Oracle 12c New Features

Overview

Oracle Forms Builder and Oracle Forms Services have been upgraded to simplify the development and deployment of Forms applications on the Web. A number of features have been added. In restructuring the Oracle Forms product, some legacy features have been dropped or scaled back. The future of Forms includes improving the Java-based Web user interface and extending product "openness" by allowing Java integration on all three tiers.

About Upgrading Your Forms Applications to 12c Release (12.2.1)

To upgrade your Oracle Forms applications, open your Forms 6i source files (FMB, MMB, PLL, and so on) in the Oracle Forms 12c (12.2.1) Builder, save them, then compile them. You can also use the Oracle Forms Compiler to upgrade your Forms 6i applications.

Forms 10g Features Removed from Oracle Forms

The following features have been dropped from Oracle Forms 10g and later:

·         Graphics Integration

·         Chart Items

Forms 6i Features Removed from Oracle Forms

The following features have been dropped from Oracle Forms 9.0.2 and later:

• Client-server Runtime
• Character mode Runtime
• Various runform command line options
• Character mode properties and logical attributes
• Item types that are specific to operating systems
• Various Built-ins
• Various properties
• Various menu features including:

o    Character mode menu properties

o    Obsolete types from the Menu-Items command type property

o    Menu parameters

o    Menu Built-ins

o    Full screen menu style

o    Bar (Lotus) menu style

• Forms version 2 style triggers and list of values (LOVs)
• Graphics Chart Wizard

Components of 6i Developer Product Suite Removed

The following components have been removed.

Table 1-1 Components Removed from the Developer Suite

Obsolete Component	UPGRADE NOTES
Oracle Graphics	If your applications use the Graphics Web Cartridge or Oracle Graphics Runtime, you should rewrite your applications and redevelop the graphics using other means such as Java, Bi Beans.
Oracle Forms Listener and Load Balancing Components	Use the Forms Listener Servlet to manage Forms sessions on the Web. The Forms Listener Servlet provides: Improved security because all traffic is directed through standard Web server HTTP or HTTPS ports, with no extra ports open through the firewall. Compliance with standards that can be used for load balancing techniques. Broader firewall and proxy support. Less administration because the listener and load balancing processes do not need to be managed. Simplified HTTPS support because a separate Web server SSL certificate for the Forms listener is not required
Oracle Forms Server Cartridge and CGI	Use the Forms Servlet. The functionality available with the Oracle Forms Server cartridge and CGI was incorporated into the Forms Servlet, which was first available in Oracle Forms Release 6i patches 2.
Oracle Procedure Builder	Use the facilities for editing and debugging local and server-side PL/SQL code in Forms Developer, which has been considerably improved for this release.
Oracle Translation Builder	Use Translation Hub to translate resource strings in Forms modules to deploy the modules in multiple languages.
Oracle Terminal.	The resource files used by Web-deployed forms are text based and can be edited using a conventional text editor. As a result, Oracle Terminal is no longer required for the product.
Open Client Adapters (OCA)	The resource files used by Web-deployed forms are text based and can be edited using a conventional text editor. As a result, Oracle Terminal is no longer required for the product.

New/Changed Features in WebLogic 12c R2 (12.1.2)

·         WebLogic Server is now available in two formats only i.e. zip and jar version. (JDK is mandatory and must be installed prior to WebLogic installation).

·         JDK version 7 or higher (1.7) is recommended to install WebLogic 12.1.2 (though WebLogic 12.1.2 works JDK 1.6 as well)

·         Tool to apply patches in WebLogic has changed from BSU (BEA Smart Update) to opatch.

·         Option to install WebLogic in silent mode is now -silent -responseFile [path_to_response_file] (Earlier option was -mode=silent -silent_xml=[path_to_silent.xml])

·         In previous versions of WebLogic upgrade of WebLogic Domain used to be done using Domain Upgrade Wizard but now (12.1.2 onwards) uses Reconfiguration Wizard. 

·         In earlier version of WebLogic, Node Manager is installed  at WebLogic Home($WLS_HOME) level but now Java Node Manager by default is installed at $DOMAIN level i.e. $DOMAIN_HOME/nodemanager (with an option to configure Node Manager at Server Level or Custom Location)

·         From 12.1.2 there is an option to configure Node Manager at Domain Level or Custom Location (as shown in above screenshot)

·         Offline Cloning of Managed Server is now possible using configuration wizard(config.sh) or WLST (clone) – In previous releases it was possible to clone a Managed Server from WebLogic Console only (Online Cloning)

·         Cluster in pre 12.1.2 version is now also called as Configured Cluster in WebLogic 12.1.2 

·         Dynamic Cluster introduced in WebLogic 12c is a cluster with one or more Dynamic Servers (More on Dynamic Cluster and Dynamic Server in WebLogic later)

·         WebLogic 12c supports Database 12c including Application Continuity (AC) , Database Resistence Connection Pooling (DRCP), Global Data Services (GDS) 

·         Diagnostics : Built-in Diagnostics Modules added that provides simple and easy mechanism for basic health check and performance monitoring of WebLogic Server