Common Glossary for Oracle Configurator

This glossary contains definitions relevant to working with Oracle Configurator.

A

Archive Path
The ordered sequence of Configurator Extension Archives for a Model that determines which Java classes are loaded for Configurator Extensions and in what order.

B

base node
The node in a Model that is associated with a Configurator Extension Rule. Used to determine the event scope for a Configurator Extension.
batch validation
A background process for validating selections in a configuration.
binding
Part of a Configurator Extension Rule that associates a specified event with a chosen method of a Java class. See also event.
BOM item
The node imported into Oracle Configurator Developer that corresponds to an Oracle Bills of Material item. Can be a BOM Model, BOM Option Class node, or BOM Standard Item node.
BOM Model
A model that you import from Oracle Bills of Material into Oracle Configurator Developer. When you import a BOM Model, effective dates, ATO (Assemble To Order) rules, and other data are also imported into Configurator Developer. In Configurator Developer, you can extend the structure of the BOM Model, but you cannot modify the BOM Model itself or any of its attributes.
BOM Model node
The imported node in Oracle Configurator Developer that corresponds to a BOM Model created in Oracle Bills of Material.
BOM Option Class node
The imported node in Oracle Configurator Developer that corresponds to a BOM Option Class created in Oracle Bills of Material.
BOM Standard Item node
The imported node in Oracle Configurator Developer that corresponds to a BOM Standard Item created in Oracle Bills of Material.
Boolean Feature
An element of a component in the Model that has two options: true or false.

C

CDL (Constraint Definition Language)
A language for entering configuration rules as text rather than assembling them interactively in Oracle Configurator Developer. CDL can express more complex constraining relationships than interactively defined configuration rules can.The CIO is the API that supports creating and navigating the Model, querying and modifying selection states, and saving and restoring configurations.
CIO (Oracle Configuration Interface Object)
A server in the runtime application that creates and manages the interface between the client (usually a user interface) and the underlying representation of model structure and rules in the generated logic.
command event
An event that is defined by a character string and detected by a command listener.
Comparison Rule
An Oracle Configurator Developer rule type that establishes a relationship to determine the selection state of a logical Item (Option, Boolean Feature, or List-of-Options Feature) based on a comparison of two numeric values (numeric Features, Totals, Resources, Option counts, or numeric constants). The numeric values being compared can be computed or they can be discrete intervals in a continuous numeric input.
Compatibility Rule
An Oracle Configurator Developer rule type that establishes a relationship among Features in the Model to control the allowable combinations of Options. See also, Property-based Compatibility Rule.
Compatibility Table
A kind of Explicit Compatibility Rule. For example, a type of compatibility relationship where the allowable combination of Options are explicitly enumerated.
component
A piece of something or a configurable element in a model such as a BOM Model, Model, or Component.
Component
An element of the model structure, typically containing Features, that is configurable and instantiable. An Oracle Configurator Developer node type that represents a configurable element of a Model.
Component Set
An element of the Model that contains a number of instantiated Components of the same type, where each Component of the set is independently configured.
configuration
A specific set of specifications for a product, resulting from selections made in a runtime configurator.
configuration attribute
A characteristic of an item that is defined in the host application (outside of its inventory of items), in the Model, or captured during a configuration session. Configuration attributes are inputs from or outputs to the host application at initialization and termination of the configuration session, respectively.
configuration model
Represents all possible configurations of the available options, and consists of model structure and rules. It also commonly includes User Interface definitions and Configurator Extensions. A configuration model is usually accessed in a runtime Oracle Configurator window. See also model.
configuration rule
A Logic Rule, Compatibility Rule, Comparison Rule, Numeric Rule, Design Chart, Statement Rule, or Configurator Extension rule available in Oracle Configurator Developer for defining configurations. See also rules.
configuration session
The time from launching or invoking to exiting Oracle Configurator, during which end users make selections to configure an orderable product. A configuration session is limited to one configuration model that is loaded when the session is initialized.
configurator
The part of an application that provides custom configuration capabilities. Commonly, a window that can be launched from a host application so end users can make selections resulting in valid configurations. Compare Oracle Configurator.
Configurator Developer
See OCD.
Configurator Extension
An extension to the configuration model beyond what can be implemented in Configurator Developer.A type of configuration rule that associates a node, Java class, and event binding so that the rule operates when an event occurs during a configuration session. A Java class that provides methods that can be used to perform configuration actions.
Configurator Extension Archive
An object in the Repository that stores one or more compiled Java classes that implement Configurator Extensions.
connectivity
The connection across components of a model that allows modeling such products as networks and material processing systems.
Connector
The node in the model structure that enables an end user at runtime to connect the Connector node’s parent to a referenced Model.
Constraint Definition Language
See CDL
Container Model
A type of BOM Model that you import from Oracle Bills of Material into Oracle Configurator Developer to create configuration models that support connectivity and contain trackable components. Configurations created from Container Models can be tracked and updated in Oracle Install Base
Contributes to
A relation used to create a specific type of Numeric Rule that accumulates a total value. See also Total.
Consumes from
A relation used to create a specific type of Numeric Rule that decrements a total value, such as specifying the quantity of a Resource used.
count
The number or quantity of something, such as selected options. Compare instance.
CZ
The product shortname for Oracle Configurator in Oracle Applications.
CZ schema
The implementation version of the standard runtime Oracle Configurator data-warehousing schema that manages data for the configuration model. The implementation schema includes all the data required for the runtime system, as well as specific tables used during the construction of the configurator.

D

default
In a configuration, the automatic selection of an option based on the preselection rules or the selection of another option.
Defaults relation
An Oracle Configurator Developer Logic Rule relation that determines the logic state of Features or Options in a default relation to other Features and Options. For example, if A Defaults B, and you select A, B becomes Logic True (selected) if it is available (not Logic False).
Design Chart
An Oracle Configurator Developer rule type for defining advanced Explicit Compatibilities interactively in a table view.

E

element
Any entity within a model, such as Options, Totals, Resources, UI controls, and components.
end user
The ultimate user of the runtime Oracle Configurator. The types of end users vary by project but may include salespeople or distributors, administrative office staff, marketing personnel, order entry personnel, product engineers, or customers directly accessing the application via a Web browser or kiosk. Compare user.
event
An action or condition that occurs in a configuration session and can be detected by a listener. Example events are a change in the value of a node, the creation of a component instance, or the saving of a configuration. The part of model structure inside which a listener listens for an event is called the event binding scope. The part of model structure that is the source of an event is called the event execution scope. See also command event.
Excludes relation
An Oracle Configurator Developer Logic Rule type that determines the logic state of Features or Options in an excluding relation to other Features and Options. For example, if A Excludes B, and if you select A, B becomes Logic False, since it is not allowed when A is true (either User or Logic True). If you deselect A (set to User False), there is no effect on B, meaning it could be User or Logic True, User or Logic False, or Unknown. See Negates relation.

F

feature
A characteristic of something, or a configurable element of a component at runtime.
Feature
An element of the model structure. Features can either have a value (numeric or Boolean) or enumerated Options.

G

generated logic
The compiled structure and rules of a configuration model that is loaded into memory on the Web server at configuration session initialization and used by the Oracle Configurator engine to validate runtime selections. The logic must be generated either in Oracle Configurator Developer or programmatically in order to access the configuration model at runtime.
guided buying or selling
Needs assessment questions in the runtime UI to guide and facilitate the configuration process. Also, the model structure that defines these questions. Typically, guided selling questions trigger configuration rules that automatically select some product options and exclude others based on the end user’s responses.

H

host application
An application within which Oracle Configurator is embedded as integrated functionality, such as Order Management or iStore.

I

implementer
The person who uses Oracle Configurator Developer to build the model structure, rules, and UI customizations that make up a runtime Oracle Configurator. Commonly also responsible for enabling the integration of Oracle Configurator in a host application.
Implies relation
An Oracle Configurator Developer Logic Rule type that determines the logic state of Features or Options in an implied relation to other Features and Options. For example, if A Implies B, and you select A, B becomes Logic True. If you deselect A (set to User False), there is no effect on B, meaning it could be User or Logic True, User or Logic False, or Unknown. See Requires relation.
import server
A database instance that serves as a source of data for Oracle Configurator’s Populate, Refresh, Migrate, and Synchronization concurrent processes. The import server is sometimes referred to as the remote server.
initialization message
The XML (Extensible Markup Language) message sent from a host application to the Oracle Configurator Servlet, containing data needed to initialize the runtime Oracle Configurator. See also termination message.
instance
A runtime occurrence of a component in a configuration that is determined by the component node's Instance attribute specifying a minimum and maximum value. See also instantiate. Compare count.Also, the memory and processes of a database.
instantiate
To create an instance of something. Commonly, to create an instance of a component in the runtime user interface of a configuration model.
item
A product or part of a product that is in inventory and can be delivered to customers.
Item
A Model or part of a Model that is defined in the Item Master. Also data defined in Oracle Inventory.
Item Master
Data stored to structure the Model. Data in the CZ schema Item Master is either entered manually in Oracle Configurator Developer or imported from Oracle Applications or a legacy system.
Item Type
Data used to classify the Items in the Item Master. Item Catalogs imported from Oracle Inventory are Item Types in Oracle Configurator Developer.

L

listener
A class in the CIO that detects the occurrence of specified events in a configuration session.
Logic Rule
An Oracle Configurator Developer rule type that expresses constraint among model elements in terms of logic relationships. Logic Rules directly or indirectly set the logical state (User or Logic True, User or Logic False, or Unknown) of Features and Options in the Model.There are four primary Logic Rule relations: Implies, Requires, Excludes, and Negates. Each of these rules takes a list of Features or Options as operands. See also Implies relation, Requires relation, Excludes relation, and Negates relation.

M

model
A generic term for data representing products. A model contains elements that correspond to items. Elements may be components of other objects used to define products. A configuration model is a specific kind of model whose elements can be configured by accessing an Oracle Configurator window.
Model
The entire hierarchical "tree" view of all the data required for configurations, including model structure, variables such as Resources and Totals, and elements in support of intermediary rules. Includes both imported BOM Models and Models created in Configurator Developer. May consist of BOM Option Classes and BOM Standard Items.
model structure
Hierarchical "tree" view of data composed of elements (Models, Components, Features, Options, BOM Models, BOM Option Class nodes, BOM Standard Item nodes, Resources, and Totals). May include reusable components (References).

N

Negates relation
A type of Oracle Configurator Developer Logic Rule type that determines the logic state of Features or Options in a negating relation to other Features and Options. For example, if one option in the relationship is selected, the other option must be Logic False (not selected). Similarly, if you deselect one option in the relationship, the other option must be Logic True (selected). Compare Excludes relation.
node
The icon or location in a Model tree in Oracle Configurator Developer that represents a Component, Feature, Option or variable (Total or Resource), Connector, Reference, BOM Model, BOM Option Class node, or BOM Standard Item.
Numeric Rule
An Oracle Configurator Developer rule type that expresses constraint among model elements in terms of numeric relationships. See also, Contributes to and Consumes from.

O

object
Entities in Oracle Configurator Developer, such as Models, Usages, Properties, Effectivity Sets, UI Templates, and so on. See also element.
OCD
See Oracle Configurator Developer.
option
A logical selection made in the Model Debugger or a runtime Oracle Configurator by the end user or a rule when configuring a component.
Option
An element of the Model. A choice for the value of an enumerated Feature.
Oracle Configurator
The product consisting of development tools and runtime applications such as the CZ schema, Oracle Configurator Developer, and runtime Oracle Configurator. Also the runtime Oracle Configurator variously packaged for use in networked or Web deployments.
Oracle Configurator Developer
The tool in the Oracle Configurator product used for constructing and maintaining configuration models.
Oracle Configurator engine
The part of the Oracle Configurator product that uses configuration rules to validate runtime selections. Compare generated logic. See also generated logic.
Oracle Configurator schema
See CZ schema.
Oracle Configurator Servlet
A Java servlet that participates in rendering legacy user interfaces for Oracle Configurator.
Oracle Configurator window
The user interface that is launched by accessing a configuration model and used by end users to make the selections of a configuration.

P

Populator
An entity in Oracle Configurator Developer that creates Component, Feature, and Option nodes from information in the Item Master.
Property
A named value associated with a node in the Model or the Item Master. A set of Properties may be associated with an Item Type. After importing a BOM Model, Oracle Inventory Catalog Descriptive Elements are Properties in Oracle Configurator Developer.
Property-based Compatibility Rule
An Oracle Configurator Developer Compatibility Rule type that expresses a kind of compatibility relationship where the allowable combinations of Options are specified implicitly by relationships among Property values of the Options.
publication
A unique deployment of a configuration model (and optionally a user interface) that enables a developer to control its availability from host applications such as Oracle Order Management or iStore. Multiple publications can exist for the same configuration model, but each publication corresponds to only one Model and User Interface.
publishing
The process of creating a publication record in Oracle Configurator Developer, which includes specifying applicability parameters to control runtime availability and running an Oracle Applications concurrent process to copy data to a specific database.

R

reference
The ability to reuse an existing Model or Component within the structure of another Model (for example, as a subassembly).
Reference
An Oracle Configurator Developer node type that denotes a reference to another Model.
Repository
Set of pages in Oracle Configurator Developer that contains areas for organizing and maintaining Models and shared objects in a single location.
Requires relation
An Oracle Configurator Developer Logic Rule relationship that determines the logic state of Features or Options in a requirement relation to other Features and Options. For example, if A Requires B, and if you select A, B is set to Logic True (selected). Similarly, if you deselect A, B is set to Logic False (deselected). See Implies relation.
Resource
A variable in the Model used to keep track of a quantity or supply, such as the amount of memory in a computer. The value of a Resource can be positive or zero, and can have an Initial Value setting. An error message appears at runtime when the value of a Resource becomes negative, which indicates it has been over-consumed. Use Numeric Rules to contribute to and consume from a Resource.Also a specific node type in Oracle Configurator Developer. See also node.
rules
Also called business rules or configuration rules. In the context of Oracle Configurator and CDL, a rule is not a business rule. Constraints applied among elements of the product to ensure that defined relationships are preserved during configuration. Elements of the product are Components, Features, and Options. Rules express logic, numeric parameters, implicit compatibility, or explicit compatibility. Rules provide preselection and validation capability in Oracle Configurator.See also Comparison Rule, Compatibility Rule, Design Chart, Logic Rule and Numeric Rule.
runtime
The environment in which an implementer (tester), end user, or customer configures a product whose model was developed in Oracle Configurator Developer. See also configuration session.

S

Statement Rule
An Oracle Configurator Developer rule type defined by using the Oracle Configurator Constraint Definition Language (text) rather than interactively assembling the rule’s elements.

T

termination message
The XML (Extensible Markup Language) message sent from the Oracle Configurator Servlet to a host application after a configuration session, containing configuration outputs. See also initialization message.
Total
A variable in the Model used to accumulate a numeric total, such as total price or total weight.Also a specific node type in Oracle Configurator Developer. See also node.

U

UI
See User Interface.
UI Templates
Templates available in Oracle Configurator Developer for specifying UI definitions.
Unknown
The logic state that is neither true nor false, but unknown at the time a configuration session begins or when a Logic Rule is executed. This logic state is also referred to as Available, especially when considered from the point of view of the runtime Oracle Configurator end user.
user
The person using a product or system. Used to describe the person using Oracle Configurator Developer tools and methods to build a runtime Oracle Configurator. Compare end user.
user interface
The visible part of the application, including menus, dialog boxes, and other on-screen elements. The part of a system where the user interacts with the software. Not necessarily generated in Oracle Configurator Developer. See also User Interface.
User Interface
The part of an Oracle Configurator implementation that provides the graphical views necessary to create configurations interactively. A user interface is generated from the model structure. It interacts with the model definition and the generated logic to give end users access to customer requirements gathering, product selection, and any extensions that may have been implemented. See also UI Templates.

V

validation
Tests that ensure that configured components will meet specific criteria set by an enterprise, such as that the components can be ordered or manufactured.

W

Workbench
Set of pages in Oracle Configurator Developer for creating, editing, and working with Repository objects such as Models and UI Templates.