Another month has come and gone, and the third patch update of the year (23.03) was deployed to the Oracle Cloud EPM test instances on 03/03/2023. In this blog, we will focus on what are the most important updates relevant to Oracle Cloud EPM, EPCM, and PCM but be sure to check out the updates for yourself here.
The Most Important Features of the 23.03 (March 2023) Patch:
EPM Common:
EPM Automate command - setIdleSessionTimeout:
- This command allows clients to change the session timeout (in minutes) for which a user session is allowed to be idle before the user is directed to the login page.
- The session timeout applies to both web sessions and Smartview. The default session timeout is 75 minutes but can be changed to between 15 to 75 minutes.
EPM Automate command - getIdelSessionTimeout:
- This command displays the PCM or EPCM instance's idle session timeout (in minutes).
Data Management Feature Replacement by Data Integration:
- Enterprise PCM Data Integration user interface (UI) will ultimately replace Cloud Data Management (CDM) UI. This move should not be surprising or alarming as Oracle has indicated in the past they are moving in this direction.
- No migration is required for clients who currently utilize Cloud Data Management, and all existing CDM functionality (and more) will be available through the Data Integration UI.
Enterprise PCM Updates:
New Training Videos (EPCM only): For those looking to start or expand their knowledge on Enterprise PCM, Oracle has released the following training videos:
- Creating Models and Rules in Enterprise Profitability and Cost Management – This video covers creating models, rule sets, and rules.
- Validating and Calculating Models in Enterprise Profitability and Cost Management – This video covers how to validate rules and calculate models (all rules or a subset or rule sets or rules)
- Analyzing and Troubleshooting Model Calculations in Enterprise Profitability and Cost Management – This video covers how to troubleshoot model calculations through the Calculation Analysis UI and how to use the Rule Balancing Report
Ability to Cancel a Calculation Job (EPCM Only):
- EPCM allows users to cancel a calculation job once submitted through the Jobs UI.
- The ability to cancel calculation jobs was/is available in PCM through the Restart Database functionality. There is no such option in EPCM, so previously, we had to restart the entire service to kill a rogue or long-running calculation.
- For more information on this functionality, click here.
EPCM Patch Fixes:
- Before the 23.02 patch, some clients reported long wait times when running the Model Documentation Report. In the 23.02 patch, a fix was deployed that significantly reduced the wait times when running the Model Documentation Report. This fix should now be deployed to your Production instances.
PCM Updates:
New Migration Administrator Application Role:
- A new migration administrator role in PCM can be assigned to a Power User to allow for migration activities.
- Previously executing migration activities was restricted to the administrator role, which was not ideal for clients who frequently want to migrate between environments for what-if or development purposes.
Regression Testing Requirement:
As per our standing recommendation, clients are advised to perform regression testing on the release of the month patches in their test instances. That said, the features, functionalities, and updates released in the 23.03 patch do not require extensive regression testing, especially for Oracle Cloud PCM, which did not receive updates other than EPCM migration enhancements.
Enterprise PCM Regression Testing Requirement:
For the 23.03 Patch, we suggest you do your normal level of regression testing, as none of the provided updates should be a cause of concern. If you have experienced the Model Documentation taking a long time to run, it's worth ensuring your issue has been resolved.
PCM Regression Testing Requirement:
For the 23.03 Patch, we suggest doing your normal level of regression, as there are no critical bug fixes or features for Oracle PCM in this release.
The 23.03 Patch is scheduled to be pushed to the Production environments at or after 22:00 UTC on Friday, the 17th of March, 2023, so be sure to be done with any Regression testing soon!
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