Advanced Support Tools & Resources

<Insert Picture Here> Advanced Support Tools & Resources Tom Wright Customer Support Manager tom.wright@oracle.com

This document is for informational purposes. It is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described in this document remains at the sole discretion of Oracle. This document in any form, software or printed matter, contains proprietary information that is the exclusive property of Oracle. This document and information contained herein may not be disclosed, copied, reproduced or distributed to anyone outside Oracle without prior written consent of Oracle. This document is not part of your license agreement nor can it be incorporated into any contractual agreement with Oracle or its subsidiaries or affiliates.

Oracle Support Services Evolution Call Center Internet Content Center Customer Centric Svcs Reactive 2M New Calls (SRs) <5% Online SRs Self-Service 225K New Calls 95% New SRs Online 30% Fewer total SRs 100M web knowledge Interactions Proactive Problem avoidance through Healthchecks & Diagnostics Closed loop feedback to engineer better products Increased Cust Sat 3

Service Excellence CUSTOMER SUPPORT AWARDS SSPA Knowledge Management Award SSPA Value Added Services Award Global J.D. Power and Associates Certified Technology Service and Support (Outstanding Customer Service) SSPA WebSTAR Award SSPA Innovative Support Award TSANet Multi-Vendor Support Champion Award SSPA Life Time Achievement Award (Hall of Fame) SSPA Innovative Support Award SSPA WebSTAR Service Award for Excellence Stevie Award for Best Support Team in EMEA SSPA Innovative Support Award SSPA WebSTAR Service Award for Excellence Stevie Award for Best Customer Service in EMEA SSPA WebSTAR Award for Excellence SSPA WebSTAR Award for Excellence YEAR 2007 2007 2006 2006 2006 2006 2005 2005 2005 2005 2004 2004 2004 2003 2002 4

Global Support Infrastructure 24x7 Mission-Critical Support 7000+ Support Professionals 18 Global Centers, 27 Local Languages Knowledge Base with 400,000+ solutions 5

Resources, Tools, & Best Practices Support Overview & Best Practices Escalation Process Personalize MetaLink Search Techniques The Knowledge Browser Support Newsletters Diagnostics Oracle Collaborative Support Software Configuration Manager The Maintenance Wizard (for E Business Suite Upgrade Assistance) <Insert Picture Here> 6

Support Terminology & Some Best Practices <Insert Picture Here> 7

Service Request Severity Definitions Severity Level 4 No Business Impact No loss of service or resources Severity Level 3 Minor Business Impact Minor loss of service or resources Severity Level 2 Serious Business Impact Severe loss of service or resources w/o acceptable workaround Severity Level 1 Critical Business Impact Complete loss of service or resources and work cannot reasonably continue - the work is considered mission critical 8

Service Request Severity 9

SR Status Codes Support: Customer: Closed Status: Development: NEW ASG WIP RVW 1CB 2CB IRR INT SLP WCP CUS LMS SCL HCL DEV New SR Assigned to a Support Engineer Work In Progress Review 1st Callback 2nd Callback Immediate Response Required Awaiting Internal Response Sleep Status at Customer Request Waiting for Customer to apply Patch Waiting on Customer Left Message Soft Close Hard Close Assigned to Development 10

SCL vs. HCL SCL An inactive Status used when a solution is provided Can still be updated by the customer Does not signify that you are in agreement that the issue is resolved Changes automatically to HCL in 14 Days HCL Final Status SR cannot be updated Ask Support Engineer to extend SCL default period if you need additional time before SR moves over to HCL status 11

<Insert Picture Here> Working Effectively with Support 12

What does a Support Engineer Do? Works a queue of current customer issues in a variety of statuses Provides resolutions and / or workarounds Responds to new incoming SRs Uses Oracle s Diagnostic Methodology for troubleshooting Acts as liaison between customer and development Contributes to knowledge base content in MetaLink Does not replace education or consulting 13

SR Process C u s t o m e r r u n s D ia g n o s t ic s I f p r o b le m n o t r e s o lv e d c r e a t e S R C u s t o m e r c r e a t e s S R v ia M e ta L in k S R N u m b e r is g e n e r a t e d D ia g n o s t ic s a n d /o r W e b C o n f e r e n c e s u g g e s t e d t o g a t h e r a d d it io n a l d e t a ils - a c t io n p la n u p d a t e d E n g in e e r R e v ie w s S R a n d in it ia t e s a c t io n p la n S y s t e m a s s ig n s S R t o E n g in e e r w it h a p p r o p r ia t e s k ill s e t E n g in e e r L o g s B u g E n g in e e r F in d s S o lu t io n S R C lo s e d D e v e lo p m e n t U p d a t e s B u g w it h R e s o lu t io n E n g in e e r U p d a t e s t h e S R a c t io n p la n w it h r e s o lu t io n I f R e q u ir e d, C o n t e n t C r e a t e d a n d P u b lis h e d t o C u s t o m e r 14

Best Practices Lesson s learned from our customers. Shared ownership in resolving the issue Quality and quantity of communication Joint Planning on problem resolution 15

Each Environment is Unique Test solutions before introducing them into your production environment The data, software and hardware configurations, patch combinations, and integration points are different for every customer We depend on our customers to manage their environments and help us understand them Customers control the quality and quantity of information about their environment 16

Communicating the Issue Clear problem statement: Cause and Effect All known facts Is the issue reproducible? Detailed history of environment and changes Answer all template questions Review our knowledge base on MetaLink Knowledge Browser Forums Contact Support SR Ensure that the impact of the issue is well understood Maintain a system log book to track changes, customizations, manage patches and patch testing 17

Successful Communication Documentation is essential Answer all questions Action plans after each update and define who owns each action Minimize SR tag or pinging by ensuring you provide what is requested or a thorough explanation of why it could not be provided. Monitor changes in SR status and severity Escalate concerns via the escalation process 18

Escalations Bringing Management Attention to Your Service Requests <Insert Picture Here> 19

Raising Severity vs. Escalations Customers believe that Severity 1 issues or Increases in Severity are Escalations this is not true. Escalating an issue means bringing management attention to your Service Request, and when appropriate, more resources. This direct, 2-way dialogue with a Manager in Support is where the next action plan will come from. Severity increases will be discussed during this dialogue. 20

Escalation Process When to escalate? Encounter critical roadblocks Communicate business issues to managers within Oracle Support Dissatisfied with resolution or response Escalate issues in a timely manner Quality of escalation criteria is key: Project deadlines? Lost Revenue? Government reporting? Users at your door 21

Escalation Process Call US: 800 223 1711 Other Global Support Hot Lines: http://www.oracle.com/support/contact.html V.P. or Executive Senior Manager or Director Manager / Escalation Manager Customer Support Representative 22

Escalation Process Note 199389.1 23

Escalation Process Excerpt from Note 199389.1 If you do choose to request escalation via MetaLink please complete and insert the template below including all **-lines**. This will ensure correct visibility and content. ******************* Escalation Request ******************* Reason for escalation, including business impact of the problem that requires escalation Business or implementation milestone, critical date(s) (milestone date or resolve by date), along with the type of business or implementation milestone Name of the person requesting the escalation, contact information: phone number, pager, email address Customer manager escalation contact and contact information: phone number, pager, email address ******************* Escalation Request ******************* 24

Personalize MetaLink <Insert Picture Here> 25

Personalize MetaLink 26

Quick References for MetaLink Basics In MetaLink, first click Help Next click Global Help 27

MetaLink Search Techniques <Insert Picture Here> 28

Quick Search Capability Value to you: Get the exact answers you need Save time Search in all categories Or search in specific categories Knowledge Base Bug Database Technical Forums Or by a specific ID # Knowledge Base Document ID # Service Request # Error Code Patch # 29

Quick Search Capability 30

Improved Search Filters Additional filtering whenever Search results are greater than 25 31

Advanced Search 32

New Secure Enterprise Search Now in MetaLink - Opens in a Separate Window Allows you to search content from the following repositories: The MetaLink Technical Knowledge Base The Bug database Server Product Documentation Selected parts of the Oracle Technology Network (OTN) Selected parts of Oracle.Com 33

The Knowledge Browser <Insert Picture Here> 34

The Knowledge Browser Improved Navigation, Organization, and Structure for the Knowledge Base 35

The Knowledge Browser Your Starting Place The most relevant information in the fastest possible time Cross product library of data compiled by the best and brightest talent at Oracle Product Pages organized by popular categories Continuously being updated and refreshed Search and filter options within product areas to further refine your results list An invaluable source of problem avoidance information Key resource for problem solving, research, and personal skill enhancement including: Electronic documentation etrm -Electronic Technical Reference Manual Support Tools proactive diagnostics, business flows, etc. 36

The Knowledge Browser 37

Customer Knowledge Exchange What is it? A space in MetaLink dedicated to showcasing documents written by customers and published in Oracle s public knowledge base. Links on the Knowledge Browser home page Who has access to the documents? Documents are available to +300,000 customers, partners and employees who have a MetaLink account. What do customers get for contributing? Monthly reports that show how often their documents are being used and the feedback we are receiving. Ability to influence the knowledge exchange program by providing valued feedback. How to Submit an Article Submittal process can be found on the CKE page by clicking the Submit Here link. 38

The Knowledge Browser 39

The Knowledge Browser 40

The Knowledge Browser Search within Product Categories refines results vs. using the general search 41

Support Newsletters Support Newsletters enhance the service experience with Oracle Support by proactively providing valuable information. News Technical Content Technical Updates Focuses on specific product areas Subscriptions, receive via email 42

Support Newsletters ML Note 222.1 43

Support Newsletters Typical Product Newsletter Plugged In Newsletter 44

MetaLink Support Diagnostic Tools <Insert Picture Here> 45

Diagnostic Tests Gather Detailed Information About Oracle Environments Server Remote Diagnostic Agent (RDA) Ora-600 Lookup Utility 300+ DBA Scripts Health Check / Validation Engine Rule Sets Applications Diagnostics Support Pack 175+ Diagnostic Tests for the E-Business Suite 46

Support Diagnostics Value to you: Check and document setups Avoid problems proactively Compare environments Decrease setup, install, and upgrade times Identify multiple issues in one test Increase self-service efficiency Reduce time-to-resolution MetaLink -> Knowledge / Knowledge Browser 47

Support Diagnostics 1 2 48

DB/Server Diagnostics Remote Diagnostic Agent 49

Remote Diagnostic Agent (RDA) Feature: RDA is a set of command line diagnostic scripts RDA is used to gather detailed diagnostic information about an Oracle environment Oracle Support encourages the use of RDA because it provides a comprehensive picture of the customer's environment Value: The ability to verify whether a customer s environments are configured correctly The ability to gather detailed information on Oracle Environments Proactive Problem Avoidance Reduce cycle time to Service Request resolution Customer Support Management - Americas 50

Remote Diagnostic Agent EnvName_start.htm 51

Remote Diagnostic Agent Select an Index item 52

Remote Diagnostic Agent Opens a menu of detailed reports Choose a Subtopic 53

Remote Diagnostic Agent RDBMS Log/Trace Files Paste an Oracle trace file portion containing error codes and search the database for possible matches Last Error Trace File 54

DB/Server Diagnostics Ora-600 Error Lookup by Argument ORA-600 errors are raised from the kernel code of the Oracle RDBMS software when an internal inconsistency is detected or an unexpected condition is met. The ORA-600 tool was developed to help users address these errors Look up the definition based on the first argument of the ORA-600 error and have the option to search the database for possible matches. Upload an Oracle trace file containing an ORA-600 or an ORA-7445 error and have the option to look up the definition or search the database for possible matches 55

Ora-600 Error Lookup by Argument 56

Ora-600 Error Lookup by Argument 57

Ora-600 Error Lookup by Argument Enter ORA-600 argument Insert Call Stack Trace info pulled from RDA 58

DB/Server Diagnostics DB Scripts 59

DB/Server Diagnostics Database Scripts 60

Database Scripts 61

DB/Server Diagnostics DB / Server Health Checks Now included in RDA 62

DB/Server Diagnostics Application Server & DB Health Checks 63

Application Server Healthchecks Processor type Processor speed Network Memory Memory for MDR + IM Memory for IM only Memory for MDR only Memory for J2EE Memory for Portal Memory for BI&Forms Disk Space Space for Infra Space for J2EE Space for Portal Space for BI&Forms Space for Dev Kit Space in tmp Swap space Monitor colors Operating system Errata for RH 2.1 Kernel version glibc version gcc pdksh openmotif sysstat compat-glibc libstdc++ setarch gnome-libs compat-gcc compat-libstdc++ compat-libstdc++-devel compat-gcc-c++ gcc_old gcc and gcc++ links hugemem kernel Patch 3006854 perl link fuser link orarun package Patch 3167528 semmsl semmns semopm semmni shmall shmmax shmmni msgmax msgmnb msgmni file-max ip_local_port_range limit processes limit descriptors Port 1521 Environment Variables Domain name IP address DNS Lookup /etc/hosts format Oracle Home length 64

DB Performance & Tuning Scripts Support Tools for Performance Tuning 65

Support Diagnostics for Applications 66

Support Diagnostics for Applications Support Diagnostics aid in Problem Avoidance Self Service Resolution Reduction in Resolution Time 3 Test Types Setup Activity Collection No updates, inserts, or deletes Sensitive customer information is not collected or displayed Security model restricts access to information based on responsibility (like Oracle Applications) All published tests have successfully passed Oracle security review 67

Support Diagnostics for Applications Delivery Methods Primary Delivery Method is through java tests included in the Support Diagnostics patch that runs in the Oracle Diagnostics (OD) framework Downloadable from MetaLink, Patches & Updates and Note 167000.1 Installation and execution instructions - Note 167000.1 By exception, some standalone tests still run in SQL*Plus or UNIX shell environment Being phased out, conversion to OD in progress No longer maintained Support Diagnostics patch is released every other month Contains ALL new and previously published Support Diagnostic tests Current patch number available in the note 167000.1 The Support Diagnostics patch always contains OD If previously installed, OD installation steps will be automatically skipped 68

Support Diagnostics for Applications For More Info Find installation instructions, test catalog, FAQ s, and more in MetaLink Knowledge > Knowledge Browser > Tools and Training > Diagnostic Tools > choose appropriate release level Review MetaLink Note 167000.1 Post Support Diagnostics related questions on the Support Diagnostics Project MetaLink forum Attend a Support Diagnostics Global Web Seminar http://www.oracle.com/support/seminars.html Schedule also found on MetaLink, under Headlines, in News & Notes section and in the Knowledge Browser Support Diagnostics are supported the same way as any other Oracle product In case of any installation / execution issue, log a Service Request: Product = Support Diagnostics Project 69

Sample Applications Diagnostics Report Potential Issues 70

Sample Applications Diagnostics Report Period Close Problems and How to Fix Them 71

Oracle Web Conferencing For Collaborative Support <Insert Picture Here> 72

Oracle Collaborative Support Accessible through Oracle MetaLink Collaborate directly with an Oracle Support Engineer A secure encrypted connection between Oracle Support and your system Available from MetaLink for resolving open SR s Coordinate use with the Support Rep working your SR Chat / Desktop Sharing / File Transfer 73

Oracle Collaborative Support 74

Oracle Collaborative Support For your security: your Support Identifier (CSI) is used as the meeting Password or Conference Key Once your name, email address & Company are provided, you may join the conference 75

<Insert Picture Here> New MetaLink Functionality Software Configuration Manager 76

Software Configuration Manager What is it? A MetaLink capability that automates configuration information exchange between Oracle and our customers enabling faster resolution and proactive detection of customer issues. Software Configuration Manager utilizes core configuration management capabilities available from Oracle Enterprise Manager and provides: The ability to define configurations and organize projects A view of Configuration details and changes Improved Service Request tracking and submission Proactive problem avoidance with HealthChecks Proactive Product and Security Alerts 77

Software Configuration Manager Enterprise Manager Integration with Support Software Configuration Manager MetaLink Portal Simplified Proactive HealthChecks Incident & Submission Product Alerts Detailed Configuration View & History Customer Interface Projects, Milestones & Contacts Incident Reporting & Tracking Incident Management & Resolution Store Customer Configuration Repository Secure & Maintained At Oracle Support Interface Discover Auto Collection Auto Collection Oracle Configuration Manager 78

OCM: The Big Picture MetaLink Config View Support SCM Oracle CCR Knowledge Management HTTPS Proxy Server Oracle Live Link Oracle Support Live Link Simple install/ command UI Oracle Live Link helps Oracle provide you timely and focused Support. A small amount of information about your environment is sent to Oracle support to better handle your requests. To see an example of the information, select this link. Enable Oracle Live Link Disable Oracle Live Link < Back Next > Cancel Customer Site 79

Configurations Security and Privacy Concerns Customers see the same data as Oracle Primary access is by Oracle Product Support Data is used by Product Support to improve the customer level of service Data collected is hardware, system software, and Oracle product information Data does not include business transactions, passwords, or control sensitive information 80

What is a configuration? Configurations are named collections of hardware, software, and operating system running on a machine 81

Disconnected Mode Collection One Collector Two Collection Modes Same SCM Capability Customers have choice of collection mode Use same OCM collector in Disconnected Mode to create configurations on machines not connected to internet. Configurations created in Disconnected Mode are the same content as ones created in connected mode. MetaLink viewing and usage of configurations is same in both collection modes. What s Different? OCM and RDA integration provides mechanism for uploading both diagnostic and configuration information as attachment to an SR Customer transports disconnected mode collections to a machine that is connected to the internet and attaches disconnected mode collections to an SR similar user experience to attaching RDA output to an SR 82

Software Configuration Manager: What and Why? Objective: Using configuration information to present What do I need to know, and what do I need to do? Provides: User Personalization Based on preferences, behavior, history, interests, and role Enables customized recommendations Configuration Personalization Based on the environment, configuration and change history Ability to convey what is used Enables problem prevention and knowledge matching Problem Personalization Based on product, problem signature and context Enables precise and/or guided knowledge retrieval 83

Software Configuration Manager: Features and Benefits Rich interactive experience Drag and drop, customization, context-sensitive menus, live data updates, advanced charting, more Advice Best practices, summary-level and detailed Health checks Patch alerts Dashboard views Single contextual views for Inventory, Advice, SRs, Related News, Headlines Live Reporting Understand inventory, usage and deployments, service requests, etc. 84

Software Configuration Manager Dashboard Graphical View of System Health and Critical Patches Based on Customer Environment IT S THE USER EXPERIENCE THAT S NEW Service Request Personalize View Based On What Do I Need To Do Page and Regions Refreshed Dynamically Real-Time Graphical View of Inventory and Usage Configurations and Favorites Prioritize Based On Which System Configuration Have Critical Issues Needing Attention Quick Access to Tips and Tricks and Many more customizable drop in regions Manage your projects at a glance Targeted Knowledge based on specific customer configuration

86

Main Dashboard 87

SCM Knowledge Browser Page Listed under Support Tools, or go to MetaLink Note 421295.1 88

Viewable Configuration Info For Database For Applications 89

<Insert Picture Here> Maintenance Wizard For Upgrade Assistance 90

The Maintenance Wizard Oracle Support provides a self-service tool that guides customers in a methodical and repeatable way through the upgrade process. It is provided FREE for Oracle Applications customers who have a standard Product Services contract with Oracle. 91

Maintenance Wizard Key Features and Benefits Overall complete upgrade process management Step by step assistance through the upgrade process Step automation and customization Critical patch identification to prevent accidental omission Applications upgrade specifics Full TUMS integration Automated analysis of patch levels and dynamic reconfiguration of required steps Automated determination of steps based on products installed and versions 92

Maintenance Wizard Key Features and Benefits Database upgrade specifics Includes all steps that must be run before and after the execution of the DBUA (for example, converting from using rollback segments to using System Managed Undo and gathering schema statistics) Keeps everything in one place and prevents having to jump from document to document to complete the DB upgrade Includes the interoperability steps necessary to have 11i or R12 operate properly with the new version of the database 93

Latest Release and R12 Runs on RDBMS and ias 10g Easier project setup using AutoConfig data Enhanced audit screen Multiple System Administrators permitted Multiple Project Administrators permitted New integrated troubleshooting screens Access to E-Biz Suite Diagnostics from tool New Search of MetaLink for Knowledge Base updates Support Collection Templates for Service Requests Remote SQL and O/S access via MW Released: May 31 st, 2007 94

The Maintenance Wizard Tracks roles assigned, actions completed, time taken, etc. for each step This report tracks every step of the upgrade from start to finish 95

The Maintenance Wizard Links to the Master Ref doc with instructions, etc. 96

The Maintenance Wizard Reference: To download the latest version of the Maintenance Wizard from MetaLink, see Master Reference List MetaLink Note 215527.1 Frequently Asked Questions: Note 251253.1 Installation: Note 292981.1 Users Guide: Note 293004.1 97

Maintenance Wizard Reference Documentation Master Reference List for Maintenance Wizard Note 215527.1 Maintenance Wizard User Guide How to Install the Maintenance Wizard How to Perform a LivePatch Maintenance Wizard FAQ Maintenance Wizard Scripting Language Document describing how to set up and use Maintenance Wizard Detailed instructions on how to install Maintenance Wizard Detailed instructions how to upgrade current version of Maintenance Wizard via LivePatch Solutions to known issues and answers to frequently asked questions Description of scripting variables and guidelines to create and edit your own scripts 98

Logging SR s Just Got Easier As of 2/12/07, New Enhancements to your online SR process include: Simplified User interface - fewer screens, fewer questions. SAVE a Draft of Your SR begin a Service Request and save it for later. Reuse Critical Information in Later SR s save a copy of your SR and re-purpose configuration, diagnostic, or standard SR information. New Recommended Links targeted articles and potential solutions for your specific problem type and/or problem description. New Multiple File/Attachment Upload enables you to upload multiple files rather than one at a time. More info and an on line demo See ML Note 406971.1 99

Additional Features The following additional features may be visible based on product and will be available for additional products in the near future New Problem Clarification Field enables you to provide a detailed account of your issue, proactively providing Oracle Support engineers with pertinent information to help expedite the resolution of your request. New Recommended Links targeted articles and potential solutions for your specific problem type and/or problem description. New Single Diagnostic Test Functionality enables you to run a single test for one specific issue rather than several individual tests. New Multiple File/Attachment Upload enables you to upload multiple files rather than one at a time to help reduce time and increase efficiency. 100

Summary Personalize MetaLink, use My Headlines to keep up to date Quick Search & Advanced Search, both with additional filters Secure Enterprise Search, for Oracle content not available in MetaLink Use the Knowledge Browser, and Search within product Run Diagnostic Tests for DB, Server, and Applications both proactively & reactively Use Oracle Web Conferencing Implement the Escalation Process when necessary Begin utilizing the new features in Configuration Support Manager Take advantage of the Maintenance Wizard tool for Applications upgrades Provide feedback to help us keep improving MetaLink 101

MetaLink Survey 102

Process and Tools Advisor Webcasts http://www.oracle.com/support/seminars.html 103

Oracle Advisor Webcasts Now Available Through MetaLink A new way to receive information about your Oracle E- Business Suite solutions This program began with PeopleSoft and has now been expanded to include Oracle EBS and ST customers Go to MetaLink Note 398877.1 - Welcome to the Oracle Advisor Webcast Program! Includes links to the Advisor Webcast page Instructions for registering and viewing both live and archived webcasts The current menu of scheduled webcasts to choose from 104

Quick Reference http://blogs.oracle.com/support/ MetaLink: http://metalink.oracle.com/ WEWS User Guide Doc ID: 166650.1 RDA Info Doc ID: 314422.1 Diagnostic Tests Catalog - 232116.1 Escalation Process Doc ID: 199389.1 Severity Definitions and Support Policies: http://www.oracle.com/support/policies.html OWC Website: conference.oracle.com Quick Tutorial located in the Quicklinks box on the right 105

Global Customer Care Call US: 800 223 1711 Other Global Support Hot Lines: http://www.oracle.com/support/contact.html Email - GlobalCustomerCare_ww@Oracle.com Available to address any non-technical business inquiry or issue, including MetaLink issues Assists with CSI issues Facilitates the resolution of Contract and Fiscal Inquiries, as well as Consulting requests Create Software Upgrade Orders Locate and Provide Published Information 106

Oracle Support Services http://www.oracle.com/support 107

<Insert Picture Here> 108