Cloud Readiness / Oracle Common Technologies and User Experience
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  1. Update 20C
  1. Revision History
  2. Overview
  3. Optional Uptake of New Features (Opt In)
  4. Feature Summary
    1. Approvals and Notifications
        1. Automatically Archive Workflow Tasks Once a Day
        2. See When Workflow Tasks Can Be Automatically Withdrawn
    2. User Experience
        1. Enhanced Look and Feel of Your Application
        2. Show Help Icons by Default
    3. Extensibility
        1. Configure the Visibility Settings of Announcements on the Home Page
        2. Default Redwood Theme for Your Application
        3. Create Automated Regression Tests
    4. BI Cloud Connector
        1. Inactive and Unavailable BI View Objects (BIVOs) and BIVO Columns for Exclusion from Extraction in BI Cloud Connector
        2. BI Cloud Connector Redesigned User Experience
        3. OTBI Metadata Independent Mode for Extraction
    5. Reporting and Analytics
        1. BI Publisher Data Models No Longer Support Passing Dynamic SQL Parameters in Reference Cursors
    6. Applications Security
        1. Location-Based Access for Scheduled Processes Work Area
  5. IMPORTANT Actions and Considerations

Update 20C

Revision History

This document will continue to evolve as existing sections change and new information is added. All updates appear in the following table:

Date Product Feature Notes
09 OCT 2020 Applications Security Location-Based Access for Scheduled Processes Work Area Updated document. Delivered feature in update 20C.
02 SEP 2020 Approvals and Notifications See When Workflow Tasks Can Be Automatically Withdrawn Updated document. Revised feature  information.
02 SEP 2020 Extensibility Default Redwood Theme for Your Application

Updated document. Revised feature  information.

02 SEP 2020 User Experience Enhanced Look and Feel of Your Application

Updated document. Revised feature  information.

01 JUL 2020 Important Actions and Considerations   Updated document. Added section.
01 JUL 2020 Extensibility Default Redwood Theme for Your Application Updated document. Revised feature information.
01 JUL 2020 Reporting and Analytics BI Publisher Data Models No Longer Support Passing Dynamic SQL Parameters in Reference Cursors Updated document. Revised feature information.
01 JUL 2020 BI Cloud Connector OTBI Metadata Independent Mode for Extraction Updated document. Revised feature information.
26 JUN 2020

BI Cloud Connector

BI Cloud Connector Redesigned User Experience Updated document. Delivered feature in update 20C.
19 JUN 2020     Created initial document.

Overview

This guide outlines the information you need to know about new or improved functionality in this update, and describes any tasks you might need to perform for the update. Each section includes a brief description of the feature, the steps you need to take to enable or begin using the feature, any tips or considerations that you should keep in mind, and the resources available to help you.

Give Us Feedback

We welcome your comments and suggestions to improve the content. Please send us your feedback at oracle_fusion_applications_help_ww_grp@oracle.com.

Optional Uptake of New Features (Opt In)

Oracle Cloud Applications delivers new updates every quarter. This means every three months you'll receive new functionality to help you efficiently and effectively manage your business. Some features are delivered Enabled meaning they are immediately available to end users. Other features are delivered Disabled meaning you have to take action to make available. Features delivered Disabled can be activated for end users by stepping through the following instructions using the following privileges:

  • Review Applications Offering (ASM_REVIEW_APPLICATIONS_OFFERINGS_PRIV)
  • Configure Oracle Fusion Applications Offering (ASM_CONFIGURE_OFFERING_PRIV)

Here’s how you opt in to new features:

  1. Click Navigator > My Enterprise > New Features.
  2. On the Features Overview page, select your offering to review new features specific to it. Or, you can leave the default selection All Enabled Offerings to review new features for all offerings.
  3. On the New Features tab, review the new features and check the opt-in status of the feature in the Enabled column. If a feature has already been enabled, you will see a check mark. Otherwise, you will see an icon to enable the feature.
  4. Click the icon in the Enabled column and complete the steps to enable the feature.

For more information and detailed instructions on opting in to new features for your offering, see Offering Configuration.

Opt In Expiration

Occasionally, features delivered Disabled via Opt In may be enabled automatically in a future update. This is known as an Opt In Expiration. If your cloud service has any Opt In Expirations you will see a related tab in this document. Click on that tab to see when the feature was originally delivered Disabled, and when the Opt In will expire, potentially automatically enabling the feature. You can also click here to see features with Opt In Expirations across all Oracle Cloud Applications.

Feature Summary

Column Definitions:

Features Delivered Enabled

Report = New or modified, Oracle-delivered, ready to run reports.

UI or Process-Based: Small Scale = These UI or process-based features are typically comprised of minor field, validation, or program changes. Therefore, the potential impact to users is minimal.

UI or Process-Based: Larger Scale* = These UI or process-based features have more complex designs. Therefore, the potential impact to users is higher.

Features Delivered Disabled = Action is needed BEFORE these features can be used by END USERS. These features are delivered disabled and you choose if and when to enable them. For example, a) new or expanded BI subject areas need to first be incorporated into reports, b) Integration is required to utilize new web services, or c) features must be assigned to user roles before they can be accessed.

Ready for Use by End Users
(Features Delivered Enabled)

Reports plus Small Scale UI or Process-Based new features will have minimal user impact after an update. Therefore, customer acceptance testing should focus on the Larger Scale UI or Process-Based* new features.

Action is Needed BEFORE Use by End Users
(Features Delivered Disabled)

Not disruptive as action is required to make these features ready to use. As you selectively choose to leverage, you set your test and roll out timing.

Feature

Report

UI or
Process-Based:
Small Scale

UI or
Process-Based:
Larger Scale*

Approvals and Notifications

Automatically Archive Workflow Tasks Once a Day

See When Workflow Tasks Can Be Automatically Withdrawn

User Experience

Enhanced Look and Feel of Your Application

Show Help Icons by Default

Extensibility

Configure the Visibility Settings of Announcements on the Home Page

Default Redwood Theme for Your Application

Create Automated Regression Tests

BI Cloud Connector

Inactive and Unavailable BI View Objects (BIVOs) and BIVO Columns for Exclusion from Extraction in BI Cloud Connector

BI Cloud Connector Redesigned User Experience

OTBI Metadata Independent Mode for Extraction

Reporting and Analytics

BI Publisher Data Models No Longer Support Passing Dynamic SQL Parameters in Reference Cursors

Applications Security

Location-Based Access for Scheduled Processes Work Area

>>Click for IMPORTANT Actions and Considerations

Approvals and Notifications

Automatically Archive Workflow Tasks Once a Day

Once a day, the Extract Workflow Tasks for Archive, Process Translation Workflow Tasks for Archive, and Upload Workflow Task Attachment for Archive scheduled processes automatically run to archive workflow tasks. Tasks with a final status, such as Completed, Withdrawn, or Expired are included if they haven't been archived already. Though unlikely, if at any time you need to archive more frequently, you can manually run all three processes from the Scheduled Processes work area. These scheduled processes replace the Archive Workflow Tasks process, which no longer runs automatically once a month and shouldn't be run manually either.

Steps to Enable

You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.

Tips And Considerations

  • If you had manually set the Archive Workflow Tasks process to run on a schedule, go to the Scheduled Processes work area to stop the scheduled submissions. 
  • If you still manually run the Archive Workflow Tasks process, for example by accident, it will most likely end up with a Succeeded status, but the process is disabled and won't actually perform any actions.   
  • If you need to manually run the three replacement scheduled processes, make sure that one process is done running before you submit another, in this order:       
    • Extract Workflow Tasks for Archive       
    • Process Translations for Workflow Tasks Archive       
    • Upload Workflow Task Attachments for Archive

Key Resources

See When Workflow Tasks Can Be Automatically Withdrawn

Workflow tasks are automatically withdrawn if they're still open after the number of days you see in the Open Tasks Withdrawn After Number of Days field. This field is now available on the Application Preferences page, and it's set to 180. You can't change this number, but you can set up expiration, escalation, and renewal policies that allow tasks to be open for longer. Define these policies as you would before, for any individual workflow task that's not a FYI task. If the expiration settings are set to Do Nothing, then the task is withdrawn after 180 days.

Here's how you see the Open Tasks Withdrawn After Number of Days field:

  1. Click the Notifications icon in the global header.   
  2. Click Show All.   
  3. On the Notifications page, click the Worklist button.   
  4. In BPM Worklist, click your user name and select Administration.    
  5. On the Application Preferences page, find the field under the Task List Settings section.

Open Tasks Withdrawn After Number of Days field on the Application Preferences Page

To set expiration, escalation, and renewal policies, use the Deadlines subtab:

  1. In the Setup and Maintenance work area, go to the Manage Task Configurations or another approval setup task in Application Extensions or another functional area.
  2. In BPM Worklist, on the Task Configuration tab, select the workflow task.
  3. Click the Edit task icon in the Tasks to be configured toolbar.
  4. Open the Deadlines subtab.
  5. Define your policies.
    • If the expiration setting is set to Do Nothing, then the task is withdrawn after 180 days.

    • If the expiration setting is set to Task Level or Assignee Level and the days entered for expiration is more than the default number of days for automatic withdrawal (180), then your expiration policy takes precedence over the automatic withdrawal.

Deadlines Tab with Expiration Settings Set to Do Nothing

Steps to Enable

You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.

Key Resources

Role Information

To use this feature, you need a role that lets you perform administrative tasks in BPM Worklist.

User Experience

Enhanced Look and Feel of Your Application

You can now experience an enhanced look and feel of your application with the Redwood theme. This theme includes the news feed layout, which is now the default layout for your home page. You might see changes in icons, colors, and shapes of some UI components.

Improve your productivity with intuitive navigation and an optimized user experience. You can quickly go to your work areas using the Navigator or the work area icons in the Apps section of your home page. The work area icons are grouped in tabs. You can also use the Quick Actions section to go straight to the key tasks based on the selected tab. To have a quick look at your open notifications and act on them, you scroll down to the Things to Finish section of your home page. And you can view your infolets in the Analytics section.

Here’s how your home page looks now.

The application home page showing an enhanced look and feel of the Redwood theme.

The Application Home Page Showing an Enhanced Look and Feel of the Redwood Theme

Steps to Enable

You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.

Tips And Considerations

You won't get the Redwood theme by default if your administrator configured a theme in an earlier release update. In such cases, you get that theme by default.

Key Resources

Show Help Icons by Default

Help icons are now visible by default for all users, every time they sign in. This setting makes it more likely that users will find the help they need to complete their tasks. They no longer need to click the Show Help Icons link in the Settings and Actions menu.

Clicking a help icon opens a help window that provides information specific to your current page and task.

Steps to Enable

You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.

Tips And Considerations

  • If you don't want to uptake this change, you can set the default back to hide help icons for all users.  Go to the Setup and Maintenance work area and use the Set Help Options task in the Application Extensions functional area for any offering. Deselect the Show help icons by default check box. You can always change it back at any time.
  • Whether the default is to show or hide icons, individual users can still show or hide the icons in a specific user session. They can click their user image or name in the global header and select Show Help Icons or Hide Help Icons in the Settings and Actions menu.
  • Administrators with the Manage Help Content privilege can also hide specific links in any help window for all users. They can also add help links.

Key Resources

Role Information

To use the Set Help Options task, you need any implementer or administrator role that gives you access to the Setup and Maintenance work area.

Extensibility

Configure the Visibility Settings of Announcements on the Home Page

You can now specify which user roles can see specific announcements on the home page. While creating or editing an announcement, you can specify an EL expression in its visibility settings.

Steps to Enable

Here's how you can set an EL expression while creating or editing an announcement.

  1. Click Navigator > Tools > Announcements.

  2. Do either of these tasks:

  • To create a new announcement, click Create.
  • To edit an announcement, select the announcement that you want to edit EL expression for.
  1. Specify the required details, such as the subject of your announcement.

  2. From the Visible list, select EL Expression.

  3. Click the Edit icon next to the Visible list.

  4. Enter a value or expression on the Expression Editor, and then click Validate to make sure that the validation result is True. For example, you can enter the EL expression in the #{securityContext.userInRole['<role-name>']} format.

  5. Click Save and Close.

Key Resources

Default Redwood Theme for Your Application

Enjoy the experience of working with a new theme, the Redwood theme, which gives your application a refreshing color palette and a distinct and modern look and feel. Redwood is a new approach to the functional and visual design of our applications. The Redwood look and feel is designed to be professional, human, global, and inviting. With Redwood, our home page is also evolving with new aesthetics and functionality, such as an integrated news feed. You might see changes in icons, colors, and shapes of some UI components, and some might look the same no matter which theme you use.

To see an example of Redwood, check out these screenshots of the home page, a landing page, and a transaction page.

The Redwood theme is available to you by default unless you’re using your own configured theme. If your theme name is “Default” right now, then you will get the Redwood theme automatically. If the Redwood theme isn't applied to your application by default, you can use the Appearance work area to apply it. If you want to modify the Redwood theme, all you need to do is change the logo, cover image, or both using the Themes page in the Appearance work area and save as a new theme.

Here’s how your Themes page looks now.

The Themes page showing the configuration settings for the default Redwood theme.

The Themes Page Showing the Configuration Settings for the Default Redwood Theme

Steps to Enable

You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.

Tips And Considerations

  • In Update 20C, the default user interface theme will change from Sky Blue to Redwood.
  • If you are currently using an unmodified version of the default Sky Blue theme, then in Update 20C your theme will automatically change to Redwood as the new default.
  • If instead, you are currently using a modified version of the Sky Blue theme, or if you are not using the Sky Blue theme at all, then your UI experience will not change, meaning you will not move to the Redwood theme.

Here’s how you can apply the Redwood theme.

  1. Activate a sandbox, and make sure it has the Appearance tool activated in it.
  2. Click Navigator > Configuration > Appearance.
  3. On the Actions menu of the Themes page, select Apply Default.

While configuring the logo for the Redwood theme using the Themes page, upload a monochrome logo that’s on a transparent background and is optimized for a dark background. A logo like this gives you minimal color blending, which improves readability and accessibility.

Key Resources

Create Automated Regression Tests

You can create automated regression tests against your staging pod by following the set of instructions for Oracle ADF - Runtime Automation Sample Library.

Using this tool you can make better use of the limited testing time before you use your production pod.

Steps to Enable

BI Cloud Connector

Inactive and Unavailable BI View Objects (BIVOs) and BIVO Columns for Exclusion from Extraction in BI Cloud Connector

Beginning with update 18B, there are BI View Objects and BI View Object columns that are unavailable or marked inactive in Oracle Applications Cloud. The unavailable and inactive objects and columns must be excluded from BICC extracts.

Steps to Enable

Refer to this link for a list of BIVOs and BIVO columns that are unavailable for extraction using BI Cloud Connector (BICC).

BI Cloud Connector Redesigned User Experience

The BI Cloud Connector pages are enhanced to streamline previewing, adding, and editing data stores in offerings.

  • Preview Data Stores
  • Add Data Stores
  • Edit Data Stores
  • Job Data Stores

Preview Data Stores

Change Description
  1.  

Query Filter defaults to “(none)” if there's no filter criteria.

  1.  

Extract property options are grouped.

  1.  

Editing data store details and selecting columns are available on separate pages.

  • Click Edit Data Store Details to edit data store attributes.
  • Click Select Columns to select columns for extraction.
  1.  

Scroll through offerings.

  1.  

When you select incremental or primary key columns, they are selected by default for extract.

  1.  

Number of columns selected for extract appear on the top-right corner of the table.

Add Data Store

Adding a data store is a two-step process.

  • Use Add Data Store to add data stores. The page validates the Data Store against the metadata repository and displays an error message if the Data Store isn't present.
  • After adding the data store, use the Select Columns option to add the columns to include in the extract.

Edit Data Store

Change

Description

  1.  

Test Data Store is renamed to Download Sample CSV File.

  1.  

Select offerings in Available Offerings and move them to Selected Offerings.

  1.  

Data store extract properties are grouped under Data Store Options.

Select Columns

Change

Description

  1.  

Data Store Key field shows the name of the view object. Test Data Store is renamed to Download Sample CSV File.

  1.  

The Retrieve PK option is now available in the Actions menu.

  1.  

The Search field  now auto-suggests the column names as you enter the keywords in it.

  1.  

The Filter drop-down list now includes options to filter results by Date Type Columns, Varchar Type Columns, Numeric Type Columns, Primary Key Columns, Incremental Columns, and Deprecated Columns.

  1.  

A new option Revert is added in the select dropdown list. Use it to undo the last performed Select All or Deselect All action.

Jobs Data Store

The Jobs Data Store page provides the same user experience as the Preview Data Store and Edit Data Store pages.

Change Description
  1.  

After adding a Data Store on the Job Details page, select the data store and navigate to Data Stores page to edit it. Then, select the columns for extraction.

  1.  

To download the sample CSV file, click the Actions icon and select the Download Sample CSV File option.

Advanced Configuration

To use the Advanced Extract Configuration option, click the Actions icon in the Data Stores table on the Job Details page.

On the Advanced Extract Configuration page,  use the Extract as String feature to extract data from numeric columns with large values and CLOB data type columns.

  • It’s recommended to use this feature to avoid rounding errors where numeric columns have values greater than 15 digits.
  • Use this feature to extract CLOB datatypes. It trims the CLOB data to the character string limits supported by VARCHAR datatype.

Steps to Enable

You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.

OTBI Metadata Independent Mode for Extraction

In Update 19C, Oracle introduced the new OTBI Metadata Independent Extract mode in BICC.  With this improved mode, data stores (BI view objects or BIVOs) can be extracted independently of metadata, thus making it easier to extract data from Oracle Fusion Applications. In addition, the new mode ensures that even if changes are made to BIVOs in the OTBI repository, current BICC data extracts will not be impacted.

In Update 20C, Oracle will update all BIVOs to the OTBI Metadata Independent extract mode.  Therefore, if you use BICC to extract data from Oracle Fusion Applications, you must transition to the new mode prior to Update 20C.

Steps to Enable

USE THE OTBI METADATA INDEPENDENT MODE

We strongly suggest you begin now to ensure a smooth transition.

Before Update 20C, you must configure your BICC extracts to use the new OTBI Metadata Independent mode. Perform the following steps:

  • Create a BICC extract job using the new Independent mode and compare the data files with files previously created using the Dependent mode
  • Test your downstream processes using the data files you created in the new Independent mode 
  • If there are no issues in the downstream process test with the new data files, then no further action is required
  • If there are differences, refer to the OTBI Metadata Independent Mode document below for next steps

Key Resources

Reporting and Analytics

BI Publisher Data Models No Longer Support Passing Dynamic SQL Parameters in Reference Cursors

BI Publisher data models no longer support dynamic SQL as a parameter value in a procedure call. This change doesn't affect existing BI Publisher data models that use explicit SQL statements in procedure calls or user-defined report filter parameters.

If you currently have custom BI Publisher reports that pass dynamic SQL statements in a BI Publisher data model in production, you must replace SQL procedures containing dynamic SQL query parameters with explicit SQL statements PRIOR to 20D.

Here's an example of a data model that passes a dynamic SQL statement as a Reference Cursor parameter:

DECLARE

type refcursor is REF CURSOR;

xdo_cursor  refcursor;

var varchar2(32000);

BEGIN

var := :query1;

OPEN :xdo_cursor FOR var;

END;

Steps to Enable

If you have custom BI Publisher reports prior to Update 20D you must:

Replace SQL procedures containing dynamic SQL query parameters with explicit SQL statements.

  • Review all custom BI Publisher data models that contain dynamic SQL procedure calls -- interface programs, and query, reporting, or extract tools (including those provided by third parties)  
  • Create a new data model for each dynamic SQL -or- modify an existing data model using conditional queries to execute multiple SQL statements 

If you only use delivered BI publisher reports no action is needed.

Tips And Considerations

BI Publisher data models continue to support standard SQL SELECT statements and non-standard SQL such as:

  • Database procedures
  • Cursor statements that return nested results sets
  • Reference cursor functions that don't use a parameter for a SELECT statement, table or column names
  • Conditional queries that execute multiple SQL queries in a single data set using an if-else expression

Specifically, BI Publisher data model does not support SQL statements with these keywords:  "DELETE", "INSERT", "UPDATE", "DROP", "EXECUTE", "ALTER" , "MERGE", "DBMS_SQL", "CREATE", "AUTONOMOUS_TRANSACTION", "PRAGMA", "WRITETEXT", "UPDATETEXT", "LOAD" ,"UNLOAD", "DATABASE" , "GRANT", "REVOKE", "TRUNCATE".

Key Resources

Applications Security

Location-Based Access for Scheduled Processes Work Area

Location-based access is available for the Scheduled Processes work area (Navigator > Tools > Scheduled Processes). You can control user access based on their computer IP addresses. That means if location-based access is enabled, users can use the Scheduled Processes work area only if their IP address is in the defined allowlist. Use the Administration page in the Security Console to set this up.

Location-based access based on roles doesn't apply to the Scheduled Processes work area. So let's say location-based access is set up and the Enable Role for Access from All IP Addresses option on the Edit Role page is selected, which makes a role public. Users still can't access the Scheduled Processes work area unless their IP address in the allowlist.

Limiting access based on IP address provides a level of security that may be helpful or mandatory, depending on your business or company requirements.

Steps to Enable

  1. Click Navigator > Tools > Security Console.
  2. On the Administration page, click the Location Based Access tab.
  3. Select Enable Location Based Access.
  4. In the IP Address Whitelist text box, enter one or more IP addresses separated by commas.
  5. Save your work.

Key Resources

Role Information

To set up location-based access, you need a role that gives you access to the Security Console, such as IT Security Manager (ORA_FND_IT_SECURITY_MANAGER_JOB).

IMPORTANT Actions and Considerations

REPLACED OR REMOVED FEATURES

From time to time, Oracle replaces existing Cloud service features with new features or removes existing features. When a feature is replaced the older version may be removed immediately or at a future time. As a best practice, you should use the newer version of a replaced feature as soon as the newer version is available.

Product

Removed Feature

Target Removal

Replacement Feature

Replaced In

Additional Information

BI Cloud Connector (BICC)

OTBI Metadata Dependent Mode

20C

OTBI Metadata Independent Mode for Extraction

19C

Click link in the Replacement Feature column to see more detail.

Reporting & Analytics

BI Publisher Data Models No Longer Support Passing Dynamic SQL Parameters in Reference Cursors 20D     Click link in the Removed Feature column to see more detail.

All

Oracle Fusion Applications Web User Interface Will NO Longer Support IE beginning in Update 20D

20D     Additional information can be found in the section below.

ORACLE FUSION APPLICATIONS WEB USER INTERFACE WILL NO LONGER SUPPORT IE BEGINNING IN UPDATE 20D

Since the release of the Edge browser in 2015, Microsoft has not enhanced Internet Explorer (IE) to support many modern web standards, nor has IE received major updates.  Because Oracle's goal is to leverage modern web standards to deliver an exceptional customer experience, we will be ending support for IE.  Specifically:

Oracle Fusion Applications Web User Interface Will NO Longer Support IE beginning in Update 20D

This communication is a follow-up to the browser support notice posted on the system requirements webpage for Oracle Fusion Applications.  The notice stated the previous IE desupport date was prior to Update 20D and Oracle would NO longer deliver IE-specific fixes.  This statement still holds, but even more importantly, beginning in Update 20D some new functionality will NOT work with IE.

Action Required

  • You MUST  transition to a modern, supported browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Apple Safari BEFORE Update 20D to use the Fusion Applications UI

Resources