Oracle Upgrade Support Entitlement - "A Real Life Case" for EBS customers upgrading databases from 11g to 19C

 Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well. Today, I want to share a summary of a recent discussion on my forum about upgrading from version 11.2.0.4 to 19C specifically in the context of an EBS R12.1.3 system. Here we will see the upgrade support entitlement in action.

Well, let's dive into the case;

the upgrade path in mind was to migrate 11.2.0.4 database from Linux 5.4 server to Oracle Linux 8 server and upgrade it to 19C on Oracle Linux 8 server.

So there was a requirement for EBS 11.2.0.4 database running on Oracle Linux 8 and that's created questions about the certification.

Certification tab on Oracle Support said ; 11.2.0.4 is certified with Oracle Linux 8 and EBS 12.1.3 was certified with 11.2.0.4. 

However; when we checked Oracle EBS 12.1.3 and Oracle Database 11.2.0.4 certification together as a bundle, the certification tab on Oracle Support didn't directly told anything about Oracle Linux 8 certification.

With this incomplete(or confusing) information, one might directly think the following;

Linux 8 is certified with Oracle Database 11.2.0.4 .
Linux 8 is certified with Oracle EBS 12.1.3.

This makes -> Linux 8 is certified with Oracle EBS 12.1.3 (with 11.2.0.4 database). 

So, a config like EBS 12.1.3 and Oracle Database 11.2.0.4 should run properly on Oracle Linux 8 that s for sure. 

But! when we checked the certification matrix for Oracle Applications (aka EBS) R12.1.3 and Oracle 11.2.0.4 database combination, we didn't see Oracle/RH Linux 8 listed, so maybe Oracle Linux 8 was not certified with Oracle Database 11.2.0.4 in EBS 12.1.3 context.

MOS note named Oracle E-Business Suite Installation and Upgrade Notes Release 12 (12.1.1) for Linux x86-64 (Doc ID 761566.1) was a reference. 

But that was also creating confusions there, cause there was nothing about such a restriction.

additional ref: https://blogs.oracle.com/ebstech/post/ebs-1213-migration-to-oracle-linux-8-and-red-hat-enterprise-linux-8-now-certified

Another ref: Requirements for Installing Oracle Database/Client 11.2.0.4 on OL8 or RHEL8 64-bit (x86-64) (Doc ID 2988626.1)

The only thing we see there was -> "Customers installing E-Business Suite 12.1.1 on the above operating systems using Rapid Install must upgrade the Oracle Database to 11gR2 (11.2.0.3 or higher for OL/RHEL 6, 11.2.0.4 for OL/RHEL 7 and SLES 12), 12c (12.1.0.1 or higher for OL/RHEL 6, 12.1.0.2 for OL/RHEL 7 and SLES 12) or 19c (for Oracle Linux/RHEL 7 and 8 and SLES 12) ...."

But this might be misleading and may not be an up-to-date information. Cause those products each, their own was certified with Oracle Linux.

Anyways;

Here is important information;

EBS 12.1.3 and Oracle Database 11.2.0.4 is a certified configuration (at least for using it some time before upgrading to 19C)

But! in order to make this work , you need to have Upgrade Support Entitlement. That 's the rule.. And, one of the justification for this is to be able to download patches that make this configuration work. 

An example is in relinking.. In order to fix the relink errors, you need a patch to fix the issue.

--> (Requirements for Installing Oracle Database/Client 11.2.0.4 on OL8 or RHEL8 64-bit (x86-64) (Doc ID 2988626.1), 

but ! you can download the patch only if we have “Upgrade support entitlement”.

Interesting fact.

This is the important thing and the main purpose of this blog post. So I hope, I cleared the doubts here. This is with the the help of my oracle forum, this is the benefit of it.. Of course, big thanks to my followers.

One last important note; Oracle Grid Infrastructure 11.2.0.4 is not supported on Oracle Linux 8. To install Oracle Oracle RAC 11g Release 2 11.2.0.4 on Oracle Linux 8, first install Oracle Grid Infrastructure 19c and then install Oracle RAC 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.4).

Erman Arslan's Oracle Forum / Until 2025 May - "Oracle Q & A Series"

Empower yourself with knowledge! 

Erman Arslan's Oracle Blog offers a vibrant forum where you can tap into a wealth of experience. Get expert guidance and connect with a supportive community. Click the banner proclaiming "Erman Arslan's Oracle Forum is available now!" Dive into the conversation and ask your burning questions.

-- or just use the direct link: http://erman-arslan-s-oracle-forum.124.s1.nabble.comA testament to its vibrancy: over 2,000 questions have been posed, sparking nearly 10,000 insightful comments. Explore the latest discussions and see what valuable knowledge awaits!

Oracle EBS, Cloud, Exadata, ODA, KVM, Oracle Database, OS and all that.

Supporting the Oracle users around the world. Let's check what we have in 2025.

adop cutover by big

Query on interoperability patches from 11.2.0.4 to 19C by prabhunoule

Can't access Oracle EBS r12.2.4 by latifa

Report failing with ORA-19011: Character string buffer too small by VinodN

Nfs mount using blockvolume oci by satish

Mount block volume to dbcs server by satish

GSS error R12 by satish

ADOP Prepare Phase Fails with FATAL ERROR by Rabia

dbms_stats.gather_table_stats by Laurel

Integrate Microsoft Active Directory with Oracle Forms 12c by kvmishra

ADOP Patching Prepare phase has failed on Disaster Recovery site by jayr

Migrating EBS 12.2 to different DC with VMware cluster. by Firo

Prepare phase failing - ICM Issue by VinodN

WF notifications are blocked by big

Finding dropped users by ZT

Request taking long time by Samia

Flashback with EBS by VinodN

MICR fonts location in Oracle 12.2 by madhun17_ebs

backup LAN by Roshan

how to create short url for Oracle EBS R12.2 by Cherish312

Loading event to database connection issue rac by satish

DBMS redefinition by Roshan

db connection error after APPS password change by VinodN

Online Patch Enabling Patch Is Failing on ADZDPREP.sql by Mansoor8810

Oracle EBS R12.2 VM Server migration by kishor_sinha@yahoo.c...

ZD_EDITION_NAME SET2 not getting generated after patch cycles by sandy_fond

ORA-46655: no valid keys in the file from which keys are to be imported by Rabia

EBS 12.2 Application Patching by Firo

Migration to IAAS Cloud by Firo

after httpd.conf edited by big

ebs12.2.12 application go down by raiq1

enteprise manager cells by Roshan

.CEF and .FIN / oracle flexcube by pamqq

On Line help URL by big

OHS -- Unable to initialize SSL environment, nzos call nzosSetCredential returned 28791 OHS:2171 NZ Library Error: Unknown error

Today, I'm going to share a rather annoying OHS error and its solution. Sometimes these kinds of errors can really make you spend lots of time diagnosing, right? Luckily, we've figured out the fix and wanted to share it with you. Maybe it'll save someone some time.

If you've encountered the following error in your OHS log file when trying to start OHS, you're not alone!

Error:
Unable to initialize SSL environment, nzos call nzosSetCredential returned 28791 OHS:2171 NZ Library Error: Unknown error

I will assume that you already created your wallet and imported your certificate(s).

I mean you already properly executed the sequence of commands I have given example below , but still getting OHS:2171 NZ Library Error: Unknown Error..

orapki wallet create -wallet . -auto_login_only
orapki wallet add -wallet . -dn 'CN=BLABLA,OU=FOR TESTING ONLY,O=FOR TESTING ONLY' -keysize 2048 -self_signed -validity 3650 -auto_login_only-

-Ref: Doc ID 2729766.1 12c: How to Recreate the Default Wallet that has Expired from Oracle HTTP Server

Actually, this issue is generic and can be encountered in lots of cases where you couldn't place certificates in the right wallet, or where you didn't correctly specified your wallet location in ssl.conf but !I already assumed that you did everything right in this context, and still encountering the issue.

So, in that case, you should check your admin.conf. There may be a misalignment between the server name written in the admin.conf and the server name (DN - CN) you used while executing "orapki wallet add" command..

For instance, if you have a real server name (rather than localhost) written in admin.conf you should use the same server name while importing your certificate into your wallet using "orapki wallet add" command. That is, if you have the real server name in the admin.conf,  and if you use localhost rather than that server name in orapki wallet add command, you may end up with this. You may still import your certificate but your OHS won't start and it will fail and report "nzosSetCredential returned 28791 OHS:2171 NZ Library Error: Unknown error."

The best practice (and the solution) is to have the real server name in the admin conf (as the ServerName value) and use that server name in the orapki add -wallet -dn command (example command: orapki wallet add -wallet . -dn 'CN=exampleservername,OU=FOR TESTING ONLY,O=FOR TESTING ONLY' -keysize 2048 -self_signed -validity 3650 -auto_login_only)

Why KVM? (Oracle KVM vs. Other Virtualization Solutions)

Why KVM? 

Ever wondered how Oracle KVM stacks up against the big players like VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V? Well, we explained it in our tech event last week, and here I'm sharing some of the things we have gone through in this context. 

We will go through the following table for comparing Oracle KVM , ESXi and Hyper-V.

This table looks at the issue from some of the most important / key dimensions.

Well, Let's dive in!

• Open Source: KVM shines here. It's a big YES for open source, unlike VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V. For us open-source enthusiasts, this is a major plus!

• Licensing Cost: Now, this is where things get interesting. KVM is generally "Low" on the cost scale, which is fantastic. VMware ESXi? Well, the table says "High," and from what I've seen, that rings true. Microsoft Hyper-V lands in the "Medium" zone. Cost can be a big factor, especially for smaller setups or those just starting out.

See this blog post as well -> https://ermanarslan.blogspot.com/2025/04/oracle-linux-kvm-steps-up.html

• Performance: When it comes to power, both Oracle KVM and VMware ESXi are tagged as "High." That's good news for those demanding top-notch performance. Microsoft Hyper-V is listed as "Medium." Performance can vary depending on your specific workloads, but it's good to see KVM holding its own.

• Management Tool: Here's where the ecosystems differ. KVM mostly rely on OLVM. VMware leans on vCenter, which is a robust but often pricey solution. Microsoft has SCVMM. The choice of management tool can really impact your day-to-day operations.

• Security: Security is paramount, right? KVM brings SeLinux & sVirt to the table, leveraging Linux's security features. VMware uses NSX, focusing on network security. Microsoft offers Shielded VMs. Each has its own approach to keeping your virtual machines safe and sound.

• Flexibility: This is where KVM's open-source nature really shines again. It's "Integrated with Linux," which gives it a lot of flexibility. VMware is described as a "Closed ecosystem," which can sometimes limit your options. Microsoft Hyper-V is "Windows-focused," so its strengths lie heavily within the Windows environment.

 In addition, if you are running Oracle database, KVM is clearly ahead in my opinion. In many aspects (support, cost, compatibility etc.)

Takeaway:

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Oracle KVM is a strong contender, especially if you’re looking to keep costs low. The “High” performance rating is also a big plus. However, still the best choice really depends on your specific needs, existing infrastructure, and comfort level with different ecosystems.

What are your thoughts on this comparison? Have you had experience with any of these hypervisors? Let me know in the comments below!

Oracle Linux KVM Steps Up

These days, we are in the virtualization world shaking up with the effects of Broadcom on VMware. Especially the recently announced minimum 72 core licensing requirement has become a nightmare for many VMware customers (small and mid-sized). This new policy, which will deeply shake the budgets of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has inevitably increased the interest in alternative virtualization solutions. At this point, Oracle's powerful and cost-effective virtualization platform Oracle Linux KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) stands out as a savior.

Yes, it must be admitted that the most well-known advantage of Oracle Linux KVM is its cost effectiveness. With VMware's new licensing model, having to pay the license fee for cores you don't use is not a sustainable situation for many companies. Oracle Linux KVM, on the other hand, offers zero license cost and completely solves these concerns. The support that comes with the Oracle Linux Premier Support subscription is a bonus.

However, what Oracle Linux KVM offers is not just about cost. Let's take a closer look at the other attractive features of this powerful virtualization solution:

High Performance: Thanks to its integrated structure into the Linux kernel, KVM offers performance close to hardware. This advantage becomes even more evident especially in today's high-core servers.

Scalability: KVM allows both vertical and horizontal scaling. You can easily add resources for your increasing workloads or run your virtual machines on different hardware.

Advanced Features: Critical enterprise features such as Live Migration, Snapshot, Cloning etc..

Hardware Support: Thanks to Linux's wide hardware compatibility, KVM also supports a wide range of server hardware.

Security: Linux's security-focused structure also creates a strong foundation for virtual machines running on KVM.

Oracle Integration: Especially for Oracle applications and databases, Oracle Linux KVM offers unique advantages. Thanks to the Hard Partitioning feature, you can fix virtual machines to specific physical cores and license them only for the cores used. This means a serious cost advantage, especially for Oracle.

Compatibility with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI): Oracle Linux KVM is the virtualization technology underlying OCI. In this way, you can easily move virtual machines in your on-premise environments to OCI or create hybrid cloud scenarios.

Uninterrupted Patching with Ksplice: Thanks to Oracle's unique Ksplice technology, you can apply kernel and user space security updates without having to reboot your virtual machines. This is a critical advantage in terms of business continuity.

Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager (OLVM): It is a user-friendly web-based management interface that allows you to easily manage your KVM environment. You can perform many operations such as creating, monitoring, and managing virtual machines via OLVM.

This new licensing policy of VMware actually pushes its customers to look for different and more flexible solutions. Beyond the cost advantage it offers, Oracle Linux KVM is a serious alternative to VMware with its performance, scalability and enterprise features. Especially if you are in the Oracle ecosystem, there is no reason not to consider Oracle Linux KVM.

Remember, technology is constantly evolving and changing. Today's "standards" may be tomorrow's "old" ones. Now is the time to reconsider your virtualization strategy and find the solution that best suits your needs. Give Oracle Linux KVM a try, you will not regret it.

See you in my next article, stay with technology!

EBS 12.2 -- Password Change / Special Characters / FNDCPASS and all that.

If you change the APPS password to something with special characters in it by the wrong way, you may encounter "ORA-01017: invalid username/password; logon denied" errors, almost in anything that touches the EBS DB. 

Here is an example thread in my forum : http://erman-arslan-s-oracle-forum.124.s1.nabble.com/db-connection-error-after-APPS-password-change-td12919.html

Note that, using the FNDCPASS utility to change the passwords of database users such as APPS , APPLSYS, GL etc to include special characters is NOT supported. I haven't tried it but I think the same goes for AFPASSWD (enhanced version of FNDCPASS).

However; you may use FNDCPASS to change an application user password (such as SYSADMIN's password)  to a value with specials characters. But! if you want to do that, you may need to use quotation marks.

Here is an example:

FNDCPASS apps/apps 0 Y system/manager USER SYSADMIN '$welcome1'

Note that, for some special characters, you don't need to use quotation marks.. This is by design..

Check the MOS note given below for supported special characters in application user passwords and the requirement of quotation marks in case of using them with FNDCPASS.

R12: How to change passwords to include special characters using FNDCPASS? (Doc ID 1336479.1)

GTech, Oracle Event - Oracle Database 23AI and OEM 24AI

I have spoken at many events, I have lost the count, but this one was so much fun. 

I explained the unification of AI (Vectors, and DB integrated GEN-AI with RAG) , Graph and Native JSON in the context of Converged Oracle Database. I presented key new features of Oracle Database 23 AI and did a demo of a RAG solution that we developed in-house using Oracle Database 23AI and OCI's integrated GEN AI models and Cohere's GEN AI models.

We also talked about the AI-powered features of new Oracle EM. It was fun and it was beneficial to the community. We eagerly await the 23AI upgrades in the near future.

A formal intro for my speech was as follows: 

GTech Senior System and Database Management Director, Oracle ACE Pro♠️ Erman Arslan explained how our infrastructure and system services enhance database performance, security, and resilience, while showcasing the next-generation speed and efficiency solutions offered by Oracle Database 23AI with AI.

My Podcast: Ayna Düşünceler (Mirror thoughts) available on Spotify

A result of curiosity, passion and research. Occasional audio representations of my blog posts. 

I share interesting thoughts in the fields of Physics, Philosophy and Computer Science, what I have learned from academic studies and my own experiences and intellectual gymnastics. 

This will be a series of talks that are close to popular science but also try to go deep from time to time. 

I will have a series of posts where I do not aim to make income or profit, I talk about topics that I think the interested parties will like. 

These topics are the ones that I can say interesting things about. I hope you will like.. It is available on Spotify and it is in Turkish Language at the moment.

The following video was recorded as a memory. Currently I'm very busy with my day job but I may have a Youtube channel one day, who knows :)

Building a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) System with Oracle Database 23AI, OCI and LLM(s): Powering Up Information Retrieval with AI

Greetings, database enthusiasts! Today, we're diving into the exciting world of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems.  Here I 'am blogging again. This time with the motivation of Oracle Database 23 AI's vector capabilities, that we leveraged while building ourselves a Sales Assistant. While leveraging the power of Oracle 23AI, we also used OCI 's and Cohere's large language models (and integrations), and Flask for building our solution. This AI bases Sales Assistant is in beta version, but we can make it production ready by putting a little more effort, and making it reach perfection.

Basically, our sales assistant takes questions from the user and provides answers by using the LLM models in the backend. However; the answers generated by the LLM modes are always kept in the context, and this is done by the help of RAG (and some orchestration done via our python code.)

The value here is that, we used Oracle Database 23AI for our vector store. So we didn't position a separate database for storing vector embeddings and doing vector similarity searches.

You can extrapolate that and think of what you can do with these types of new features of Oracle Database 23AI.

Anyways.. What about RAG?

Imagine a system that can not only find relevant information but also craft insightful answers based on that knowledge. That's the essence of RAG. It takes information retrieval a step further by using generative models to create comprehensive responses to user queries.

Our Project: 

In this project, we created a custom RAG system that leverages three key players:

Oracle 23AI: Oracle's new version database acts as our knowledge repository, storing documents and their corresponding vector embeddings (think of them as condensed representations capturing the document's meaning).

Cohere: We'll tap into Cohere's arsenal of LLMs, like command-r-plus, for answer generation. These models are masters at weaving words into coherent and informative responses.

Flask: This lightweight web framework serves as the user interface, allowing users to interact with our system and receive answers to their questions.

The Deep Dive: How It Works

Query Embeddings: When a user asks a question, the system transforms it into an embedding using Cohere. This embedding becomes the key to unlocking relevant information.

Knowledge Retrieval: The system dives into the Oracle 23AI database, wielding the power of vector similarity search. It compares the query embedding with stored document embeddings to identify the most relevant documents – think of it as finding the closest matches in the knowledge vault.

Refining the Results: Not all retrieved documents are created equal. We utilize Cohere's reranking model to sort these documents by their true relevance to the user's query, ensuring the most pertinent ones are at the forefront.

Answer Generation: Now comes the magic! Cohere's LLM takes center stage. It analyzes the query and the top-ranked documents, crafting a comprehensive answer that incorporates both the user's intent and the relevant retrieved information. 

Serving Up the Answer: Finally, the user receives the answer, along with the most relevant documents to provide context and transparency.

Why Oracle 23AI?

Here's why Oracle 23AI is the perfect partner for our RAG system:

Vector Powerhouse: Its vector datatype enables efficient storage, indexing, and retrieval of document embeddings, crucial for speedy searches.

Scalability: As our system grows, Oracle 23AI can handle the increasing volume of data with ease.

A Word on Overcoming Challenges

During our project, we encountered a minor problem: the Frankfurt region on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) didn't support the specific Cohere model we needed. --Note that, for some part of the work, we reached LLM models through OCI (via its services -- integration), and for some other part of it (like the text generation), we reached LLM models directly from our code..-- So, we switched to the Chicago region, which provided seamless integration. Just a reminder, sometimes a quick regional shift can save the day!

The Future of RAG: A World of Possibilities

RAG systems hold immense potential to revolutionize information retrieval. By combining retrieval-based approaches with generative models, we can create systems that understand user intent, provide comprehensive answers, and constantly learn and improve.

Ready to Build Your Own RAG System?

This blog post serves as a springboard for your RAG exploration. With the power of Oracle 23AI, Cohere, and Flask, you can create a system that empowers users to unlock the true potential of information. Stay tuned for future posts where we delve deeper into the code and implementation details!

As always, feel free to leave any questions or comments below. 

Exploring the limitations of classical computing and the types of business problems Quantum is best suited for.

By studying the Quantum Business Foundations, I revisited (and updated) the relevant part of my knowledge base, which was about the limitations of classical computing and the types of business problems quantum is best suited for (including the answer for the question why). 

This was for identifying the implications of the paradigm shift brought about by quantum to the business strategy, technology and operating model.