Configuration Lab (ConfigLab)

In order to implement new business practices, users change configuration data. The best way to confirm the system will work as desired is to test the changes using production data before the changes are promoted to production. The Configuration Lab (or ConfigLab) tools exist to support this methodology. Specifically, the ConfigLab tools allow you to:

• Copy data from production to a "test" environment.
• Change the configuration data as dictated by new / different business practices.
• Confirm the changes are correct by using the system's online and batch transactions.
• Approve or reject individual changes.
• Apply the approved changes to production.

The ConfigLab tools have many uses in addition to testing configuration data and promoting the changes to production. For example, the following points describe several ways users of Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing can use the ConfigLab tools:

• Problematic customers and bills can be transferred to a "playpen" environment where the system's transactions are used to experiment with potential corrections without affecting production.
• Historical bills are transferred to a "revenue analysis" environment where the revenue team can perform what-if analysis to determine the impact of rate changes on future revenue.
• Business process scripts developed in a "development" environment can be promoted to a "QA" environment where they can be tested thoroughly before being promoted to production.

In sum - the ConfigLab tools can be used to compare and promote data between any two databases.

The topics that follow describe how to use the ConfigLab.