In this month's Oracle Cloud EPM Patch (23.06), several noteworthy enhancements have been introduced to the Oracle EPM platform and Oracle Cloud Enterprise PCM.
This blog post aims to highlight the most important features included in the patch while also directing readers to the comprehensive 23.06 Patch Release Notes by Oracle for further details. So, without further ado, let's explore the key highlights of this update.
The Most Important Features of the 23.06 (June 2023) Patch:
EPM Common
OCI Migration: Customer-Managed Migrations No Longer Available:
- Customer-managed migrations from Gen 1 to OCI (Gen 2) cloud infrastructure will no longer be available.
- Oracle plans to migrate all Classic Commercial environments to OCI by the end of 2023 through monthly migration waves.
- When clients' environments are scheduled for migration, they will get a notification specifying the migration schedule. Follow the instructions in the notification.
- See the EPM Cloud Classic to OCI Migration Schedule for more information on the Migration Waves schedule.
Data Management Feature Replacement by Data Integration/Data Exchange (EPCM Only):
- As previously discussed in our blogs, Oracle is gradually phasing out Cloud Data Management to utilize the Data Integration/Data Exchange UI.
- Oracle will continue to provide details on which features will be turned off in Data Management through the monthly patch releases.
- It is worth noting that for PCM users, the Data Integration/Data Exchange UI will not be available, and Cloud Data Management will continue to be utilized without replacement in the foreseeable future.
EPM Automate Updates:
- A new version of EPM Automate has been introduced in this patch, offering additional commands to enhance user experience.
- These commands include the "getVirusScanOnFileUploads" command to check the virus scan status on uploaded files in OCI environments and the "setVirusScanOnFileUploads" command to enable virus scanning before file uploads. Access Control Group and Role Management commands have also been enhanced to support the Access Control Manager application role.
- Specifically for Enterprise PCM, the "validateModel" command now features the optional "messageType" parameter, which captures the model validation status in the output file.
Pipeline Feature in Data Integration/Data Exchange (EPCM only):
- The new Pipeline feature allows users to orchestrate a series of jobs as a single process. It provides better control and visibility of the entire data integration process, including preprocessing, data loading, and post-processing jobs.
- Pipelines can include various job types, such as integrations, business rules, open batches, objects to and from the Object Store, and substitution variables.
- This enhancement offers customers the potential to orchestrate the entire inbound and outbound data integrations and has enormous potential and impact on EPCM projects.
Activity Report Enhancements and PCM Runtime Metrics:
- The Activity Report now includes information about the type of cloud infrastructure in which the environment is hosted, distinguishing between Classic and OCI (Gen 2). This addition simplifies identification for users and provides a clearer understanding of their environment's cloud infrastructure type.
- The new PCM runtime metrics help monitor the environment and resolve performance issues. This activity report does not replace the system-generated reports, such as the Calculation Statistics Report, but should be used in conjunction with them.
Data Exchange Integration Type and Task Type in Task Manager (EPCM Only):
- Task Manager is enhanced with a new end-user integration and task type called Data Exchange that allows you to streamline the data exchange integration tasks with the monthly close process.
- This integration allows for the remote execution of EPCM jobs.
- Although Task Manager is not available directly in EPCM applications, this feature will allow clients to execute EPCM jobs from an EPBCS or FCCS application where Task Manager is enabled.
- This is potentially a game-changer for clients who want to orchestrate EPCM jobs without needing an integration server where EPM Automate commands can be executed.
Enterprise PCM Updates
New Sample Application (EPCM Only):
- A new sample application is now available, showcasing various EPCM functionalities.
- The application includes examples of setting up Time Series Analysis views, Currency Conversions, and additional Form and Dashboard samples, providing users with valuable insights into model design and analysis options.
Rule Balancing Report Enhancements (EPCM Only):
- Rule Balancing reports have been improved to display zero and missing values as "0.00" and minimal values as "<0.01". This enhancement accurately represents small, missing, and zero values, eliminating any potential confusion.
- A default form named "Rule Balancing-Default" has been introduced, offering users a template layout to start with and reducing the need to create Rule Balancing forms from scratch.
PCM Updates
There are no updates specific to PCM in the 23.06 patch
Regression Testing Requirement:
Per our standing recommendation, clients are advised to perform regression testing on the release of the month patches in their test instances regardless of the updates provided in this blog. However, as this patch introduces various enhancements to the Common EPM platform and EPCM, we strongly advise running through the regression tests on data integration and PCM/EPCM calculations.
Enterprise PCM Regression Testing Requirement:
For the 23.06 Patch, we suggest clients do increased regression testing; none of the updates should cause alarm or cause any issues. However, due to the number of updates deployed in this patch, we would encourage clients to do more extensive regression testing. Awareness of the new functionality related to the default Rule Balancing form will help the application's overall usability but should not affect any existing functionality.
PCM Regression Testing Requirement:
For the 23.06 Patch, we suggest slightly elevating your average level of regression testing, as there are no critical bug fixes or features for Oracle PCM in this release but some of the Common EPM updates could affect your application.
The 23.06 Patch is scheduled to be pushed to the Production environments at or after 22:00 UTC on Friday, June 16, 2023, so be sure to be done with any Regression testing soon!
TL;DR
The 23.06 Patch for Oracle Cloud EPM introduces significant enhancements to the platform and Oracle Cloud Enterprise PCM.
Key features include the discontinuation of customer-managed migrations to OCI, data management feature migration to data integration, updates to EPM Automate, the introduction of the Pipeline feature in data integration, enhancements to the Activity Report, Data Exchange integration in Task Manager in EPBCS and FCCS, and a new sample application showcasing EPCM functionalities.
Regression testing is recommended for all clients, with increased testing suggested for EPCM due to the number of updates. PCM regression testing should be slightly elevated.
The patch is scheduled for deployment on June 16, 2023, after 22:00 UTC.
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