Using Oracle E-Business Suite Diagnostics

Using Oracle E-Business Suite Diagnostics

(and other fun ways to spend a Sunday a!ernoon)

John [email protected]

http://only4le!.jpiwowar.comWednesday, May 25, 2011

mailto:[email protected]


Hi!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Who: John Piwowar Oracle Apps DBA (6 yrs) and (ab-) normal DBA for 10ish.What: Oracle EBS Diagnostic ToolsWhy: Surprisingly, not everyone knows they exist, or how useful they can be. Knowing my luck, though, a show of hands in the room will prove me wrong this time around (hopefully you’ll learn something anyway). Also, a useful empowerment tool, and makes my job easier.When: Now! For the next 45-50 minutes! Aren’t you lucky?Where: Covering 11i Diagnostics, since that seems to fit the local demographic, and it’s what I have most ready access to these days. R12 Diagnostics are much the same, except bluer. And baked-in, instead of bolted-on.How: A handful of chatty introductory slides, a demo or three, and some Q&A if you’re not tired of me by then.

Safe Harbor?(No more Sharks, anyway...)

• I am not affiliated with Oracle. Any resemblance between my opinions and theirs is entirely coincidental, or the result of good marketing.

• I decline to be held responsible for any and all negative outcomes that may result from acting on the content of this presentation. In the event of positive outcomes, however, offers of good beer gratefully accepted.

• 50 minutes of blather from a random database nerd is a poor substitute for your very expensive Oracle Support contract

• No software was harmed in the making of this presentation


Don’t Panic. This stuff is mostly harmless. Still bears noting that I shouldn’t be held responsible if you manage to break something after seeing this presentation. Even if I drop my laptop on your foot, it’ll be an accident. Honest.If I say one thing, and Oracle Support says another, you’re probably better off assuming I got it wrong.

Typical Support CycleUser/BA: “Help!”


User reports a problem, or BA notices something weirdAfter some investigation, decide to log an SROracle responds with a laundry list of information requestsBA gets some, but needs help from DBA to get some of the information, which the DBA promptly and thoroughly provides, because the DBA is super-awesome like that

Typical Support CycleUser/BA: “Help!” Oracle: “Please send...”

Applications versionModule patch levelList of recent patchesVersions of the following 42 filesOutput from these 5 scripts/log files




BA: “Ok! Oh, wait. Help!”

Oracle: “Please send...”Applications versionModule patch levelList of recent patchesVersions of the following 42 filesOutput from these 5 scripts/log files

DBA: “Sure, gladly! Here y’go!”




BA: “Ok! Oh, wait. Help!”

Oracle: “Please send...”Applications versionModule patch levelList of recent patchesVersions of the following 42 filesOutput from these 5 scripts/log files

DBA: “Sure, gladly! Here y’go!”

BA: “Ok, Oracle, I’m back!” Oracle: “More please...”


User reports a problem, or BA notices something weirdAfter some investigation, decide to log an SROracle responds with a laundry list of information requestsBA gets some info, but needs help from DBA to get some of the information, which the DBA promptly and thoroughly provides, because the DBA is super-awesome like thatOracle needs more!

Doesn’t scale well...

BA

DBA

Oracle


As a DBA, I’m obligated to throw in “scalability” in each presentation. ;-)In an ideal world, of course, we’d only work on one problem at once....and no one else would have other problems while we were dealing with ours.I want to move the Theory. *Everything* works in Theory!

Doesn’t scale well...

BA

DBA(s)

OracleBA Oracle

BA

Oracle

BA Oracle

“????@#%!”


In an ideal world, of course, we’d only work on one problem at once....and no one else would have other problems while we were dealing with ours.I want to move the Theory. *Everything* works in Theory!

It could be like this...User/BA: “Help!” Oracle: “Please send...”



What if you could gather all of the information Support asks for yourself?How much time does that cut out of the problem resolution cycle?



BA: *clickety click*





BA: “Ok, Oracle, I’m back!” Oracle: “Whoa...”





BA: “Ok, Oracle, I’m back!” Oracle: “Whoa. Solution!”

BA: “Woohoo!”Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Or this...

BA: “Huh, that’s weird.”


What if you were able to identify the source of a problem (with a sales order, an invoice, a purchase order, period close...) without involving Oracle Support at all?

Or this...



BA: “Oh, is that what it is?”


Or this...



BA: “Oh, is that what it is?”

BA: “Solution!”

Users: “Woohoo!”


Note in both of these new scenarios, DBA is not involved. I *told* you this was about making my job easier.

• Diagnose common problems

• Validate E-Business Suite module configurations

• Collect data for Oracle Support

• Get stuff done

• No extra expense

Oracle Diagnostics: Empowerment Tools


Yes, that’s a pun. Yes, I’m terrible. Yes, it’ll probably get worse before I’m done.Oracle Diagnostic Tools:* “Self-Service”, HTML-based reporting about what going on inside your E-Business Suite instance* Replicates a lot of the “please run this script” stuff that Oracle might require you to upload when logging SR* Some of the diagnostics are familiar, since also available as Concurrent Requests. Obviously, concurrent request output is easier to read, way prettier too. *ahem** Reports can be saved locally from your browser (be careful there...)* Free (with purchase of your regular E-Business Suite licenses)NOT* OAM (that’s for DBA’s, no touching!)* Oracle Applications Management Pack (that’s Grid Control, it’s for DBAs too)* Front-end to concurrent managers (all database queries and Java stuff)

“You’re letting me do what?”

• Requires a specific “Diagnostic Tools” responsibility for access

• Leverages existing E-Business Suite security model

• Security levels can be modified for individual tests


We all know DBA==Don’t Bother Asking. Why am I, of all people, advocating a tool that allows peeking under the covers?Diagnostics provides added visibility to things users should already have privilege to see. No back-door accessNo adhoc query accessSOD maintainedTests only available to users w/ appropriate responsibilities (not even SYSADMIN can see everything!)Big benefit here: Power Users and Business Analysts can diagnose/debug problems in their respective domains without using ad-hoc query tools to access the database, or asking DBAs to run scripts/retrieve files from the server, etc.Easy. Empowering. Saves time.

Gimme IZU!

• 11i: “Bolted on”

• 12.0: “Still bolted on”

• 12.1: “Baked in”

• Apply the patches, assign the responsibilities, and away you go!


Diagnostics are an Application/Module w/in EBS (IZU. Gesundheit. WOO must’ve been taken for a future product?)Came late in the lifecycle for 11i, so not included in the default install (adsplice, for the Apps DBAs in the room)12.0, requires some bolting on, as well. At least, early 12.0 did, maybe not 12.0.4?12.1, it’s already there (as “Application Diagnostics,” thanks guys... :-P)Make sure to stay updated; Oracle even updated the 11.5.10.2 Diagnostics as late as Nov 2010.Always coming out with new tests/updated tests. Stay up-to-date!After initial install, many patches containing new tests can be “hotpatched” in. No, really, is says so in the README. Install the patch, bounce Apache, and you have updated diagnostics. Not very invasive, usually delivering XML and HTML files and/or handful of new diagnostic-specific PL/SQL packages.

Caveats

• Some tests are broken (let Oracle know!)

• Some tests are duplicated

• Diagnostics can’t do everything


Every product has at least 2 tests. That kinda inflates the “nnn Diagnostics available!” number, but I can let that slide. :-)Diagnostics, like other products, can be buggy. I like that the team seems to prefer iterating, particularly since the cost of broken tests is low (no data loss, no performance problems...usually) Even include a link to allow you send them the ugly Java stack trace that results from broken tests!Can’t get rid of your DBAs yet!

Quick! Write these down!

• My Oracle Support Note 167000.1: E-Business Suite Diagnostics Installation Guide

• My Oracle Support Note 358831.1: E-Business Suite Diagnostics Setup Instructions (also discusses security model)

• My Oracle Support Note 357745.1: E-Business Suite Diagnostics XML Files

• My Oracle Support Note 179661.1: E-Business Suite Diagnostics 11i Test Catalog

• My Oracle Support Note 421245.1: E-Business Suite Diagnostics References for R12

• MOS patch search product string: “Oracle E-Business Suite Diagnostics”


Hah, kidding, I’ve posted the slides on the InterWebs, no scribbling required.

https://supporthtml.oracle.com/ep/faces/secure/km/DocumentDisplay.jspx?id=167000.1
















Live Demo


Live Demo

(what could possibly go wrong?)


Items for demo: 1) Highlight Diagnostic Tools responsibility2) Launch Diagnostics3) Point out “Basic” vs “Advanced” -- recommend Advanced4) Point out two tests common to all modules (helpful, easy to get to, RDA == ACT/”Diagnostic Apps Check”)5) Setup checks: (Purchasing, Inventory, ONT, Assets) -- should show N/A for sysadmin, switch to another user6) Period close check (GL)7) Sales Order and/or Purchasing check8) Show security model9) DBA goodies: file patch history, use RDA to get product-level versions10) Workflow check (segue alert!)

Thanks, BCOAUG!

• Email: [email protected]

• Blog: http://only4left.jpiwowar.com

• Slides: Slideshare, search user ‘jpiwowar’




http://only4left.jpiwowar.com

http://only4left.jpiwowar.com

Using Oracle E-Business Suite Diagnostics

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