This week is Oracle OpenWorld 2011. Yesterday afternoon I gave my session on incorporating Oracle Application Express within the Oracle SOA Suite. Because of the large amount of questions I got to publish my presentation online, here it is.

When looking at Oracle Application Express we learn that we can use it perfectly for generating User Interfaces on top of datasources. These sources don’t necessarily have to be inside the database. Since APEX 4.0 there are great possibilities to consume web services in a APEX environment, when we use these as our datasources (and even as our Business Logic layer) we can incorporate the power of APEX within the Oracle SOA Suite.

In the presentation I show two great examples on how you can use this in real live. Extending functionality of both Oracle E-Business Suite and Oracle CRM On Demand using the SOA Suite and Application Express. There are a lot more examples to think of.

Since the release of the (first) Oracle Exadata Database Machine in 2009 and the soon followed acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2010 Oracle is in the Hardware business. Not a bad position to stand in. But sales are not as promised and one of the large complaints about the Exadata (Database) and ExaLogic (Middleware) machines an often heard complaint is that the machines are simply ‘too big’. And it’s probably true. An Exadata machine can hold an extremely large Data Warehouse, but will it effectively run your database applications with economics in mind? But we have to take into account that the Exadata machine offers great flexibility and extra features we would love to see on other database machines.

So now, just a week before Oracle OpenWorld 2011, the answer is here. Oracle now offers us the Oracle Database Appliance. (Sounds as if we’re dealing with fancy kitchen machines, doesn’t it?) It’s a full grown machine that offers flexibility and some of the neat features the Exadata machine offers us. Only, this time it’s smaller. The flexibility mainly lies in the fact that Oracle offers an increasable licensing model with it.

When you purchase the Database Appliance, you can start off as small as 2 cores licensed. And, as your applications grow, either in size or complexity, you can mature toward a full grown 24 processor core machine. Without changing the underlying hardware configurations. So it really can be seen as an investment.

The Oracle Database Appliance in itself (not even looking at the flexibility of the license structure) is quite impressive. Two Oracle Enterprise Linux based Database Servers in one package. Each based on two Intel-Xeon 6-core CPU’s (hence the license model going from 2 times 1 core to 2 times 12 cores) and a stunning 96 Gigabytes of memory. Besides this, the machine contains 12TB (triple-mirrored, so effectively 4TB) of hot-swappable disks of database storage. Plus, the now essential SSD’s for Database redo-log’s and HDD’s for the server OS.

This all sounds pretty good to me. A system that offers a lot, but still can ‘grow’ together with the needs that you have for your database systems. Of course, this is without mentioning the costs of the machine itself. But all in all it looks positive. It just might be what Oracle needs in the Hardware business.

Here is a video of the official release of The Oracle Database Appliance.

For coming Oracle OpenWorld, from 2 till 6 October this year, my paper on Oracle Application Express within the Oracle SOA Suite was selected. Two hot Oracle-topics combined into a one hour power session on how to work effectively with two technologies that somewhat collide with each other. But it isn’t such a strange topic, I’ve been talking about it for quite a while now.

When taking an abstract look at Oracle APEX, we see a technology that uses the Oracle Database to generate user interfaces on top of data in a fast manner. It doesn’t really care what the source of the data is. Tables in the database itself, or web services. Using this ‘clean’ look on the technology it is quite possible to combine the powerful features of APEX with the essentials for Service Oriented Architecture embedded in the Oracle SOA Suite.

There are three basic approaches to this. First is using APEX merely as a way to show content that is offered by a web service. Second is building APEX applications on top of the Oracle Database as if we where using Oracle ADF’s Business Components. Simply build screens on top of a database. Use SOA components for everything else. Third is a wider approach, combining method one and two into something completely different. A completely clean web application build using Oracle Application Express that calls and receives answers from web services and BPEL processes.

It is as simple as that. (There is some more to it, but I will tell you about that during oow11…)

Are there any specific parts that you would like to hear about during this session? Some difficulties you want us to tackle? Tell me in the comments! It’s time to build up an awesome session!

In 2009 Oracle acquired a company called GoldenGate. GoldenGate offered software for real time data integration. The Oracle GoldenGate product is often mistaken for an ETL tool, but this is not what it is. But where can the value for Oracle GoldenGate be found?

When we look at the possibilities of real time data integration, the business case can be quite simple. Replication of an online database. But there are lots more implementations of Oracle GoldenGate that can be of interest. Here we can think about replicating databases for high availability, zero downtime configurations, live reporting, business intelligence replication or integration within a SOA environment.

Oracle GoldenGate uses the Database transition logs to determine what data is affected. This is a completely different approach than other replication software, that most of the time simply mirrors database. This technology is also the foundation why we can do real time data integration. Less data (e.q. only the transactions made) means less time transmitting. Sounds simple enough right?

Oracle GoldenGate can apply this technology not only on Oracle Databases, but also on IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Sybase ASE, Teradata, SQL/MP, SQL/MP, TimesTen and Enscribe. With this pretty complete offering, a lot of solutions are possible. What to think about mirroring an Oracle database to a MySQL instance to create a relatively cheap backup? Or a heterogeneous environment consisting of mainframes, SQL Servers, DB2’s and Sybase into one Oracle Database for consolidation?

In the Oracle GoldenGate 11g Implementer’s guide by John P. Jeffries we see a various way of implementation possibilities for GoldenGate. Jeffries shows some examples of GoldenGate architecture, like one-to-one for disaster recovery and bi-directional data integration on active systems.

When talking about high availability, we Oracle people immediately think Real Application Clusters, RAC. I hope. Fortunately, Oracle GoldenGate can be completely integrated with Oracle RAC. This means that we actually create a high-availability scheme, based on standard Oracle RAC, using the possibilities that GoldenGate offers us.

Especially when we’re talking large amounts of data, in complex database and data integration environments, Oracle GoldenGate can offer us huge advantages. It certainly is worth the effort of investigating and it’s a pity not everyone in the Oracle world is familiar with the technology.

You can find the Oracle GoldenGate 11g Implementer’s Guide here.

The last few weeks at my new employer I’ve been diving into something very interesting: Oracle Application Integration Architecture. This package based solution for application integration really is impressive. The thing is: not only integration between standard Oracle packages can benefit from this approach, but every service-oriented architecture project could, potentially, gain from the knowledge Oracle has put in it.

The Oracle Application Integration Architecture (in short Oracle AIA) package consist of two separate products that basically offers a method and framework for application integration. Any application integration. Robust integration. The Foundation Pack offers a wide variety of some of the things that are most challenging to implement into any SOA project; like error-handling, building standards and design patterns. The Process Integration Packs (PIP’s) are build upon the AIA Foundation Pack and offer complete end-to-end realization of business processes. Including the integration of the applications involved. This is, of course, brilliant.

But even if we’re not integrating standardized processes with standard applications like Siebel, PeopleSoft or the Oracle e-Business Suite (which implies that we have nothing to gain with the PIP’s), Oracle AIA can offer us something we can benefit from. The Foundation Pack.

The most time or effort within a SOA project is often not spend on defining the functionality we need for the business processes, but in defining everything surrounding our new SOA landscape. How do we control and manage errors (in other words; what happens if, at any point, the process stops running?). And, maybe the most important: how do we actually model and design our SOA landscape? All these essential questions are answered for us in the Oracle AIA Foundation Pack.

So, for both money saving and mistake handling (why should we invent the wheel ourselves if someone else has done it for us?) AIA can offer us something. And for 46k per processor, I really think there can be a Business Case. Especially when we take the credibility and support in account.

A week ago I received a new Oracle APEX book from Packt Publishing with the question to review it and tell the world about the book. The Oracle APEX 4.0 Cookbook is just released and written by Marcel van der Plas and Michel van Zoest, both (ex-)colleagues of me. Because of their extended insight knowledge of Oracle Application Express and projects done with the tool I do think they are the right couple of people to write this book.

The book has become a very interesting distillation of APEX best-practices and adds real value to any Oracle Application Express project. Both for beginners as well as experienced developers. I think this isn’t something you can do easily, but the boys did it.

The book gives inside knowledge to the reader broken down in the form of recipes. And it truly are bites on a platter (hapklare brokken, for the Dutch among us). And it works. The recipes are simple, jet effective, pieces of information. It basically works as an off-line wiki: no more extensive and hard to understand theoretical articles, but small and understanding portions. Finger Food.

This approach is very effective. We no longer need to google our answers and browse tons of articles before we find a solution, but it is served to us. It has cost me, and other developers with me, years of trial and error before we got the knowledge that is combined in this book.

But now the book itself.

The Oracle APEX 4.0 Cookbook covers both the basics as the ‘real thing’. It is set up as a ‘how to’ step by step guide that takes us into the world of Application Express. Beginning with the basic build of an application. For the sake of it, I will not go into that further.

The book gets really interesting in the second part. This is where the years of experience of the authors kicks in. Finally a simple book that tells us what to do, the good way. Themes and Templates get dissected so we actually can understand them and tweak them the way we want to. The chapter about Extending APEX works around examples using JavaScript, AJAX and JavaScript Libraries and it’s put up in a way so we can easily understand what the writer is doing and not only copy the example, but actually (for example) extend APEX with our won JavaScript Library.

In my personal opinion, chapter 10, ‘APEX Environment’, is the most interesting part and discusses an aspect of APEX implementation that is too often undermined. The APEX architecture. Both the development architecture (subscriptions, debugging and version control) and the production architecture (three tier infrastructure, Apache proxy and APEX Listener). This chapter tells us how an APEX application is best developed and deployed.

The Oracle APEX 4.0 Cookbook is available at Packt Publishing.

Two weeks ago I published a Whitebook about one of the best new publications for architects by Oracle. The IT Strategies from Oracle. I’ve got quite a few good responses to the article and I’m really excited about the library and Oracle Reference Architecture framework. So I would like to share it with you too. So I Google translated it for you. (Excuses for the possibility of strange sentences, it is an automated translation…)

One step further towards proven results: IT Strategies from Oracle

November 2010 – Result. For years one of the slogans that Oracle touts its technology. Recently, Oracle has published a reference library consisting of proven architectures, a strategic approach to technology and designs for various industries.

The reference architectures are prepared by the architect team of Oracle itself and supported by product development. Interesting material, but what will we gain? And adds it actually matter?
This White Book we explain a few elements from this library to answer these questions.

IT Strategies from Oracle

Until now, the development and implementation of Oracle technologies and applications depend on the experience and knowledge of the implementing party. This means in practice that there are many different approaches to the same matter are the same solutions were implemented in a totally different way. With its “IT Strategies” Oracle is trying to change this situation.

IT Strategies from Oracle (ITSO) is a library of documents written to support organizations with the architecture and implementation of complex IT landscapes.

The entire ITSO is based around three main themes;

• Oracle reference architecture
• Technology strategies
• Solution Design

Oracle Reference Architecture (ORA) is the core of these three themes. The picture below is the ITSO schematically. Here we see the left of the ORA are the perspectives on technology and industry perspectives right.

Overview of IT Strategies from Oracle

Substance, the ITSO from reference architecture (ORA) and a number of best practices in the development, implementation and management of technologies throughout the organization. The combination of principles and standards described in the reference architecture and the transfer of knowledge and experience in best practice implementations can be more tightly organized and deliver better results.

Oracle Reference Architecture

Oracle Reference Architecture (ORA) has been prepared by the Oracle (Enterprise) Architects and based on years of experience in the implementation of Oracle technologies. These architects have worked closely for the preparation of product development for Oracle and Oracle Consulting. In addition, the experience and knowledge of customers and Oracle partners are included. This is a thorough set of guidelines and best practices become. By following this you will come to a correct implementation and continuity of solutions based on Oracle technologies.

The ORA is indeed based on Oracle, but is not limited to Oracle technologies. It describes a proven way of the entire lifecycle of an architecture that is not limited by technology or supplier.

Layers

ORA is organized in ‘layers’, layers where the full technical and applicative architecture within an organization can be built. There are both horizontal and vertical layers, as the figure shows.

The horizontal layers represent elements in the hierarchical architecture that built on each other. These elements make use of each function. This layer contains the shared infrastructure, information management, application infrastructure and interaction.

Within the vertical layers are treated the elements and principles that apply to the entire architecture, called “Cross Cutting Concerns”. Components are development, security and management.
Perspective: Technology and Industry

The architecture has two perspectives from which deeper into the principles and standards are addressed. This is Enterprise Technology Strategies (ETS) Enterprise Solution and Design (ESD).
Enterprise Technology Strategies (ETS) covers architectures and solutions, focusing on the Oracle Technology Stack. Think of topics like SOA, EDA, BPM and Cloud Computing.

Enterprise Solution Design (ESD) focuses more precisely on the industry-specific solutions needed for the proper implementation of the stack of Oracle Applications. Think, for example, industry specific architectures for solutions for government and the banking sector.

Maturity Model

The ORA provides, like most architecture frameworks into a model to determine at what stage of maturity, for the implementation, an organization is located. This is needed to determine whether an organization is sufficiently developed and adequate knowledge to a strategic technology to embrace.

The Maturity Model is based on the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and by all the different ETSs used to determine what knowledge and experience should be. The model consists of eight elements which are all individually assessed. This is about technology-related elements and organizational disciplines.

Within the Maturity Model is measured in two dimensions: the maturity of knowledge and level of adoption of technology and architecture within the organization.

The maturity of the eight elements is measured in six levels (from highest to lowest):

• ‘Optimized’. There is actually measured and adjusted incrementally to proactively respond to changes within the organization and technology.
• “Managed”. It is both quantitatively and qualitatively controlled.
• ‘Systematic’. The approach is fixed and is (almost) always followed.
• ‘Opportunistic’. An approach exists, but is only applied when it launches.
• “Ad Hoc”. The organization is aware of the benefits of the strategy, but there is still no concrete plan followed.
• ‘None’. There is no strategy, no vision and approach.

Adoption is the extent to which the ETS is accepted within the organization. This involves what level and how widely the technology is deployed within the organization. This is measured in:

• ‘Enterprise Level’. The same approach is used by the whole organization and implemented.
• Cross Division. The same approach is used by several divisions of the organization financed and implemented.
• “Wide Division. The same approach within an entire division and worn out.
• Program Level. The approach is program level, several projects implemented and supported.
• Project Level “. The approach within a project financed and implemented.
• “No Implementation”. There is no implementation of the element which is measured across the entire organization is known.

The combination of the maturity level and degree of adoption outlines the effort that must be delivered to a technology and architecture within an organization to ensure successful and effective to deploy. Growth is the model always possible, but must be considered that growth occurs in steps.

This could support an organization help develop a plan to achieve a greater level of adoption to come and / or the maturity of the organization, for example in the implementation of SOA and BPM to a higher maturity level. This gives direction and focus for further development.

Reference Architecture: Software

The ORA for ‘Software Engineering deals with the Oracle prepared, but generally accepted, principles of software development within organizations. This differentiates Oracle two basic principles.
First reference to ‘Asset-Centric Engineering. This is a way to develop around a shared repository where all elements of software development are kept. This makes it possible to iteratively and team-oriented work. Here has its own Oracle Oracle Unified Method for example, developed and used in conjunction with Scrum. Also describes this way of developing information-sharing throughout the project. Think, for example, version of code and documentation.

Secondly, ‘Standards as a general principle raised. Besides “Asset-centric Engineering software reference architecture that describes a set of standards should be agreed within the entire organization. Think agree on project methodology, management methodology, implementation and management standards but also standards for design and development.

The “Reference Architecture Software Engineering is composed of a number of” Views “. These are fields that look forward software development can be addressed. The different views are constructed from the conceptual, logical, deployment and product mapping view. Within the various views look at other aspects of software development.

Within the reference architecture for Oracle’s entire software development technology landscape treatment. Among other things, refers to JDeveloper, ADF, BPM Suite, but APEX is not underexposed. In the ‘Product Mapping View “For example, extensive attention to the position in the software that occupy various Oracle technologies.

Reference Architecture: Service-Oriented Architecture

Specifically for the successful implemtenteren of SOA and BPM, there are currently two written extensions to the ORA. This ‘Foundation’ and ‘Infrastructure’ documents cover, separately, the logical or technical principles of SOA and BPM.

If we look at the “SOA Foundation, we see that the standards and principles of Service-Oriented Architecture approach and discusses the logical architecture. This is the document “SOA Foundation has become an ideal way to SOA to understand and align the organization.

Within the document, the Foundation of SOA architectural principles discussed from the Logical Architecture. The following figure of the “SOA Logical Model” shows the various elements within the SOA architecture again. A distinction is made between the SOA Infrastructure (also discussed in detail in the “SOA Infrastructure” document), the layers of services (Service Layer), service providers and service customers.

Expansion in bonds, specifically for SOA, discusses the principles that each of these elements must meet. The value of such document lies in avoiding confusion within SOA projects. It gives focus to determine what is and is not within the subject project.

ORA and Enterprise Architecture

The Oracle Reference Architecture should certainly not be confused with Enterprise Architecture (EA). But it is certainly true that EA ORA fits within existing structures such as TOGAF or Oracle’s own Enterprise Architecture Framework.

If we ORA places within Enterprise Architecture, we can say that it deals with the technical architecture.

Conclusion

“IT Strategies from Oracle” is a solid and well thought out framework for developing an organization-wide architecture based on Oracle technology, but also within a heterogeneous environment. It is not yet complete. Thus missing the Enterprise Solution Designs for industry-specific perspectives. Furthermore, not all technology perspectives completed.

It would be nice if in the short term levels (Foundation and Infrastructure) technology to the other perspectives are. Think of technologies like Business Intelligence, EDA, Cloud Computing and Enterprise 2.0.

For many organizations, this strategy very useful documentation. It helps to create a clear line between Oracle, Oracle Partners and customers. By sharing best practices will be better quality can be secured and communication between the different parties run better. For customers this means more time on the actual implementation can be spent. When asked “What good is this library?” We could simply say that the organizations will learn to deal constructively with Oracle technologies and to obtain more reliable results in projects, because clearer focus, definition, guidance and clarity is created. “Adds it really matter?” Yes. It gives us a proven architecture and approach, it is result-oriented and supports all IT landscapes.

More information

The “IT Strategies from Oracle” is available at: http://www.oracle.com/goto/itstrategies

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer works on cancer control throughout entire Canada and for the information and access control to their peers they implemented Oracle WebCenter Spaces and a lot more Oracle products. During a great session at Oracle OpenWorld 2010 the organization showed us how they did the complex implementation in under 6 months time. Impressive.

Act to what we know, share expertise and gather knowledge are the three objectives that the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer has. To facilitate this for their peers they implemented a Partnership Portal, based on the Oracle portfolio.

The prime part of the newly implemented partner portal is the collaboration functionality. Using Oracle Identity Management and Oracle WebCenter Spaces the organization implemented the solution as soon as possible.

The entire reference case showed that the implementation of enterprise (and even between that) is possible and effective. The entire solution was implemented in under 6 months, instead of the 18 months it would normally take. This was done by doing small iterations and learning from the beta’s already in production at various, selected partners.

Because of the small team at the organization itself they implemented out of the box and it gave enough functionality to meet the requirements. An impressive example that the implementation of Enterprise 2.0 can be fast and effective.

One of the most intriguing sessions this tuesday of Oracle OpenWorld 2010 was the one about ‘The role of SOA in Enterprise Architecture’. Service Oriented Architecture is, in my point of view, simply a technology that offers us the possibility to combine business processes and system integration, but one thing it’s not: Enterprise Architecture.

It’s fairly simple: Service Oriented Architecture and Enterprise Architecture are two completely different subjects. Of course, SOA can take a role in developing an Enterprise Architecture. And probably a very important one. I’m glad that Harish Gaur, director of fusion middleware product management at Oracle, agrees with me.

During the session Haris Gaur helped the attendees gain insight in where SOA is able to be mapped onto various elements of Enterprise Architecture. A very interesting model is produced by Gaur and his team showing the SOA on EA Mapping.

Combining Business Process Orchestration, business services, data services and infrastructure against the 4 basic elements of Enterprise Architecture: Business, Information, Application and Infrastructure Architectures.

This cannot be a discussion: Service Oriented Architecture and Enterprise Architecture are not the same thing. But they do work together like a charm.

Today I was proud to be a part of the Oracle Enterprise Architecture Executive Summit 2010. Held during the Oracle OpenWorld conference it was a large and interesting group of people talking about the ‘next big thing’ in IT after the invention of the keyboard.

During the opening it was stated that, and I’m glad, that Oracle now has more focus on Enterprise Architecture because of the possibilities it creates for their customers. Of course, EA is a topic we can debate upon, but I must agree that Oracle has a big point here. It just might be the best way to make shure large implementations of (Oracle) software will pay off.

It’s good to see the Oracle interpretation of Enterprise Architecture (Oracle has it’s own process, framework and repository) is based upon the standards that are here today and have proven themselves. They didn’t invent it themselves.

During the exceptionally great session by Dr. Jeanne W. Ross I got a bit enlightened. EA isn’t done as much as I thought by grey people who love to document. It is, a I believe myself, all about strategy and agility of organizations, with the help of Information Technology.

One of the great conclusions of one of the break out panel sessions was that Enterprise Architecture is a collaborative process between Business and IT.

What have I been saying all this time?

(Will write more about the sessions at the Summit in the coming days.)