The Next 2 Years...What Should I Do Now With My Oracle Forms Systems - DOAG 2014

Mia Urman@miaurman

[email protected]

The Next 2 Years …What Should I Do Now With My Oracle Forms Systems

Mia [email protected]

• Oracle Development Geek for 15 years.

• 6 years at Oracle as a senior support analyst and local product

manager of Forms and ADF.

• CEO and Founder of AuraPlayer - Addressing Oracle Forms

modernization challenges encountered at blue chip customers

• Board member of ODTUG, Leader of the ilOUG Oracle

Developer Group and presenter of Oracle tools at international

conferences OOW, Kscope, UKOUG …

• Joined Oracle in 1999, spent over 13 years in various Oracle Forms roles

• Former Forms Global Technical Lead (GTL) for Oracle Support

• Product Manager in Oracle’s Application Development Tools Division

• Works with development teams at Oracle to bring the latest innovations to

Forms

About You

What is your current Oracle Forms / Oracle EBS Version ?

Are you interested in mobility , Webservices or both?

Have you begun to think about future strategy?

Do you have ADF / APEX developers in house?

Have you begun to think about migration?

Customer Pain PointsWhere are we now?

Systems were developed years ago: Look antiquated, lack functionality

Businesses processes, trapped in Oracle Forms

Migration to a new technology challenging, risky and costly, not always

possible

No documentation and original developers are no longer available

Oracle Forms does not support mobile devices

Customers lack clear vision from Oracle how to move forward

Where Are We Going?

4 Step Plan To Future

Step 1

Upgrade

• Upgrade to 11g & UI Modernization• Weblogic Suite / Modernize / SSO

Step 2

Mobility

• Mobilize Existing Use Cases• Mobile Framework / SOA Suite / Security / Cloud

Step 3

Hybrid

• Hybrid Development• Oracle ADF / J2EE / APEX

Step 4

Migrate

• Phased Migration to New Technologies … Maybe

Our Game Plan:

Oracle Forms

9i/10g

IAS

Forms 11g

Weblogic Server

Forms

3.0Oracle Forms

4.0 – 6i

Client ServerAuraPlayer

Oracle Forms EvolutionThe world moves on…

2005 2009 2011 20152013 201420122010 2016 . . .

Forms & Reports 10gR2 [Jan 2005 – Dec 2011]

Forms & Reports 11gR1 [Jun 2009 – Jun 2014]

Forms & Reports 11gR2 [Oct 2011 – Oct 2016]

Forms & Reports 12c [ TBD ]

This roadmap represents the time between General Availability and the end of Premier Support.

documentation for the latest dates.Oracle Lifetime Support PolicyRefer to the

Road Map

Our Game Plan:

Clean UpDon’t Migrate / Upgrade What’s Not in Use

Are any modules obsolete?

Review usage of the system

What forms are now obsolete? What reports are not run? Do we

use PLLs?

Remove dead code

Delete multiple copies of same sources

Merge forms that perform similar tasks

Systems replaced by packaged apps?

Can use 3rd party tools for assistance

Our Game Plan:

Why Upgrade Your Forms?

• Ensure support (C/S de-supported 2004/10g Dec. 2011)

• Certification – New browsers, O/S, Java versions

• New features - SOA, REUI, JavaScript

• Strategic Middleware - Runs on WebLogic

• Upgrade is Seamless from 10g to 11g

• Platform for integration

• Ensure the highest level of security

Oracle Forms

9i/10g

IAS

Forms 11g

Weblogic

Server

Forms 3.0

Oracle Forms

4.0 – 6i

Client Server

Upgrade RoadMap

Suggested Work Plan

• Backup ALL related files !!

• Pilot Upgrade of application (50-100 forms)

• Clean up environment – unused, dead code

• Check forms for C/S or OS Specific features

• Get an estimate of the work, time, cost

• Freeze C/S - all new developments should be web

• Modernize Look and Feel of the application

• Do full upgrade in modules / Phases

• Testing should be with each module!

• Do Production Pilot (Phased rollout)

Our Game Plan:

Forms Look and Feel Modernization

• Toolbar and navigation

• Look and Feel Project

• Color / Font / Size

• Prompts / Titles

• Images

• Frames

• OLB, templates for visual standards

Yes - Java in Forms!

Java Beans

– Java Bean Area - layout object on canvas

– Use custom trigger to get and set properties

PJC – Portable Java Component

– Change default behavior/properties of objects

Java Classes – Run Webservices

– Run Java code in forms triggers

– Java importer – PLSQL java wrapper

JavaScript

– Interact with objects in the browser page - Maps

Java Beans & PJCs

Java ImporterImporting Java Classes into Forms

WebservicesCall External Services From Forms

package CurrencyConverter

/* currconv3.mypackage.CurrConv3Stub */ IS

function new

return ora_java.jobject;

function

getrate( obj ora_java.jobject,

a0 varchar2, a1 varchar2)

return ora_java.jobject;

end;

Run external Webservices from within Oracle Forms triggers

• Create a Web Service

proxy in Jdeveloper

• Call the WS client from the Forms

application using the Java Importer

JavaScript IntegrationTwo way client Side communication

JavaScript in Forms

Oracle Forms EventsHighly Available Asynchronous Communication

Messages are pushed to Forms from DB msg queue

› New event object in forms builder attached to queue

› WHEN-EVENT-RAISED trigger

Code that should be initiated when a message is received in the subscribed queue

Use DBMS_AQ package from within Forms triggers

› DBMS_AQ.ENQUEUE( queue, enqopt, msgprop, payload, enq_msgid);

Oracle Forms Events Highly Available Asynchronous Communication

Using Events in Forms

Our Game Plan:

Hybrid Options

• Living Side By Side Forms running alongside new technologies

• Visual IntegrationCreate a common UI –Forms & ADF/APEX/Java

• Process / Service Integration

Run common business logic DB/Events

• InnovationRun Forms business process from new environments - AuraPlayer

OracleForms

ADFOther

Open Source

APEX

Forms & External Apps Living In Harmony

Form System External System

Security / Management

Web.show_document

Common Bus LogicAQ Messages

web.javascript_eval_expr

What is Visual Integration?Portal \ Unified Desktop \ Dashboards

Concept

• Integrating Oracle Forms and Other Technologies Into a single user experience

• One point of access - SSO

• Customized based on users business needs

Implementation• iFrames

• Javascipt

• guiMode – Remove menus

• OraFormsFaces

Process / Service IntegrationShare Forms Business Logic – SOA / BPM

Concept

• Reuse the business logic locked inside your Forms –

Separate GUI from business logic

Implementation• Decoupling – Remove and Centralize bus logic to DB – 3rd party tools

• Events – Use AQ events for messaging

• JavaScript

Our Game Plan:

How Do We Get Forms Users Here?

Understand Your Business Needs

Observe real end users doing real work: Can we make them more productive?

Watch surrounding and environmental challenges: Can we improve employees user experience.

Are users missing data to do their jobs?

Enhance data gathering: cameras, SMS, social media, personal , location, voice

Types of Users – Occasional, Internal/external

Analyze Your Mobile Needs

Mobile Requirements• What OS: iOS / Android / Windows / BYOD?

• Type of Applications – Browser Based / Hybrid

• Device type, Screen size

• New Hardware / Software needed?

• New development tools and environments

• Mobile developers

Challenges to Consider

• Slower network – Disconnects - Offline / Connected

• No mouse, Function keys - Gestures

• Smaller screen / Less screens

• Difficult to touch small elements - Harder to type

• Mobile Infrastructure – Security, Load

Create a Service Layer

Oracle Forms & AuraPlayerThe gateway to Next Generation Technologies

Any UI Mobile CloudWebServices Service Bus / SOA

The Process : Oracle Forms to Mobile/Cloud

1. Enable the Oracle Forms process

2. Create a Webservice (AuraPlayer Wizard / Redevelopment)

3. Connect WS to Oracle Mobile Cloud or SOA Suite or Weblogic

4. Create new UI in MAF or APEX

Migration

Innovation By Migration

Things to Consider

• This is a PROJECT. No silver bullet

• Need a business reason to redevelop

• Need thorough understanding of the Forms application

• No tool can re-write your business logic

• Need deep knowledge of the new technologies

• UI implications – HTML vs Applet

• Investigate 3rd party tools for migration assistance

Benefits of Migration• No Oracle Forms maintenance/licenses• Fully portable system• No applet, full HTML client• Larger pool of Java developers

Migration Statistics

How long did it take for total redevelopment?

– Average of 2-5 years depending on number of Forms and new development language

What was your biggest challenge during redevelopment?

– Lack of knowledge about the original Oracle Forms system, huge QA initiative

– Lack of knowledge in the new technology stack

– Hard to train employees requires new implementation partners on new technologies

How long did it take to train the Forms staff to the new technology?

– 1 year for experienced developer to understand the ADF stack and experts in the new technology

– Hard to find ADF experts easier to find Java developers.

– Hard to find Forms experts

Moving Forward Considerations For Modernization Projects

• Asses Your Requirements• What systems do we need to integrate with? UI requirements?

• What platforms do we need to deploy to?

• Understand Your Existing System• Where does the business logic sit today?

• What functionality is duplicated in other systems?

• Do we have documentation? Developer resources?

• Define Modernization Goals• Timeline and Budget

• Decide on Implementation Method• Integrate, Migrate, 3rd party solution

Summary

• Clean up Forms environment – unused, dead code

• Upgrade to Latest version – Forms 11gR2

• Modernize Look and Feel - Incorporate Java elements

• Chose right tool for the job

• Refactor code to the DB

• Systems on common infrastructure Weblogic – SSO

• Slowly evolve teams and systems

• Start thinking about system INNOVATION – ADF Mobile

• Use AuraPlayer to move systems to the next generation platforms / environments

without migration

Questions?

Oracle FormsStay in touch with the family

• Oracle Forms on the Oracle Technology Network

• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/forms

• Oracle Technology Network Forms Forum• https://community.oracle.com/community/development_tools/forms

• Oracle Communities (My-Oracle-Support)• https://community.oracle.com/community/support/middleware/oracle_forms

• Follow us on Twitter

@OracleFormsPM

More Information

Mia Urman (Me ) [email protected]

@miaurman

Forms Community Blogwww.oracleformsinfo.com

AuraPlayerwww.AuraPlayer.com

PJC Master sitehttp://forms.pjc.bean.over-blog.com/

Forms Look and Feel Projecthttp://fdtool.free.fr/LAF/doc/Oracle_Forms_Look_and_Feel_project.htm

Demos

• Demo: JavaScript in oracle Forms

• Demo: Oracle Look and Feel Project

• Demo: Oracle Forms on iPad

• Demo: Oracle Forms running from ADF