Managing Oracle EBS Customizations

Driving the Efficient Enterprise

Samir Deshpande

- Oracle EBS Technical Architect & Program Manager

Vrishab Kakade Oracle EBS Apps DBA

Agenda
Why manage customizations? Typical customizations for E-Business Suite Challenges managing customizations Four step strategy to manage customizations Implementing the strategy Q&A

Oracle OpenWorld 2010

Managing Oracle EBS Customizations

Why manage customizations?

Improve operational Efficiency Reduce operating expenses Process automation Improved production uptime Installing sense of ownership Reduced inconsistencies and risks Brings clarity and transparency to business Better Audit Controls
@Dell (from just - 2 global EBS systems) Over 1500 customizations Over 35 non prod environments Over 200 servers

Oracle OpenWorld 2010

Managing Oracle EBS Customizations

Typical Customizations
Reports
Customer facing outputs Management reports Transactional reports Reconciliation reports Custom functionality Integration with various external systems Legacy environments data conversion Data warehousing Addition of new functionality Forms personalization
@Dell (from just - 2 global EBS systems) 500 RICE components

Forms

Interfaces

Conversions

Enhancements/Extensions Personalization

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Managing Oracle EBS Customizations

IT Challenges
Environment Strategy
Dev/SIT/FIT/Perf Test etc.

System Dynamics Interdependencies

Patch/Code/Setups

Version control Global Teams Documentation Tracking, migrating, testing and certifying
Significant impact of customizations on major upgrades such as 11i to R12

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Environment Strategy
Env 1 Env 2 Env 3 Env 4 Env 5 Env 6 Env 7 Dev env for production support and project 2 FIT Env for project 1 and Dev for project 3 SIT production support then CRP3 for project 2 UAT for project 1 and 2 Dev env for project 1 Perf Test for project 1 SIT production support then CRP3 for project 2

Have Code, Patches & Setups synchronized across all environments?

Production

DR

Env n

Training needs

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Managing Oracle EBS Customizations

System Dynamics
Business Change Request
New functionality Enhancements

Have Code, Patches & Setups synchronized across all environments?

Oracle Patches
PSU Upgrades

Production Defects
Functionality issues Up/downstream system needs

Project Defects
Std functionality issues Coding issues
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Interdependencies

Have Code, Patches & Setups synchronized across all environments?

Code, Patch, CR, Defects they could be interdependent how to identify and manage these dependencies?

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Version Control

Have Code, Patches & Setups synchronized across all environments?

Why this code works in one environment and not in other? Is this the right version of code for this environment? Who/when migrated this code? Who approved?

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Managing Oracle EBS Customizations

Global teams
Who changed the code? Why? Who provided business requirement? Who owns the code? How the team will communicate? How to track changes?

Have Code, Patches & Setups synchronized across all environments?

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Documentation

Have Code, Patches & Setups synchronized across all environments?

Where and how to document? Who owns the documentation? How does it get updated? How do these updates get migrated across?

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Tracking, migrating, testing and certifying

How to track dependencies? What to migrate? When? Who migrates? How? How to test and certify the change migration?

Have Code, Patches & Setups synchronized across all environments?

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How to manage EBS customizations?

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Strategy
Communicate

Automate

Standardize

Simplify

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Strategy - Simplify
People
Environment ownership Code ownership Roles and responsibilities Environment management Code build and deploy Patches/setups migration and tracking Cloning On Boarding/off boarding Servers/environments Code and documentation repository

Processes

Technology

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Strategy - Standardize
People
Role based Environment management Code build and deploy Patches/setups migration and tracking Cloning On Boarding/off boarding Audits Servers/environments Code and documentation repository

Processes

Technology

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Strategy - Automate
Processes

Standard process flows Environment management

Technology

Cloning Code/Patch/Setup deployment

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Strategy - Communicate
People
Stakeholder list and communication plan

Process

Environment strategy Environment management Code/Document repository and Management processes Software configuration management processes Audit controls

Technology

Portal single point of entry

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Key Success Factors

Strong support from Management Willingness to change Agreed documentation methodology Adequate communication Periodic reviews and alignment with strategy

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Implementing the strategy to address IT Challenges

Environment Strategy
Dev/SIT/FIT/Perf Test etc.
Significant impact of customizations on major upgrades such as 11i to R12

System Dynamics Interdependencies

Patch/Code/Setups

Version control Global Teams Documentation Tracking, migrating, testing and certifying
Managing Oracle EBS Customizations

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Oracle OpenWorld 2010

Environment Strategy
Env 1 Env 2 Env 3 Env 4 Env 5 Env 6 Env 7 Dev env for production support and project 2 FIT Env for project 1 and Dev for project 3 SIT production support then CRP3 for project 2 UAT for project 1 and 2 Dev env for project 1 Perf Test for project 1 SIT production support then CRP3 for project 2

Have Code, Patches & Setups synchronized across all environments?

Production

DR

Env n

Training needs

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Environment Strategy
Production Support
Dev FIT SIT UAT

Periodic refresh from Production Clone Stage

Prod Clone Support (PCS)

Perf Test

Prod Staging

Production DR

Release 1
Dev FIT SIT

Test

Prod
@Dell 300+ interfaces to external systems End to end testing? @Dell Several simultaneous inflight projects

Release 2
Dev FIT SIT

Other Environments
Training

SandBox

Release n
Dev FIT SIT @Dell Virtualization

Conversion

Patch

Each release may have one or more projects/CRs/Patches

DEVELOPMENT
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Environment Strategy 7 Steps

Defined environment purpose

Establish Release management process to manage all CR/patching etc

Develop Environment refresh strategy

Define environment refresh cycles

Establish environment sync up plan

Environment recycling plan

Audit Controls
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Environment Strategy 7 Steps defined

Defined environment purpose Establish Release management process to manage all CR/patching etc Develop Environment refresh strategy Automate cloning from Prod to Production Clone Support(PCS) Perform all critical activities such as scrambling data, password changes, disable production outbound notifications, database links, cleanup etc. on PCS All the environments refresh/cloning to be performed from PCS environment backup Define environment refresh cycles
Production staging refresh weekly - source production PCS refresh periodically source production Release environments refresh initially/on demand source PCS Support environments refresh periodically source PCS Training prior to training start source UAT All TEST environments refresh prior to test cycle/on demand source PCS

Establish environment sync up plan After go-live of every release; within 30-45 days all DEV environments to be synchronized Environment recycling plan
Production support environments not recycled Release 1 environments can be used for Release 3 Release 2 environments can be used for Release 4 Data scrambling, TDE/VPD, password changes, audit documentation etc done in PCS Clearly defined environment management and ownership plans

Audit Controls

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Environment Ownership
Env
Patch

Role
DBA Env Owner SCM group Dev Env Owner SCM group FIT Env Owner SCM group SIT Env Owner SCM Group UAT Env Owner SCM Group PT Owner SCM Group DBAs

Owner

Environment ownership Role based Has final say Responsible for any audits Responsible for access control Available in the region

DEV FIT SIT UAT Perf Test

Dev Managers Business Analyst Mgr Enterprise Testing Mgr Business (PDM) Enterprise Testing Mgr

Role
Environment Owner

Responsibility
Decides on environment downtime Authorizes code/patch migration to this environment Approves environment access to users Environment escalation point Implement Change control processes Ensure that the environment is under SCM process

SCM Group

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Benefits of Environment Management

OPEX reduction Resource optimization [hardware/people] Predefined Refresh cycles Recycling plan Process simplification and automation Improved cloning times Opportunity to automate cloning Improved production uptime Predefined release cycles Reduction in adhoc downtime requests Well defined communication plan Pre defined release cycles communicated well in advance
Predefined environment ownership and escalation paths

Installing sense of ownership and accountability Better Audit Controls

Well defined environment ownerships Standard environment management process Controlled environment access
Managing Oracle EBS Customizations

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Code migration
Pre Requisites Finalize version control repository for code and documentation Clearly define repository ownership and management processes Version control system directory tree structure similar to EBS app tier
Example
XXPO_TOP structure should be similar to PO_TOP XXPO_TOP directory structure on file systems and version control system should be same
@Dell (from just - 2 global EBS systems) 500+ RICE components

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Code Packaging
Code Pack
DDL/DML

Package/Procedures/SQLs

Reports

Forms

Java

Personalization's

Shell scripts

Code Pack is identified by a unique name and version number Code pack contains Code Unit to be migrated Version number of Code Unit Destination directory Destination Schema Migration options Sequence of Code Unit defines inter dependencies Code Packs are created and maintained by developers Developers migrate code to all environments Developer owns one or more Code Packs Every Code Pack has only one owner
Managing Oracle EBS Customizations

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Code Deployment
Checkout Code Pack Developer specifies Code pack version to be migrated Code pack gets checked out by automated process Here on every action in this process gets logged for audit purposes

For every line in Code Pack

Check out specified version of code unit Copy to destination folder Deploy to specified schema Perform migration options as defined in code pack for that code unit

Communicate

At the end of this deployment, a notification email is sent to all stakeholders Deployment logs are maintained for the life of the environment

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Code Migration
Dev Environment FIT Environment
Developer approved code? Env Owner Allow code in?

YES

YES

DeveloperMigrate code

Developer Migration successfu l?

YES

FIT testing team

UAT Environment

Repeat till production & retrofitting changes to all other environments

UAT testing team

YES

Migration successfu l?

NO

Env Owner Allow code in?

DeveloperMigrate code

YES

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YES

ON

ON Start

NO

NO
Env Owner Test Successf ul?

Develop Code and code pack- by developer

NO

Code migration
SCM Team defines and manages migration process Developer responsible for code development and building code packs Developer owns code migration to all environments Ensures right version gets migrated Identifies any defects/dependencies Repeatable process Environment owner approves code entry and exit Minimizes accidents Ensures code accuracy Shared Responsibility and ownerships Same process across all releases [refer to environment strategy slide] Audit Process is pre approved by all stakeholders Properly documented for audit purposes
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Benefits
Process standardization and simplification across releases Installing sense of ownership and accountability Opportunity for code migration automation Reduced inconsistencies Better audit control Improved code migration efficiency and reduced risks Reduced downtime Brings clarity and transparency to business Optimize resources

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Patch and setup migration

These processes should be similar to Code migration process

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THANK YOU!
Authors
Samir Deshpande
Samir_Deshpande@dell.com Cell: 512-466-3822 Cell: 412-89-SAMIR Vrishab_Kakade@dell.com Cell:512-484-6097 Cell:317-292-6047
Managing Oracle EBS Customizations

Vrishab Kakade

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To learn more about how Dell can help you drive an Efficient Enterprise visit:
Dells onsite TSR for a free quote Michael Dells keynote on Wednesday at 8 a.m. One of Dells 20 conference sessions www.dell.com/oracle

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