Oracle EPM Cloud Update – July’21 (21.07)

Posted by: PARC’s Oracle EPM Team

Each month PARC analyzes Oracle’s EPM Cloud updates with an eye toward our customers’ ability to take full advantage of them. The monthly updates include things like bug fixes, modest changes, and even powerful new functionality. This update is part of PARC’s service to its valued customers and is centered around changes to the products and technologies most impacted in their implementations.

The below changes are scheduled to take place during the first nightly maintenance period after 2AM ET on Saturday July 3, 2021 (test environments) and on or after 2AM ET on Saturday, July 17, 2021 (production environments).

Customers needing more information or with questions about any of the changes summarized below should contact us. Oracle’s web page for the full contents of the update can be found here: 

Oracle EPM Cloud Update – July’21

EPM Cloud Common

New Version of EPM Automate

A new version of EPM Automate is now available. This version introduces the createNRSnapshot, deployEJTemplates, exportEJJournals, and setEJJournalStatus commands. Additionally, the exportAppAudit command has been modified.

Updates to the Clone Environment Feature

This update removes the constraint that the cloning source and target environments must be on the same EPM Cloud monthly update. This will allow cloning from a production environment to a test environment during the monthly update cycle when the test environment has been updated and production has not.

New Version of Oracle Smart View For Office

Oracle Smart View for Office version 21.100 is now available.

The following new features are included:

• Flex Form Enhancements
• Member Selection Support on Flex Forms
• Preserve POV or User Variable Changes on Refresh
• New VBA Functions: HypSetUserVariable, HypListUserVariables, HypOpenFlexForm
• New Smart View Function, HsGetSharedConnectionURL
• URL Connection Support in Smart View Functions
• New Options for Filtering Business Rules
• Improved Duplicate Alias Handling in Row Drop-down Member Selector
• New Default Behavior for Opening Saved Ad Hoc Grids
• Microsoft Office WebView2 Support

Enhanced Ad Hoc Operations Available in EPM Cloud Standard Mode Applications

In a Standard mode application, the Smart View Ad Hoc Behavior option is set to Standard. Service Administrators set this option in the Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud application.

Once connected to a Standard mode application, Smart View users can access these ad hoc features:

• Additional Zoom In Options (Sibling-Level, Same-Level, Same Generation) 
• Multiple-cell Select for Ad Hoc Operations (Zoom In, Zoom Out, Keep Only, and Remove Only)

Member Selection Support on Flex Forms in Smart View

You can now select row members to add to a flex form using the Member Selection dialog box, available from the provider ribbon, for example, from the Planning ribbon.

Preserve POV or User Variable Changes upon Refresh in Smart View Flex Forms

A new member option in Oracle Smart View for Office allows you to retain modified members on a flex form after changing the POV or any user variables and then refreshing. In previous releases, a change to the POV or any user variable removed any modified members on the flex form upon refresh.

Other Important Notices

Restrictions to Copy Version Functionality

Based on feedback from several customers due to its inherent data corruption risks, we plan to restrict the ‘Copy Version’ functionality in EPM Cloud platform (Planning, Financial Consolidation and Close, Tax Reporting) to be exposed only to administrators. Starting in September 2021, ‘Copy Version’ functionality will not be available to Power Users and Users.

Upcoming Change to Smart View Ad hoc Behavior

Starting with the August (21.08) update, all new and recreated applications will default to “Standard” mode instead of “Native” mode for the Smart View Ad Hoc Behavior.

For existing applications and migrated applications, “Native” will remain as the default Smart View Ad Hoc Behavior, with “Standard” being an option.

Please note that “Native” mode in Smart View Ad Hoc Behavior will eventually be phased out. We recommend that all customers switch their applications to “Standard” mode ad hoc behavior soon.

Smart View Add-on Installation for Task Manager and Supplemental Data Manager

In an upcoming release, the installation of Smart View add-ons for Task Manager and Supplemental Data Manager will change. At that time, users of the Smart View add-ons will need to uninstall and re-install their add-ons to take advantage of the latest features and fixes.