use only the “Swan” look and feel for Release 12.
Personalized SPEL Bindings
SPEL (simple expression) bindings can be used to substitute or override the base SPEL bindings for rendered, required, and read-only properties.
Oracle JDeveloper 10g Release 3 (10.1.3)
Release 12 leverages Oracle JDeveloper 10g Release 3 (10.1.3). This release of JDeveloper is a J2EE development environment with end-to-end support for modeling, developing, and debugging applications and Web services. Oracle JDeveloper 10g Release 3 (10.1.3) allows existing Oracle Application Framework applications and services to be extended, or entirely new applications and services to be built easily.
Personalization Administration
Release 12 extends the existing command line personalization capabilities with HTML pages included in the Functional Administrator responsibility. This feature also allows you to replicate personalizations across database instances.
Improved About Pages
The About page has been extended to include the following: Last 10 patches applied on the instance Flexfield definitions on the page, and whether they use unsupported features specific to the Forms stack The ability to launch Admin Personalization from the About page
Administrator Personalization Usability Enhancements
Usability enhancements to the Administrator Personalization UI include: Ability to bypass the Choose Context page when the current context is known. A minimal page hierarchy, eliminating the need for hidden layout containers. Personalization error messages include a link to launch the “About page,” where the associated personalizations can be reviewed and edited.
External Content in OA Framework Pages
Administrator Personalization now supports the inclusion of any URL in OA Framework pages
SQL Component Extensibility
View objects can now be modified by using SQL components to extend an existing object, rather than by replacing the view object definition. SQL component extensions are designed to persist across upgrades of the underlying object.
Flexfield Enhancements
Flexfield errors are handled more gracefully. Warnings are raised if an OA Framework flexfield uses incompatible features

Friday, October 12, 2007

New Workflow Features in R12

Workflow Directory Service Bulk Synchronization
  • Worklist Flexfields
  • Digital Signatures
  • Notification Mailer
  • Workflow Engine
  • Business Event System

Workflow Directory Service Bulk Synchronization
The Workflow Directory Service Bulk Synchronization concurrent program can now recreate a directory service partition that includes roles that are part of a role hierarchy.

Worklist Flexfields
Oracle E-Business Suite system administrators can now promote information stored in notification message attributes from the notification detail page to a personal worklist view for viewing and sorting

Digital Signatures
The digital signature infrastructure now supports the following:
Ability to digitally sign the entire notification contents, including subject, message body, response attributes, and response action
Ability to verify the signed documents through an evidence store user interface after the signing process
Enhancement of the notification purge program to exclude purging of signature-enabled notifications

Notification Mailer
The notification mailer now includes the following new and improved features:
Simplified configuration:
The notification mailer configuration wizard is now split into basic and advanced pages.
Override address:
The test address is set in a new Set Override Address page and requires a verification code to be entered before the notification mailer begins sending notifications to that address.
Enhanced error handling for mass failures:
In cases where many users have been set up with invalid email addresses, the workflow directory service is updated to no longer send e-mails to those users.
System alerts integration:
When the Workflow Mailer Service encounters errors, it sends a system alert to provide easy visibility to system administrators and applications DBAs as to the status of the Workflow Mailer Service without having to review log files.
SSL Support:
The Workflow Mailer Service can now connect to IMAP and SMTP mail servers a using SSL authentication.

Workflow Engine
The Workflow Engine now includes a bulk array interface for creating and starting processes. These bulk array interfaces offer significant performance improvements over the single work item APIs when starting many workflows at the same time, such as in a batch program.

Business Event System
The Business Event System (BES) now includes:
Event and subscription caching at the PL/SQL layer:
When a business event is raised, the Event Dispatcher queries a cache before running SQL on database tables to identify the corresponding event subscriptions in order to reduce SQL executions. This feature provides performance gains for event subscriptions processed within a single session, such as batch programs or high volume data entry scenarios.

PL/SQL rule function optimization:
PL/SQL packages are generated for all registered rule functions during installation. BES calls a generated PL/SQL package statically by passing the function name to be executed. This feature eliminates the overhead of the dynamic SQL used to call rule functions prior to Release 12.
Declarative event subscription error handling:
You can choose between the following “On Error” conditions when defining new subscriptions:
Stop and Rollback:
Stop processing any further subscriptions and roll back those that have already been executed.

Skip to Next:
Roll back only the errored subscription and then continue processing subsequent subscriptions.

Workflow API

•A function activity is usually defined by a PL/SQL stored procedure that performs some automated processing within a workflow process.
•The PL/SQL procedure for a function activity must follow a standard API.

All PL/SQL stored procedures called by function activities in a workflow process must follow the standard API format so that the Workflow Engine can properly execute the activity.

procedure
(itemtype in varchar2,

itemkey in varchar2,
actid in number,
funcmode in varchar2,
resultout out varchar2);


•itemtype: The internal name for the item type.
•itemkey: A string that represents a primary key generated by the workflow-enabled application for the item type. The item key uniquely identifies the item within an item type.
•actid: The ID number of the activity from which this procedure is called.
•funcmode: The execution mode of the function activity, either RUN or CANCEL.
•resultout: A result that is returned depending on the result type specified for the activity.

•RUN
–Executed when activities are executed for the first time
–Executed following CANCEL mode when a loop is revisited with On Revisit set to Reset
•CANCEL
–Executed for activities revisited in a loop with On Revisit set to Reset
–Executed for activities that are part of a process that has been canceled by a call to WF_ENGINE.AbortProcess( )

•If a result type is specified in the property page of the activity in the Workflow Builder, this parameter represents the expected result returned when the procedure completes.
•Possible resultout values are:
–COMPLETE:
–WAITING
–DEFERRED:
–NOTIFIED::
–ERROR:

•A post-notification function can be used to couple processing logic to a notification activity.
•Post-notification functions for notification activities must follow the same standard API as PL/SQL procedures for function activities.
•However, notification activities use different execution modes than function activities



All PL/SQL stored procedures referenced by notification activities as post-notification functions in a workflow process must follow the standard API format so that the Workflow Engine can properly execute the activity.

•The resultout parameter is ignored for the ‘RESPOND’, ‘FORWARD’, and ‘TRANSFER’ execution modes, unless the parameter value is in the form ‘ERROR%’.
•If you want to fail the Respond, Forward, or Transfer operation after the post-notification function has executed, you can:
–Return resultout = ERROR:
–Raise an exception in your procedure

You can reference the following global WF_ENGINE variables in your post-notification function:
•WF_ENGINE.context_nid = notification_ID
•WF_ENGINE.context_text = new_recipient_roleif the function is called in TRANSFER or FORWARD mode
or
WF_ENGINE.context_text = responderif the function is called in RESPOND mode

•Use WF_CORE APIs to raise and catch errors in your PL/SQL procedures.
•The Workflow Engine sets the status of the function activity to “ERROR” if:
–The PL/SQL procedure raises an unhandled exception
–The PL/SQL procedure returns a result beginning with “ERROR:”



Use the following APIs to start or run a workflow process:
•WF_ENGINE.CreateProcess
•WF_ENGINE.StartProcess
•WF_ENGINE.LaunchProcess
•WF_ENGINE.SetItemOwner
•WF_ENGINE.SetItemUserKey
•WF_ENGINE.GetItemUserKey
•WF_ENGINE.SetItemParent
•WF_ENGINE.Event
•WF_ENGINE.Background
•WF_ENGINE.CreateForkProcess
•WF_ENGINE.StartForkProcess

Use the following APIs to communicate attribute information to the Workflow Engine:
•WF_ENGINE.SetItemAttribute
•WF_ENGINE.SetItemAttrDocument
•WF_ENGINE.SetItemAttributeArray
•WF_ENGINE.GetItemAttribute
•WF_ENGINE.GetItemAttrDocument
•WF_ENGINE.GetItemAttrClob
•WF_ENGINE.GetItemAttrInfo

•WF_ENGINE.AddItemAttr
•WF_ENGINE.AddItemAttributeArray
•WF_ENGINE.GetActivityAttribute
•WF_ENGINE.GetActivityAttrClob

WF_ENGINE.GetActivityAttrInfo


Use the following APIs to communicate state changes to the Workflow Engine:
•WF_ENGINE.CompleteActivity
•WF_ENGINE.CompleteActivityInternalName
•WF_ENGINE.BeginActivity
•WF_ENGINE.AssignActivity
•WF_ENGINE.GetActivityLabel
•WF_ENGINE.AbortProcess
•WF_ENGINE.SuspendProcess

•WF_ENGINE.ResumeProcess
•WF_ENGINE.HandleError
•WF_ENGINE.ItemStatus



•For standalone Oracle Workflow, a calling application can launch a Web browser and pass a Workflow Monitor URL.
•You can monitor a specific item type and key through the following URLs:
–Process Diagram URL
–Notifications List URL
–Activities List URL

•To generate Workflow Monitor URL strings, call the following functions:
–Process Diagram: WF_MONITOR.GetDiagramURL( )
–Notifications List: WF_MONITOR.GetEnvelopeURL( )
–Activities List: WF_MONITOR.GetAdvancedEnvelopeURL( )
•The calling application must supply the Web agent string, item type, and item key, and specify whether to run the monitor in ADMIN or USER mode.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Download PDF format Etrms


Etrms and Some Usefull documents

http://cid-ae545c16904514ec.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Ora%20Apps%20docs/

Monday, October 01, 2007

GL Features in R12

1.Multi Org

In Release 11i, a user assigned to an Operating Unit (OU) would process data from the products deployed in that OU. To process data for another OU, a user would log out of the first and into the second. The data generated in that OU would be accounted for according to rules generated by various product accounting engines, and posted to general ledger in ways appropriate for the different products, some generating part of the detail at different times in the process. General Ledger sets of books (Sob) were self-contained, reflecting the balances of the entity to which you’d assigned the Sob, and managed by users assigned to the Sob.


In Release 12.0, by contrast, users can be assigned to multiple operating units, and are supported by processes and transactions that can span operating units. Their data is book-kept according to rules stored in a single accounting engine,and the accounting is stored in subledger tables that are standard across all products. Complete accounting is maintained for every appropriate event, and all subledger entries are fully balanced and detailed. A single, common posting engine summarizes to your required level of detail, and posts to General Ledger.Sets of Books are replaced by the accounting entity’s ‘ledger’ for data, and its ‘Ledger Set’ for processing, from reporting, opening and closing, through allocations. Ledgers can be combined into ledger sets, and GL users are assigned to the ledger sets. User access to multiple operating units is called ‘Multi-Org Access Control’,(MOAC).

2. Multi-Org Access Control (Changed functionality): Multi-Org Access Control enables companies that have implemented a Shared Services operating model to efficiently process business transactions by allowing them to access, process, and report on data for an unlimited number of operating

units within a single applications responsibility. This increases the productivity of Shared Service Centers, as users and processes no longer have to switch applications responsibilities when processing transactions for multiple operating units at a time. Data security and access privileges are still maintained using security profiles that now support a list of operating units.

3. Multi-Org Security Profile Preferences(Changed functionality): A Multi-Org Security Profile defines the list of operating units to which a user has access. If a user typically uses a subset of the operating units in his security profile, he may set up Preferences to limit the operating units available to him
during transaction processing. The user can also set a default ‘operating unit’ tominimize manual data entry when an operating unit context is required.

4. Enhanced Multi-Org Reporting(Changed functionality): Consistent with the Multi-Org Access Control feature, users are able to run reports using two levels:

• Ledger: The report runs for all operating units within a ledger to which the
user has access

• Operating Unit: The report runs for a selected operating unit that belongs to the user’s security profile.

5. Multi-Org Integration with Accounting Setup Manager:(New functionality) The Accounting Setup Manager is a central location to define your accountingrelated setup across all financial applications. Here, you can define your legal entities and their accounting context, which includes the ledgers that will contain the accounting data for each legal entity. Multi-Org is integrated into the Accounting Setup Manager such that users can define operating units and their relationship to ledgers. For each operating unit, users can also select a legal entity to provide a default legal context during transaction processing. This centralizes your setup and makes it easier to inquire on and maintain relationships between ledgers, legal entities, and operating units.

6.GL Accounting Setup- Simultaneous Accounting for Multiple Reporting Requirements:(New functionality)

Companies that are global in nature and that have operations in different localities often have multiple reporting requirements. These companies and their subsidiaries often need to satisfy the accounting and reporting requirements for each country as well as those of the parent company. This involves performing accounting in accordance with accounting principles and standards of multiple countries and in different currencies, charts of accounts, and/or calendars. The reporting requirements can also be statutory in nature, and one subsidiary may even need to satisfy multiple sets of statutory requirements. Oracle General Ledger simplifies the simultaneous management of the accounting for all of these different reporting requirements in this latest release. You are able to define your legal entities and the setup needed to address each accounting and reporting requirement using the Accounting Setup Manager. New enhancements and integration with Subledger Accounting enable Oracle General Ledger to perform accounting for all reporting requirements of a legal entity simultaneously.

7. Centralized Accounting Setup(New feature): The Accounting Setup Manager is a central location to define your accounting-related setup across all financial applications. Here you can define your legal entities and their accounting context, which includes the ledgers* that contain the accounting data for each legal entity. If a legal entity has multiple reporting requirements, you can include additional reporting currencies or ledgers in the accounting context to satisfy the additional requirements.

8. Enhanced Reporting Currency Functionality (Changed functionality) : Multiple Reporting Currencies functionality is enhanced to support all journal sources. Reporting sets of books are now simply reporting currencies. Every journal that is posted in the primary currency of a ledger can be automatically converted into one or more reporting currencies. This conversion can be performed by Subledger Accounting, to convert all subledger journal entries, or by General Ledger, to convert more summarized General Ledger journals. You can choose to convert any journal sources and

categories.

9. Improved Processing Efficiency- Simultaneous Data Access to Multiple Legal Entities and Ledgers: -New feature.

Can access multiple legal entities and ledgers when you log into Oracle General Ledger using a single responsibility. This improves processing efficiency by reducing the need to switch between responsibilities when trying to access data for different ledgers or legal entities.

10.Simultaneous Opening and Closing of Periods for Multiple Ledgers: (New feature) The Open and Close Periods Programs have multiple enhancements. You are able to run any of the Open and Close Periods Programs from the Concurrent Manager. This allows you to take advantage of scheduling and request set capabilities for greater processing efficiency. Also, if you manage multiple

ledgers, you can open or close periods for multiple ledgers simultaneously. You can even keep the status of periods across multiple ledgers in synch with new programs that ensure a specific period is Open or Closed for all of the ledgers you manage.

11. Cross-Ledger and Foreign Currency Allocations:(New feature) You are able to allocate financial data from one or more ledgers to a different target ledger. This enables you to perform cross-ledger allocations, which is useful for purposes such as allocating corporate or regional expenses to local

subsidiaries when each entity has its own ledger. This is possible even if the target ledger is in a different currency than the source ledger(s) because you can create allocations in foreign currencies. Foreign currency allocations are also useful within a single ledger if you need to allocate amounts to a currency that is different from the primary currency of a ledger.

12. Simultaneous Currency Translation of Multiple Ledgers (New functionality) If business manages multiple ledgers; you can run the Translation program for multiple ledgers simultaneously.

13. Financial Reporting Across Ledgers (New Functionality): Business is able to run Financial Statement Generator (FSG) reports for multiple ledgers simultaneously. This is useful if you manage multiple ledgers and want to run a balance sheet or income statement report for all ledgers at the same time.

14. Automatic Journal Copy:(New Feature) Business is able to automatically copy an existing journal batch to create a new journal batch with the same journals and journal lines. This reduces the amount of work you need to do to re-create a journal that has already been defined. During the copying process, you have the option to change the period and effective date of the journal batch.

15. Streamline Automatic Posting(New Feature): AutoPost Criteria can be shared across ledgers that have the same chart of accounts and calendar. This dramatically reduces the number of AutoPost Criteria sets you need to define. Furthermore, you can automatically post journals across multiple ledgers imultaneously.

16. Streamline AutoReversal Criteria Setup:(New feature) AutoReversal Criteria can be shared across ledgers. This dramatically reduces the number of AutoReversal Criteria sets you need to define.

17. Streamline Consolidation Mappings : You are able to define Chart of Accounts Mappings (formerly known as Consolidation Mappings) between two charts of accounts. Therefore, if you
have multiple Consolidation Definitions for parent and subsidiary ledgers that share the same chart of accounts pair, and their mapping rules are the same, you only have to define a single Chart of Accounts Mapping. This significantly reduces the number of mappings you need to define if your Consolidation Definitions involve the same pair of charts of accounts and the mapping rules are the same.

18. Replacement for Disabled Accounts: When an account is disabled, you can prevent transactions that include the account from erroring during journal import by defining a replacement account for the disabled account. Journal import replaces the disabled account with the replacement account and continue the journal import process if the replacement account is valid. This improves processing efficiency by preventing the journal import process from erroring and enabling the successful creation of the journal with minimal user intervention when an account has been disabled.

19. Data Security across Legal Entities and Ledgers: In R12 release, since you can access multiple legal entities and ledgers when you log into Oracle General Ledger using a single responsibility, Oracle General Ledger provides you with flexible ways to secure your data by legal entity, ledger, or even balancing segment values or management segment values. You are able to control whether a user can only view data, or whether they can also enter and modify data for a legal entity, ledger, balancing segment value or management segment value.

20. Management Reporting Security: You can designate any segment (except the natural account segment) of your chart of accounts to be your management segment and use Oracle General Ledger’s security model to secure the management segment for reporting and entry of management adjustments.

21. Prevent Reversal of Journals with Frozen Sources: Journals with frozen journal sources are prevented from being reversed to streamline the reconciliation of data from Subledger Accounting sources.

22. Prevent Reversal of Unposted Journals: Users are no longer allowed to reverse ‘Unposted’ journals.

23. Entered Currency Reporting and Analysis: Oracle General Ledger tracks the balances that are entered in your ledger’s primary currency. This enables customers to perform currency analysis on amounts that are entered in the ledger’s primary currency for the purposes of currency valuation and hedging.

24. Foreign Currency Recurring Journals: You can use Recurring Journals to create foreign currency journals. This enables user to pre-define journals that are recurring in nature and that are in foreign currencies and simply generate them when business need them.

25. Intercompany Balancing Support for Encumbrances: Intercompany encumbrance journals are automatically balanced during journal posting.

26. Integration with Subledger Accounting: Oracle Subledger Accounting provides tools that allow users to meet multigaap, corporate, and fiscal accounting requirements. With a flexible tool

called Accounting Methods Builder, users can determine the accounts, lines,descriptions, summarization, and dates of their journal entries. Users can also add detailed transaction information to journal headers and lines. Detailed subledger accounting journals are available for analytics,auditing, and reporting. They are summarized, transferred, imported and posted to Oracle General Ledger.

Oracle General Ledger’s integration with Subledger Accounting provides a unified process to post data to general ledger from Oracle subledgers and external feeder systems. Also, it provides a consistent view when drilling down from general ledger balances to subledger transactions. Please refer to the Oracle Subledger Accounting section of this document for more information.

27. Enhanced Intercompany: The Global Intercompany System (GIS) feature from previous releases has been incorporated into the Oracle Advanced Intercompany System product. Please refer to the Oracle Advanced Global Intercompany System section of this document for more information.

28. GL Standard Reports Integration With XML Publisher: Oracle General Ledger’s Account Analysis, General Journals and Trial Balance standard reports are now integrated with XML Publisher. Using XML Publisher allows you to leverage the formatting features of a word processing application to design the layout of your report.

In R12 a new product called Oracle Subledger Accounting is introduced.

Oracle Sub ledger Accounting is a new product in this release. Oracle Sub ledger Accounting enables corporations to comply with corporate,local and managerial accounting and audit requirements via increased control,visibility and efficiency.

Friday, September 28, 2007

HELP-MENU
  • How to see application version, Form shortname and version of form
    (Help) About Oracle application
  • (Help)Diagnostics ->Examine
    • Pass the apps password and investigate the value for some variable.
  • (Help)Diagnostics ->Examine ….Chose $DESCRIPTIVE_FLEXFIELD$block
  • (Help)Diagnostics ->Examine ….Chose $ENVIRONMENT$block
    • This has all primary environment variables.
  • (Help)Diagnostics ->Examine ….Chose $PROFILE$block
    • this shows all profile options given to user who is accessing the application.
  • (Help)Diagnostics ->Examine ….Chose system block…choose LAST_QUERY field
    • This will shows last query used by the form.
  • (Help) Diagnostics -> Display Database error
    • This shows any database error message.
  • (Help) Diagnostics -> Trace(checkbox)
    • The options are on and off for forms tracing. Tracing file (.trc) is put into user dump folder.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Oracle Purchasing Terminology

Terms used in the conventional purchasing system and as referred in Oracle Purchasing may be different. A brief explanation of the ‘Oracle Purchasing’ terms vis-à-vis the existing terminology is provided the following paragraphs. These terms are extensively used in documenting the ‘Purchasing - To Be’ flows and it is recommended that the various users of this system get acquainted with the same.

Requestor: Any Employee who requires specific items to meet his operational needs. Requestor may or may not have the system access to enter the on-line requisitions. Requestor with no computer access will give their requisitions manually on pre-printed requisition form to the requisition ‘Preparer’ within the concerned department.


Preparer: Employee in a department with the responsibility of entering Purchase Requisitions in the system.


Approver: Employee with the responsibility and authority of approving the requisition and / or the Quotation Analysis Document and / or the Purchase Orders.


Buyer: Employee in the Purchase Department with the responsibility of entering the Requests for Quotation, the Quotations received from the Supplier and the Purchase Orders in the new system.


Request For Quotation (RFQ): Synonym for ‘Inquiry’. RFQs are sent to the vendors, requesting them for their quotations for the items / services required to be purchased.

Quotation: Quotations are the ‘Vendor Offers’ for the required items / services.


Quotation Analysis: It is a ‘Comparative Statement of Quotations’.

Standard Purchase Order: Standard Purchase Orders are created for purchase of various items / services where details such as the quantity to be purchased and the negotiated costs.


Blanket Purchase Agreement: Blanket purchase agreements are signed with the vendor for the supply of goods / services over a period. Such agreements can be used when details of the goods / services you plan to buy from a specific supplier in a period are known, but you do not yet know the details of your delivery schedules. They can also be used to specify negotiated prices for your items before actually buying them.

Blanket Release: You can issue a Blanket Release against a Blanket Purchase Agreement to place the actual order with the vendor. The Releases should be within the Blanket Agreement effectivity dates.

Planned Purchase Order: It is a long term agreement committing to buy items / services from a single source. The tentative delivery schedule is given to the vendor along with other details like quantities and estimated costs.

Schedule Release: This document is issued to the vendor against a Planned Purchase Order to place the actual order. This document will confirm the specific quantity and delivery date to the vendor.

Contract Purchase Agreements: Contract Purchase Agreements may be entered into with suppliers to agree on specific terms and conditions without indicating the goods or services that will actually be purchased. Standard Purchase Orders can be issued at a later date referencing such Contracts.


Purchasing Cycle:

Requisitions: Requisitions generated by various departments of your organization. They basically say that ‘I WANT THIS ITEM’ mentioning the item quantity and required date

Request for Quotation: The purchasing person sends the requirement to various suppliers giving details of the item and can also specify own terms and conditions such as payment terms, price etc.

Quotations: The Supplier responds to the RFQ and sends their quotations mentioning details of the item and all their terms and conditions regarding payment terms, discount, delivery schedules, etc.

Purchase Orders: The quotations received from various suppliers are compared and PO made for them in which all the terms and conditions of the firm are mentioned as regards to Payment, price, etc.

Receiving Goods: Suppliers ship the goods, which are received in your organization

Payments: After clearance from the receiving department about the receipt of goods, payments are made to the suppliers.

Close the PO: After the items are received, payments made you can close the PO.


Purchasing Requirements
· Item
· Quantity
· Ship to Address
· Bill to Address
· Delivery Schedules
· Terms and Conditions
· PO Numbering
· Approval Authority
· Supplier
· Accounts

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

FAQ
What is the interface?
Interface Table is a table which is used as medium for transfer of data between two systems.
What is INBOUND and OUT BOUND? (Different types of interfaces)
Inbound Interface:
For inbound interfaces, where these products are the destination, interface tables as well as
supporting validation, processing, and maintenance programs are provided.

Outbound Interface:
For outbound interfaces, where these products are the source, database views are provided and the destination application should provide the validation, processing, and maintenance programs

What is multi org?
“Legal entity has more than one operating unit is called as multi org”
a) Business group --- Human resources information is secured by
Business group
b) Legal entity. --- inter-company and fiscal/tax reporting.
Security responsibility operating unit.
c) Operating unit --- secures AR, OE, AP, PA and PO Information.
d) Organizations --- is a specialize unit of work at particular locations


What are the User PARAMETERS in the Reports?
P_CONC_REQUEST_ID
P_FLEX_VALUE


FND USER EXITS:-
FND SRWINIT sets your profile option values, multiple organizations and allows Oracle Application Object
Library user exits to detect that they have been called by an Oracle Reports program.
FND SRWEXIT ensures that all the memory allocated for AOL user exits have been freed up properly.
FND FLEXIDVAL are used to display flex field information like prompt, value etc
FND FLEXSQL these user exits allow you to use flex fields in your reports
FND FORMAT_CURRENCY is used to print currency in various formats by using formula column


What are the requests groups?
a) Single request: - this allows you to submit an individual request.
b) Request set : - this allows you to submit a pre-defined set of requests.


Difference between Bind and Lexical parameters?
BIND VARIABLE :
are used to replace a single value in sql, pl/sql bind variable may be used to replace expressions in select, where, group, order by, having, connect by, start with cause of queries.
bind reference may not be referenced in FROM clause (or) in place of reserved words or clauses.

LEXICAL REFERENCE:
you can use lexical reference to replace the clauses appearing AFTER select,
from, group by, having, connect by, start with. you can’t make lexical reference in a pl/sql statmetns.


update clause:
1) use explicit locking to deny access for the duration of a transaction
2) lock the rows before update or delete
Ex : select …….
From…….
For update[ of column ref] [no_wait]
where current of clause?
1) use cursor to update or delete the current row
Where current of <>


What is the package?
Group logically related pl/sql types, items and subprograms.
1. package specification
2. package body
Advantages of a package:
A. Modularity
B. Easier Application Design
C.Information Hiding
Overloading
You cannot overload:
•Two subprograms if their formal parameters differ only in name or parameter mode. (datatype and their
total number is same).
•Two subprograms if their formal parameters differ only in datatype and the different datatypes are in the
same family (number and decimal belong to the same family)
•Two subprograms if their formal parameters differ only in subtype and the different subtypes are based
on types in the same family (VARCHAR and STRING are subtypes of VARCHAR2)
•Two functions that differ only in return type, even if the types are in different families.


What are triggers?
triggers are similar to procedures, in that they are the named pl/sql blocks with declarative,executable and exception-handling sections, how ever a procedure is executed explicitly from another block via a procedure call, which can also pass arguments.
A trigger is executed implicitly when ever a particular event task places. And is nothing but a event.
The triggering event is a DML (insert, update, delete) operations on a data base table
fires whenever a data event(such as DML) or system event(such as login or shutdown) occurs on a schema or database
Trigger timing :

1) before
2) after
3) instead of ( this is used for views)

events :
1) insert
2)update
3) delete
Trigger type :

1) statement level
2) row level.
Firing sequence of database triggers
1. before statement trigger
2. before row trigger
3. after row trigger
4. after statement trigger


LOCKS?
Is to reduce concurrency
1) share lock
it allows the other users for only reading not to insert
2) exclusive lock
only one user can have the privileges of insert or
others can only read.
3) update lock
multiple user can read, update delete
Lock levels :
1) table level 2) table space 3) data base level.


What are ad-hoc reports?
Ans.: Ad-hoc Report is made to meet one-time reporting needs. Concerned with or formed for a particular purpose. For example, ad hoc tax codes or an ad hoc database query

Monday, August 27, 2007

AOL features in OM

Order Management uses the following AOL features
Document Sequences - Order Entry used Order Number Sources for order
numbering. It let you define sequences that were used to automatically
number Orders and Returns. You assigned an Order Number source to an
Order Type.


Order Management uses the AOL Document Sequences feature to meet
Order Numbering requirements. This lets you number Order and Returns
using Manual, Automatic or Gapless sequences.You can define Document Sequences using the AOL Define Document Sequences form. When you define an Order Transaction Type, the application automatically creates a Document Sequence Category of the same name. You can assign a pre-defined sequence to one or more Document Sequence Categories, using the AOL Sequence Assignments
form. When an Order is created, Order Management calls AOL Document
Sequence APIs to number the Order.

Attachments - In Order Entry you could define Notes and addition rules regarding when they were attached to an Order or Line. You had to manually choose to add the eligible Notes to the Order or Line. You could also define how the Notes were printed on various Reports. Database triggers were used to duplicate Note definition data in AOL.

Order Management drives off the AOL Attachment functionality enabling you to attach images and web pages (in addition to short or long text). It also offers multi-lingual Document capability. Attachment definition and usage data is stored only in AOL. Automatic Addition rule definitions are stored in Order Management (OE_ATTACHMENT_RULES,OE_ATTACHMENT_RULE_ELEMENTS).
In addition to the attributes
(Customer, Ship-to, Invoice-to, Order Type, Item, PO #) that were previously available, you can now define rules based on the Order Category,Line Category and Line Type.

Oracle Order Management - Sales Order
The Profile Option ‘OM: Apply Automatic Attachments’ determines
whether rule based attachments are automatically applied

How to Download Etrm PDF format files

Use the following :
http://appsre.us.oracle.com/11idoc/11.5.1/html/trmset.html