Oracle EPM Cloud Update – June’21 (21.06)

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 June 5, 2021 (test environments) and on or after 2AM ET on Saturday, June 19, 2021 (production environments).

Customers 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: 

https://www.oracle.com/webfolder/technetwork/tutorials/tutorial/cloud/epm/wn/epm/releases/Jun21/21jun-epm-wn.htm

EPM Cloud Common

Removal of Some Migration Options

Oracle has removed some unused or rarely used options from the Import Options screen in Migration.

Deleted Import Options and their Default Replacement Values:

Embedding Content Using Direct Links

Oracle has increased their customization of EPM Cloud objects to ERP Cloud Source systems with Direct Links. Now, you can easily embed EPM Forms, Reports, Dashboards and Grids within the ERP Source Systems to create a more unified interface across platforms.

How-To Video link here:

https://apexapps.oracle.com/pls/apex/f?p=44785:265:0:::265:P265_CONTENT_ID:29877

New EPM Integration Agent Diagnostic Mode

The EPM Integration Agent now enables you to run a set of validations against the parameters in the agent startup file.

In diagnostic mode, the agent is not registered to the EPM Cloud but runs these validations:

• SSL certificates
• Agent connectivity to the Internet. Includes making a test call to the oracle.com from the agent.
• Agent connectivity to the EPM Cloud URL within the agent.
• Proxy type (basic, digest, or NTML) when proxy is enabled in the customers environment.
• Double quotes are used in Linux/Mac OS startup parameter file entries. Double quotes enable the shell to interpret dollar sign ($), backtick(`), backslash(\) and exclamation mark(!)
• Password is encrypted in the agent parameter file.
• Checks any whitespaces before or after parameters. If whitespaces are encountered, the system trims them and updates the startup parameter file.

Importing Data From Files in the EPM Integration Inbox

Customers can now import data from a file in a local EPM Integration Agent inbox folder and then have the agent upload and process the file.

This feature requires that a customer create an inbox in the EPM Integration Agent Data folder and then stage the file. Additionally, the customer must specify the location of the inbox in the startup parameters file and then update the integration definition in Data Integration.

Business Benefit: Prior to this update, a customer had to use an EPM Automate command to import data from a file to the EPM Integration Agent.

New Integration Agent File Adapter

In this update, Data Integration supports the direct load of a file-based data source using the EPM Integration Agent.

With this feature, customers can now create a new data source adapter for an on-premises file. The agent file adapter does not include any connection or query parameters. The only required parameter is the name of the file. A delimited file with a header record is required for the load.

Other Important Notices

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.