Update to Thoughts on EPM 11.2 Certification Matrix

I recently wrote a blog post regarding the Oracle EPM 11.2 Certification Matrix and some questions I had on the information contained therein. I have since had a conversation with a senior person at Oracle who requested to remain anonymous but was kind enough to read through this post thoroughly and provided a thoughtful response. I’m very grateful for this as we now have much more clarity. Responses are paraphrased.

Why isn’t Windows Server 2016 listed?

Oracle’s Answer: Windows Server 2019 was the focus of Q&A testing because it has the “longest runway” from a Microsoft Extended Support perspective. It might work on 2016 and 2012, but your mileage will vary and is not guaranteed.

Yes, Windows Server 2012 R2 is coming out of Microsoft Extended Support in a few years, but will it work there? 

Oracle’s Answer: As above, not worth the R&D / Quality Assurance time as Server 2012 has a limited shelf-life from a Microsoft perspective.

My Comment: Ping me on LinkedIn if you couldn’t attend my ODTUG webinar on this topic and I can quickly debrief you.

The only version of MS SQL Server listed is 2016 (one person told me they tried it on 2019 and it didn’t work, so he’s downgrading to 2016).  

Oracle’s Answer: From a Microsoft perspective, SQL Server 2016 is the version certified for Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c.

The Firefox ESR version numbers are not listed. In EPM 11.1.2.4, certain EPM screens stopped working once you surpassed a certain Firefox version. Has this been fixed in 11.2?

Response is still forthcoming.

Windows 10 is the only supported Windows OS listed. What about 8.1? Not everyone has finished their migration to 10 yet.

Oracle’s Answer: 8.1 is coming out of Microsoft Extended Support soon, so testing/QA emphasis was spent on Windows 10 from a desktop perspective.

My Comment: Windows 7 is close to end-of-life and a desktop upgrade to Windows 10 is recommended.

Why is Windows Server 2012 listed as a certified client OS, but not as a certified server OS?

Oracle’s Answer: As above. Server testing was focused on MS Server 2019 due to the predicted shelf life.

My Comment: Server 2012 is essentially the same technology as Desktop 10, so this kind of makes sense.

JRE 8 is the only client Java plug-in supported? Is the EPM system not backward-compatible for organizations who haven’t completed their client desktop updates yet?  

Oracle and personal joint answer: Java 6 came out of Oracle Extended Support on Jan 1, 2019. Java 7 has a limited shelf life and the security updates for it are only available to paying customers; the general public doesn’t have access to those updates. Java 8 has the longest shelf life until a subsequent patch is issued for EPM 11.2 that certifies newer versions.

Certification Matrices for 11.1.2.4 and prior listed Microsoft Office versions. Microsoft Office is conspicuously missing here. We know 365 Cloud won’t be certified until a newer version of SmartView is released, but could we get some details in the meantime?

Oracle’s Answer: Oracle SmartView for Office is the only desktop client remaining that cares about the version of MS Office. A conscious decision was made to remove Office from the matrix so as to reduce confusion.

No mention of Microsoft Edge. We know this is on the roadmap, but it would be nice to see a statement in the matrix to the effect of “not supported yet; to be certified in a subsequent patch” or “it is certified now.”

Oracle’s Answer: IE11 for now. Stay tuned.

Want to learn more about what I’ve learned about EPM 11.2? Download my white paper, “From the Mad Scientist’s Lab: An Assessment of Oracle Hyperion/EPM 11.2.”