A typical mobile flow is as follows:
- The mobile app is launched. If it’s the first launch, it will ask the user for the Host Name to where it should connect (this is remembered for future connections).
- It makes an XHR HTTP Request to the given host with the REST end-point suffixed, eg, GET https://ebsprod.applaudsolutions.com/OA_HTML/applaud/api/
- The DMZ/Reverse Proxy forwards the request to the External Tier, which calls the Applaud REST Servlet
- The REST Servlet retrieves the request and maps it to a REST API using the REST catalog
- The REST API is invoked and the HTTP response (typically with a JSON payload) is returned back to the mobile app
- This HTTP request/response flow continues as and when the mobile app needs to retrieve additional server data
The desktop flow is identical, except that internal desktop users’ requests will be routed to an internal tier rather than an external tier.
Patch Zip File
The patch delivers UI assets and server-side code into a single zip file, which may contain any combination of bug fixes, updates, or upgrades. It is named as follows:
xxasemp-v<version-number>.zip
For example:
xxasemp-v001234.zip
When unzipped, the patch will contain a structure similar to the following fictional example:
xxasemp-v001234\
README.txt
install.sh
metadata\
xxas_com_manifest.txt
xxas_com_prereq.txt
XXAS_TOP\
bin\
abc.sh
xyz.sh
<etc>
sql\
xxas_com_abc.sql
xxas_com_pkg.pkh
xxas_com_pkg.pkb
<etc>
import\
xxas_com_abc.ldt
xxas_com_xyz.ldt
<etc>
txt\
xxas_com_abc.txt
<etc>
mds\abc\webui\
OaFrameworkPG.xml
<etc>
<etc>\
JAVA_TOP\
xxas\oracle\apps\xxas\<etc>
<etc>
OA_HTML\
a\
html.zip
index.html
<etc>
xxas\
some_jsp.jsp
flash\
<etc>
cabo\styles\
xxas_emp.xss
other_claf.xss
OA_MEDIA\
xxas\
some_icon.png
custom\
<etc>
The patch zip file can be unloaded into a directory of your choice, so long as it has access to your Oracle E-Business Suite Application Tier file system.
Patch Readme
The Patch Readme contains installation instructions for each patch. The README file is located directly under the patch directory and is called README.txt.
Automated Installation
For UNIX and Linux-based systems, a shell script (/bin/sh) is provided that will automate installation. The script is located directly under the patch directory and is called install.sh. Windows installations can also be performed using MKS Toolkit; CYGWIN is not supported for Applaud product installation.
This shell script uses a combination of other shell scripts (located in the patch’s XXAS_TOP/bin directory) and SQL scripts (located in the patch’s XXAS_TOP/sql directory) to automate installation. The shell scripts use the same utilities that are specified as pre-requisites to installing Oracle E-Business Suite (such as unzip and awk).
During installation, you will be prompted for any additional information as required, such as the APPS password. Any passwords that you enter are only used during that install session and are not stored anywhere or written to log files.
Multiple Application Tier File Systems
If your Application Tier has several nodes with their own file system, rather than a single file system shared across all nodes, you will need to repeat the installation on each file system. The files will not be reapplied to the database; they will simply be copied to the relevant Product Tops.
To achieve this you simply re-run the install.sh on each file system. You will be informed that the patch has already been installed and will be offered the choice of continuing or canceling.
Patch Restart
Applaud patches have built-in restart capabilities in the event of patch failures, such as a file that failed to apply or a power failure. The next time you launch installation for that patch it will automatically continue with installation from the point of failure.
Log Files
Each patch session will create a log file in your current directory. As described in the README for each patch, it is recommended that you change to the directory of the install.sh script before launching installation so that the patch log files are all contained in one place. Any log files created by Oracle processes, such as FNDLOAD, will also be created in the current directory.
You are alerted to the log file for each patch session. In the event of failure of installation problems, Applaud Solutions may request the patch log files to help diagnose any problems.
Upon successful installation, all patch log files will be copied to the patch directory of the XXAS_TOP Product Top.
Patch Metadata
The patch’s metadata directory contains files that describe the contents of the patch. The xxas_com_manifest.txt file lists most files in the patch (there are some exceptions, such as one-time install files).
One-time Install
One-time Installation will launch the first time any Applaud patch is installed onto an Oracle E-Business Suite database. The process only needs to be completed once per database.
The one-time installation will:
- Create a new XXAS custom schema (recommended) or alternatively use an existing custom schema
- Setup the Applaud Product Top $XXAS_TOP
- Create and populate the custom metadata tables into the custom schema
- Register the Applaud Solutions Custom Application
- Load the Applaud Administrator responsibility, menu, and concurrent programs
- Request that AutoConfig be run to deploy custom Java Servlets
Applaud Metadata
Similar to Oracle’s adpatch utility, Applaud loads patch and file version information into a number of custom metadata tables (xxas_com_applied_patches, xxas_com_applied_files, etc). This improves patch application time, enables restart capabilities, improves support diagnostic, and prevents subsequent patches from applying older versions of files.
Custom Schema
One-time Installation recommends that a new XXAS custom schema be created. This:
- Segregates Applaud products from any existing Oracle and custom objects
- Helps preserve Applaud products during upgrades
- Reduces the risk of accidental damage to Applaud products
You will be prompted to enter a new password for the XXAS schema. It is strongly recommended that you use a secure password and change the password regularly. You will also be prompted for the existing SYSTEM password, which will be needed to create the custom schema.
The XXAS schema will be created using the Oracle Applications Tablespace Model (OATM), which radically improves tablespace management.
If you opt to use your own existing custom schema, you will be prompted for the name and password of the existing custom schema.
Online Patching with 12.2
Applaud Self Service is an Oracle-validated E-Business Suite 12.2 integration and Oracle has confirmed compliance with online-patching coding standards.
The products integrate as described in Guidance for Integrating Custom and Third-Party Products With Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 (ID 1916149.1) and pass the tests described in Using the Online Patching Readiness Report in Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 (ID 1531121.1).
Applaud Solutions Product Top
During One-time Installation, Applaud will create a new custom Product Top. The Product Top is called XXAS_TOP and the physical directory is located as follows:
$APPL_TOP/xxas/1.0.1
The installation will guide you through the manual steps to add the $XXAS_TOP environment variable to a custom environment file. During installation, many of the patch files will be copied to directories under the XXAS_TOP Product Top, such as SQL and PL/SQL scripts. It will also copy the patch manifest file (xxas_com_manifest.txt) and any generated log files to the patch directory.
Custom Java Servlets
Several custom Java Servlets are deployed as part of Applaud production installation, which are used for accessing RESTful services. Custom Java Servlets are deployed into Oracle E-Business Suite using Oracle’s recommended approach. This requires new <servlet> and <servlet-mapping> entries into the relevant AutoConfig template. For example, in 12.1.3 the following custom template is updated (or created if it doesn’t already exist) with additional entries:
$FND_TOP/admin/template/custom/orion_web_xml_1013.tmp
AutoConfig needs to be run on the Application Tier to actually deploy the custom java servlets; this only needs to be run once.
HTML and Javascript
Applaud products are built using single-page javascript applications. Basic front-end assets, including index.html and a small number of other web assets, are installed to the following location on the Oracle E-Business Suite server:
$OA_HTML/a/
When a user starts the web app it will download these assets into the user's browser. The browser will also download other web assets, such as javascript, font, and CSS assets directly from Applaud Cloud at applaudsolutions.com.