A Milestone to remember – Upgrading to the latest version EBS R12.2.5 in record time

It was during the end of 2015, that Oracle announced the general availability of E-Business Suite 12.2.5.  It gives us immense pleasure that 4i Apps successfully delivered 11i to 12.2.5 in Middle East for an Islamic Bank on time, thanks to the excellent coordination from Bank and the meticulous planning of 4i team.  We are proud to say that this is one of the first 12.2.5 upgrade in the region.  EBS 12.2.5 brings convergence one step closer with UI and UX getting closer to Oracle cloud applications.

The Process followed

• To ensure successful upgrade, we have planned and scheduled the upgrade to occur over one weekend
• Performed multiple front-to-back test conversions; created thorough test cases, including milestones and steps, timelines, responsible parties, and all contact information; mirrored  production the weekend soon after go live; and defined the scheduled, cutover weekend communication-status procedure
• With a well-organized plan in place, 4iapps completed the upgrade in just 72 hours, primarily during weekend hours to minimize end user impact
• Created multiple environments—including production, testing, and development—to ensure the system is active during future upgrades or maintenance

Top 10 tips for Successful 12.2.5 upgrade

1. Gather Key Reference Material
2. Finalize Upgrade Path
3. Identify Impact on Supporting Applications
4. Prepare for Architecture Changes
5. Re-Evaluate Application Sizing
6. Plan for Customization Deployment Impact
7. Prepare to Minimize Upgrade Downtime
8. Perform Several Upgrade Cycles Prior
9. Research and Document Online Patching
10. Understand the factors affecting Time & Resources

Lessons Learnt

• Virtualization Strategy for the R12.2 upgrade
• Patching
  • Take most recent Critical patches proactively at start of project
  • Proactively stay current with Critical Patches releases as project progresses
  • Stick to change management to track what’s applied where
  • Set a “Patch Freeze” date prior to the go-live date
  • Understand business functions not available during patch cycles
• Training
  •  DBA/Support team – proactively familiarize with Online Patching
  • Functional team proactively familiarize with new functionality
  • Business users receive training in modules with most changes
• Cutover
  • Communicate, Communicate, Communicate – No SURPRISES | Assume Nothing
  •   Document so others can execute plan in your absence Cutover

Important links

https://blogs.oracle.com/stevenChan/entry/ebs_12_2_5_available

https://www.oracle.com/corporate/pressrelease/new-oracle-e-business-suite-release-101615.html

Posted on behalf of Mr. Nagarajan Palanivelu , Project Manager / Sr. DBA