E1 Tips & Tricks

Where am I?

2007-08-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

Well, if you've found out anything while being an EnterpriseOne CNC person, it's that E1 is confusing. Oh, maybe if you have a really simplified install, it might not be too bad. But, overall it is confusing.

The problem is it isn't just confusing for us tech-types but also for the end users and implementation teams. In order to relieve the confusion of not knowing which environment you are in I did a little bit of image editing:

The image is located at ..\webclient.war\share\images\jdelogo-onwhite.gif

Stubborn iSeries Jobs

2007-07-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

I am not an iSeries expert...

However, since we use the iSeries for our E1 Enterprise Server I am required to use it more than I ever wanted to. Anyway, I have been doing some experimenting with the XML Kernel jobs that get started up, when one of the kernel jobs did not end when I issued the endnet command. So, I used wrkactjob and issued an endjob command with *IMMED. Well, after waiting a while it didn't end. After about 30 minutes of trying other things and talking to our resident iSeries guru, I gave up and left for the day.

I got in this morning to find the jobs still "ending". So, I did some looking through Google and found another command that I could try ENDJOBABN (End Job Abnormal).

Info from an article on ITJungle.com:

ENDJOBABN JOB(999999/USER/JOBNAME)

ENDJOBABN has been known to take down jobs that are too stubborn for ENDJOB. But it has a few limitations that you need to be aware of. Specifically, the following things affect ENDJOBABN use:

ENDJOBABN cannot be run against a job before you've attempted to end the job through the ENDJOB command, with *IMMED specified in the "how to end" parameter. OS/400 is also hard-coded to ignore an ENDJOBABN statement until 10 minutes have passed since you ran an ENDJOB *IMMED command on the same job. So not only do you have to run ENDJOB for a problem job before using ENDJOBABN, you also have to give ENDJOB time to work.

ENDJOBABN is shipped with *PUBLIC *EXCLUDE authority. And to run ENDJOBABN, you need job control (*JOBCTL) authority in your user profile.

ENDJOBABN can be run against a job only once. Additional ENDJOBABN commands can't be run.

Nice Cut!

2007-05-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not nice...but "Fine".

In working with our users we have found that they take advantage of the menu filtering, which is referred to as "Fine Cut". Moving these from one environment to the next can be done through OMW or by copying some files. For us, it has been easier just to copy the files.

Here they are:

F9000-Task Manager
F9001-Task Relationships
F9002-Task Alternate Descriptions
F9005-Variant Description
F9006-Variant Detail

Have Fun!

Ausy E1 Tools

2007-04-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

Now these are AWESOME!

We have been using just 2 of the tools that Alexander Pastuhov has available.

What are those 2 products?

Boomerang

We have 2 separate instances for 2 different business units so we use Boomerang to quickly and easily transfer objects from one to the other. It's a VERY slick product. In a previous installation of OneWorld Xe we created data sources and transfer activity rules to accommodate this need, but with Boomerang we were able to keep our installation as vanilla as possible.

Update Queue Names In Versions

Yeah, it's a long name, but man is it a time saver. When you consider the time that it would take you to change the job queue in the hundreds of versions that we had to split up our batch processing, it probably saved a good week of tech time.

Thanks Alex for providing such easy to use specialized products!

Problems Deleting a Custom Object

2007-04-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

I ran into an issue the other day...

One of our developers had a few objects that he wanted deleted. So, I went to OMW and was able to delete all of the objects...except one (a "P" object). I did everything:

I deleted it locally
I deleted it from the SAVE location
I marked it to delete from transfer locations and then promoted it all the way to a 38 and back to a 21

Finally, I figured maybe I could just delete it from the database...NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!!

After a bunch of digging in all our developer's projects, I found that there were 3 versions of that object that had been created. I deleted the versions and was then able to delete the object.

How FRUSTRATING!!!!!! You would think that that would be a fairly simple error message to display:

How to get a date...Part 2

2007-04-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, this still is not a dating service!

My last post dealt with dates in E1. Well, there is another way that dates are stored...

The number of seconds since January 1, 1970.

This isn't too uncommon in programming languages such as C++, but it sure is a pain in the rear-end when looking in a database.

I have included a conversion tool on my E1 Dates page.

***NOTE: the dates calculation page has been updated***

How to get a date...

2007-04-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

No this is not a dating service!

Today we will cover the proprietary date format that is used in most of the files in E1.

Well, let's just dive in...

Today's date is 4-5-2007. In E1-land that is 107095.

Here's the breakdown:

E1 Date: 107095

Year: 1900 + 107 = 2007
Date: 095

The 95th day of the year (2007) = April 5th

Complete Date: April 5th 2007

Hey! What about the time?

E1 Time: 90154

9:01:54 AM

E1 Time: 210154

21:01:54 = 9:01:54 PM

Here is a page I put together that uses javascript to retrieve the dates.

OMW Cleanup

2007-03-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

When installing ESUs, an OMW project is created. If you have installed a lot of ESUs those projects can make it very annoying when trying to find other legitimate projects that you have access to. Yes, you can filter the OMW Project display, but I kinda find that annoying too. Anyway, I created a very simple SQL that I run once in a while to clean up my OMW:

DELETE FROM sy811/f98221
WHERE PUOMWUSER ='userid'
AND PUOMWPRJID LIKE 'JJ%'

Of course the syntax will need to be adjusted if using a database other than an IBM iSeries.

E1 Command Line Install

2007-03-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

I hate installing "fat" clients. That's right hate. With our E1 installations, I have between 6-9 fat clients that need to be updated when deploying a full package. Of those, 1 is my eGen PC that gets every package installed to it. Ok, that's not a very big amount, but it's still a pain.

It's not that the package install process is hard, but just time consuming. I mean what the heck takes so long when the screen shows those disks flying around?

Anyway, we did simplify the process a little by virtualizing the development PCs using VMWare. It's really slick.

That made it a little easier because it wasn't the developer's PCs and they didn't have to do the actual install (complaints from developers about install times was starting to get tiring).

Then, I decided to try and make it easier on myself and research some command line options. I found a great solution on Oracles support site (SolutionID: 200783264). Below is the syntax and parameters:

Usage: Setup.exe -d -p [-v|-s] [-e] [-t] [-r]

No args Starts the interactive gui installation
-v verbose installation - installation is shown on the screen
-s silent installation - installation is not shown on the screen.
-d the drive and path for the installation
-p package to install
-t install type: -t Typical or -t Compact
Typical to install development objects or Compact to install
production objects only. If not specified, development
objects are installed.
-r remove the previous installation
-e to generate error log.
H - All
I - Informational
W - Warnings
E - Errors

I have a BAT file that I use so all I have to do is give it the package name. I think I commented it fairly well below. Please note that this copies some files just so that I make sure I get all the right ones:

@ECHO off0
GOTO :GETPKG

:GETPKG
:Prompt the user for a package name
ECHO Enter package name:
SET /P pkg=
:If the package is blank, ask again
IF "%pkg%"=="" GOTO :GETPKG
GOTO :INSTALL

:INSTALL
:Install the package to c:\e811
ECHO Begining Install of %pkg%...
"\\DepServerName\e811\OneWorld Client Install\Setup.exe" -s -d c:\e811 -p %pkg% -t Typical
ECHO Completed Typical Install of %pkg%
GOTO :COPYFILES

:COPYFILES
:Copy various files to ensure proper configuration
ECHO Copying Correct INI Files...
NET USE i: "\\DepServerName\e811\OneWorld Client Install\misc\dev"
COPY i:\jde.ini c:\Windows\JDE.INI
COPY i:\jas.ini "C:\e811\JAS\EA_JAS_80.ear\webclient.war\WEB-INF\jas.ini"
COPY i:\jdbj.ini "C:\e811\JAS\EA_JAS_80.ear\webclient.war\WEB-INF\jdbj.ini"
COPY i:\jdelog.properties "C:\e811\JAS\EA_JAS_80.ear\webclient.war\WEB-INF\jdelog.properties"
NET USE i: /delete
ECHO Completed Copy of Correct INI Files
GOTO :END

:END
PAUSE

I get prompted for the package name and that's it. It usually takes between 15-20 minutes per install, but I can connect and get them started and leave them alone until they are done.

This could be made even easier. You could use something like psexec from MS Sysinternals and run another BAT file to run this on those PCs remotely.

Well, fairly basic stuff but pretty handy.

Have fun!

Security 101

2007-03-20T05:12:00.000-07:00

Make sure all your security is in place before user training. This sounds like a "no-brainer" but believe me - do it.

During our most recent "go-live", the security function was in the hands of the Accounting Department. Which, really wasn't a big deal. I mean, they are the ones that know the app. So, why not have them setup security for it. It all worked out really well, except that the security was not completed before the day.

It caused a little bit of confusion and some frustrations but we went through it just fine. One of the things that I learned during that time was that BSFNs do not always give you an error that says anything about "security, permissions or access". The only thing that is evident to the user is that it doesn't work. They receive an "Asynchronous Business Function" error.

What a mess. No other hint as to what may be happening. Just start removing users from roles and see which one causes the issue. Then work from there to find out which security record is the issue.

So, again, have all your security in place before user training. That way everything gets tested before "go-live".

Have fun!

HelpDesk Role

2007-03-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

Have you tried to create a Help Desk role? You know...one that only has access to the "Administrative Password Revisions" (P98OWSEC|W98OWSECF) application. Well, I've been fighting with it, on-and-off, for a couple days now. And, I'll tell ya, the solution is a little baffling.

In this case we also wanted the Help Desk staff to be able to "FastPath" to the application.

Why was this so hard?

The environments. Why is the non-"J" environment required? I have no idea. I found an entry on JDEList that referred to having 2 roles. One worked just fine and the other didn't. The only thing that was different between the 2 was the environments. So, I granted all the environments and got it to work. Then started pairing things down.

Here is what we had to do:

Security Workbench

Application Security to "Run"

W98OWSECD (allows them to change their own password)
W98OWSECF (allows them to change other's passwords)
W0092B (allows them to lookup UserIDs)

Action Security for W98OWSECD & W98OWSECF
Solution Explorer Security with "FastPath" access

Task View Change

Add the task "5/GH9052" to "WBI Holdings Task Bar" & "MDU Task View"

Role Environments

Add both the JDV811 & DV811 environments to the role

Fast Path Entry

Product Code: H90
UDC: FP
ode: PSWD
Description 01: User Passwords
Description 02: 5/GH9052
Special Handling:
Hard Coded: N

QACX Files in IFS

2007-03-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

We had almost 8000 QACXxxxxxx files in our tmp directory in the IFS on our System i Enterprise server. They didn't seem to be causing any harm, but they were definitely taking up space.

According to Oracle (WARNING: you will need access to Oracle's customer support site), these files are temporary and should be cleaned by the system when a UBE completes processing. So far, since I have been monitoring, the UBEs are completing successfully, but the QACX files are remaining in IFS.

According to the Oracle doc, these files can be deleted...preferably when E1 services are down to ensure that you do not delete something the system is using.

E1 Terminology

2007-03-06T05:16:00.000-08:00

Speaking the language is key to becoming a knowledgeable Oracle EnterpriseOne administrator.

So here are a few key terms:

CNC - Configurable Network Computing. This term was used by JD Edwards to describe the flexibility of OneWorld's architecture.
Pathcode/Central Objects – code repository

PD811, PY811, DV811, PS811

Environment – Pathcode + Data

PD – Production
PY – Prototype, Test, CRP
DV – Development
PS - Pristine

Package – compiled code; collection of C++ DLLs

“Full” - contains all objects in the specified Environment’s Pathcode
“Update” - contains only the objects specified while defining the package

eGen – converting object specifications to serialized objects
Serialized objects – code read by the JAS server to present the User Interface
“Fat-Client” – EnterpriseOne Windows Client
ESU/ASU – Electronic Software Update/Application Software Update

Object updates provided by Oracle

Upgrade from Tools Release 8.95.P1 to 8.96.xx

2007-03-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have been caught a number of different times thinking that a process was going to be "easy" and had it turn into a knock-down, drag-out, 3-week battle to get E1 to do what I wanted it to do. So, when researching what it was going to take to upgrade from Tools Release (TR) 8.95.P1 to 8.96 I figured I would go the extra mile and submit a case to Oracle's support.

Wow, was I shocked to learn that it was the same process that I have used in the past to upgrade one-offs (ex. 8.95.M1 to 8.95.P1)! Not bad. I've done this many times. However, there is one catch, I will have to install IBM Websphere 6.0 and scrap my IBM WAS 5.0. Hey, no problem. I was at Oracle's Open World last fall and sat through a full day of training for that.

So, now I asked one of our WinTel server guys to create a fresh install of Windows Server 2003 on our VMWare server. Once that is done, I will install IBM WAS 6.0. Then upgrade the deployment server so that I can use both TRs and configure the Enterprise Server to have Pristine run 8.96.xx and start testing.

Oh, if you are not using "Multiple Foundations", you are definitely making things harder than they have to be. I'll post a comment about that soon.

Have Fun!

Deleting User Overrides

2007-03-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

Once in a while my power-user wants to delete some User Overrides because they created some that they want everyone to use. Well, the UO app usually works pretty well, until your get some can not be deleted with the normal process. Here is the process that I go through:

1. Open a “Fat Client” in the environment in which want to delete the UO
2. Fastpath to UO
3. Use the QBE to find the UOs that you would like to delete
4. Highlight them and click delete
5. NOTE: If some of them do not delete and give you an error like “The object is in an open project”:
* Run a SQL statement similar to the following from the green screen to select the records desired and then delete them:

SELECT * FROM copy811/f98950 WHERE UOUSER <> '*PUBLIC' and
UOOBNM='Pxxxx' and UOFMNM='WxxxxA' and UOVERS='XJDE0016'

Introduction to Oracle EnterpriseOne

2007-03-02T08:22:00.000-08:00

Technically I guess the name should be Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne. How's that for a name. Anyway, the main system that I work on during the day is EnterpriseOne. It is what my employer uses for their ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning - a fancy name for accounting) system.

It was originally a JD Edwards product called OneWorld (the new version of JDE's very stable product "World"). Then JD Edwards was purchased by PeopleSoft to try and avert a take-over by Oracle and was named EnterpriseOne (combining PeopleSoft's product name, "Enterprise", with "OneWorld"). However, in the end, Mr. Ellison won the battle to acquire PeopleSoft, which resulted in the name JD Edwards EnterpiseOne.

Ok, enough with the name...

Currently, we have two installations with the following configurations:

E1 Software
	E1 Version	Tools Release
InstallationA	8.11 SP1	8.95.P1
InstallationB	8.11 SP1	8.95.P1

Enterprise Server - IBM iSeries 550
	OS	CPU	Disk	RAM	NIC
InstallationA	V5R3	1.4	1.5TB	25GB	1GB
InstallationB	V5R3	0.6	600GB	17GB	1GB

Deployment Server - MS Windows Server 2003
	CPU	Disk	RAM	NIC
InstallationA	Dual Intel Xeon 2.8 GHz	136 GB	2 GB	1 GB
InstallationB	Dual Intel Xeon 3.2 GHz	136 GB	2 GB	1 GB

Java Application Server - MS Windows Server 2003
	CPU	Disk	RAM	NIC	JAS	HTTP
InstallationA	Dual Intel Xeon 2.8 GHz	68 GB	2 GB	1 GB	IBM WAS 5.0.2	IBM HTTP 2.0
InstallationB	Dual Intel Xeon 3.2 GHz	68 GB	3.2 GB	1 GB	IBM WAS 5.0.2	IBM HTTP 2.0

Introduction to Me

2007-03-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

My name is Stewart Schatz. I have been working with EnterpriseOne or previous versions of it for about 5 years. It's been a very challenging and frustrating 5 years.

I live in a very small town north of Bismarck, ND called Wilton. My family and I love it. It has a population of about 750. No I didn't forget any zeros. It really is just 750. Anyway, I am a definite "Tech-guy", or geek as my family and friends like to say. I personally take that as a compliment.

Anyway, I work in Bismarck for a company that uses Oracle EnterpriseOne as it's ERP system.

Over the years, it has been very hard to find information about the systems that I work on, so usually when I find some good info I print it out. Well, the problem is that I usually end up loosing that paper because my desk is full of the stuff...and Hey! I'm a geek and if it's worth having then it is worth having in electronic form.

So I plan to use this blog as a place to store tips, tricks, changes, tests and other stuff. Not to mention a place to vent the many frustrations that seem to come up. I'd also like it to be a sounding board to get other's ideas if anyone eventually reads this other than me.

So, here it goes...