Oracle Applications Cloud Environment Refresh Service Entitlement Definition Oracle Fusion Applications
MARCH 2016
Contents
Contents Overview ...................................................................................................................... 3 Why Refresh Your Nonproduction Environments? ....................................................... 3 About the Environment Refresh Service ...................................................................... 4 Fulfillment Considerations ............................................................................................ 5 How to Request an Environment Refresh .................................................................... 9 How to Validate Service Fulfillment ............................................................................ 12 Frequently Asked Questions ...................................................................................... 13 Related Information on My Oracle Support ................................................................ 13 Appendix A: What Gets Copied During Environment Refresh ................................... 14
Overview An environment refresh migrates data from a source environment, usually production, to a target environment, usually nonproduction, making a copy of the source environment. Environment refreshes ensure a predictable experience during testing activities by providing a comparable nonproduction environment for testing and validation, before applying changes to your production environment. There are two refresh services available:
Production-to-Test (P2T): Refresh from a production (source) environment to a nonproduction (target) environment. Test-to-Test (T2T): For those customers with multiple nonproduction environments, refresh from one nonproduction environment to another.
Environment refreshes don’t support migrating data from a nonproduction environment to a designated production environment. This document describes how to prepare for and request your environment refresh. Appendix A lists what does and does not get copied during an environment refresh. Important! Do not request this service if you are using the delivered integration between Fusion and Taleo Recruiting. Instead, request an environment refresh using the Taleo Zone Refresh with Fusion HCM Environment Refresh service. See more details in the Cloud Service Requests and Fulfillment for Oracle HCM Cloud Service article, available on My Oracle Support (Doc ID 2004494.1)
Why Refresh Your Nonproduction Environments? Environment refreshes address several business objectives during your implementation lifecycle and ongoing use of the Oracle Applications Cloud Service. They provide a one-to-one, or a copy of an environment, to support the following scenarios:
Update your nonproduction environment with your real production data to support ongoing extension and configuration changes, testing, and maintenance work. Refresh your nonproduction environment to reflect your production environment before applying an upgrade to your nonproduction environment so you can test before cutting over to the new release in your production environment. Refresh a nonproduction environment whenever you need to reestablish a new baseline for such purposes as initiating a new project and replacing test data that is no longer useable. If you have multiple nonproduction environments, copy content from one nonproduction environment used for development purposes to another used for testing.
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About the Environment Refresh Service Request an environment refresh using either the online self-service scheduling feature or the Service Request (SR) user interface in My Oracle Support (MOS). If you need to request a coordinated FusionTaleo refresh, or require data masking as part of your refresh request, log a Service Request (SR). Without Data Masking Service (Release 9 and Above) Cloud Service Type
ERP, SCM, HCM, and Sales
Typical Frequency
Based on business need
Fulfillment Method
Self-service Scheduling Tool or the MOS SR User Interface
When to Submit SR
Submit your SR 3-12 weeks before the date you need changes applied. Submitting an SR before or after this submittal window will result in your environment refresh request being canceled and rescheduled.
Maximum Downtime for Target Nonproduction Environment
48 hours
With Data Masking Service (Release 10 and Above) Be sure you understand limitations with using masked data before you request the data masking service. Do not request the data masking service if:
You have not subscribed to the data masking service.
You want to replicate the same results as when using real, unmasked data.
Your test purpose is to verify interfaces to downstream systems that require real data that is not modified.
Cloud Service Type
HCM Only
Typical Frequency
Based on business need
Fulfillment Method
Scenario 1: You want the environment refresh and data masking service to occur as a combined activity. In this scenario, complete a single SR for both. Data migrated to a test environment using an environment refresh is masked as part of the environment refresh fulfillment process.
Scenario 2: You need to add or change data after it is migrated using an environment refresh, but before data masking is applied. With this scenario, you must submit two SRs: one to request the environment refresh service and one to request the data masking standalone service. If you need only data masking without an environment refresh, refer to Oracle Applications Cloud - Data Masking Standalone Service Entitlement on My Oracle Support(Doc ID 2092389.1.)
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When to Submit SR Maximum Downtime for Target Nonproduction Environment
Submit your SR 3-12 weeks before the date you need your environment refresh. Submitting an SR before or after this submittal window will result in your environment refresh request being canceled and rescheduled. 72 hours
For more information about data masking, refer to Oracle Applications Cloud - Data Masking Standalone Service Entitlement on My Oracle Support (Doc ID 2092389.1).
Fulfillment Considerations
Plan Ahead Provide at least three weeks advance notice, (Six weeks if related with a release upgrade), or you will be asked for a new date. This date must be 3 or more weeks from the date you filed your SR. Your request will take 3-4 business days for review, initial approval, and scheduling. Environment refresh scheduling is done on a first-come, first-served basis.
Review the Schedule Maintenance calendar in MyServices
Choose an available date for your environment refresh An environment refresh can’t be scheduled on the weekends when monthly updates occur.
For P2T, there is a blackout period between the 1st Thursday to the Sunday after the 3 rd Friday of the month. If the 1st of a month falls on a Friday, the environment refresh can’t be scheduled on the Thursday before the 1st Friday of the month.
If you are on concurrent maintenance, there is no blackout period.
For T2T, there is no blackout period.
Additional Considerations
Concurrent Maintenance
P2T when production is on nonproduction update cadence, there is no blackout period, since both environments are updated at the same time.
P2T when nonproduction is on production update cadence, there is no blackout period, since both environments are updated at the same time.
T2T when nonproduction environments are on different update cadence. For example, nonproduction 1 is on nonproduction cadence, and nonproduction 2 is on production cadence. The normal blackout period between the 1 st Thursday to the Sunday after the 3rd Friday of the month does apply, except when the 1st Friday of the month is the 1st of the month. If the 1st of the month falls on a Friday, the environment refresh can’t be scheduled on the Thursday before the 1 st Friday of the month.
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For more information about concurrent maintenance, refer to Oracle Fusion Applications Cloud Concurrent Updates Option on My Oracle Support (Doc ID 1646394.1).
No Monthly Updates on Current Release: If you are no longer receiving monthly updates for your current release, there is no blackout period.
Release Upgrade: Environment refresh is not available between different release versions.
Examples: The following examples show regular environment refresh blackout periods in two consecutive months. This calendar does not apply to any of the additional considerations previously mentioned:
September Sun
Mon
Tue 1
Wed 2
Thu 3
Fri 4
Sat 5
Blackout Period
Blackout Period
Blackout Period
Monthly Update Monthly update – – nonproduction nonproduction Middle East only Rest of World
6
7 Blackout Period
13
Blackout Period
8 Blackout Period
14
Blackout Period
9
10
Blackout Period 15
Blackout Period
Blackout Period 16
Blackout Period
11 Blackout Period
17
Blackout Period
12 Blackout Period
18
Blackout Period
Blackout Period 19
Blackout Period
Monthly update – Monthly update – production production Middle East only Rest of World
20
Blackout Period
27
21
22
23
28
29
30
24
25
26
October Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu 1
Blackout Period
Fri 2
Blackout Period
Sat 3
Blackout Period
Monthly Update Monthly update – non production nonproduction Middle East only Rest of World
4
Blackout Period
5
Blackout Period
6
Blackout Period
7
Blackout Period
8
Blackout Period
9
Blackout Period
10
Blackout Period
6
October Sun 11
Mon 12
Blackout Period
Tue 13
Blackout Period
Wed 14
Blackout Period
Thu 15
Blackout Period
Fri 16
Blackout Period
Sat 17
Blackout Period
Blackout Period
Monthly update – Monthly update – production production Middle East only Rest of world
18
25
Blackout Period
19
20
21
22
23
24
26
27
28
29
30
31
The two-week blackout period exists because your production and nonproduction environments won’t be at the same update level due to the mandatory monthly updates. For more information, review the following My Oracle Support articles: Oracle Applications Cloud – Fusion Applications Update Policy (Doc ID 1966109.1) and Oracle Applications Cloud Concurrent Maintenance (Doc ID 1646394.1).
Match Update Levels Between Source and Target Environments: The environment refresh process requires that your source and target environments must be at the same release, patch, and language packs. If you purchased the Database Vault and Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) services, they must be present and at the same update level in both environments or the environment refresh will be canceled. Even if your request is initially accepted, if the environments are not at the same update level before the scheduled environment refresh, your request may be canceled. If your environments are not at the same level, you have the option of one or more of the following actions:
o
Customer cancellation: You will need 1 week lead time for a cancellation.
o
Customer rescheduling the environment refresh: You will need lead time to reschedule This will cause the 3 week lead time to restart, you will need to log a new SR.
o
Wait until after the monthly update to schedule the environment refresh so that your environments are back at the same update level.
Understand Exception Updates May Impact the Timing of Your Environment Refresh: Environment Refresh is not available if you requested an Exception Update on any one of your environments. Oracle Support will explain the type of update you’ll receive and the timing for applying it. If you are approved to receive exception updates during a month, applying them will put your environments out of sync and result in cancellation of the previously scheduled environment refresh. This means your environment refresh request cannot be fulfilled until both environments are again at the same update level after the blackout period.
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Obtain Required Preapproval: Submitting an environment refresh SR does not guarantee that the request can be fulfilled on the date requested. Comparison of update levels for source and target environments, as well as advance notice requirements, play a significant role in determining whether the request can be fulfilled. Your request will be evaluated considering these factors and you’ll see the acceptance or rejection of your request within your SR.
Even if your request is initially accepted, if the environments are not at the same update level before the scheduled environment refresh, your request may be canceled. Consider Other Factors
Are you expecting an upgrade soon? o
If you require an environment refresh before your upgrade, schedule it to start 5 days before your scheduled upgrade date. You must still avoid the blackout period.
o
If you require an environment refresh after your upgrade, schedule iti to start 3 days after your scheduled upgrade date. You must still avoid the blackout period.
Have you subscribed to the data masking service, and are you requesting an environment refresh with data masking? If so, the environment refresh should start 6 days before your scheduled upgrade date. You must still avoid the blackout period. We recommend you submit an environment refresh request related to upgrades at least 6 weeks in advance to consider all additional restrictions.
Are you on a release that is no longer updated and near the end of an upgrade window? If the answer is yes, normal environment refresh blackout periods do not apply. Since previous release environments will not be updated during this time frame, they will remain in sync and can be refreshed outside of the blackout period. However, any exception updates approved and applied will still put your environment refresh requests at risk.
Do you use data integrations, such as HCM Cloud Service data loading tool, to move data between your Oracle Applications Cloud environment and your system of record? If so, carefully coordinate the Oracle Applications Cloud environment refresh with the other system’s content migration capability, such as for cloning or other refresh. If you do not synch these processes, data integrity issues may surface in the target environment. To avoid this: o
Pair your integrated production environments together and your integrated nonproduction environments together. Establish this pairing early in your implementation and do not change it, if possible.
o
Do NOT run any integration processes between the two systems, once the first content migration process has started, until the other system’s similar process has completed.
o
Schedule your P2T to coincide with the other system’s content migration solution. The closer in time they complete, the sooner you can process integrations between the paired environments.
o
Review and change any setup or configuration in the target nonproduction environment that points to a production environment. Instead, point to the other paired nonproduction environment.
After both processes have completed, resume your integration processes.
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How to Request an Environment Refresh You can request environment refreshes using the online self-service scheduling feature. If you need to request a coordinated Fusion-Taleo refresh, or require data masking as part of your refresh request, log a Service Request (SR).
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To request an environment refresh using the Scheduling Tool: The online self service scheduling feature is available for the environment refresh process. Follow these steps: 1. Sign in to My Services for the environment from which data will be refreshed. This is referred to as the source environment. 2. Select Schedule Maintenance. 3. Follow the online instructions. 4. If you need further assistance, click Help about this page. Once your request is submitted, a SR is created with Support. Work with Support using the SR as a reference. You can track the status of the environment refresh approval through My Services. Note: The self-service environment refresh feature in My Services simplifies the scheduling effort by presenting you with a calendar that displays capacity for dates on which you can schedule both P2Ts and T2Ts. If any of the considerations listed below prevent you from scheduling your environment refresh via this self-service feature, you can always request it using the SR process described below as Option 2.
The Service Administrator who submits the environment refresh request must have a MOS account for the Customer Support Identifier (CSI) assigned to the customer. If they do not, another Service Administrator should enter the request.
The self-service feature does not currently support the data masking option or the version of an environment refresh which coordinates with Taleo Recruiting.
After submitting a self-service environment refresh request, you cannot change or delete it via MyServices. Instead, you must update the SR previously generated in MOS.
The link displayed in MyServices for the environment refresh SR created by this process will direct you to the standard MOS SR viewer. From the SR page you can click Switch to Cloud Support in the upper right hand corner, if you prefer that view. Note that this is a temporary restriction.
SRs generated by the self-service environment refresh process will appear in My Company's Service Requests instead of My Service Requests. To view your environment refresh SR, search for it under My Company's Service Requests. Note that this is a temporary restriction.
To request an environment refresh using a Service Request (SR) 1. Sign in to My Oracle Support. 2. Select Create SR from the Services Requests section or tab. 3. Enter the following information: Section
Enter
What is the Problem?
Copy from to
Where is the Problem?
On the Cloud tab:
Service Type: the Oracle Applications Cloud Service for which you are requesting a P2T.
Environment: the target environment for your P2T
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Section
Enter request.
Guided Problem Definition
Problem Type: Hosting Services
Support Identifier: Your CSI number.
Click Next in the upper right hand corner to proceed
The system will prompt you to answer a series of questions. Each question may be followed by a question mark (?) that lets you view help text and a list of associated service entitlements from which to choose. · Select the question that most closely reflects the issue you need addressed. · Select the specific service entitlement you need fulfilled (e.g., Federated Single Sign On, Language Pack). · Answer subsequent questions to provide details needed to fulfill the request. ·
Click Next to provide your contact details.
·
Click Submit to complete your request.
4. Click Next and provide the following additional information. Note: You must submit a new SR if you make any change to the source, target, or environment refresh desired date, as the request fulfillment process is based exclusively on these parameters. This will cause the 3 week lead time to restart. Section
Enter
Confirm that you have read this document on My Oracle Support (Doc ID 1632261.1) and that you understand the documented policies and procedures contained in it.
Yes/No
Do you want data in the target environment to be masked as part of the environment refresh?
Yes/No
NOTE: This option is available only to HCM Cloud customers on Release 10 or above with a paid subscription to the data masking service. Confirm that you have read and understand, HCM Cloud Service Definition – Data Masking Standalone available on My Oracle Support document, Doc ID 2092389.1. Source and target Oracle applications environment identifiers
[Your environment names]
Desired P2T Completion Date
The date you’d like to have content refreshed to the target/nonproduction environment. The target environment will be down for up to 48 hours (without data masking) or up to 72 hours (with data masking).
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Section Have you reviewed scheduled ESS jobs to be terminated during the P2T process? a.
Name
b.
b. E-mail,
c.
Cell phone number
d.
Office phone number
Enter Yes/No/Uncertain
Technical contact information for the person Oracle Support should contact if there are any questions or issues.
Additional Information
Any additional information that will help clarify the timing and special considerations for this request.
Is this P2T Release Upgrade related?
If so, provide the environment names and Oracleproposed upgrade dates for your nonproduction and production environments. Your response to this question is for additional information only. The upgrade scheduling process is handled separately and must be handled by filing separate SRs. You should carefully plan and schedule these activities. Note: If you have not heard from Oracle on the upgrade dates, then do not file this as a Release Upgrade-related P2T.
What happens after you log an Environment Refresh SR? Your environment refresh SR is used to schedule the environment refresh and will remain open until it has been completed. If you want to cancel a scheduled environment refresh, Oracle requires a minimum of 7 days notice. If any questions or issues need to be addressed after the environment refresh has completed, you must create a new SR. We’ll also reach out to you to discuss options if environments are not in synch. If we don’t have any questions about your request, the next communication step will be the Oracle Service Outage Notification communication e-mail, which will be sent out just before your environment refresh copy starts on your target environment. You’ll receive a notification from Oracle after your environment refresh completes and the target environment is available for use.
How to Validate Service Fulfillment 1. Sign in to the target environment and verify that the Oracle data matches the data from the source environment using a sample data set and setup. 2. If you have administrative access to Oracle Identity Management (OIM), sign in as that user and verify that all OIM functions available to that user in the source environment are identical in the target environment. 3. You may want to run a report that your team has developed using OTBI or an equivalent business intelligence tool. 4. If you requested data masking, query any person on the database through the user interface and verify that their email address is
[email protected].
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much time is needed to cancel the environment refresh? At least 1 week advance notice is required to cancel an environment refresh.
How much advance notice do I need to give Oracle to schedule the environment refresh? A minimum of 21 days advance notice is required. You can schedule the environment refresh up to 12 weeks in advance.
How long does an environment refresh take? The target environment will be down for up to 48 hours (without data masking) or up to 72 hours (with data masking).
When is the blackout period? For most months of the year, The blackout period starts on the 1st Thursday of the month and ends on the Sunday following the 3rd Friday of the month. However, if the 1 st of the month falls on a Friday, the environment refresh can’t be scheduled on the Thursday before the 1st Friday of the month.
Can an environment refresh be completed during a blackout period? No, unless you are on concurrent maintenance or requesting a T2T. If this is the case, it can be scheduled any time except on the weekends when monthly updates occur.
How do I schedule an environment refresh? You can request environment refreshes using the online self-service scheduling feature. If you need to request a coordinated Fusion-Taleo refresh, or require data masking as part of your refresh request, log an SR.
Related Information on My Oracle Support
Oracle Applications Cloud Concurrent Maintenance Option, Doc ID 1646394.1
Oracle Applications Cloud – Fusion Applications Update Policy, Doc ID 1966109.1
Cloud Service Requests and Fulfillment for Oracle HCM Cloud Service (Taleo Zone Refresh with Fusion HCM Environment Refresh), Doc ID 2108681.1
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Appendix A: What Gets Copied During Environment Refresh? The most important thing to understand is that almost all data is refreshed, but compiled binary objects are not. There are some exceptions to this general rule and some possible implications for you. What is copied?
All data in the Fusion schema, such as all transactional data and functional setup.
Webcenter content, such as file attachments and inbound and outbound integration files.
Key artifacts managed through Fusion Middleware Metadata Services (MDS), such as user interface extensions managed as Application Development Framework (ADF) sandboxes, such as flexfields and workflow/approval extensions managed by the Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Suite.
Business Intelligence Web Catalog and Repository Definitions (RPDs).
Pre-compiled Fast Formula used by the HCM Cloud Service.
What is not copied?
Compiled objects, such as Fusion Applications binaries, Fusion Middleware binaries, and for HCM Cloud Services customers, compiled Fast Formula.
Home page notifications, such as approval requests.
Data maintained in the Functional Setup Manager’s (FSM) Topology Manager, such as endpoint URLs to other environments.
Enterprise Scheduler Service (ESS) process parameters.
Special cases You may need to take steps before or after an environment refresh as a result of what is and what is not copied. Application Object
Copied or Not?
Possible Action
User interface extensions maintained in ADF sandboxes
Copied
To retain in-process UI extensions, export them from the target environment before environment refresh and import them back after. See Oracle Applications Cloud Extensibility Guide for Functional Administrators.
Functional setup, including HCM Fast Formula
Copied
To retain some functional setup in the target, export it from the target environment before the environment refresh and import it back after, using FSM’s Configuration Package capability. See Oracle Applications Cloud Using Functional Setup Manager
Business Intelligence definitions
Copied
To retain custom BI objects, export them from the target environment before the environment refresh and import them back after, using the BI archive/unarchive facility.
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Application Object
Copied or Not?
Possible Action
HCM Extract definitions
Copied
To retain custom HCM Extract definitions, export them from the target environment before the environment refresh and import them back after, using the export/import function on the Manage HCM Extracts Definition user interface.
ESS process parameters
Not Copied
After the environment refresh, review the process parameters in the target for your key ESS processes. Reestablish scheduling and reset those default parameters (for example, the number of threads) you want to change.
EssBase cubes
Not Copied
Create EssBase cubes in the target environment after the environment refresh, by submitting standard jobs through the Scheduler page. For example, to create a Ledger EssBase cube: 1.
Sign in to the Oracle Applications Cloud Home Page.
2.
In the Navigator menu, select Tools > Scheduled Processes.
3.
Select Schedule New Process.
4.
In the Search window, scroll to the bottom of the list and select Search.
5.
Search for Create General Ledger Balances Cube. Select the item in the results set, then click OK, and then OK again
6.
Enter the details of the Chart of Accounts: Name, Calendar and Starting Period, and then click Close.
Repeat this process for all Ledger cubes.
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