I've completed the download and am about to fire off a clean install & config, but while I'm waiting for my VM to finish patching, I thought I'd share some thoughts from reading through the EPM 11.2.4 Release Notes.
My comments are by no means exhaustive. I'm just mentioning the things that jump out at me as an EPM Infrastructure guy. I encourage anyone interested in 11.2.4 to download the Installation document zip, which includes the Release Notes and Install+Config Guide. The eDelivery product number for this is V1006299-01.
At a high-level view, this release fixes many bugs relating to HFM and FDMEE from 11.2.0.0 through 11.2.3.0. Aside from bugfixes, I spotted these important features, improvements, and gotchas:
- LCM for Public Sector Planning is now supported to migrate from 11.1.2.4 to 11.2.4. The Release Notes state this caveat: "Note: You can’t upgrade Public Sector Planning and Budgeting applications with Decision Packages or Budget Requests enabled."
- The Certification Matrix has been updated for 11.2.4. It explicitly states that the "Core Server" option for MS Windows Server 2019 is not certified, and this makes complete sense to me. The "Core Server" option means there's no graphical desktop for the server, which would make getting through installTool and configTool problematic. I used the console version for UNIX back in the day, but the console version is painful to use.
- FDMEE install issues for Linux observed in 11.2.2 and 11.2.3 have been fixed in 11.2.4, provided all required products are installed at the same time on the Linux server.
- Numerous SSL fixes. If you are using SSL within EPM itself, rather than doing it through an SSL-offloader such as F5, read the Release Notes carefully.
- Numerous FDMEE and HFM bug fixes. 28 issues fixed for FDMEE, and 14 for HFM. I suggest reading carefully through the Release Notes where these products are concerned.
- SSL for MSSQL is still not supported where RCU is concerned. No workaround has been published to my knowledge.
- EPM's validate.bat does not recognize all modules in an Apply Update situation. No workaround listed in the Release Notes.
- Tax Governance no longer depends upon Adobe Flash Player, which came out of Adobe support on Dec 31, 2020. This is a very important update if you use Tax Governance.
- A few fixes for Shared Services and Financial Reporting / Workspace were included.
- HFML preview for Financial Reporting has been fixed, and "Related Content" links now work in Chrome & Edge.
- Linux. Still limited to RHEL 7 and Oracle Linux 7. Essbase 21c, on the other hand, is certified for both Releases 7 and 8 for Linux.
- There's a new command-line utility for Hyperion Planning: SetDBNEssbasePassword. This utility allows you to update the Essbase and relational database passwords for multiple applications all in one shot.
- I think the database side will work well for MSSQL shops, but most Oracle RDMBS shops I've worked with frequently have DBAs who prefer a unique password for each schema. So your mileage will vary where this utility is concerned. You're prompted to enter 1 password for Essbase and 1 password for relational.
- You can run the utility multiple times, specifying the application(s) for each run.
End-users will appreciate that the EPM Workspace home page has returned. Favorites, recently opened documents, etc. should be visible again, just as we had in 11.1.2.4 and prior.
OK, and with all of the above, my VM's server patching is done and it is time to get to work on 11.2.4!
I intend to start with a pure Windows implementation first. After this is working, I want to see if I can tack on a Linux instance running Essbase 21c and integrate it with the 11.2.4 system.
I thought this patch was supposed to bring support for MSSQL 2017. Have you heard anything about that?
ReplyDeleteHi Dario, the EPM Certification Matrix was last updated Jan 27, 2021, and the non-Oracle DB tab still lists MSSQL 2016 SP2+ as the only Microsoft variant certified. We will need to re-check the matrix from time to time, as it may be a matter of Oracle having sufficient QA time to regression test all aspects of the system before blessing higher versions of MSSQL.
DeleteWhen you re-download the Certification Matrix, jump to "Document Control" tab to see the history of changes. This is how we know the Jan 27, 2021 modification date, and what was updated.
Matrix download:
https://www.oracle.com/a/otn/docs/epm-11.2-cert-matrix.xlsx
Hello Dave,
ReplyDeleteWe currently use EPM 11.1.2.2 on RHEL 6 for Essbase (we do n't use other components except EAS and AP).
Since RHEL6 is end of support this year we need to upgrade to EPM compatible with RHEL 7. So i have installed 11.2.4 on new set of VMs with RHEL7.
Now the Question on Migration :
How can i migrate the Essbase Applications on current version of 11.1.2.2?
Can we use LCM to export it out from 11.1.2.2 and import in 11.2.4? Are there any issues with this approach?
If yes, what is the best solution with minimum effort (to infra and application Teams).
I am Novice to Oracle Hyperion World
I am about to speak in generalities here, as we don't have a consulting agreement and I don't know the exact details about how you are using Essbase.
DeleteOne can use the EAS Console's "Migration Wizard" to migrate Essbase applications from one version to another. The applications come over as-is. If you tell it to include data, the source cube(s) will be locked while the migration is in flight. The trick here is you must use the LOWER version's EAS Console. The higher version will accept the connection from the lower version, but the reverse is not true.
The technique works if the applications are Essbase-only and are not under the control of EPMA, Planning or HPCM.
The data and index settings typically do not migrate and have to be set by hand.