2.1 What's New In This Release?

Oracle Reports 12c Release (12.2.1.1) is integrated with Oracle Fusion Middleware and Oracle WebLogic Server, which provide the architectural enhancements listed in Table 2-2 (a subset of Table 2-2, "12c Architecture Features vs. 10g Functionality"):

Table 2-1 Feature Alternatives

Features Alternatives

EM

  

Viewing Metrics

Most of the metrics are available in Reports Servlet pages.

Charts feature is unavailable.

Viewing Reports Jobs Queue

Reports servlet command - 'showjobs'

Reports Job operations - Cancel / View Output etc

Reports servlet command - 'showjobs page / killjobid / getjobid'

Schedule Reports Jobs

Reports servlet command line option - 'schedule'

View Reports Engine details

Reports servlet command - 'getserverinfo'

Stop Engine

Reports servlet command - 'killengine'

CPU / Memory usage metrics

Use OS commands.

Start / Stop of Reports Server / Bridge

Use FMW start/stop script in domainHome/bin.

Use WLST commands

Start / Stop of Reports Inprocess server

Use Reports Servlet It automatically starts reports inprocess server on first command

Use Generic EM Application page to start / stop reports application

EM Reports Configuration editing

Mbean browser

Manual edit of config files.

EM Reports Security / Web command policies page

Use generic Security Policy FMW Generic Page

Domain -> Security -> Application policies

Forms Reports Toolkit configuration changes

Mbean browser

Manual edit of config files.

Reports Log setting configuration

Mbean browser

Manual edit of config files.

Reports Server / Bridge / Tools Log viewing

Logging WLST commands.

EM Grid Control integration

Use Reports Servlet.

Charts, Alerts, historical data and other GC specific generic features unavailable.

Installation/Configuration

  

End to End installer

WLS generic installer / config UI

Component creation in Installer

Use WLST commands

Expand Cluster option

WLS config UI + Use pack / unpack

Extend Domain option

WLS config UI - Update domain option

Development Mode option

WLS config UI - Target reports to AdminServer

OID Association option

Use WLST commands

OAM SSO Integration

Manual Steps

Configure OHS with WLS_REPORTS

Manual Steps

Configure 'Run to web' settings

Manual Steps

OPMN

  

OPMN creation/deletion of system components

Use WLST commands

OPMN start/stop of system components

Use WLST commands

OPMN configuration setting opmn.xml

Use configuration settings files

Others

  

JOC not available. So 'jocCacheDir' setting is invalid

Use shared file system and 'cacheDir' in reports server config file

Table 2-2 12c Architecture Features vs. 10g Functionality

12c New Features Equivalent 10g Functionality

OAM Integration. Oracle Reports Services applications in Oracle FMW 12c can now use Oracle Access Manager (OAM) 12c server as an authentication server in the Single Sign-On mode. OAM Server provides a full range of security functions that include Web Single Sign-On, authentication and authorization.When running Reports Services, it uses OID as the identity store. OAM Server can use webgate as the access client configured with Oracle HTTP Server.

Only Oracle Single Sign-On (OSSO) Server responsible for managing user's Single Sign-On sessions.

Integration with CAM (Common Admin Model) for System components (Reports Server, Reports Tools, Reports Bridge). CAM improves and standardizes the administration of system components. It provides:

  • Standardized domain and directory model

  • Centralized configuration.

  • Scripting via WLST

  • Standardized provisioning via Config Wizard and Pack/Unpack

  • Enhanced configuration management

  • Node Manager as the standard agent

  • Oracle Instance based directory model

  • Distributed configuration

  • OPMN as standard agent

  • OUI based standard installer for Forms and Reports

Server Stability

  

Database-backed job queue repository. Use of the database as the job repository helps to avoid DAT file corruption, and also ensures no loss of scheduled jobs. It is also easier to manage jobs in the database.

Only file system-based DAT file repository.

New command line argument: JOBRETRY. When specified, this value takes precedence over the retry attribute of the job element. Jobs are retried for all unexpected errors. For more information, see Section A.6.15, "JOBRETRY".

Number of times to retry a failed job can be specified in the server configuration file using the retry attribute of the job element, or on the command line for scheduled jobs only Jobs are retried only in the case of engine crash failures.

High Availability

  

Database-backed job queue repository. Use of the database as the job repository provides the following High Availability (HA) benefits:

  • Ability to view consolidated jobs for the complete group of Reports Servers in Oracle Enterprise Manager, and perform operations on this consolidated jobs. See Section 6.10.2, "Displaying a Consolidated Job Queue".

  • Scheduled jobs do not get lost even if the Reports Server where the jobs are scheduled goes down.

The administrator must view the job queues for each Reports Server separately.

A scheduled job is lost if the Reports Server where the job was scheduled goes down.

Oracle Reports Server Cluster with shared job repository and cache, including Java Object Cache. Reports Servers communicate via peer-to-peer mechanisms for job management, to minimize manual administration and for automatic failover of jobs. Access to cached output even when the Reports Server that processed the master job is not available.

Use of Oracle Reports caching mechanism. Cache not shared among Reports Servers. Cached output is not available to other servers if the Reports Server where it is cached goes down.

Proprietary clustering and HA mechanism.

For more information about High Availability, see Section 2.5, "Setting Up a High Availability Environment".