What is the future of OFA?

Bryan Eckle

FullNorth Technology Group Provide expert resources for Oracle Applications and Business Intelligence from scoping, implementation, training and support Project Management, Functional Leads, Technical Developers and Database Administrators

Bryan Eckle Personal Background Info –Over 5 years experience implementing OFA and other Oracle Applications –Functional and Technical –Personal interest in the future of the product Contact Information –

The following presentation is based upon my past OFA experience and information gathered from the Oracle development team. Since most of the information pertains to a product that has yet to be released, it is subject to change.

What We Will Cover OFA background info OFA current status Future direction of the product Outline specific changes Upgrade considerations Screen shots of the new product Questions?

OFA Background OFA is in use at thousands of clients worldwide. OFA can be used for a wide variety of applications, some of which include. –financial reporting, budgeting, what-if analysis, variance analysis and merger evaluation Oracle purchased OFA and Express from IRI in 1995

OFA Current Status is the current version 6.4 (April) will be the last release of OFA –Ranking and exception reporting for numeric and non- numeric data –Improved formatting for exporting and web front end OFA/Express will be supported until 2006

Reasons for change Integration –Express Server into the Oracle RDBMS –OFA with other Oracle Applications Create a product that is a reporting, budgeting/planning solution rather than a tool.

New OFA = Enterprise Planning and Budgeting (EPB) as of Q

EPB New Features and Changes Server Side Changes –Express Server functionality will now become part of the Oracle 9i2 database Application Changes –Web Portal front end –Workflow allows for a complete business process to take place within EPB –Security is handled through responsibilities –Allocations –Dynamic validation of data entry –Delivered Template Calculations (Variance Analysis, Currency Translation)

OFA vs EPB Comparison OFAEPB Windows or HTML/Java front endHTML Web Portal front end Express ServerOracle 9i2 OLAP Services Express data loadersSQL data loaders Tiered StructureOracle security (Responsibilities), Workflow Super DBA WorkstationOracle Enterprise Manager No delivered allocations (customization) Allocation functionality built-in Replication of data for each level of the tiered structure Data stored once and security controls access SNAPIOLAP API (OLAPI) Express LanguageEnhanced SQL

OFA to EPB Architecture Comparison Windows or Java/HTML Client Express Web Agent 6.x Mid Tier Express Server 6.x HTML Client Java/OLAPI Mid Tier Oracle 9i2 OFA EPB

EPB Data Flow Oracle Apps Data (GL, PA) Non Oracle Apps Warehouse Tables Analytic Workspace tables OLAP Catalog Application Catalog EPB (OLAP Reporting and Data Entry) Oracle 9i2 database Metadata and complex processing OLAP API

How will we upgrade from OFA to EPB? Oracle will provide utilities to migrate standard dimensions, dimension values, financial data items, hierarchies, model and reports. –Worksheets can be brought over as reports and then converted into data entry forms. Data loaders will need to be re-written from Express to SQL Customizations will be evaluated to see whether their functionality now exist in the new product. –If not, they will have to be re-developed.

How will migration work? OFA ObjectsWhat Will Happen Dimensions, Dim Values, Financial Data Items, Attributes, Hierarchies Moved to Oracle 9i2 database tables Reports and GraphsQueries > new querybuilder bean syntax Layout > moved to BI Beans Catalog Format > will not be preserved ModelsMoved to new calculation templates SecurityNo need for Operating System IDs. Security will move to Oracle Database and Application Security model

Upgrade Considerations? Yes –Running other Oracle Databases and Applications –Take advantage of allocations and other new features –Having problems with excessive Express database size, backups etc. Wait –Heavy customizations whose functionality will not exist in the new application –Express and OFA are the only Oracle products that your enterprise uses

What Will EPB look like? Web Portal Hyperlinks for each business process assigned to a user (responsibility) Notifications Calendar Hyperlinks to other required sites or documents

Take a Look

For a Live Demo Wed 10 April: room D3

Questions?