Oracle Applications R12: a beta software?

I think Oracle is releasing a beta software. I found so many bugs on R12. The worst thing is I have to pay a lot of money to get this beta software. To make it even worst, I have to pay to get the patch :(
Oracle should give the patch for free.

Using Forms Builders with Oracle Applications Release 12

First, source the Oracle Applications generated OracleAS 10.1.2 environment file. The environment file will be located under the 10.1.2 subdirectory of the Release 12 instance home. For example, assuming Release 12 is installed under /slot01/appmgr, and the instance name is "txk123", source the following file:

/slot01/appmgr/inst/apps/txk123/ora/10.1.2/txk123.env

 

The above could also be written as $ORACLE_CONFIG_HOME/txk123.env, or $INST_TOP/ora/10.1.2/txk123.env. You can look up $ORACLE_CONFIG_HOME in the Help->About Window of a Release 12 Forms session if you are not sure of the underlying directory structure. The Forms Help->About Window displays settings for the OracleAS 10.1.2 Oracle home.

 

Second, modify the environment variable FORMS_PATH, so the referenced forms can be found. Referenced forms are only required by the builder and compiler. The compiler merges in everything it needs from the referenced form when it generates the .fmx, so the referenced forms are not used at runtime; this is the reason they are not in the default FORMS_PATH.

FORMS_PATH=$FORMS_PATH:$AU_TOP/forms/US

export FORMS_PATH

 

This assumes you are working with the US English version of the form. For other languages, add the appropriate language subdirectory to FORMS_PATH in place of US. The referenced objects will then be in the correct language.

 

Launch the builder by running the following command:

frmbld.sh &

 

You must use the frmbld.sh script, under $ORACLE_HOME/bin. Do not run the executable standalone. After sourcing the 10.1.2 environment file, $ORACLE_HOME should be set to ~/apps/tech_st/10.1.2, and $ORACLE_HOME/bin should be included in $PATH.

Using Forms Builders with Oracle Applications Release 12

First, source the Oracle Applications generated OracleAS 10.1.2 environment
file. The environment file will be located under the 10.1.2 subdirectory of
the Release 12 instance home. For example, assuming Release 12 is installed
under /slot01/appmgr, and the instance name is "txk123", source the
following file:
/slot01/appmgr/inst/apps/txk123/ora/10.1.2/txk123.env

The above could also be written as $ORACLE_CONFIG_HOME/txk123.env, or
$INST_TOP/ora/10.1.2/txk123.env. You can look up $ORACLE_CONFIG_HOME in the
Help->About Window of a Release 12 Forms session if you are not sure of the
underlying directory structure. The Forms Help->About Window displays
settings for the OracleAS 10.1.2 Oracle home.

Second, modify the environment variable FORMS_PATH, so the referenced forms
can be found. Referenced forms are only required by the builder and
compiler. The compiler merges in everything it needs from the referenced
form when it generates the .fmx, so the referenced forms are not used at
runtime; this is the reason they are not in the default FORMS_PATH.
FORMS_PATH=$FORMS_PATH:$AU_TOP/forms/US
export FORMS_PATH

This assumes you are working with the US English version of the form. For
other languages, add the appropriate language subdirectory to FORMS_PATH in
place of US. The referenced objects will then be in the correct language.

Launch the builder by running the following command:
frmbld.sh &

You must use the frmbld.sh script, under $ORACLE_HOME/bin. Do not run the
executable standalone. After sourcing the 10.1.2 environment file,
$ORACLE_HOME should be set to ~/apps/tech_st/10.1.2, and $ORACLE_HOME/bin
should be included in $PATH.

How to Setup Taxes in R12 - High Level Overview

Step 1: Create the Tax Regime

The tax regime is the highest/ultimate level that taxes are rolled up to, typically, a specific country. In this step, the Controls and Defaults must be set. The Control section outlines 4 options. Once the tax is made live, the control options cannot be changed.

The Defaults section will default as applicable to the tax, status, jurisidiction, and tax rate levels, but they can be changed at each level.

Step 2: Create the Tax

One Tax Regime can have multiple taxes defined under it. The tax type, e.g. sales, VAT, use, is determined when the tax is set up. Taxes can be set up by geography type, which allows for taxes at different levels.. For example, in the US, there is can be a tax levied at the State level, one at the County level, and one at the City level.

Step 3: Create the Tax Status

This is used primarily in the UK to define reduced rate, zero rate, etc. taxes. All taxes must have at least one tax status defined, and one of those must have the "Set as Default Status" option checked.

Step 4: Create the Tax Jurisdiction

A tax jurisdiction is a geographic area for which a tax is levied, e.g.Colorado, California, Florida, El Paso County, Los Angeles.

There must be at least one Tax Jurisdiction for each Tax Status with the "Set as default Tax Jurisdiction" selected and the "Default Effective Date" supplied.

Step 5: Create the Tax Rate

Create specific tax rates to be applied for a geography. There must be at least one default tax rate. The tax accounts are also set up in this step.

Step 6: Define Tax Rules

Set defaults for the following rule types:

Place of Supply

Registration

Taxable Basis

Calculate Tax Amounts

Step 7: Make the Tax Live for Transactions

Return back to the Tax created in step 2, and select the Make Tax Available for Transactions option. If it is not available to be checked, the tax is not set up correctly. Any missed setups will need to be completed before this can be setup.

R12 APXINWKB Error Out 'Payables could not calculate tax due to:An unexpected error has occurred'

Applies to:

Oracle Payables - Version: 12.0.0
This problem can occur on any platform.
APXINWKB.fmb

Symptoms

On 12.0 in Production:
There's a problem with viewing and calculating Taxes on R12.
After creating a Tax Regime, Taxes, Tax Statuses, Tax Jurisdictions, Tax Rates and Tax Rules, and while trying to callculate tax the following error message is displayed

ERROR

"Payables could not calculate tax due to:An unexpected error has occurred"

Cause

The issue is caused by the following setup:
There is no defined Rule Set and condition Set

By defining the Rule Set and condition Set the issue will be resolved

Solution

To implement the solution, please execute the following steps:

1. Go into the responsibility: Tax Managers

2. Navigate to Tax Configuration>Tax Rules>Rule Conditions >Rule Results> Rule Order> Rule Sets

3.Define Rule set and Factor Set

4.Go to Tax>Enable Make Tax Available for Transactions

5.Apply and Make sure that no errors are displayed

6. Retest the issue.

5. Migrate the solution as appropriate to other environments.

Tools -> Copy Functionality fails

If your R12 Tools -> Copy Functionality fails with the following error message:

An error occurred while attempting to establish an Applications File Server connection with the node FNDFS_. There may be a network configuration problem, or the TNS listener on node FNDFS_ may not be running. Please contact your system administrator.

Then ensure that the following profile options have the desired value

a) "RRA: Enabled" should be set to "Yes"

b) "RRA: Service Prefix" should be null-ed out , no spaces allowed

After making the changes, Log-out and Login back and retest the issue.

Debug Validate Application Accounting Definition error

1. Please set these profile options:

FND: Debug Log Enabled - Yes
FND: Debug Log Module - %
FND: Debug Log Level - Statement

2. Then run the Validate Application Accounting Definitions concurrent program with the following parameters:
Ledger: Pick the ledger
Uncompiled status only: Yes
Application: Assets
Application Accounting Definition Owner: User

3. Re-run the query with the last Validate Application Accounting Definitions run request ID:

set pagesize 0
set linesize 300

SELECT log_sequence, message_text,substr(module,1,100)
FROM fnd_log_messages msg, fnd_log_transaction_context tcon
WHERE msg.TRANSACTION_CONTEXT_ID = tcon.TRANSACTION_CONTEXT_ID
AND tcon.TRANSACTION_ID=
ORDER BY LOG_SEQUENCE;

This will now return the full debug.

Native PL/SQL Compilation on R12

Oracle recommends PL/SQL compilation (plsql_code_type) to NATIVE. I have tried and I encountered many errors. Almost every script involving PL/SQL code end with ORA-06502.
Programs such as Validate Application Accounting Definition and patch wizard analyze program ended with error. So I changed back to INTERPRETED. Errors are gone.
Maybe I missed something when I set PL/SQL compilation to NATIVE. Until I know what cause the error, I will stick to INTERPRETED

Using Centos update repositories for Oracle Unbreakable Linux

You can use Centos with yum for Oracle Unbreakable Linux. Use this on test instance only.
Move or delete other .repo files in /etc/yum.repos.d.
Create a file named centos.repo in /etc/yum.repos.d directory, containing these lines:

################## start

[base]
name=CentOS-$releasever
baseurl=http://ftp.nara.wide.ad.jp/pub/Linux/centos/4.6/os/i386/
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=http://ftp.nara.wide.ad.jp/pub/Linux/centos/4.6/os/i386/RPM-GPG-KEY-centos4

[update]
name=CentOS-$releasever - Updates
baseurl=http://ftp.nara.wide.ad.jp/pub/Linux/centos/4.6/updates/i386/
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=http://ftp.nara.wide.ad.jp/pub/Linux/centos/4.6/os/i386/RPM-GPG-KEY-centos4

################ end

You can change baseurl and gpgkey with other mirror. You can see list of mirrors here http://www.centos.org/modules/tinycontent/index.php?id=13
This script is for version 4.6. Change version number if needed.

Install R12 on Enterprise Linux Check List

Before installing R12 on Enterprise Linux, better check the availability of some programs or library. They are:

• glibc-2.3.4-2.25
• glibc-common-2.3.4-2.25
• binutils-2.15.92.0.2-21
• compat-libstdc++-296-2.96-132.7.2
• gcc-3.4.6-3
• gcc-c++-3.4.6-3
• libgcc-3.4.6-3
• libstdc++-3.4.6-3
• libstdc++-devel-3.4.6-3
• openmotif21-2.1.30-11.RHEL4.6**
• pdksh-5.2.14-30.3
• setarch-1.6-1
• make-3.80-6.EL4
• gnome-libs-1.4.1.2.90-44.1
• sysstat-5.0.5-11.rhel4
• compat-db-4.1.25-9
• control-center-2.8.0-12.rhel4.5
• xscreensaver-4.18-5.rhel4.11
• libaio-0.3.105-2
• libaio-devel-0.3.105-2

To do the checking, use this command: rpm -qa | grep [name]
just replace [name] with program/library name without version, for example:
rpm -qa | grep libaio-devel
Some differences on version number should be OK.
If the command returs nothing, then issue command to update: up2date [name]
for example: up2date libaio-devel
Make sure you have configure the up2date service.

Using free Lineox update for Oracle Enterprise Linux

Currently I am testing Oracle Enterprise Linux (EL) to install Oracle EBS R12. I am on Linux preparation phase now. I am using EL 4 which is certified for Oracle EBS R12.
There was almost no problem with installation. The only problem was NIC card, RTL8169 was not supported by EL 4. This problem was easily resolved. Realtek already have the driver, so all I had to do was install the driver.
Be sure to select gnome windows interface and development tools. System tools may be usefull too.
After EL 4 installed, you will be asked to connect to Unbreakable Linux Network (ULN) to be able to get updates. Well that would be $99 a year.
Lineox.net provide a free update, but with 30 days delays. That is OK for me, this is just for testing purpose. The problem is how to switch update from ULN to Lineox.
First configure the up2date with ULN to make sure up2date can connect to internet. If proxy is used, there are some settings to be defined. Just enter anything on ULN page (user, password, CSI). If the message is CSI not valid, then the connection is OK.

Now update the file /etc/sysconfig/rhn/sources. Comment up2date defaults (add # in the front), and add this line in the end of the file:
### Lineox Enterprise Linux 4.x channels
yum lel4-Updates http://www.raimokoski.com/pub/lineox/4.0/updates/$basearch/RPMS

You may have to restart the machine. After that, up2date will not connect to ULN anymore.

You can also use this mirror:
### Lineox Enterprise Linux 4.x channels
yum lel4 http://www.gtlib.gatech.edu/pub/lineox/4.0/$basearch/os/Lineox/RPMS/
yum lel4-Updates http://www.gtlib.gatech.edu/pub/lineox/4.0/updates/$basearch/RPMS/

For more information visit http://www.lineox.net/lel4updates.php

aiosp2() Error: failure in usdspn()

If you ever encountered error like this when running adpatch or adadmin:
aiosp2() Error: failure in usdspn()
Contents of error buffer are:
"usdsop cannot create a new process

Cause: usdsop encountered an error creating a new process. [Reason].

Action: Check that your system had enough resources to start a new process. Cont
act your system administrator to obtain more resou (RE"

You are using cygwin and you can't find any log about this error, then you should check your sh. Open command window, then type sh, press enter. If there is error, you should go to cygwin\bin directory and copy bash.exe to sh.exe. If there is no error, then you are facing another problem.

Install Windows 2003 on HP Compaq dx2700

This is out of this blog topic, but I experienced this on my way to install a development instance of Oracle e-business R12 on HP Compaq dx2700.
After copying installation files, Windows 2003 installer will restart the computer. Normally setup will continue in GUI. On dx2700, there will be error because Windows cannot read from hard disk.
I have tried to install Intel ICH8 driver and integrate to Windows 2003 installation according to this source, but no luck.
Then I set my hard disk on BIOS to none. Boot again using Windows 2003 install CD. Windows installation can find my hard disk although it was not set on BIOS. Redo all installation steps.
After restart, go to BIOS and enable all hard disk. Boot normally, no error encountered.