Purpose

To provide complete details of the architecture change in Install Base application

(Version 12.2.5 and onwards).

Scope of Change
-Allow different level of Install Base tracking at Item Level/Install Parameter
based on customer requirement

-To bypass SFM queuing mechanism for interfacing into Install Base, and hence
avoid dependency issues

Overview
Installed Base is architecturally changed in such a way that two different
categories of customers are benefited. First category of customer or business segments
needs to track customer owned instances alone in their Installed Base. Installed Base
Item instances is primarily used - to view snapshot of customer owned instances, to
view the entitlements/contracts on the customer instances and to address after sales
needs on the customer instances.

On the other hand the other category of customers or business segments needs
the complete life-cycle tracking of an item instance.

Internal inventory transaction tracking is mandate for OAT and EAM customers.

Product is enhanced to fulfill the individual needs of the above two category of
business segments/customers.

With this enhancement, SFM queuing mechanism is removed for Install Base
integration. Inventory transactions or Fulfillment transactions are interfaced to the new
IB interface (CSI_TRANSACTIONS_INTERFACE) table. Since the data integration
happens through IB interface there is more control over the data that comes in.

IB tracked Top model line or IB tracked standard lines are posted to the interface
tables on Fulfillment or any IB supported Inventory transactions. These lines will be
picked up by the new concurrent program (“Interface Install base Lines”) and further
process them to create/update IB instances. In case of ATO or PTO model fulfillments
only the Top model is expected to get interfaced to Install Base.
 The new concurrent program reads data from the interface table to create/update
the necessary IB instances. This will be a scheduled program in real time scenario so
as any fulfilled or inventory transactions lying in interface table are processed
immediately.

Pre-requisites
Level of Install Base tracking should be set at the individual item level based on
customer requirements, if not set then it gets defaulted from Install Parameter setup.

OAT and EAM type items should have the IB Tracking level setup as 'Both
Enterprise and Customer Owned Instance'. This is required as these items are
Enterprise Assets and will have its transactions within enterprise majorly.

As of today the validation for OAT and EAM items at Master Items Form are
based on the below-

OAT items – Items with ‘Create Fixed Assets’ flag checked. (If an item is treated
as a normal item within OAT, then user should explicitly ensure the item has the right
level of tracking as it needs to be tracked as an OAT item. Validation will not fire for
OAT normal items explicitly from the form.)

EAM items – Items with ‘Asset Attribute’ field having valid values.

“Interface Install Base Lines” concurrent program need to be set as incompatible

with itself hence the next run of this program gets kicked only when the prior run
completes.

Installation & Upgrade Information

To opt between ‘Complete Lifecycle Tracking’ and ‘Only Customer Owned
Instance Tracking’, user has to set the value of IB tracking field in the Install parameters
form. This will be the default value for any IB tracked item in the system.

Parameter Name : IB Tracking, Parameter Value : Only Customer Owned

Instances & Complete Lifecycle Tracking

Upgrade from 11i/12.0.x/12.1.x to 12.2.5-

 Ensure there are no SFM messages queued up in 'READY' state. If
queued up, ensure before upgrade these messages are de-queued. Once
12.2.5 is installed all message will start interfacing through the new
 interface table. If simultaneously these messages get de-queued it will
lead to data corruption.

PS: We are not bringing down or removing SFM from the system. IB has
stopped routing integration process through SFM. However SFM will still exists
and any other modules will still continue to use it if they are using it.

 On Upgrade 'IB Tracking Level' attribute in Item Master will have the
‘Default value from Install Parameters’ as value and after upgrade user
can choose a specific value for individual items based on the requirement.
 On upgrade ‘IB Tracking Level' attribute in Install Parameters will default
to : ‘Both Enterprise and internally owned instances’. Again user can
choose to have a value which will be common for most of his items and for
the remaining items which have a different tracking level can be chosen at
the item definition level.
 During upgrade there is a script to update the existing ‘SFM bypass flag’
to ‘X’. This field will also be hidden from Install Parameters form from
12.2.5 onwards as there is no much significance to bypass SFM when the
new architecture itself is based on non SFM route.
Updating the value to ‘X’ on SFM bypass flag field enables to differentiate
between customers below 12.2.5 and customers at or above 12.2.5 code
line.
Customers at 12.2.4 use SFM for the complete IB tracking and have an
option to use Customer IB (without SFM) for only customer owned
instance tracking.
 Schedule the Concurrent program “Interface Install Base Lines” in a
frequency suitable for the business. Scheduling it to run immediately after
the prior run will ensure that the SFM behavior is achieved.
Please Note that there is a new dedicated concurrent manager created for
this concurrent program so that other programs do not interfere in the IB
interface.

Error Handling
New User Interface 'Transactions Interface' tab is introduced in the 'Oracle Install
Base Agent User' responsibility to report the integration of IB transactions from various
integrated products. This report helps user to identify the transaction status,
(Transaction processed successfully or stuck in error). It also provides details like the
transaction type, item, order# or material transaction etc.
 For the unsuccessful transactions listed there would be corresponding error
logging in the traditional 'Transaction Error Re-processing' form. User can opt to rectify
the issue and run the 'Resubmit Transaction Errors program' to initiate processing of
unsuccessful transactions.

FAQ’s
1) We have a eAM/OAT installed on versions earlier to 12.2.5 and planning to
upgraded to 12.2.5+ version, what are the minimal steps that we need to follow
for the system to work the same way it is working now.

 Prior to Upgrade :

o Ensure there is no Install base message stuck/queued up in SFM

 After Upgrade :

o Schedule the program “Interface Install Base Lines” in a frequency

suitable for the business

o Ensure these items (EAM or OAT) have IB Tracking Level set as

‘Both Enterprise and Customer Owned’ tracking.

o Perform couple of transactions and ensure everything is working as

earlier.

2) We are planning for a fresh implementation of Install Base on 12.2.5, but we are
not sure on what level of tracking we need to choose at the Install Parameters
level.

a. If OAT or EAM is also implemented, then, go with option of ‘Both

Enterprise and Customer Owned Instance’ tracking.

b. If IB is only implemented, then you have to be clear on the purpose of IB.

If you are using IB for tracking history or to capture complete lifecycle of
the item instance then you should opt for ‘Both Enterprise and Customer
Owned Instance’. On the other hand if you use IB to support the after
sales needs like, Returns, Repairs, Debrief and contracts and also if you
are not interested in the complete lifecycle tracking then you should opt for
‘Only customer owned instance’ tracking.
3) Can the tracking level be changed at a later point in time?

 Changing the tracking level may lead to data corruption/inconsistency.

Please consult with all the stake holders and take a decision at the initial
stage itself. When in doubt, please choose the option 'Both Enterprise and
Customer Owned Instance’

4) We have implemented/upgraded to 12.2.5+ recently and we are not seeing any

transactions getting interfaced to IB/eAM/OAT. What could be the reason?

 Check if records are getting inserted to

CSI_TRANSACTIONS_INTERFACE table

o If records are not there in the table, check the tracking levels
consult Oracle support for further assistance

o If records are present in the table, Check the for the processed flag
on the records

 N - New -- when transaction created in interface table first

time.

 R - Ready --When 'Interface Install base lines' concurrent

program picks for further processing

 PC - Processed -- when transaction interfaces to IB

successfully.

 PE - Error --When transaction failed to interface to IB with

some validation issue. Also check the table csi_txn_errors for
the error and reprocess it with CSI logs enabled(Note
239627.1) and contact Oracle Support

 B - waiting to process prior transactions - When there are

some pending prior transactions prior to current transaction