Friday, July 24, 2015

How to Publish User Productivity Kit (UPK) Contents via IIS

Author:-Sanjay Purohit
Objective
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to publish recorded using Player Package publishing format via IIS

how To                                              
Steps to publish UPK recorded contents:-
·         Select the recorded Module/Selection/Topic.
·         Go to File->Publish
·         Provide the location where you want to store the recording.
·         Select the option whether you want to publish entire outline or selection only.
·         Select appropriate option from publish content wizard.
·         The publishing in progress and you should see the progress.
·         Open IIS
·         Right click on the web site being used (Default Web Site) and select Add Virtual Directory
·         Under Alias, give the virtual directory a name (preferably one word only) and for the Physical Path, navigate to the location of your Player Package folder which you moved to the server
·         Test its access by right-clicking the virtual directory you created and selecting the bottom most option (Switch to Content View)
·         Right click on the Index.html file and select browse


Select the recorded Module/Selection/Topic. 


  Provide the location where you want to store the recording.

 Select the option whether you want to publish entire outline or selection only. 

 Select appropriate option from publish content wizard.

  Publishing progress can be seen here

Go to IIS and right click on the web site being used (Default Web Site) and select Add Virtual Directory

  Under Alias, give the virtual directory a name (preferably one word only) and for the Physical
Path, navigate to the location of your Player Package folder which you moved to the server 
Test its access by right-clicking the virtual directory you created and selecting the bottom most option (Switch to Content View)
 Right click on the Index.html file and select browse



  URL is ready to view online. :- http://samplerecording.com/BudgetUsers/index.html

Important Notes to consider:-Make sure ASP.NET, Basic Authentication  and Windows Authentication are installed in your server. Also ensure the player package folder has the following security
USERS group
NETWORK_SERVICES group
·         I had some issue with security therefore I had to share the folder with everybody


Related URL




UPK: How To Access UPK Published Content from the Intranet? (Doc ID 1904674.1)



Setting up Oracle User Productivity Kit (UPK) Client in Users Machine

Oracle User Productivity Kit (UPK) is a comprehensive content development and maintenance tools. With Oracle UPK, project teams can mitigate risk through all phases of any project lifecycle, dramatically reduce the time to deployment, and ensure end user adoption. Rapidly producing materials tailored for all phases of the software lifecycle - from test scripts, system process documents, and interactive simulations, to job aids, instructor manuals, presentations, and in-application performance support, Oracle User Productivity Kit can reduce overall software implementation and maintenance costs” S- (Oracle)

Objective
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to setup the UPK client in local machine before recording

how To                                              

Start UPK client by clicking “UPK Developer Client” and you will be redirected to below given screen and will be asked to setup a profile.

The next screen will be require you to enter the Library Location. Please make sure you are connecting with server installation. UPK requires IIS to be deployed in order to communicate with client machine. The URL should looks like

Click Next (please make sure you are connect to network or using VPN).  The client will try to connect to UPK server via IIS
After connecting to server you will be asked to enter the connection details. Please ask your UPK admin to provide you the login details and enter the login name/password
 After entering the server details you will be asked to select profile name. I am selecting default profile name


That’s all. The UPK is set and you are good to go… Start Recording…………………….

  

Related blogs and URLs

UPK Single user installation.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKmZi_7bFHM


Additional Oracle KM
UPK: "The server was unable to process the request due to an internal error" and 'ORA-28001: the password has expired' When Creating a Profile in UPK 12.1 (Doc ID 2008691.1)

UPK: UPK Client Error "Server Unable to Process Request Internal Error" (Doc ID 1967207.


Setting up Oracle User Productivity Kit (UPK) Client in Users Machine

Oracle User Productivity Kit (UPK) is a comprehensive content development and maintenance tools. With Oracle UPK, project teams can mitigate risk through all phases of any project lifecycle, dramatically reduce the time to deployment, and ensure end user adoption. Rapidly producing materials tailored for all phases of the software lifecycle - from test scripts, system process documents, and interactive simulations, to job aids, instructor manuals, presentations, and in-application performance support, Oracle User Productivity Kit can reduce overall software implementation and maintenance costs” S- (Oracle)

Objective
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to setup the UPK client in local machine before recording

how To                                              

Start UPK client by clicking “UPK Developer Client” and you will be redirected to below given screen and will be asked to setup a profile.

The next screen will be require you to enter the Library Location. Please make sure you are connecting with server installation. UPK requires IIS to be deployed in order to communicate with client machine. The URL should looks like

Click Next (please make sure you are connect to network or using VPN).  The client will try to connect to UPK server via IIS
After connecting to server you will be asked to enter the connection details. Please ask your UPK admin to provide you the login details and enter the login name/password
 After entering the server details you will be asked to select profile name. I am selecting default profile name


That’s all. The UPK is set and you are good to go… Start Recording…………………….

  

Related blogs and URLs

UPK Single user installation.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKmZi_7bFHM


Additional Oracle KM
UPK: "The server was unable to process the request due to an internal error" and 'ORA-28001: the password has expired' When Creating a Profile in UPK 12.1 (Doc ID 2008691.1)

UPK: UPK Client Error "Server Unable to Process Request Internal Error" (Doc ID 1967207.


Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Deleting a dimension from Hyperion Planning application (11.1.2.3)


I have seen few posting online regarding how to delete a dimension from classic planning application. Most of them were tested in system 9. The table structure has changed from 9 to 11 so I tried in 11.1.2.3.500 with “Decision Package Enabled Public Sector Planning and Budgeting Application”. Most of old steps hold true in 11.1.2.3 also. Here are the steps to delete dimension from Planning Application. This steps also applies to pre-build module like Public Sector Planning and Financial Planning application.


1.      Delete all members of the dimension you want to remove (if there are any) 
2.      If security is enabled at dimension level, uncheck that option in the dimension properties 
3.      Refresh the Planning application to Essbase 
4.      Stop the Planning web services.
5.      Edit the relational database for the Planning application concerned 
6.      Find dimension to be removed in the HSP_OBJECT table by running a SQL query: 
SELECT * FROM HSP_OBJECT WHERE (OBJECT_NAME = 'NameOf TheDimension'); 

Write down the OBJECT_ID number of the dimension. Once you find the object make the note of object it. You will need this ID to find in other tables.  (Do not delete the record in the HSP_OBJECT table at this time)
7.      Delete the record with the dimension’s OBJECT_ID in the HSP_UNIQUE_NAMES table 
Make sure this record has been removed from the table. 

Then delete the row matching the dimension’s OBJECT_ID in the following tables, if it is present: 

HSP_MEMBER (MEMBER_ID and DIM_ID should both match the OJBECT_ID) 

HSP_MRU_MEMBERS (DIM_ID should match; this table is present in System 9 only) 

HSP_DIMENSION (DIM_ID should match) 

HSP_OBJECT (delete the row you retrieved earlier when checking the OBJECT_ID) 

HSP_PENDING_XACTS (usually empty, but should be checked) 
8.      Restart Planning service 
9.      Do a Refresh of the Planning application to Essbase 
10.  Clear the browser cookies and log into planning application. The dimension should disappeared.. 
11.  Do another refresh of the Planning application to confirm no errors occur 




Additional reading
How Can We Delete Dimensions In Planning Once The Application Has Been Deployed From EPMA? [ID 1055007.1]


How to delete dimension from Planning Application

Delete Dimension from Planning Application


Note:- Please make sure you have backup  of your environment before to perform above mentioned steps. These steps can be used as a guideline. Author does not hold any responsibility for any damage. 


Monday, May 25, 2015

New Tuning Guide for Financial Data Quality Management (FDMEE)

New Tuning Guide for Financial Data Quality Management (FDMEE)
Oracle EPM/BI Customer Engineering & Advocacy Lab team had released an EPM tuning guide around an year ago. This guide includes most of the EPM components tuning but does not include Oracle Finance Data Quality Management (FDMEE) tuning. Recently Oracle has released FDMEE tuning. The guide includes:-

 Monitoring Tools
                Windows Performance Monitor
Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control
Tuning Parameters
VM Heap Registry Settings
                Changing the Default JVM Heap Registry Entries
WebLogic Data Sources
Changing the default number of data sources
Batch Size
                Changing the Default Batch Size
 Oracle Data Integrator (ODI)
Database Indexes
Determining length of a process from the Process ID logs
SQL Deadlocks
Load Balancing Error! Bookmark not defined
           Checklist for a tuning check-up


The FDMEE tuning guide can be located here:-


The EPM tuning guide can be located here:-




Sunday, May 24, 2015

Hyperion Public Sector Planning and Budgeting Basics


Oracle Hyperion Public Sector Planning and Budgeting, is an integrated budgeting and planning solution suite that enables public sector and higher-education organizations to manage existing and projected budgets using current and previous General Ledger and Human Resource Management (HRMS) data.  Oracle PSPB requires deep understanding of Human Resource Management System (HRMS) and very few people understand the concept of HRMS. I often receive phone calls from our customer asking HR related questions and I always refer them to PSPB user’s guide and other HRMS books. I have tried to put most the PSPB related definitions on this article.

Positions in Oracle HRMS

Definition
Positions are used to define employee roles within Oracle Human Resources. Like Jobs a Position is an optional component of the Employee Assignment. However, unlike Jobs, a Position is defined within a single Organization and belongs to it. In other words, a position is a specific occurrence of one job, fixed within one organization.  Positions are independent of the employees who are assigned to those positions. You can record and report on information, which is directly related, to a specific position rather than to the employee.
For example, the position 'HR Manager' would be an instance of the role of 'Manager' in the 'HR' organization.  The position belongs to the organization. There is also a position of ‘HR Manager’ but this position is owned by the ‘Marketing’ organization.  Since the organization is different, this is another position.  There may be one, many, or no holders (incumbents) of a position at any time.
The position-based Organization is typically a highly structured environment in which all aspects of work and payment are well organized and regulated.  Common examples of this type of enterprise are found in government, education and other public sector industries.  A key feature of this type of enterprise is the concern with managing positions, or posts. Positions exist, and are managed independently of people in the position.  When a person is assigned to the position, that individual assumes the attributes that have been defined at the position level.  With this in mind, a singular position must be created for each unique combination of attributes for a position.
Positions are normally used in role-based enterprise structures where clearly defined rules largely determine the way employees work, and the compensation and benefits they receive.
A position will need to be defined for every unique combination of:
·         Job
·         Organization
·         Reporting To Position Hierarchy
·         Valid Grades (Valid Grades to which incumbents are assigned)
·         Position Requirements (Required qualifications or valid experience)
·         ·Position Evaluation (Evaluation information and overall evaluation score for the Position)
·         Position Key Flex Field (Name Field components, such as Position Title, Position ID or other client defined keys)
·         Position Successor
·         Probation Periods (To define the length of the Probation Period for incumbents holding this position)
Implementation Considerations for Positions
Position Hierarchies: Position hierarchies identify the reporting structure between one position and another position, versus a person reporting to another person.   This allows incumbents to move in and out of positions, leaving the reporting relationships intact, since the reporting relationship is not bound by the person assigned to the position.  Position hierarchies are needed if the client wants to control access to the system based on positions.  For example, if the client wants to ensure that the Manager of the organization can only view information about an employee based on reporting relationship, positions must be implemented. 
For Integration with other Modules: For Oracle Financials, positions are also needed to control levels of authorities.
Oracle Purchasing uses Jobs and Positions in the Document Approval process. Approval rules can be assigned to either Jobs or Positions by Document Type. If Positions are used, Position Hierarchies can be created for controlling the routing of documents through the approval process. Either the Employee- Supervisor method of forwarding documents (tied to Jobs) or Position Hierarchies (tied to positions) can be used. The Position needs to be assigned to an Organization and Job. Oracle Project Accounting allows users to budget and bill based on jobs, and to include job titles on invoices.

      Advantages:
Position definition with no override attributes, ensures derivation from the position.  It is more accurate because the definition focuses on the position and is not affected by the employee in the position
Deriving information from the position greatly decreases the data entry at the employee level.  Position attributes change less often than employee movement.  When the position attributes change, the system automatically updates incumbent records with the new value.  For clients who implement a many-to-one position relationship, this is highly valued as a single update to the position’s attributes will update each incumbent’s employee record

Defining Positions
Position Details Tab:
Pooled:  This approach is very good for organizations where groups of people are doing the same work (many employees assigned to one position), have the same reporting relationship (predominate in manufacturing and transportation industries).  This approach allows multiple people to occupy a single position that has the same attributes and reporting relationship.

Shared: This approach supports the ability to assign employees to several part-time positions.  This approach is becoming more common.  In some companies, an employee works part-time (20 hours) in one department and then part-time (20 hours) in another department.  In essence the company divides the employee and distributes the cost across the two departments.  The company benefits from only having to pay benefits to one person.

Shared Positions (Another Definition from Oracle)
Several incumbent employees can be assigned to a shared position, up to the value of the FTE defined. With shared positions, Public Sector Planning and Budgeting ensures that the total number of FTEs is the same as the number of assigned employees filling the position, plus the position vacancies. For example, if a position has an FTE of six to which four employees (each with an FTE of one) are assigned, the remaining headcount of two is a vacant expense. Assume that a Night Security Guard position has an FTE of two, a loaded headcount of four, and to which four part-time employees (each having an FTE of 0.5) will be assigned. If you assign one of the Night Security Guards an FTE of one (full time), three FTE or headcount remain. If a shared position is partially filled, average or default position-level salary, benefit, and allocation information derives the expense estimates of the filled and vacant portions of the position.

Pooled Positions (Another Definition from Oracle)
Because a potentially changing number of employees can be assigned to a pooled position, pooled positions can have multiple employee assignments. If an FTE value is unspecified for a pooled position, expenses are not calculated. Loaded pooled positions usually do not have FTEs. For these positions, budget expenses are calculated for assigned employees, and vacant expenses do not exist. FTE is usually not defined for pooled positions. However, to budget for a new pooled position without knowing how many employees will be assigned, assign a position FTE; budget expenses are computed based on this FTE. Typically, pooled positions are not used to calculate vacancy compensation, although you can define FTE without having first specified employee assignments


Single Incumbent: This approach is usually used for positions, which are managerial or at least static.  This approach is usually needed for those positions, which will have spending authority levels, and defined succession planning.  This approach assumes on position per person


Hiring Information:-
FTE: - (Full Time Equivalent): Number of FTE for the Position.
Headcount: - Proposed Number of employees for the Position.
Bargaining Unit: - This is usually the legally recognized collective negotiating organization. This is taken from the Look up 'BARGAINING_UNIT_CODE'
Earliest Start Date: - The Date after which people can be inducted into the Position.
Fill By date: - Cutoff date for filling the Position.
Permit Recruiting: - This is just for information Purpose to check if employees can be recruited for this Position and doesn’t impose any validation.

  Proposed Entry Salary:-
Payroll: - Payroll for Employees Holding this Position.
Salary Basis: - Salary Basis for Employees Holding this Position.
Grade: - Select the entry grade, which can be used to determine the entry salary. If valid Grades are defined, this should be one of the valid Grades for the Position. If the position is paid from a pay scale, select the grade step and scale rate that represent the entry-level salary for this position.  
Probation: - Probation Period of this Position,
Overlap: - Length of time a new incumbent can overlap with a leaving incumbent for transfer of skills.
Proposed Layoff: - Enter the Details of Layoff if needed.


Work Terms:-
Working Hours: Enter the Working Hours and the Frequency.
Normal Time: Start and end time of work.
Supervisor:  Person who supervises the Position.
Replacement Required: Check this if a Person Should get a Note to enter the Replacement person while entering absence information.
Works Council Approval: This is for European Countries. Select the Works Council Approval check box if the position falls under the jurisdiction of a Works
Related Position:  Specify the position of the person managing the Position. We use this when a Position is Managed by the Holder of a particular Position rather than a person.
Relief: Specify the alternate Position to cover this position when the holder of the Position is absent. I.e. The alternate Position employee will cover this Position when the Holder is absent.
                Successor: This is the Position from which a successor will move to this position when this position is vacant

Additional details:-
Enter comments, a posting description for recruitment purposes, and any special confidentiality or security requirements, such as a clearance level.

Budget:-
In the Budget Detail region, the application displays the measurement units the budget is tracking. You can enter total allocations for each measurement unit in the Allocated fields.
In the Periods region, you can also enter date ranges in the Start Date and End Date fields to identify budget periods you defined in your budget version. Here you can enter allocations at the period level.




Source:-
Position in Oracle HRMS: What Are They and How Are They Used? (Doc ID 434046.1)