Oracle Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) System Release 11.1.2.1.000 is Now Available

Oracle Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) System Release 11.1.2.1.000 is Now Available [ID 1306738.1]
Modified 12-MAY-2011 Type ANNOUNCEMENT Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
What is being announced?

Applies to:

Middleware > Enterprise Performance Management
Middleware > Business Intelligence > Hyperion Query & Reporting
Information in this document applies to any platform.
What is being announced?

Oracle’s EPM System Development Team is pleased to announce General Availability of Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management System release 11.1.2.1.

Oracle's performance management applications are a modular suite of integrated applications that integrate with both Oracle and non-Oracle transactional systems. EPM System products form a comprehensive Enterprise Performance Management system that integrates modular suites of financial management applications with the most comprehensive business intelligence capabilities for reporting and analysis.

This is a localized release available in seventeen languages. See System Requirements and Supported Platforms for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management System 11.1.2.1 for details.

In this release, EPM System products extend the new features and products offered with release 11.1.2.0 (See My Oracle Support note 1087255.1 - Oracle Enterprise Performance Management System Release 11.1.2.0.00 is now available). The following is a summary of new features provided with EPM System release 11.1.2.1. For additional details, please visit the product New Features Guides, available in the Enterprise Performance Management System Documentation Library.

INSTALLATION AND DEPLOYMENT:

EPM System release 11.1.2.1 supports the migration of applications and data from prior releases, 9.2.1, 9.3.3 and 11.1.1.3. It also supports upgrade of EPM System release 11.1.2.0 as an application of a maintenance release. Operating System support is extended to include Windows 2008 / Windows 2008 R2. Support is extended to include Microsoft Office 2010. For complete platform support information, please visit System Requirements and Supported Platforms for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management System 11.1.2.1.

ORACLE’S HYPERION® FOUNDATION SERVICES:
Oracle's Hyperion® Shared Services and Lifecycle Management
EPM System Shared Services release 11.1.2.1 now supports Active-Active Clustering of Foundation Services. To ensure high availability, you can deploy active-active Foundation Services clusters on WebLogic managed servers.
Lifecycle Management now supports the migration of artifacts from Financial Close Management.

Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Workspace, Fusion Edition)
This release of Workspace offers improved logging and error reporting. It also provides improved launching behavior when multiple external programs launch workspace.

Oracle Hyperion EPM Architect, Fusion Edition
The Process Manager, Job Manager, Event Manager and the Engine Manager have been consolidated into one Dimension Server process, called "Hyperion EPMA Server." The .Net JNI Bridge is no longer exposed as a service. It is still a separate process that is controlled by the "Hyperion EPMA Server" service.
Performance Management Architect now has a Deployment History feature that administrators can use to review information relating to the lifecycle of an application.

ERP Integrator
The Tasks pane (left pane) in ERP Integrator has a new look and feel to improve usability. It now displays all options, making it easier for the user to navigate without expanding and collapsing artifacts.

Hyperion Calculation Manager
With this release, Calculation Manager may be used by Oracle General Ledger users working with Essbase aggregate storage applications. Oracle General Ledger users use allocation components, point of view components, and formula components to design business rules.

Oracle Hyperion Smart View for Office, Fusion Edition
Oracle Hyperion Financial Close Management task lists are now integrated into Outlook, so Oracle Hyperion Financial Close Management users can integrate their tasks into Outlook tasks and perform these tasks from within Outlook

Using the new Save Ad Hoc Grid button on the Planning Ad Hoc ribbon, planners assigned the
ad hoc grid creator role can save and store ad hoc grids as data forms. This behavior replaces
Smart Slice functionality for Planning in this release.

The Member Selection dialog box has been redesigned to improve ease-of-use and provide more options for selecting members for the grid.

In this release, the Point of View (POV) has been made easier to use with POV toggle button, “type member names” in the POV, simplified drag and drop and docking enhancements.

ORACLE ESSBASE:
Oracle Essbase
Essbase supports the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol for all client-to-server and server-to server communication. SSL allows Essbase to communicate unilaterally across a network with Essbase clients, including Oracle Hyperion Provider Services, Oracle Essbase Administration Services, and Oracle Essbase Studio, while preventing eavesdropping and tampering. End-point authentication and communications occur confidentiality over the Internet using CipherSuite cryptography.

New C Main API Functions, where new user and group identity functions are added, enabling the specification of user directories and unique identity attributes during typical operations.

Oracle Essbase Administration Services
Previously, it was necessary to specify rules files for each data file prior to a data load, even if all data files used the same rules files. Now, you can select multiple data files and apply the same rules file or files to all of them.

This release supports the use of Secure Socket Layers (SSL) to connect with Essbase Servers.

Oracle Hyperion Provider Services
Users can now provide the logical name of an active Oracle Essbase server or cluster to log in.

Oracle Essbase Studio
Essbase Studio now supports Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition Business Model as a data source. In previous releases, Oracle BI EE support was limited to Presentation Layer. Oracle Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in

ORACLE’S HYPERION REPORTING AND ANALYSIS:
Oracle Hyperion Financial Reporting, Fusion Edition
Financial Reporting supports Public Sector Budgeting, enabling you to create Budget Books that contain both reports and textual data.

This release offers “Move Book objects and sections” from one location to another within the Book Editor using cut and paste book, or drag and drop for enhanced book editing

You can now embed Financial Reporting related content links into Microsoft Word documents included in a Book. This feature applies only to HTML Web page output, not HTML or PDF Preview in the EPM Workspace.

ORACLE’S HYPERION FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS:
Oracle Hyperion Planning, Fusion Edition
Oracle Hyperion Capital Asset Planning, Fusion Edition
Former process management functionality is renamed Approvals and includes key new features:
- Dynamic owner assignment: Leverage UDAs to dynamically assign owners, reviewers, and users to be notified in data validation rules.
- Troubleshooting support: When an error occurs during planning unit validation or promotion, a report is generated that lists the data form and validation rule name that caused the error. More information is written to the server log.
- View how planning units are used: A new Usage tab enables you to view planning unit hierarchy dependencies and links you to the data forms or scenario and version associations so you can remove the dependencies, if needed.

Using the Classic Application Wizard in Planning or the application wizard in Performance Management Architect, you can set the first fiscal year and month and specify whether the fiscal year starts from the same calendar year or the previous calendar year. You can later set up calculations based on the calendar year, for example, using formula expressions.

With ad hoc grids, users having the appropriate access permissions and assigned role (see “New Roles” on page 4) can create, personalize, and dynamically change focused data slices that they frequently access or that others can use. Users are not confined by the data form definition and can change the data intersection and layout of ad hoc grids (assuming that they have access to the members).

End users can now drag row headings to adjust row height while viewing a data form, regardless of the row height setting in the data form design. After adjusting the row, they can add a new line of text to the row.

Hyperion Public Sector Planning and Budgeting, Fusion Edition
You can build budget applications using fiscal years that do not start on January 1, or that start in the previous calendar year. For example, you can define budgets in which the fiscal year for 2012 starts July 1, 2011.

Improvements in Compensation Budget and Line Item Budget Integration. Expenses such as benefit schedules, salary, employer-paid taxes, and additional earnings are generated in the HCP plan type. Budgets for operating expenses (leases and utility expenses, for example) or revenues are maintained in the Plan 1, 2, or 3 type. Product implementors or administrators transfer compensation expenses, enabling General Ledger allocations and creating the line item budget.

Oracle Hyperion Financial Management, Fusion Edition
Financial Management utilities are now consolidated into one directory called Utilities, under the Financial Management installation location and are available from a single point of entry from the launch.HTML page.

Extended Analytics enables you to export selected data to an external Star Schema database for use by Essbase Integration Server (EIS) and others to perform a variety of functions. Previously, the Extended Analytics extract to export selected data to an external could only be done using Financial Management or as a COM-based API call. Now the HTTP listener allows Extended Analytics tasks to be launched through an HTTP request. See the Oracle Hyperion Financial Management HTTP Listener for Extended Analytics document.

Oracle Crystal Ball Enterprise Performance Management, Fusion Edition
The Predictor feature of Crystal Ball now includes ARIMA (autoregressive integrated moving average), an advanced modeling technique for time-series analysis. Time-series forecasting with classic models like moving average and exponential smoothing becomes difficult when a series exhibits complex trends.

Oracle Crystal Ball Enterprise Performance Management for Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Planning Suite is now available as an option for customers of Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Planning Suite.

Oracle Hyperion Profitability and Cost Management, Fusion Edition
With this release, four standard data entry views are available, providing pre-defined selections of commonly associated measures on the Data Entry screen. If required, the standard data entry views can be modified, to customize the results for your organization.

Previously, Profitability and Cost Management Data Entry view definitions were stored within Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Workspace, Fusion Edition as preferences. With this release, user-defined Data Entry view definitions are now stored in the Profitability and Cost Management schema. The views are defined per application and shared between all users of that application. This applies to named views only.

Oracle Hyperion Disclosure Management
A new Generate iXBRL option has been added so that users can generate an iXBRL (in-line XBRL) instance document on the server, downloads it to the user's computer to the specified file/path, and then open the document in the viewer. Documents generated in iXBRL enable users to view submissions in human-readable and machine-readable formats within the same document.

The Disclosure Management Instance Viewer is now fully compatible with SEC Viewer versions 2.2.x and higher. Previously, the newer versions would not show the reports with the XSLT transformation applied. Additionally, the Reports menu now shows the "long names" for the reports.

Oracle Hyperion Financial Close Management
Enhancements to Task Design and Execution include the ability to reopen tasks, support for number formats in custom attributes (including currency), ability to specify whether custom attributes display on Task Actions or Report Binders, and ability to import tasks to schedules as well as templates

The Report Binders output format has been redesigned to be more printer-friendly. The report pages are merged into a single HTML page, with page breaks for sections as required, so that the entire report can be printed with a single print command.

This release of Financial Close Management in interoperable with EPM System release 9.3.3.

Financial Close Manager offers integration with Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise Financials. Integration Types are now available as XML files for Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise Financials 9.0 and 9.1. The Integration Type XML files and documentation are available for download from My Oracle Support.

Oracle Integrated Operational Planning, Fusion Edition
Release 11.1.2.1 supports the Linux platform.
The release provides enhanced Scenario-specific workflows:
- Undo Scenario Changes
- Merge Changed Entries
- Copy Scenarios
- Compare Scenarios
- Export and Import User Interface Options
- BOM User Interface Options
- End User Specific Exceptions Management
- Generate Model Statistics

Oracle Integrated Margin Planning, Fusion Edition
Oracle® Integrated Margin Planning Release 11.1.2.1 is updated to run on the Oracle Integrated Operational Planning Release 11.1.2.1 solution.

ORACLE’S DATA MANAGEMENT:
Oracle Hyperion Financial Data Quality Management
FDM Integrator now supports the following 3rd party applications:
• Financial Oracle Hyperion Financial Data Quality Management, Fusion Edition
• SAP R/3 4.7 (data loading as well as drill through)
• PeopleSoft 9.1 certification for data load, write back and drill through (for ERP Integrator)
• Oracle E-Business Suite 12.1.3 (for ERP Integrator)
• SQL Server support (for ERP Integrator)
• SQL and DB2 support for PeopleSoft

Oracle Hyperion Data Relationship Management, Fusion Edition
With the 11.1.2.1 release, change tracking functionality for nodes is now always enabled and is no longer controlled by system preferences. Several enhancements improve change tracking for nodes in Data Relationship Management:

Oracle Hyperion Data Relationship Management, Fusion Edition can now identify forward dependencies with an object that was selected for deletion during metadata administration. This capability enables users to preview which other objects would be negatively affected as a result of the deletion and enables cancellation of the deletion operation.

In this release, Data Relationship Management supports single sign-on using Oracle Access Manager. Single sign-on is available through the Data Relationship Management web client and web service API

Support Position for Oracle Products Running on VMWare Virtualized Environments

Support Position for Oracle Products Running on VMWare Virtualized Environments [ID 249212.1]
Modified 08-NOV-2010 Type ANNOUNCEMENT Status PUBLISHED

Purpose
---------
Explain to customers how Oracle supports our products when running on VMware

Scope & Application
----------------------
For Customers running Oracle products on VMware virtualized environments.
No limitation on use or distribution.


Support Status for VMware Virtualized Environments
--------------------------------------------------
Oracle has not certified any of its products on VMware virtualized
environments. Oracle Support will assist customers running Oracle products
on VMware in the following manner: Oracle will only provide
support for issues that either are known to occur on the native OS, or
can be demonstrated not to be as a result of running on VMware.

If a problem is a known Oracle issue, Oracle support will recommend the
appropriate solution on the native OS. If that solution does not work in
the VMware virtualized environment, the customer will be referred to VMware
for support. When the customer can demonstrate that the Oracle solution
does not work when running on the native OS, Oracle will resume support,
including logging a bug with Oracle Development for investigation if required.

If the problem is determined not to be a known Oracle issue, we will refer
the customer to VMware for support. When the customer can demonstrate
that the issue occurs when running on the native OS, Oracle will resume
support, including logging a bug with Oracle Development for investigation
if required.

NOTE: Oracle has not certified any of its products on VMware. For Oracle RAC, Oracle will only
accept Service Requests as described in this note on Oracle RAC 11.2.0.2 and later
releases.

Standard Integration Between Oracle Hcm & Hyperion

Standard Integration Between Oracle Hcm & Hyperion [ID 849883.1]
Modified 28-JUN-2009 Type HOWTO Status MODERATED
In this Document
Goal
Solution

This document is being delivered to you via Oracle Support's Rapid Visibility (RaV) process, and therefore has not been subject to an independent technical review.
Applies to:

HCM Common Architecture - Version: 12.0.6
Information in this document applies to any platform.
Goal

Is there any Standard Interface provided by Oracle to Integrate Oracle e-Business Suite HCM and
Hyperion


Solution

There are no standard interface provided by Oracle to Integrate Oracle e-Business Suite HCM and
Hyperion.

The standard interfaces available are ONLY for integrations within Oracle e-Business Suite and not
for other Applications outside
e-Business Suite,

As Broad guidelines for this Business requirement, you can :

1) Use Oracle Fusion MiddleWare , a seperate Licenced middleware technology , available for
integrating Oracle applications
e-Business suite with any external application.

You check at: otn.oracle.com site to get information about Fusion middleware and download
some documents related
to this topic.

2) Tools like sql*loader could be used to integrate the data between External Applications and
e-Business Suite.

Only for within e-Business suite utilities like FNDLOAD, iSetup, WebADI etc. are available to
share data. For external applications only the guidelines provided above could be used.

Oracle VM: How to Check whether Your Hardware is Capable of Full Virtualization

Oracle VM: How to Check whether Your Hardware is Capable of Full Virtualization [ID 468463.1]
Modified 22-JUN-2010 Type HOWTO Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
Goal
Solution
Checking and Setting up the BIOS for Virtualization Support
Checking the CPUs for Virtualization Support for Oracle VM 2.1.X
Checking the CPUs for Virtualization Support for Oracle VM 2.1.X, 2.2 and Up
References

Applies to:

Oracle VM - Version: 2.1 to 2.2 - Release: OVM21 to OVM22
Linux x86
Linux x86-64
Goal

You have installed OracleVM Server on your hardware and you would like to check whether the configuration will support fully virtualized guest installations (domains). The term "Full Virtualization" is synonymous with "Hardware virtualized machine". From Oracle® VM Server User's Guide - Glossary:
A virtual machine with an unmodified guest operating system. It is not recompiled for the virtual environment. There may be substantial performance penalties running as a hardware virtualized guest. Enables Microsoft Windows™ operating system to be run, and legacy operating systems. Hardware virtualization is only available on Intel VT or AMD SVM CPUs.
Solution

There are two main requirements for the hardware virtualization is to be enabled in a system:
BIOS should be setup for virtualization
The CPU should support virtualization
Checking and Setting up the BIOS for Virtualization Support

During the initial hardware boot sequence
Hit the "BIOS Setup" key. (Most commonly this is the F2 key. e.g. Dell)
Enable the "Virutalization Technology" or "Vanderpool" (development code name for the feature) option for the CPU(s)
Checking the CPUs for Virtualization Support for Oracle VM 2.1.X

In Oracle VM 2.1.X, you can check the /proc/cpuinfo for CPUs virtualization support. For checks in Oracle VM 2.2 or higher, see next section.

If you have intel CPUs and if you have keyword vmx in the flags sections of CPU information in /proc/cpuinfo your hardware supports full virtualization. This is called the INTEL-VT support.
# cat /proc/cpuinfo
...
flags : fpu tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic mtrr mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx est cid cx16 xtpr lahf_lm
...

For AMD CPUs, if you have keyword svm in the flags sections of CPU information in /proc/cpuinfo your hardware supports full virtualization. This is called the AMD-V support.
# cat /proc/cpuinfo
...
flags : fpu tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic mtrr mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt rdtscp lm 3dnowext 3dnow pni cx16 lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm cr8_legacy
...

Specifically you can run the following command line script to check:
# echo; grep -q "\(vmx\|svm\)" /proc/cpuinfo; if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then echo "Full Virtualization IS supported"; else echo "Full Virtualization IS NOT supported"; fi
Note that you should NOT be checking for the vme flag which stands for Virtual Mode Extension which is not related to virtualization. (it is about the VM86 mode of the processor which is used for running DOS applications under Windows etc.)

Checking the CPUs for Virtualization Support for Oracle VM 2.1.X, 2.2 and Up

Starting with Oracle VM 2.2, the hypervisor masks the flag in /proc/cpuinfo in dom0 (management domain). The the above check does not work. The ideal check is done by using xm info as described in Note 468485.1 and Oracle VM Manager User's Guide. To check for virtualization support specifically:
# xm info | grep xen_caps
xen_caps : xen-3.0-x86_64 xen-3.0-x86_32p hvm-3.0-x86_32 hvm-3.0-x86_32p hvm-3.0-x86_64
#

If you have the hvm tags as above, the hypervisor running can support fully virtualized guests where it implies that your CPUs has Virtualization Support. If you do not have virtualization support in your CPUs you'd see something like:
# xm info | grep xen_caps
xen_caps : xen-3.0-x86_64 xen-3.0-x86_32p
#
which means that you cannot run fully virtualized guests on this server.

This method also works for Oracle VM 2.1.X, and that is the preferred method to check for virtuailzation support.


References

http://www.amd.com/virtualization
http://www.intel.com/technology/platform-technology/virtualization/index.htm
NOTE:468485.1 - Collecting Oracle VM Server Information with "xm info"
Oracle VM Manager User's Guide - Appendix D - Troubleshooting

Related
Products
Unbreakable Linux and Virtualization > Oracle VM > Oracle VM > Oracle VM
Keywords
CPUINFO; HVM; ORACLE VM SERVER; VIRTUALIZATION; ORACLE VM; WINDOWS

Back to top

Oracle VM and Microsoft Windows

Oracle VM and Microsoft Windows [ID 468634.1]
Modified 07-FEB-2011 Type BULLETIN Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
Purpose
Scope and Application
Oracle VM and Microsoft Windows
References

Applies to:

Oracle VM - Version: 2.1 to 2.2.1 [Release: OVM21 to OVM221]
Generic Windows
Purpose

This document is to provide technical information about Microsoft Windows operating systems and Oracle VM.
Scope and Application

This document is about Oracle VM and Windows operating systems for IT professionals that are planning to work / working on respective configurations.
Oracle VM and Microsoft Windows

Oracle VM supports Microsoft Windows as a guest OS with certain limitations:
Only
Windows™ 2000
Windows™ 2003
Windows™ XP Professional
Windows™ Vista
Microsoft Windows™ 2008 Service Pack 1 (on Oracle VM 2.2 or higher)
32- and 64- bit
For more recent information of Oracle VM 2.1 see Oracle® VM Server User's Guide Release 2.1 Part Number E10898-01 Table 4-3
For more recent information of Oracle VM 2.2 see Oracle® VM Server Release Notes Release 2.2
Only on HV capable hardware (i.e. only with HVM, or simply on CPUs with INTEL-VM support or AMD-V support). See Note 468463.1
As Oracle VM server is installed on bare hardware it cannot be installed on Windows. Oracle VM should not be compared to VMWare Workstation or alike.
Oracle VM supports para- and full-virtualization. Generally para-virtualization is faster than full virtualization due to series of reasons:
Hardware assisted full virtualization is done via an abstraction layer and with some specific instructions at the CPU level
The virtualization code for HV is more complex than para-virtualization and therefore puts some overhead (even though the INTEL-VT or AMD-V simplifies the code to some extent)
Paravirtualization provides performance features like:
Simpler Virtual Machine Monitor
Stronger resource isolation
Data is transferred using asynchronous I/O rings.
An event mechanism replaces hardware interrupts for notifications
Intelligent NIC with DMA-based packet transfer (without any HW support)
etc.
For para-virtualization the O/S kernel needs to be modified and this was directly provided Linux as it is open source and todays OEL/RHEL has this support already.

The Windows OS has hardware specific code in the kernel so it is generally to take more resources to be ported to be enabled for para-virtualization.

From paper "Xen and the Art of Virtualization":

OS Subsection
# lines Linux
# lines XP
Architecture-independent
78
1299
Virtual network driver
484
-
Virtual block-device driver
1070
-
Xen-specific (non-driver)
1363
3321
Total
2995
4620
(Portion of total x86 code base
1.36%
0.04% )

Table 2: The simplicity of porting commodity OSes to Xen. The cost metric is the number of lines of reasonably commented and formatted code which are modified or added compared with the original x86 code base (excluding device drivers).

Moreover as Windows kernel is proprietary the porting/modification is to be done by Microsoft.

Still Windows can be run in full-virtualized mode (using Intel-VT or AMD-V features) but it is generally slower than para-virtualization due to reasons described above.

Oracle VM Windows Paravirtual (PV) Drivers for Microsoft Windows Guests (XP/Vista/7/2003/2008/2008 R2) 2.0.7 - 32-bit/64-bit (signed by Microsoft for the Windows Logo Program for Windows 2008 and Windows 2008 R2) are available from the Oracle edelivery site for customers in the Oracle VM 2.2.1 media pack selection.

The drivers are listed as certified by Microsoft on the Microsoft Server Catalog.

For more information please see the referenced material below.
References

Support for Oracle’s Hyperion Products in Virtualized Environments

Support for Oracle’s Hyperion Products in Virtualized Environments [ID 562663.1]
Modified 19-AUG-2010 Type ANNOUNCEMENT Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
What is being announced?
References

What is being announced?

Support for Oracle’s Hyperion Products in Virtualized Environments

Please see the reference section below for policies regarding Oracle VM and VMWARE specifically.

Oracle has not certified Hyperion products on third-party virtualized environments; however, Oracle Support will assist customers running Oracle’s Hyperion products on third-party virtualized environments as follows:



When a customer logs a previously unreported issue, Oracle Support may require the issue to be diagnosed in a non-virtualized environment when there is reason to believe that the virtual environment is a contributing factor. Oracle Support may refer customers to the third-part virtualization vendor for issues that can not be duplicated in non-virtualized environments.
When a problem has been previously reported and a resolution is available, Oracle support will recommend the appropriate solution on the non-virtualized OS. If that solution does not work in the virtual environment, the customer will be referred to their virtualization software vendor for support. If the customer demonstrates that the Oracle solution does not work when running on a non-virtualized OS, Oracle will resume support, including logging a bug with Oracle Development for investigation if required.


While Oracle’s Hyperion products are expected to function properly in virtual environments, there may be performance implications, which can invalidate Oracle’s typical sizing recommendations. An analysis should be performed within the context of the specific application to be hosted in the virtual environment to mitigate potential resource contention, as this can result in degradation of performance and scalability, particularly under peak load.

Is Oracle EPM Suite (Hyperion) Version 11.1.2 Supported On Microsoft Server 2008 R2

Is Oracle EPM Suite (Hyperion) Version 11.1.2 Supported On Microsoft Server 2008 R2 [ID 1212044.1]
Modified 30-SEP-2010 Type HOWTO Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
Goal
Solution

Applies to:

Hyperion Planning - Version: 11.1.2.0.00 and later [Release: 11.1 and later ]
Information in this document applies to any platform.
Goal


Is Oracle EPM Suite (Hyperion) version 11.1.2 supported on platform Microsoft Server 2008 R2?


Solution


Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 are the same operating system, just at a different service pack level (Windows Server 2008 started at the SP1 level because it was released quite a bit after Windows Vista and SP1 was already out).

Windows Server 2008 R2 is the server release of Windows 7 and introduces quite a lot of new features, (IIS 7.5 for example). It's a new release of the system.

This is a good place to start: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/whats-new.aspx.

There are also differences at the GUI level, because WS2008R2 uses the same new GUI introduced with Windows 7 (new taskbar, etc.).

Consequently, Window 2008 Server R2 is NOT a certified and supported platform for version 11.1.2. Backward compatibility of all applications could not be ensured.

Oracle Hyperion BI+ Financial Reporting Overview

Oracle Hyperion BI+ Financial Reporting Overview [ID 1109453.1]
Modified 08-APR-2011 Type REFERENCE Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
Purpose
Oracle Hyperion BI+ Financial Reporting Overview
Troubleshooting

Applies to:

Hyperion BI+ - Version: 11.1.2.0.00 and later [Release: 11.1 and later ]
Information in this document applies to any platform.
Purpose

The purpose of this document is to serve as a quick reference for BI+ Financial Reporting
Oracle Hyperion BI+ Financial Reporting Overview



EPM release 11.1.2.1.000 is now generally available---Please review the following Articles prior to installation.

Release Announcement: Document 1306738.1
EPMA Mandatory Patch: Document 1308127.1
DRM Recommended PSU: Document 1309442.1







For the latest Documentation on Financial Reporting and FR Studio Click Here
For the 9.3.x Documentation on Financial Reporting and FR Studio Click Here

The following articles will assist in troubleshooting issues with Financial Reporting:
Document 1101822.1 Configuration of the Financial Reporting Environment
Document 1078874.1 How to Verify Data in a Financial Reporting (FR) Report
Document 974937.1 When Will Hyperion EPM Support Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8)?
Document 1111329.1 Using Ghostscript Custom Parameters for Financial Reporting (FR)
Document 984218.1 Using Financial Reporting (FR) Auto calculation with Multiple Members or Functions

Document 749102.1 Enable ADM Logging to Capture a Report Script From a Financial Reporting (FR) Report
Document 727070.1 When Scheduling a Financial Reporting (FR) Batch in Workspace, Characters Are Inserted Into Path Causing the Batch to Fail
Document 1100899.1 How to Create HRPrinters for Financial Reporting (FR)
Document 1097787.1 Limitations On Batch Bursting With Multiple Grids In Financial Reporting
Document 1103717.1 Properly Setting Up Formula Definitions in Financial Reporting--Avoiding Cross-Axis References

Document 1110184.1 Financial Reporting Report Design Affects Performance
Document 1128827.1 Suppress Missing Reports with Batch Bursting
Document 1111304.1 Financial Reports User Unable to Open a Report from Workspace
Document 1112301.1 Frequently Asked Questions Relating to Financial Reporting Version 11.1.2
Document 1219334.1 Aliases Cannot Be Retrieved Into Financial Reporting Grids If "Optimize Query" Is Selected

Document 1238573.1 Failed To Connect To HFM Application When Using Financial Reporting Studio : "Server/Cluster is incorrectly configured."
Document 1196695.1 Best Practices for Financial Reporting Report Design

Troubleshooting

Document 1109585.1 Troubleshooting FR Studio Login Errors - Basic Requirements/Prerequisites
Document 1126045.1 FR Report Output Is Blank IF Content Manager Role is NOT Assigned in HSS
Document 1104106.1 How to Troubleshoot HRRunDlg Errors for Financial Reporting
Document 1107142.1 "Error 5200: Error Executing Query" When Viewing Financial Reporting (FR) Reports
Document 1112763.1 Troubleshooting Batch Processing Issues

Document 1301030.1 Financial Reporting Error: "Error Connecting to Database Connection: Com/hyperion/ap/adm/HssConn"
Document 1111367.1 Financial Reports Fail in PDF with "Error 500 Internal Server Error"
Document 1105613.1 Tooltips Texts are Not Shown for Tools Bar in FR Studio
Document 1108654.1 PDF Preview error "PDF has not been configured for this Web Server"
Document 1098754.1 Run an Imported Financial Reporting Report: Error "5205: User Member list not found"

Document 1114600.1 Log into Financial Reporting Studio: "You Are Not Authorized to Use This Functionality."
Document 1121715.1 Burst Output Labels
Document 1110763.1 FR Studio Login Error "Could not connect to server:"
Document 1109448.1 Identifying LISTEN Ports for Hyperion Services

Oracle By Example

http://apex.oracle.com/pls/apex/f?p=9830:hyperion:1321325541350918::NO:::



EPM System Defects Fixed Finder Document 1292603.1

Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) and Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) Recommended Settings for Oracle Hyperion Products

Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) and Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) Recommended Settings for Oracle Hyperion Products [ID 820892.1]
Modified 02-MAY-2011 Type HOWTO Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
Goal
Solution

Applies to:

Hyperion Financial Management - Version: 9.2.1.0.00 to 11.1.2.0.00 - Release: 9.2 to 11.1
Information in this document applies to any platform.
Goal

Following settings should be applied in order for Oracle Hyperion Products to work correctly with Internet Explorer 7 (IE 7) and Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8).
IE 8 is supported with versions 11.1.2 and 9.3.3 of Oracle Hyperion Products. For version 11.1.1.3 it is supported only for: Shared Services, Performance Management Architect, Calculation Manager, Planning, Financial Management, EPM Workspace with Patch:9314073, Financial Reporting with Patch:9657652, Interactive Reporting, Web Analysis, FDM.

For more details about supported software versions visit Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Products Supported Platforms Matrices.
Solution

1. Configure browser to check for new version every time user visits a page

Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools > Internet options > General

In 'Browsing history' section select 'Every time I visit the webpage'

Click Ok, then Apply.
2. Disable default pop-up blocking

Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools > Internet options > Privacy tab

Uncheck 'Turn on Pop-up Blocker'
3. Add workspace URL to trusted sites

Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools > Internet options > Security tab

Select Trusted sites from Select a zone to view or change security settings.

Type your workspace URL in form http://workspaceserver:portnumber in 'Add this website to the zone'
Uncheck 'Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone'
Click Add, then Close.
Click Ok and Apply.
4. Minimize security setting for trusted sites

Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools > Internet options > Security tab
Select Trusted Sites from select a zone to view or change security settings

Select custom level

From Reset to list select Low
Click Ok
Click Apply, then Ok
5. Customize security settings

Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools > Internet options > Security Tab > Custom Level
In 'Miscellaneous' section enable the option "Allow script-initiated windows without size or position constraints"
In 'ActiveX controls and plug-ins' section enable “Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins” and “Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting.”
6. Enable option "Always allow session cookies".

Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools > Internet options > Privacy Tab > Advanced > Check the "Override automatic cookie handling" and accept the first and third party cookies and check the "Always allow session cookies" option.
7. Disable option "Enable Native XMLHTTP".

Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools > Internet options > Advanced Tab > Uncheck the option "Enable Native XMLHTTP".

Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management 11.1.2.x Product Information Center - Installation

Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management 11.1.2.x Product Information Center - Installation [ID 1248594.1]
Modified 01-JUN-2011 Type REFERENCE Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
Purpose
Scope
Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management 11.1.2.x Product Information Center - Installation

Applies to:

Middleware > Enterprise Performance Management
Information in this document applies to any platform.
Purpose

This document provides installation information for Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management 11.1.2.x in respect to the Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management 11.1.2.x Product Information Center Note 1247194.1
Scope

This document is a reference document to support Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management 11.1.2.x Product Information Center.
Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management 11.1.2.x Product Information Center - Installation

Product Information Center Home

Lifecycle Management

Install

Implement

Upgrade

Manage

Reference and Planning

Planning

Documentation

Software Downloads

Supported Platforms

Maintenance Info

Lifetime Support Policy

Additional Resources

Support Process Training

Live Webcasts

Recorded Training

[+] Feedback

Lifecycle: Installation

The documents with links below provide guidance for the product installation of Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management 11.1.2.1.



News

Hyperion Planning Mandatory Patch 11.1.2.1.000
This Patch Set Exception (PSE) is mandatory for customers who are upgrading to Oracle Hyperion Planning 11.1.2.1.000 from a prior release. Please read article for further information.

Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management Mandatory Patch 11.1.2.1.101
This Patch Set Update (PSU) is mandatory for customers who are currently on or planning to upgrade to Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management Architect (EPMA) 11.1.2.1.000. Please read article for further information.

Hyperion Data Relationship Management recommended version is 11.1.2.1.101
Oracle recommends customers install this patch set update instead of installing the base 11.1.2.1.000 release of Data Relationship Management as this version addresses many of the defects listed in the known issues section of the 11.1.2.1.000 release. This DRM 11.1.2.1.101 release is a full install. Please refer to the patch readme for system requirements, dependencies, and installation instructions.

Documents

Start Here: EPM System Release 11.1.2.1 Pre-Installation
This links to the EPM System Release 11.1.2.1 Installation Start Here, which provides a pre-installation checklist, prerequisites, architecture diagrams, default port requirements, and other information to help you plan for your installation.

Supported System Configurations/Certification Matrix
This links to the EPM System Certification Matrix, which provides details on system requirements and release compatibility.

EPM System Release 11.1.2.1 Installation Readme
This links to the EPM System Release 11.1.2 Installation and Configuration Readme, which provides late-breaking information about EPM System 11.1.2.1 installations.

EPM System Release 11.1.2.1 Installation Instructions
This links to the EPM System Release 11.1.2.1 Installation and Configuration Guide, which provide detailed instructions to install and configure EPM System components (includes upgrade steps).

EPM System Release 11.1.2.1 Installation Troubleshooting
This links to the EPM System Release 11.1.2.1 Installation and Configuration Troubleshooting Guide, which contains troubleshooting tips and methods to troubleshoot problems.

Component Architecture for 11.1.2.1 EPM System Components
The Installation Start Here includes architecture diagrams for each EPM system component. See the "EPM System Architecture" chapter.

Communication Flows for 11.1.2.1 EPM System Components
This spreadsheet provides communication flows, protocols, and default ports for EPM System components.

EPM Data Models Release 11.1.2.1
The schemas of EPM system databases are documented and are available in a zip file posted on the EPM/BI Whitepaper Library (“EPM Data Models Release 11.1.2.1”). Please consult EPM System Application and Repository Databases Access Policy noted above to understand what is allowed and not allowed with regard to direct database access.

EPM System Compact Deployment for Release 11.1.2.1
A whitepaper describing how to deploy all EPM System Web applications to one WebLogic managed server, called “Compact Deployment.” Compact deployment significantly reduces the required memory at start up time and reduces the time it takes to start up all services. Note that this is supported only in Development environments and on 64-bit machines.

Unique Instance Name Is Required
This link to explain the requirement for having unique instance names when configuring a new install of EPM 11.1.2.1.

Certified Software on Oracle VM

Certified Software on Oracle VM [ID 464754.1]
Modified 15-MAY-2011 Type FAQ Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
Purpose
Questions and Answers
Oracle Database
Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC)
Enterprise Manager
Oracle Fusion Middleware
JRockit R27.6.3 release
Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Products (formerly Hyperion)
JD Edwards
Berkeley DB
Times Ten
Oracle E-Business Suite
Siebel
PeopleSoft
Oracle Retail
Oracle Secure Backup
Oracle Financial Services Software Limited (formerly iflex Solutions Limited)
References

Applies to:

Oracle VM - Version: 2.1 to 2.2 - Release: OVM21 to OVM22
Linux x86
Microsoft Windows (32-bit)
Linux x86-64
Purpose

Additional information for Oracle Products certified on Oracle VM
Questions and Answers

This note highlights additional information for many of the Oracle Products that are certified to run with Oracle VM. Going forward every product running on Linux and Windows released by Oracle is certified and supported on Oracle VM. For specific information on the earliest product versions supported on Oracle VM, refer to the product specific information below.

Oracle Database

Oracle Database 10gR2 (10.2.0.3 and up) for Linux x86 and Linux x86-64 1

Oracle Database 11gR1 and 11gR2 for Linux x86 and Linux x86-64 1

Dynamic feature support:
Dynamic resizing of guest virtual machines are supported (VCPU, memory and I/O) 2
Virtual machine Pause/Restore not supported with active database instance
Live migration with active database 10.2.0.4 (10gR2) and up, 11gR1/11gR2 (on OVM2.2.1) are supported
Database on Microsoft Windows guests will be certified as soon as tests are completed.
1 See below for RAC
2 Dynamic change from 1 to 2 virtual CPUs (VCPU), 2 to 1 VCPU and changes of 2 to 3 times the number of original virtual CPUs require the following minimum Oracle Database levels:
Oracle Database 10.2.0.4 + Patch 6309691, Patch 6311841, Patch 6311926 or any patch level that covers those.
Oracle Database 11.1.0.7 or later
@ For Oracle OnDemand, Oracle Database 9iR2 (9.2) is supported as below
Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC)

Oracle 10.2.0.4 and up (10gR2) and 11.1.0.7 and up (11gR1) and 11gR2 RAC for Linux x86 and Linux x86_64 certified on Oracle VM
Guest OS: Oracle Linux 5.1 (and above) RHEL 5.1 (and above) for Linux x86 / Linux x86_64
Paravirtualized (PV) mode only (Guest OS and drivers)
Only supported on Oracle VM 2.1.2 and above
Live-migration of an Oracle RAC VM is supported with Oracle VM 2.2.1 and above. Previous versions are not supported. Please refer to this link for best practices.
Over-committing CPUs is not recommended, but supported with the following restrictions:
The total amount of VCPUs allocated to guest domains (running Oracle RAC guests), should not exceed two times (2x) the amount of real CPUs / cores in the Oracle VM server.
The amount of VCPUs allocated to a single guest domain should not exceed the amount of real CPUs / cores in the Oracle VM server.
Maintain Oracle VMs default VCPU allocation for dom-0: Oracle VM will allocate 1 VCPU for each real CPU or core to dom-0.
CPU pinning is only recommended for hard partitioning. If no hard partitioning is required, CPU pinning should not be used.
Static support only (dynamic support is being planned):
Dynamic resizing of guest virtual machine is not supported (VCPU, memory and I/O)
Virtual Machine Pause/Restore of an active Real Application Cluster virtual machine is not supported.
Enterprise Manager

Please refer to Document 412431.1 for more details.
Oracle Fusion Middleware

Oracle Fusion Middleware certification for 11gR2.
Please refer to this website for Supported Non-Oracle Virtualization and Partitioning Technologies for Oracle Fusion Middleware Including Pre-Acquisition BEA Product Releases.

JRockit R27.6.3 release

Oracle Linux kernel version 2.6.9-78.0.17.0.2 or greater is required to run on Oracle Linux 4.7 Linux x86 guest VMs on Oracle VM 2.1.2 and higher.
Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Products (formerly Hyperion)

Please see this website for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Products - Supported Platforms Matrices
JD Edwards

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne enterprise, database, and web servers are supported to run with Oracle VM in Oracle Linux 5 or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 x86-64 guests. The support begins with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools 8.97.2 and Applications 8.12.
Berkeley DB

Berkeley DB Java Edition version 3.2 Linux x86
Berkeley DB version 4.6 Linux x86
Berkeley DB XML version 2.3 Linux x86
Times Ten

TimesTen 7.0.3.1 and above for Linux x86 and Linux x86-64
Oracle E-Business Suite

Oracle Applications 11.5.10 CU2 or later with 11i.ATG_PF.H.RUP5 (Patch 5473858) or later for Linux x86
Oracle E-Business Suite 12.0.2 (RUP2) or later (including 12.1) for Linux x86
Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.0.4 or later (including 12.1) is certified with 64-bit Oracle Linux 5 and 64-bit Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 on x86-64 with Oracle VM.
Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.0.3 (RUP3) or later (including 12.1) is certified with 64-bit Oracle Linux 4 and 64-bit Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 4 on x86-64 with Oracle VM.
Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 (12.0.4 or higher and 12.1.1 or higher) is certified on Windows Server 2003 (32-bit) running as a guest on Oracle VM using Windows PV driver version 1.0.8 or higher.
Oracle Applications Release 12 (12.1.1 or higher) on Windows Server 2008 (32-bit) running as a guest on Oracle VM using Windows PV driver version 1.0.8 or higher.
For more information please refer to My Oracle Support Note 465915.1
Siebel

Siebel 8.0 and above on Linux x86
PeopleSoft

PeopleTools 8.49.07 and above allows PeopleSoft applications 8.4x and 9 to utilize Oracle Virtualization in a certified guest Linux environment.
Oracle Retail

Oracle Retail supports the use of VM technology . Oracle Retail products are supported on Oracle VM as long as the underlying platform components (i.e. database and application server) are certified. See Document 857142.1 for more specific information on Oracle Retail Infrastructure Compatibilities.
Oracle Secure Backup

Oracle Secure Backup 10.2.0.3 for Linux x86 and Linux x86-64
The Oracle VM host may be configured as an Oracle Secure Backup client or administrative server role but not as an Oracle Secure Backup media server role
See this url for more details: http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/secure-backup/pdf/OSB_10.2_Platforms.pdf
Oracle Financial Services Software Limited (formerly iflex Solutions Limited)

FLEXCUBE V.UM Release 10.0 and above for Linux x86 and x86-64. For more detail on this product please go to http://www.oracle.com/us/industries/financial-services/046907.html

For additional Information on Oracle VM please refer to Document 466538.1

References

NOTE:465915.1 - Using Oracle VM with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i or Release 12
NOTE:466538.1 - Oracle VM General Policy Description

Using Remote Diagnostic Agent (RDA) to Troubleshoot Oracle Hyperion EPM 11.1.2.1

Using Remote Diagnostic Agent (RDA) to Troubleshoot Oracle Hyperion EPM 11.1.2.1 [ID 1304885.1]
Modified 26-MAY-2011 Type HOWTO Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
Goal
Solution
References

Applies to:

Hyperion BI+ - Version: 11.1.2.1.000 and later [Release: 11.1 and later ]
Information in this document applies to any platform.
Goal

Provide brief instructions on how to run RDA 4.23 in Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) 11.1.2.1 for various Hyperion products.
Solution

EPM 11.1.2.1 comes bundled with a current version (4.23) under \Oracle\Middleware\EPMSystem11R1\rda.

To use this tool:
1. First ensure that Perl 5.005 or later is available by typing the following from the command line:

perl -v

If not, you may need to download a binary copy of rda and add a value to RDA_ENG in the configuration file \engine\rda.cfg; Please refer to DOC ID 330363.1 (FAQ #6) for further information.

2. Navigate via the command line to \Oracle\Middleware\EPMSystem11R1\rda

3. Type the following:

rda.cmd -V > version.txt

4. Type 'notepad version.txt' and confirm that the first line has 'RDA 4.23' or later

5. If it is not version 4.23 or later, in http://support.oracle.com go to DOC ID 314422.1 and click on the "Download RDA" hyperlink, following instructions to download the appropriate version of the application. Delete the existing \Oracle\Middleware\ohs\rda directory. Then extract the downloaded file to any convenient place...such as \Oracle\Middleware\ohs (it will create a directory called 'rda').

6. Navigate via the command line to that 'rda' directory and type rda.cmd -V > version.txt and confirm output as elaborated in step (4) above.

7. Command lines (with an example of SQR Production Reporting and Interactive Reporting [PR HIRs] as module names):
Type on Command Line
Explanation
rda.cmd -Q PR HIR
-Q will alert you to most of the questions that will be posed by RDA to facilitate its collection of information. Collect those details before running the modules.
rda.cmd -M PR HIR
This will describe (man page) what information will be collected by these modules.
rda.cmd -S PR HIR -p Essbase

This will collect instructions and values to be entered into the setup.cfg file for modules PR and HIR and profile Essbase. Only two files and one TMP directory will be written to the output directory.
rda.cmd -vnSCRP PR HIR
This will configure (de nouveaux) the setup.cfg file and then run the data collection mechanism, compressing data to (by default) be placed in the ..\output\ directory.
rda.cmd
This will execute the instructions previously entered into the setup.cfg file (rda.cmd run with -S parameter). Note that this is a two step process, and after this step starts a large number of files with extensions *.txt, *.fil, and *.toc will first be written. At the end files with *.htm extensions will be written.
rda.cmd -x profiles
This will provide a cross reference between the available profile names and the (programmer's) module names which are executed under each profile.
rda.cmd -T emp In recent versions, this 'tool' will run validate scripts and return a report listing each validation result. You should only run this after having previously run the EPM module. In addition at the bottom of the validate reporting page you may click on a hyperlink to access a zip file containing logs generated on the server.


Modules which would be particularly interesting to Oracle Hyperion users would be:

Module Abbreviation
Module Application Name
BI
Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
BIPL
Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher
CCR
Oracle Configuration Manager
EPM
Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management
EPMA
Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Architect
ESS
Oracle Hyperion Essbase
FCM
Oracle Hyperion Financial Close Management
HDRM
Oracle Hyperion Data Relationship Management
HFM
Oracle Hyperion Financial Management
HFR
Oracle Hyperion Financial Reports
HIR
Oracle Hyperion Interactive Reporting
HPL
Oracle Hyperion Planning
HPSV
Oracle Hyperion Planning SmartView
HSS
Oracle Hyperion Shared Services
HSV
Oracle Hyperion Smart View
PR
Oracle Hyperion SQR Production Reporting

There are also a few profiles (sets of modules) available which could be useful when troubleshooting Oracle Hyperion products:
Profile Abbreviation
Profile Descriptive Name
EPMA_FullRun
Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Architect problems
Essbase
Oracle Essbase problems
FCM_FullRun
Oracle Hyperion Financial Close Management problems
FinancialReporting
Oracle Hyperion Financial Reporting problems
FM11g_Bi
Business Intelligence Enterrpise Edition 11g problems
FM11g_WlsBi
Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition 11g with WLS
HFM_FullRun
Oracle Hyperion Financial Management problems
Hyperion_DRM
Oracle Hyperion Data Relationship Management problems

When setting up a profile or module a number of questions are asked, some typical value assignments include (Although the default install on Microsoft Windows would be to "C:\Oracle\Middleware\", the user may chose a different install home):

ORACLE_HOME=C:\app\\product\11.2.0\dbhome_1
JAVA_HOME=C:\Oracle\Middleware\jdk160_21
EPM_ORACLE_INSTANCE=C:\Oracle\Middleware\user_projects\epmsystem1
EPM_ORACLE_INSTANCE_ROOT=C:\Oracle\Middleware\user_projects
domain home directory=C:\Oracle\Middleware\user_projects\domains

In the \rda\setup.cfg file ensure the following are set to acceptable values:
CMD_ZIP='C:\Oracle\Middleware\ohs\bin\zip.exe'
RPT_GROUP= {some name in single quotes}
RPT_DIRECTORY= {some path in single quotes}


Note the cross-references to articles describing how to use RDA to troubleshoot problems with specific Oracle Hyperion products.

Oracle VM General Policy Description [ID 466538.1]

Oracle VM General Policy Description [ID 466538.1]

Modified 27-APR-2011 Type FAQ Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
Purpose
Questions and Answers
What is Oracle VM?
Who supports Oracle VM?
What products are certified to run on it?
Hard partitioning with Oracle VM Server for x86
Entitlement for Oracle VM support
How to Subscribe to Oracle VM Support
Restrictions on Oracle VM Support
References

Applies to:

Oracle VM - Version: 2.1 and later [Release: OVM21 and later ]
Linux x86
Linux x86-64
Purpose

Oracle VM General Policy Description
Questions and Answers

What is Oracle VM?

Oracle VM offers scalable, low-cost server virtualization that fully supports both Oracle and non-Oracle applications. Consisting of open source server software and an integrated Web browser-based management console, Oracle VM provides an easy-to-use, rich, graphical interface for creating and managing virtual server pools, running on x86 and x86-64-based systems, across an enterprise.
Users can create and manage Virtual Machines (VMs) that exist on the same physical server but behave like independent physical servers. Each virtual machine created with Oracle VM has its own virtual CPUs, network interfaces, storage and operating system. With Oracle VM, users have an easy-to-use browser-based tool for creating VMs, cloning VMs, sharing VMs, configuring VMs, and booting VMs.
Virtualization is the ability to run multiple virtual machines on a single piece of hardware. The hardware runs software which enables you to install multiple operating systems which are able to run simultaneously and independently, in their own secure environment, with minimal reduction in performance. Each virtual machine consists of an operating system and a predefined set of resources from the hardware called a domain. The domain is a configurable subset of resources from the hardware including: CPU resources, network interfaces, and storage.
Oracle VM is a platform that provides a fully equipped environment for better leveraging the benefits of virtualization technology. Oracle VM enables you to deploy operating systems and application software within a supported virtualization environment.
Oracle VM includes two components : Oracle VM Server and Oracle VM Manager . Oracle VM Server is under GPL. It is freely downloadable, freely redistributable and usable. Oracle VM Manager ships on a separate CD. It is not open source, but it is also freely downloadable, redistributable, and usable.
Who supports Oracle VM?

Oracle VM is supported by the support team in the Linux Engineering Team. The same team provides Oracles Enterprise Linux support.
What products are certified to run on it?

Please refer to Note 464754.1 for a complete list of Oracle products certified on Oracle VM.
Hard partitioning with Oracle VM Server for x86

With Oracle VM server for x86, guests are allowed to be pinned or bound to specific physical cores in a single Oracle VM server, see "Hard Partitioning with Oracle VM ". Once hard partitioned, the VM guest application only needs to be licensed for the number of physical cores it is pinned to, see Oracle's licensing policies for partitioned environments . Note that once a VM guest is pinned or bound to physical cores within a server, Oracle licensing restricts that guest from being live migrated to another VM server in the pool.
Entitlement for Oracle VM support

Oracle VM support licenses are sold separately from Oracle product support licenses and also separately from Oracle Linux support licenses. An Oracle VM support license does not entitle a customer to Linux support, even for Linux Guest-OSes.
Although Oracle makes an effort to always help customers, a support license for Oracle VM is required when customers open a service request with Oracle. Service Requests may be closed if a customer has an Oracle VM issue, but no support license. If a customer has an Oracle product issue but no Oracle VM support entitlement, the customer will be informed that they lack support entitlement for Oracle VM and that to receive further Oracle product assistance, they will be required to reproduce the issue in a non-virtualized environment.
How to Subscribe to Oracle VM Support

Licenses for Oracle VM support may be purchased through your sales representative or through the Oracle Store. See Oracle Store.
Restrictions on Oracle VM Support

Restrictions on certain virtualized operations for each Oracle product can be found on Certify or through Note 464754.1
Oracle VM does not provide Guest-OS support for SUSE/Asianux or other flavors of Linux.
Microsoft Windows can only be run as a Guest-OS in HVM mode. Oracle does not provide support for Windows at the OS level beyond standard setup and configuration assistance. Please refer to Note 468634.1 for a more detailed description of the support conditions.
References

NOTE:468634.1 - Oracle VM and Microsoft Windows

Hardware sizing for Oracle EBS

Hardware sizing for Oracle EBS
Sizing hardware is always a challenge. The issue here is that production sized hardware usually needs to be procured even before the project has started. This is usually the case with organizations where Oracle and Oracle EBS is being installed for the first time. There is no prior version of the application, to benchmark against.

Most of the hardware vendors provide sizing spreadsheets that can be filled out, and a rough estimate of the computing power needed can be reached. This exercise usually helps in clarifying the SAN and disaster recovery architecture, but does not get to the specifics of the production hardware.

Each organization has unique access patterns and transaction patterns, and hence it is genuinely difficult to extrapolate hardware sizing between different organizations. The best approach is to procure the production database server (since this can usually be sized with a fair degree of accuracy) or the post-production development server. These can be used to start the implementation process, and once a certain level of organization specific configuration has bene completed, then production benchmarking can be accomplished.

There is some assistance available in the for of white papers and benchmarking for typical transaction loads. This link has a list of white papers on sizing for IBM, HP and Sun machines. This link provides detailed performance information for representative transaction loads.

When it comes to estimating the network bandwidth requirements the information is very scattered. There are no bench marks and thumb rules need to be applied. A usual CRM/imodule would have the same bandwidth requirements as a normal internet user. HOwever, power users, especially in the demand planning and forecasting space will require a higher bandwidth

Oracle10g / 11g - Getting Started with Recovery Manager (RMAN)

Oracle10g / 11g - Getting Started with Recovery Manager (RMAN) [ID 360416.1]
Modified 08-FEB-2011 Type BULLETIN Status PUBLISHED
In this Document
Purpose
Scope and Application
Oracle10g / 11g - Getting Started with Recovery Manager (RMAN)
Overview of the RMAN Environment
Deciding Whether to Use a Flash Recovery Area (FRA)
Deciding Whether to use a Recovery Catalog
Starting and Exiting RMAN
Configuring Persistent Settings for the RMAN Environment
Backing up the Controlfile and Spfile
Backing up Database Files
Backing Up Archived Redo Logs
Restoring and Recovering Database Files
Reporting on RMAN Operations
Managing the RMAN Repository
Crosschecking and Deleting Backups
References

Applies to:

Oracle Server - Enterprise Edition - Version: 10.1.0.2 to 11.2.0.0 - Release: 10.1 to 11.2
Information in this document applies to any platform.
Checked for relevance on 05-August-2009
Purpose

Note : In Oracle 11G are new features available, but the Oracle10G procedure is still valid for 11G.

See for more details on the 11g New Features : Note 809867.1 RMAN 11gR1 : New Features

To introduce the basic concepts of Oracle10g and 11g Recovery Manager (RMAN), the tool that Oracle recommends that you use for your backup and recovery. Because of the enormous flexibility of RMAN, all details cannot be covered here. The information within this article is a general overview of items to consider and of which to be aware. It is recommended that more details are reviewed in the following documentation:

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Quick Start Guide

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Basics

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Advanced User's Guide

Scope and Application

Article is intended for DBAs familiar with backup and recovery concepts who are interested in implementing server managed backup and recovery with RMAN.

RMAN backup and recovery can be performed via Enterprise Manager. This tool is not discussed in this article.

Oracle10g / 11g - Getting Started with Recovery Manager (RMAN)

Overview of the RMAN Environment

Installed with the database, Recovery Manager (RMAN) is an Oracle database client which performs backup and recovery tasks on your databases and automates administration of your backup strategies. It greatly simplifies backing up, restoring, and recovering the database.

The RMAN environment consists of the utilities and databases that play a role in backing up your data. At a minimum, the environment for RMAN must include the following:

The target database. This is the database to be backed up by RMAN.
The RMAN client is a command-line-oriented database client, much like SQL*Plus, with its own command syntax. From the RMAN client you can issue RMAN commands and some SQL statements to perform and report on backup and recovery operations.
Some environments will also use these optional components:

A flash recovery area: a disk location in which the database can store and manage files related to backup and recovery.
Media management software: software provided by media manager vendors which is required for RMAN to interface with backup devices such as tape drives.
A recovery catalog database: a separate database schema used to record RMAN activity against one or more target databases.
Deciding Whether to Use a Flash Recovery Area (FRA)


It is recommended that you take advantage of the FRA to store as many backup and recovery-related files as as possible, including disk backups and archived redo logs.

Some features of Oracle database backup and recovery, such as Oracle Flashback Database and guaranteed restore points, require the use of an FRA. However, having an FRA for use by these features does not force you to use it to store all recovery-related files.

Even when its use is not required, however, the FRA offers a number of advantages over other on-disk backup storage methods. Backups moved to tape from the flash recovery area (via RMAN and media manager) are retained on disk until space is needed for other required files, reducing the need to restore backups from tape. At the same time, obsolete files no longer needed to meet your recoverability goals and files backed up to tape become eligible for deletion and are deleted when space is needed. These deletions are managed by Oracle when space is required. The DBA no longer has to manually delete old backups, and, it is less likely that a DBA accidentally deletes redundancy set files. Note that if backups written to the FRA are not copied via RMAN and media manager to tape, the automatic deletion of obsolete backups does not occur and pre-Oracle10g cleanup methods are required.

Knowledgebase Article Reference:

Note:305817.1 FAQ - Flash Recovery Area feature of 10G

Deciding Whether to use a Recovery Catalog

RMAN maintains metadata about the target database and its backup and recovery operations in the RMAN repository. Among other things, RMAN stores information about its own configuration settings, the target database schema, archived redo logs, and all backup files on disk or tape. RMAN's LIST, REPORT, and SHOW commands display RMAN repository information.

The primary store for RMAN repository data is always the control file of the target database. The CONTROL_FILE_RECORD_KEEP_TIME initialization parameter controls how long backup records are kept in the control file before those records are re-used to hold information about more recent backups.

Another copy of the RMAN repository data can also be saved in the recovery catalog.

Using a recovery catalog preserves RMAN repository information if the control file is lost, making it much easier to restore and recover following the loss of the control file. (A backup control file may not contain complete information about recent available backups.) The recovery catalog can also store a much more extensive history of your backups than the control file, due to limits on the number of control file records.

In addition to RMAN repository records, the recovery catalog can also hold RMAN stored scripts, sequences of RMAN commands for common backup tasks. Centralized storage of scripts in recovery catalog can be more convenient than working with command files.

Except for stored scripts, all of RMAN's features work equally well with or without a recovery catalog.

Oracle10g Documentation References:

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Advanced User's Guide Guide - more information about the recovery catalog

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference - CREATE CATALOG command syntax



Starting and Exiting RMAN

The RMAN client is started by issuing the rman command at the command prompt of your operating system.
RMAN must connect to a target database (with SYSDBA privileges) to perform backup and recovery tasks. RMAN can also connect to a recovery catalog database if you are using one. Specify target and recovery catalog databases using command line options or using the CONNECT command.

This command illustrates connecting RMAN to a target database and a recovery catalog at startup:


% rman TARGET / CATALOG cat_usr/pwd@cat_str

Connect to a target database without using a recovery catalog:

% rman TARGET SYS/pwd@target_str

Starting RMAN without connecting to a database:

% rman

Once started, RMAN displays an "RMAN>" prompt for your commands.




Configuring Persistent Settings for the RMAN Environment

You can use the RMAN CONFIGURE command to create persistent settings in the RMAN environment, which apply to all subsequent operations, even if you exit and restart RMAN. These configured settings can specify disk and SBT channel behavior, backup destinations, policies affecting backup strategy, and others.

This command shows all configurable settings:

RMAN> SHOW ALL;
Knowledgebase Article:

Note 305565.1 Persistent Controlfile Configurations for RMAN in 9i and 10g

Oracle10g Documentation Reference

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Basics - more information about configuration settings.



Backing up the Controlfile and Spfile

The control file can be automatically backed up after each RMAN backup and database structure change as a way to protect the RMAN repository. If an spfile is being used, it is also backed up. When using RMAN without a recovery catalog, it is recommended that the controlfile autobackup be set to ON. The following command configures RMAN to create these control file autobackups:

RMAN> CONFIGURE CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP ON;
By default, RMAN automatically generates names for control file autobackups and stores them in the FRA if defined. The following command configures RMAN to write control file autobackups to the /mybackupdir directory:


RMAN> CONFIGURE CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP FORMAT
FOR DEVICE TYPE DISK TO '/mybackupdir/cf%F';

The %F element of the format string combines the DBID, day, month, year, and sequence number to generate a unique filename. %F must be included in any control file autobackup format.


You can back up the control file when the database is mounted or open. RMAN uses a snapshot control file to ensure a read-consistent version. If CONFIGURE CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP is ON (by default it is OFF), then RMAN automatically backs up the control file and server parameter file after every backup and after database structural changes. The controlfile autobackup contains metadata about the previous backup, which is crucial for disaster recovery. Configuring controlfile autobackup on is recommended and is the only way RMAN can restore a controlfile backup if all controlfiles are lost and there is no recovery catalog in use.

If the autobackup feature is not set, then you must manually back up the control file in one of the following ways:

Run BACKUP CURRENT CONTROLFILE
Include a backup of the control file within any backup by using the INCLUDE CURRENT CONTROLFILE option of the BACKUP command
Back up datafile 1, because RMAN automatically includes the control file and SPFILE in backups of datafile 1 when the controlfile autobackup is set to OFF.
A manual backup of the control file is not the same as a control file autobackup. In manual backups, only RMAN repository data for backups within the current RMAN session is in the control file backup, and a manually backed-up control file cannot be automatically restored.


Oracle10g Documentation Reference:

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Advanced User's Guide - more information about control file autobackups


Backing up Database Files

Use the RMAN BACKUP command to back up files. You can configure default devices and channels in advance. The BACKUP command backs up your data to the configured default device and channels for the type of backup requested.

If you specify BACKUP AS COPY, then RMAN copies the files as image copies, bit-for-bit copies of database files created on disk. These are identical to copies of the same files that you can create with operating system commands like cp on Unix or COPY on Windows. However, using BACKUP AS COPY will be recorded in the RMAN repository and RMAN can use them in restore operations. Image copies cannot be created on tape.

This command creates image copy backups of all datafiles in the database:


RMAN> BACKUP AS COPY DATABASE;


If you specify BACKUP AS BACKUPSET, then RMAN stores its backups in backup sets. A backup set, consisting of one or more backup pieces, contains the physical file data being backed up. This backupset is written in a format that only RMAN can access. Only RMAN can create and restore backup sets. Backup sets can be written to disk or tape, and they are the only type of backup which RMAN can use to write backups to tape.

The following command creates a backup of the database and archived logs on tape, in backup set format, using the configured channels:



RMAN> BACKUP DEVICE TYPE sbt DATABASE PLUS ARCHIVELOG;



Note:
Backing up datafiles as backup sets on disk can save disk space and time because RMAN will skip backing up some unused datafile blocks. Backup sets, once written on disk, can be moved to tape with the BACKUP BACKUPSET command. See the description of unused block compression in Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference for details.

Backing Up Individual Files

You can back up individual tablespaces, datafiles and control files, server parameter files, and backup sets with various options, as in these examples:


RMAN> BACKUP ARCHIVELOG from time 'sysdate-2';

RMAN> BACKUP TABLESPACE system, users, tools;

RMAN> BACKUP AS BACKUPSET DATAFILE
'ORACLE_HOME/oradata/trgt/users01.dbf',
'ORACLE_HOME/oradata/trg/tools01.dbf';

RMAN> BACKUP DATAFILE 1,3,5;

RMAN> BACKUP CURRENT CONTROLFILE TO '/backup/curr_cf.copy';

RMAN> BACKUP SPFILE;

RMAN> BACKUP BACKUPSET ALL;
Backup Options

Here are some often-used BACKUP command options:


Parameter Example Explanation
FORMAT FORMAT'/tmp/%U' Specifies a location and name for backup pieces and copies. You must use substitution variables to generate unique filenames.

Parameter Example Explanation
TAG TAG 'monday_bak' Specifies a user-defined string as a label for the backup. If you do not specify a tag, then RMAN assigns a default tag with the date and time.

The following BACKUP commands illustrate these options:


RMAN> BACKUP FORMAT='AL_%d/%t/%s/%p' ARCHIVELOG LIKE '%arc_dest%';

RMAN> BACKUP TAG 'weekly_full_db_bkup' DATABASE MAXSETSIZE 10M;

RMAN> BACKUP COPIES 2 DEVICE TYPE sbt BACKUPSET ALL;
Incremental Backups :

If you specify BACKUP INCREMENTAL, RMAN will create incremental backups of your database. Incremental backups capture on a block-by-block basis changes in your database since a previous incremental backup. The starting point for an incremental backup strategy is a level 0 incremental backup, which backs up all blocks in the database. Level 1 incremental backups, taken at regular intervals, contain only changed blocks since a previous incremental backup. These can be cumulative (including all blocks changed since the most recent level 0 backup) or differential (including only blocks changed since the most recent incremental backup, whether it is level 0 or level 1).

Incremental backups are generally smaller and faster to create than full database backups. Recovery from an incremental backup is faster than recovery using redo logs alone. During a restore from incremental backup, the level 0 backup is used as the starting point, then changed blocks are updated based on level 1 backups where possible to avoid re-applying changes from redo one at a time. Recovering with incremental backups requires no additional effort on your part. If incremental backups are available, RMAN will use them during recovery.

Enterprise Edition includes RMAN's change tracking feature for incremental backups which improves incremental backup performance by recording changed blocks in each datafile in a change tracking file. If change tracking is enabled, RMAN uses the change tracking file to identify changed blocks for incremental backup, thus avoiding the need to scan every block in the datafile.

Knowledgebase Article Reference:

Note 262853.1 10G RMAN Fast Incremental Backups

Incrementally Updated Backups:

RMAN's incrementally updated backups feature allows for a more efficient incremental backup routine. Changes from level 1 backups can be used to roll forward an image copy level 0 incremental backup, so that it includes all changes as of the SCN at which the level 1 incremental backup was created. Recovery using the updated level 0 incremental backup is faster, because all changes from the level 1 incremental backup have already been applied.

Oracle10g Documentation References:

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Basics - more details and examples for incremental backups and incrementally updated backups.

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference - complete BACKUP command syntax.



Backing Up Archived Redo Logs

Archived redo logs are the key to successful media recovery. Back them up regularly. You can back up logs with BACKUP ARCHIVELOG, or back up logs while backing up datafiles and control files by specifying BACKUP ... PLUS ARCHIVELOG.

To back up archived redo logs, use the BACKUP ARCHIVELOG command at the RMAN prompt. This example uses a configured disk or sbt channel to back up one copy of each log sequence number for all archived redo logs:



RMAN> BACKUP ARCHIVELOG ALL;

Even if your redo logs are being archived to multiple destinations and you use RMAN to back up archived redo logs, RMAN selects only one copy of the archived redo log file to include in the backup set. (Since logs with the same log sequence number are identical, there is no need to include more than one copy.)

You can also specify a range of archived redo logs by time, SCN, or log sequence number, as in the following example:



RMAN> BACKUP ARCHIVELOG
FROM TIME 'SYSDATE-30' UNTIL TIME 'SYSDATE-7';
You can specify the DELETE INPUT or DELETE ALL INPUT clauses for the BACKUP ARCHIVELOG command to delete archived logs after they are backed up, eliminating the separate step of manually deleting the archived redo logs. With DELETE INPUT, RMAN only deletes the specific copy of the archived redo log chosen for the backup set. With DELETE ALL INPUT, RMAN will delete each backed-up archived redo log file from all log archiving destinations.

Oracle10g Documentation References:

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Basics - more details regarding archived log backups

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference - complete BACKUP and archivelogRecordSpecifier command syntax



Restoring and Recovering Database Files

Use the RESTORE and RECOVER commands for RMAN restore and recovery of physical database files. Restoring datafiles is retrieving them from backups as needed for a recovery operation. Recovery is the application of changes from redo logs and incremental backups to a restored datafile, to bring the datafile to a desired SCN (point in time) or to current time.

Recovering the Whole Database :

Use the RESTORE DATABASE and RECOVER DATABASE commands on the whole database. For example:


RMAN> STARTUP FORCE MOUNT;
RESTORE DATABASE;
RECOVER DATABASE;
ALTER DATABASE OPEN;
Note that the database must not be open when restoring or recovering the entire database.

Recovering Current Tablespaces :

Use the RESTORE TABLESPACE and RECOVER TABLESPACE commands on individual tablespaces when the database is open. Take the tablespace that needs recovery offline, restore and then recover the tablespace, and bring the recovered tablespace online. The following steps recover the users tablespace:
RMAN> SQL 'ALTER TABLESPACE users OFFLINE';
RESTORE TABLESPACE users;
RECOVER TABLESPACE users;
SQL 'ALTER TABLESPACE users ONLINE;
Recovering Current Datafiles :

Use the RESTORE DATAFILE and RECOVER DATAFILE commands on individual current datafiles when the database open. Take the datafile that needs recovery offline, restored recover the datafile, and bring the datafile online. For example, to restore and recover datafile 7:


RMAN> SQL 'ALTER DATABASE DATAFILE 7 OFFLINE';
RESTORE DATAFILE 7;
RECOVER DATAFILE 7;
SQL 'ALTER DATABASE DATAFILE 7 ONLINE';
Recovering Individual Data Blocks :

RMAN can recover individual corrupted datafile blocks. When RMAN performs a complete scan of a file for a backup, any corrupted blocks are listed in V$DATABASE_BLOCK_CORRUPTION. Corruption is usually reported in alert logs, trace files or results of SQL queries. Use BLOCKRECOVER to repair all corrupted blocks:



RMAN> BLOCKRECOVER CORRUPTION LIST;

You can also recover individual blocks, as shown in this example:



RMAN> BLOCKRECOVER DATAFILE 7 BLOCK 233, 235 DATAFILE 4 BLOCK 101;
Oracle10g Documentation References:

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Basics - more details regarding restore and recovery operations

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference - complete RESTORE;and RECOVER command syntax


NOTE: Only an entire database can be recovered to a point in time, there is a separate procedure for recovering a tablespace to a point in time.

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Advanced User's Guide - information on RMAN Tablespace Point-in-Time Recovery (TSPITR)


Reporting on RMAN Operations


The RMAN LIST and REPORT commands, generate reports on backup activities based on the RMAN repository. Use SHOW ALL to display the current RMAN configuration.

Listing Backups

Use LIST to display information about backup sets, proxy copies, and image copies recorded in the repository. The LIST command displays the files against which you can run CROSSCHECK and DELETE commands. Use this command to list:

Backups and copies that do not have the status AVAILABLE in the RMAN repository
Backups and copies of datafiles that are available and can possibly be used in a restore operation
Specified archived logs, backup sets, backup pieces, control file copies, datafile copies, and proxy copies
Backups and copies restricted by tag, completion time, recoverability, or device
Incarnations of a specified database or of all databases known to the repository
Stored scripts in the recovery catalog
Reporting on Database Files and Backups

The REPORT command performs more complex analysis than LIST. Use the REPORT command to answer questions such as the following:

Which files need a backup?
Which files have not had a backup for some time?
Which files are not recoverable due to unrecoverable operations?
Which backup files can be deleted?
What was the physical schema of the database at a previous time


Oracle10g Documentation References:

See Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Basics - learn how to make lists and reports

See Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference - complete LIST and REPORT command syntax




Managing the RMAN Repository

RMAN repository metadata is always recorded in the control file of the target database. You can also create a recovery catalog in a separate database, and RMAN will record its metadata there as well.

Monitoring Control File Records :

If you do not use a recovery catalog, then eventually RMAN control file records are overwritten. Set this initialization parameter in the parameter file of the target database to determine how long records are kept:

CONTROL_FILE_RECORD_KEEP_TIME =

You can configure a retention policy to be used by RMAN to determine which backups are considered obsolete. This allows you to remove files from the repository that are no longer needed to meet your retention requirements. This policy can be based on a recovery window (the maximum number of days into the past for which you can recover) or redundancy (how many copies of each backed-up file to keep).

The RECOVERY WINDOW parameter of the CONFIGURE command specifies the number of days between the current time and the earliest point of recoverability. RMAN does not consider any full or level 0 incremental backup as obsolete if it falls within the recovery window. Additionally, RMAN retains all archived logs and level 1 incremental backups that are needed to recover to a random point within the window.

Run the CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY command at the RMAN prompt. This example ensures that you can recover the database to any point within the last week:



RMAN> CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO RECOVERY WINDOW OF 7 DAYS
The REDUNDANCY parameter of the CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY command specifies how many backups of each datafile and control file that RMAN should keep. In other words, if the number of backups for a specific datafile or control file exceeds the REDUNDANCY setting considers the extra backups as obsolete. The default retention policy is REDUNDANCY=1.



As you produce more backups, RMAN keeps track of which ones to retain and which are obsolete. RMAN retains all arcd logs and incremental backups that are needed to recover the nonobsolete backups.

Assume that you make a backup of datafile 7 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You now have four backups of the datafile. If REDUNDANCY is 2, then the Monday and Tuesday backups are obsolete. If you make another backup on Friday, then the Wednesday backup becomes obsolete.

Run the CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY command at the RMAN prompt, as in the following example:


RMAN> CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO REDUNDANCY 3;
RMAN does not automatically delete backups rendered obsolete by the retention policy. Instead, RMAN shows them as OBSOLETE in the REPORT OBSOLETE output and in the OBSOLETE column of V$BACKUP_FILES. RMAN deletes obsolete files if you run the DELETE OBSOLETE command.

Note, backups in the flash recovery area are susceptible to deletion based on RMAN retention policy configuration.

Oracle10g Documentation References:

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Basics- more information regarding retention policies and deleting obsolete files




Crosschecking and Deleting Backups

Crosscheck is needed when an archivelog file or backup is manually removed, i.e., not deleted by RMAN. This command ensures that data about backups in the recovery catalog or control file is synchronized with corresponding data on disk or in the media management catalog. The CROSSCHECK command operates only on files that are recorded in the recovery catalog or the control file.

The CROSSCHECK command does not delete any files that it is unable to find, but updates their repository records to EXPIRED. Then, you can run DELETE EXPIRED to remove the repository records for all expired files as well as any existing physical files whose records show the status EXPIRED.

If some backup pieces or copies were erroneously marked as EXPIRED, for example, because the media manager was misconfigured, then after ensuring that the files really do exist in the media manager, run the CROSSCHECK BACKUP command again to restore those files to AVAILABLE status.

Crosschecking Backups

RMAN> # checks RMAN backups on configured devices
CROSSCHECK BACKUP;

# checks RMAN image copies on configured devices>
CROSSCHECK COPY;

If backups are stored with a media manager and sbt channels are not configured, then you must allocate maintenance channel before CROSSCHECK and DELETE commands on sbt devices:


RMAN> ALLOCATE CHANNEL FOR MAINTENANCE DEVICE TYPE sbt;
CROSSCHECK BACKUP;



The DELETE command removes RMAN backups and copies from DISK and sbt devices, marks theects as DELETED in the control file, and removes the records from the recovery catalog (if you use a catalog). For example:


RMAN> DELETE BACKUPSET 101, 102, 103;
DELETE CONTROLFILECOPY '/tmp/cf.cpy';
DELETE NOPROMPT ARCHIVELOG UNTIL SEQUENCE = 7300;
DELETE BACKUP OF SPFILE TABLESPACE users DEVICE TYPE sbt;
DELETE BACKUP OF DATABASE LIKE '/tmp%'; # pattern match
DELETE ARCHIVELOG ALL BACKED UP 2 TIMES TO DEVICE TYPE sbt;


Oracle10g Documentation References:

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Basics - more information regarding crosschecking and deleting files.

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference - complete DELETE and CROSSCHECK command syntax

Manually configure the Oracle 10g EM dbconsole

Manually configure the Oracle 10g EM dbconsole

Overview

When you choose to create a preconfigured database during the Oracle 10g installation, you can select the Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) interface that you want to use to manage the database. The following options are available:

Database Grid Control
This option is available only if an Oracle Management Agent is installed on the system. When the Installer detects an Oracle Management Agent on the system, it allows you to choose this option and specify the Oracle Management Service that you want to use to manage the database.

If an Oracle Management Agent is not installed, you must choose to use Database Control to manage the database. However, if you install Oracle Management Agent after you install Oracle Database, you can then use Grid Control to manage this database.

Database Control
This option is selected by default if an Oracle Management Agent is not installed on the system. However, even if a Management Agent is installed, you can still choose to configure Database Control to manage the database.

Custom installation

If you choose the Custom installation type or the Advanced database configuration option during the installation, the Installer does not display the OEM setup screens. Instead, it runs the Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) in interactive mode, which enables you to create a custom database.

DBCA also enables you to specify the Oracle Enterprise Manager interface that you want to use. Furthermore, you can also use DBCA after the installation to configure Database Control for a database that was not previously configured to use it.

However, if you decide to setup your own Database, you must install the Database Control manually.

Setup your own Database and manually install the Database Control

The Database Control relies on various underlying technologies to discover, monitor, and administer the Oracle Database environment.

From the Database Control, you can monitor and administer a single Oracle Database instance.

The Database Control Framework consists of the Database Control and its underlying technologies:

A local version of the Oracle Management Service designed to work with the local database or clustered database.

A local Oracle Management Repository installed in the local database and designed to store management data for the Database Control.

The following steps have to be performed.

Create your own Database

More information to setup your own Database can be found here:

For Windows 2000
For Linux
Create the Database Control Repository and setup the OC4J Application Server

Make sure, that you can connect to the Repository Database (Test it with SQL*Plus). Examples for Setup Files can be found here:

Windows

Linux

LISTENER.ORA listener.ora
SQLNET.ORA sqlnet.ora
TNSNAMES.ORA tnsnames.ora
Now start the Oracle EM dbconsole Build Script ($ORACLE_HOME/bin/emca for Linux and $ORACLE_HOME\Bin\emca.bat for Windows).

$ emca -repos create
$ emca -config dbcontrol db

STARTED EMCA at Fri May 14 10:43:22 MEST 2004
Enter the following information about the database
to be configured.

Listener port number: 1521
Database SID: AKI1
Service name: AKI1.WORLD
Email address for notification: martin dot zahn at akadia dot ch
Email gateway for notification: mailhost
Password for dbsnmp: xxxxxxx
Password for sysman: xxxxxxx
Password for sys: xxxxxxx

---------------------------------------------------------
You have specified the following settings

Database ORACLE_HOME: /opt/oracle/product/10.1.0
Enterprise Manager ORACLE_HOME: /opt/oracle/product/10.1.0

Database host name ..........: akira
Listener port number .........: 1521
Database SID .................: AKI1
Service name .................: AKI1
Email address for notification: martin dot zahn at akadia dot ch
Email gateway for notification: mailhost
---------------------------------------------------------
Do you wish to continue? [yes/no]: yes
AM oracle.sysman.emcp.EMConfig updateReposVars
INFO: Updating file ../config/repository.variables ...

Now wait about 10 Minutes to complete!

M oracle.sysman.emcp.EMConfig createRepository
INFO: Creating repository ...
M oracle.sysman.emcp.EMConfig perform
INFO: Repository was created successfully
M oracle.sysman.emcp.util.PortQuery findUsedPorts
INFO: Searching services file for used port
AM oracle.sysman.emcp.EMConfig getProperties
...........
...........
INFO: Starting the DBConsole ...
AM oracle.sysman.emcp.EMConfig perform
INFO: DBConsole is started successfully
INFO: >>>>>>>>>>> The Enterprise Manager URL is http://akira:5500/em <<<<<<<<<<<
Enterprise Manager configuration is completed successfully
FINISHED EMCA at Fri May 14 10:55:25 MEST 2004

Try to connect to the database Control

http://akira:5500/em



If you look at the installed schemas, you can now find the SYSMAN schema, which is the database Control Repository.

Troubleshooting

If you have troubles to connect, check your local configuration which can be found in $ORACLE_HOME/_. For Example our DbConsole Setup Directory looks as follows:

$ pwd
/opt/oracle/product/10.1.0/akira_AKI1/sysman/config

$ ls -l
-rw-r--r-- b64InternetCertificate.txt
-rw-r--r-- emagentlogging.properties
-rw-r--r-- emd.properties
-rw-r--r-- emomsintg.xml
-rw-r--r-- emomslogging.properties
-rw-r--r-- emoms.properties
-rw-r--r-- OUIinventories.add

The most important file is emoms.properties, where you can find all the configuration parameters.

#Fri May 14 10:54:49 CEST 2004
oracle.sysman.emSDK.svlt.ConsoleServerName=
akira_Management_Service
oracle.sysman.eml.mntr.emdRepPwd=0b878f6184e8319d
emdrep.ping.pingCommand=/bin/ping
oracle.sysman.eml.mntr.emdRepPort=1521
oracle.sysman.eml.mntr.emdRepDBName=AKI1.WORLD
oracle.sysman.emSDK.svlt.ConsoleMode=standalone
oracle.sysman.emRep.dbConn.statementCacheSize=30
oracle.sysman.db.isqlplusUrl=
http\://akira\:5560/isqlplus/dynamic
oracle.sysman.emSDK.svlt.ConsoleServerPort=5500
oracle.sysman.eml.mntr.emdRepRAC=FALSE
oracle.sysman.emSDK.emd.rt.useMonitoringCred=true
oracle.sysman.eml.mntr.emdRepPwdEncrypted=TRUE
oracle.sysman.db.isqlplusWebDBAUrl=
http\://akira\:5560/isqlplus/dba/dynamic
oracle.sysman.emSDK.svlt.ConsoleServerHost=akira
oracle.sysman.emSDK.svlt.ConsoleServerHTTPSPort=5500
oracle.sysman.eml.mntr.emdRepServer=akira
oracle.sysman.eml.mntr.emdRepSID=AKI1
oracle.sysman.emSDK.sec.ReuseLogonPassword=true
oracle.sysman.eml.mntr.emdRepConnectDescriptor=
(DESCRIPTION\=(ADDRESS_LIST\=
(ADDRESS\=(PROTOCOL\=TCP)(HOST\=akira)(PORT\
=1521)))(CONNECT_DATA\=(SERVICE_NAME\=AKI1)))
oracle.sysman.eml.mntr.emdRepUser=SYSMAN
oracle.sysman.db.adm.conn.statementCacheSize=2
oracle.sysman.db.perf.conn.statementCacheSize=30

Automatically start and stop the DB-Console

$ emctl start dbconsole
$ emctl stop dbconsole
$ emctl status dbconsole

Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Database
Control Release 10.1.0.2.0
Copyright (c) 1996, 2004 Oracle Corporation.
All rights reserved.
http://akira:5500/em/console/aboutApplication
Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g is running.
---------------------------------------------------
Logs are generated in directory
/opt/oracle/product/10.1.0/akira_AKI1/sysman/log