Real life forms to adf
1 like661 views
Luc Bors shares key insights from his experience in modernizing legacy systems, emphasizing ten essential lessons learned during the transition from Oracle Forms to ADF. He highlights the importance of starting small, involving stakeholders, hiring experts, and prioritizing performance, while challenging common assumptions about automated migration. The document serves as a guide for navigating complex modernization projects, advocating for thorough planning and ongoing adaptation to new technologies.
Real life forms to adf
- 1. Luc Bors, 26-mar-2013, OBUG Connect Antwerpen 10 lessons learned Real Life Forms to ADF
- 2. Who Am I • Luc Bors • Principal Consultant • AMIS Nieuwegein Netherlands • Friends of Oracle & Java • 5 Oracle ACE(D) • Oracle Partner
- 3. Where Are You Now ? • HUGE Forms investment • Mission critical, complex systems • Low maintenance, stable system for over 10 years • Mostly undocumented systems • VERY fast productive development • Trained developer pool • Looking to leverage the existing investment
- 4. Where Do We Want to Go ?
- 6. Most Recent Project • Ministry of Security and Justice • Application >20 years old • Decentralized architecture (19x) • Approx. 2.000 users • 1 million cases per year • 10.000-15.000 letters per day
- 7. Modernization Project Triggers • Very old technical environment(end-of-life) • Maintenance is expensive • Staffing is difficult • Architecture not flexible • Need to be ready for the future
- 8. Distributed Architecture • 19 distributed implemenations• 1 central implemenation • Less Hardware • Less Administrators • Less Duplicate Data • More Insight • More Control
- 10. Forms Application • Forms 4.5 / Reports 2.5 • Character mode • Terminal Emulation • Enables Macros ! • Desupport 31 December 2003 • Runs since 1991 …
- 11. Not Really Web 2.0 ……………
- 12. Web 2.0 !
- 13. Web 2.0 !
- 14. IST - SOLL • Character Mode • Distributed • Data Duplication • 250 Modules • 90 Reports • 15’’ Monitors • Application • Web Technology • Centralized • Data Standardization • < 100 Modules • 50 Reports • 24’’ Monitors • Platform
- 15. What did we Learn ?
- 16. Lesson 1: The Right Size • Think Big Start Small. • Don’t be Tempted. • Use Small PoC !
- 17. Lesson 1: The Right Size
- 18. Lesson 1: The Right Size • Application Architecture • Taskflow with page fragment and per Taskflow 1 page with 1 static region • All in one big workspace – Or • Taskflow with page fragment and per Application 1 page with 1 dynamic region • Use separate workspaces
- 19. Lesson 2 : Don’t Copy Paste • Migrate “As-is” …… ?? • Don’t try to copy forms functionality – Know your ADF Faces Components • Forms Built-ins are not available in ADF and PL/SQL is not Java. Your options: – Whenever possible • transfer to DB – Whenever lucky • Use a declarative or zero code ADF Alternative – Otherwise • Code Java Alternative
- 20. Lesson 2 : Don’t Copy Paste • Forms code for: – Buttons – Canvasses – Navigation • ADF code for: – None of the above
- 21. Lesson 3 : Involve People • Grumpy Old Men • Talk with all People involved in the project • Let them know what you are doing • Let them decide what goes in and what not
- 22. Lesson 3 : Involve People • Include operational team • Infrastructure (DTAP) : Ready on Time • Don’t underestimate WebLogic configuration • SSO via MS-AD
- 23. Lesson 4 : Hire Experts • Training is not enough. • Steep learning curve – Don’t mix in regular work – Long “Conscious Incompetence” phase: motivational dip • Hire Experts 0 1 2 3 4 5 Week 1 Week 20 Week 30 Week 40 Week 52 Next Year Even Later Imaginary ADF Learning Curve
- 24. Lesson 4 : Hire Experts “The cheapest ADF Consultant is the one with the highest hourly rate”
- 25. Lesson 5: Planning & Process • Scrum • Predictable Results • Short Cycles
- 26. Lesson 5: Planning & Process • Short Development Cycles – Easy to Adjust – Easy to Demo – Nearby Goals Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 2 weeks 2 weeks 2 weeks Demo Demo Demo
- 27. Lesson 6 : Think Performance • Performance First, not Last • Might look good, however…. • Consider Tools • …. And Watch Now Carefully !
- 28. Lesson 6 : Think Performance • ViewObject queries caused by unintentionally left iterators in pageDefs • Iterator bindings can still be refreshed and the ViewObject unnecessary executed - for example when you have Refresh=“ifNeeded”)
- 29. Lesson 6 : Think Performance • Oracle’s Default Values Do Not Always Rock ! – ViewObject fetchMode and fetchSize are underestimated properties and have big performance impact – The default value is 1 - will give poor performance (unless only one row will be fetched)
- 30. Lesson 6 : Think Performance • Too much data in ADFBC memory………….. • Try to avoid loading more database rows than you need • Be careful if you really do need to load a proportional number of database rows
- 31. Lesson 6 : Think Performance
- 32. Lesson 7: Business Rules • The $ 1.000.000 Question
- 33. Lesson 7: Business Rules • Business Components is not Always the Best Place ! • For employees with a Job (attribute value) equal to SALESMAN the value of the Salary attribute should not be higher than 2500. • The difference between the maximum salary for all employees with the same job and their average salary may not exceed 30% of the average salary
- 34. Lesson 7: Business Rules Hey, I can do ADF ! We can’t………. ….. But we can do PL/SQL
- 35. Lesson 8: Documentation ?
- 36. Lesson 8: Documentation ! • *.fmb are not Documentation ! • Provide proper Documentation • It is a Valid Investment • Create a Cookbook – Architectural issues – Development How to‘s
- 37. Lesson 9: Automated Migration • Automated migration is not easy. – You can run into issues that an automated tool cannot handle – You still need to re-code forms triggers (PL/SQL) • JHeadstart Forms2ADF ? – Not Really on Option • Automated migration doesn’t exist.
- 38. Lesson 10: Keep up the Pace
- 39. Lesson 10: Keep up the Pace • Service Oriented Architecture • Business Process Management • Service Bus • Mobile
- 40. Lesson 10: Keep up the Pace
- 41. Summary • Lesson 1: The Right Size • Lesson 2: Don’t Copy Paste • Lesson 3: Involve People • Lesson 4: Hire Experts • Lesson 5: Planning & Process • Lesson 6: Think Performance • Lesson 7: Business Rules • Lesson 8: Documentation • Lesson 9: No Automation • Lesson 10: Keep Up the Pace
- 42. Luc Bors, AMIS, The Netherlands Luc.Bors@amis.nl LucBors@gmail.com Follow me on : @lucb_