Oracle Applications Cloud

Fusion Applications Update Policy

AUGUST 2015
 Contents

Overview 3

Prior To Go Live 3

Once You Go Live 3

Software and Hardware Update Types 3

Monthly Updates 3

Vertex Updates (Tax and Address Files) 4

Database and Hardware Updates 5

National Language Support (NLS) Updates 5

Exception Updates 6

Additional Update Information 6

Planned Outages 6

Exceptions to Standard Update Practices 6

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) 7

Overview
We periodically provide software and hardware updates for your environments to:
• Address reported issues
• Introduce new functionality prior to next scheduled release
This document describes standard update policies and practices that apply to all Fusion Applications Cloud
customers.

Prior To Go Live
If your business is not live and not in production, consider requesting the Concurrent Update option to keep
your production and non-production environments at the same update level.
If you decide to go with Concurrent Updates:
• You’ll receive one less outage since your production and non-production environments are
updated at the same time
• Both production and non-production environments remain at the same update level at all times

You’ll need to plan your Concurrent Update end date for the last day of the month prior to your go- live
month. For more information about Concurrent Updates, review the following My Oracle Support article Doc
ID 1646394.1.

Once You Go Live

If your business is live on Oracle Applications Cloud, standard updates are applied to your environments on a
predefined schedule – they are first applied to non-production environments and then to production
environments two weeks later, depending on the type of update. This gives you time to test the updates, and
identify and report any issues before the updates are applied to your production environment.

Software and Hardware Update Types

We provide the following software and hardware updates:
• Monthly Updates
• Vertex Updates (Tax and Address Files)
• Database and Hardware Updates
• National Language Support (NLS) Updates
• Exception Updates

Most of these updates are mandatory and applied automatically.

You’ll receive communication about these updates via the Cloud Notification Portal.

Monthly Updates
The Monthly Updates address the following:
• Customer- and internally-reported issues with Oracle Applications Cloud
• Oracle Fusion Middleware and Oracle Transactional Business Intelligence (OTBI) issues. The
Oracle Fusion Middleware updates are sometimes referred to as P4FA updates
• New functional enhancements that need to be provided prior to the next release

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After most customers have upgraded to the next release, we will stop providing Monthly Updates for a
previous release. Any additional updates for the previous release will be accommodated through the
Exception Update process.

Mandatory or Optional Mandatory

Concurrent update environments: First Friday of each month. Exception is the

Middle East, where the update is applied on Thursday.
Non-production environments: First Friday of each month. Exception is the
Delivery Schedule
Middle East, where the update is applied on Thursday.
Production environments: Third Friday of each month. Exception is the
Middle East, where the update is applied on Thursday.

All times are US Pacific Time.

• Middle East: Thursday: 10:00 – 19:00
• Asia P acific/Sydney: Friday 05:00 – 14:00
• Asia Pacific/Singapore: Friday 05:00 – 14:00
Planned Outage Times
• Europe: Friday 13:00 – 22:00
• Americas: Friday 19:00 – 04:00 Saturday
Your outage times are based on the country defined in your Cloud
Services agreement and communicated via the Cloud Notification Portal.

Review the Monthly Update documents. You can find the link to the specific Monthly
Documentation Update documents by accessing My Oracle Support article Doc ID 1603154.1

Vertex Updates (Tax and Address Files)

Vertex Updates occur monthly and apply to US and Canada tax rates, calculations, and address validations. If
your business operates outside of the US and Canada, you’ll receive these updates because you may need to
validate US and Canadian addresses for employees or trading partners who have residences or businesses
there.

Mandatory or Optional Mandatory

All times are US Pacific Time.

Concurrent update environments: 18th of each month.
Delivery Schedule
Non-production environments: 18th of each month.
Production environments: 25th of each month.

Planned Outage Times No outage required.

The Vertex Calculation Guide is updated as needed and accessible from the
Documentation
Cloud Notification Portal for US and Canada Payroll customers only.

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Database and Hardware Updates
We provide database and hardware updates periodically to keep your environments optimized.

Mandatory or Optional Mandatory

Delivery Schedule Typically quarterly.

Typically, outage times begin as defined for Monthly Updates. End times will vary
depending upon the scope of the updates.
Your outage times are based on the data center in which you are hosted and
Planned Outage Times communicated via the Cloud Notification Portal. For example, if you’re an Asia
Pacific customer, but your environment is hosted by a US data center, this
update outage will most likely coincide with the US Monthly Updates time.
If scheduled, all times are US Pacific Time

Documentation Documentation not necessary

National Language Support (NLS) Updates

If your environment includes languages other than English, we provide updates to language packs. These
updates:
• Address customer- and internally-reported issues with an existing translated form, report, or user
interface
• Introduce new translated strings based on functionality delivered in an earlier update

Mandatory or Optional Mandatory

Delivery Schedule For Release 9+:

You will receive NLS Updates automatically for all language packs installed. These
will be applied to your environments with the Monthly Updates.

Typically, outage times begin as defined for Monthly Updates. End times will vary
Planned Outage Times
depending upon the scope of the updates.

Documentation Documentation not necessary

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Exception Updates
You will need an Exception Update when you encounter an unexpected problem that disables a business-
critical process and no workaround exists. You must raise the exception request through the Service
Request (SR) you opened when you initially reported the problem. We approve exception requests on a
case-by-case basis.
Several criteria must be met to request and receive an Exception Update, including:
• A resolution is available
• No workaround exists or you believe that a proposed workaround is not acceptable
• An update to the existing SR explaining how the reported problem hampers a key business
process and how deferral to the next Update would negatively impact the affected business
process
If you are approved to receive an Exception Update, Oracle Support will explain the type of update you will
receive and the timing for applying it.
Keep in mind that an Exception Update introduces:
• Differences in update levels between your environments. You may have to reschedule any
Environment Refresh that is planned
• Additional potential outages that you would otherwise not have in order to apply the Exception
Update and, in some cases, to apply add-on updates for the remainder of the calendar month
All Exception Updates are included in the next Monthly Update

Additional Update Information

Planned Outages
Outage times are defined to minimize disruption to your business. The Cloud Notification Portal will send
you advance notification with outage details, including impacted environment and outage start and end
dates.
If you have an implementation partner, provide them with view access to the Cloud Notification Portal, so they
can receive notices of your outages and can plan their work accordingly.

Exceptions to Standard Update Practices

We make every attempt to limit update-related outages and exceptions to the standard update schedule defined
in this document. However, there may be an occasional need to vary from this schedule for various reasons,
such as:
• Unscheduled, emergency updates to address a critical problem affecting all customers
• Extending a planned outage time for a standard update
We will make every attempt to forecast these special cases and provide you with advance notifications.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
1. Why can’t I opt out of taking the Monthly Updates?
Because we need to ensure all customers have the latest code updates and functionality, Monthly
Updates are mandatory.

2. Why do the non-production and production environments get the Monthly Updates two weeks apart?
This gives you time to perform testing before changes are introduced to your production environment. If
your business is not yet live in production, the Concurrent Update option allows your en vir onm en t s
to be updated together on the non-production schedule, to keep them in synch for critical
implementation activities. For more information about Concurrent Updates, review the following My
Oracle Support article Doc ID 1646394.1.

3. How do I know what is included in the Monthly Updates to create a testing plan?
Review the following articles on My Oracle Support:
• Oracle Fusion Applications Known Issues and Update Documents Doc ID 1603154.1
• Functional Readmes for Fusion Transactional Business Intelligence (OTBI) Updates Doc ID
1573674.1

4. Why can’t I request a specific downtime for when updates are applied?
Because it’s critical to time updates when the Oracle Applications Cloud Operations team is available in
your environment’s time zone, there are predefined downtime windows for all standard updates. You can
find additional details for each update type in the Software and Hardware Update Types section in this
document.

5. How do I know what update region is assigned for my environments?

The region is automatically assigned based on the country identified in your Cloud Services agreement.

6. What do I do if an update does not address my reported issue?

Update the specific Service Request (SR) in My Oracle Support, indicating that the issue was not
resolved after the application of the update. Provide details of any changes in error messages or
symptoms and screenshots as appropriate.

7. Does the standard update outage schedule still apply if my environment has more than one Cloud
Services (for example, HCM and Sales)?
Yes. You will receive standard updates for all Cloud Services at the same time. If you receive an Exception
Update that requires an outage, your entire environment will be brought down and there will be no access
to any of your applications during the outage period.

8. How do Exception Updates affect a request for an Environment Refresh

An Environment Refresh can only be performed when both the production and non-production
environments are at the same update level. If you are not using Concurrent Updates, an Environment
Refresh can only be scheduled during the period after the production environment has received the
Monthly Updates (the third Friday of the month) and up until the next Monthly Updates are applied to non-
production environments (the first Friday of the next month). If you receive an Exception Update, your
non-production environments will typically be updated differently than your production environment and an
Environment Refresh cannot be performed. Oracle Support will identify the impact of Exception Updates
on a scheduled Environment Refresh. We will not apply Exception Updates to synch up environments for
an Environment Refresh.

9. How will I know that my environments are at the same levels for an Environment Refresh?
After you submit an Environment Refresh request, Oracle Support will determine whether or not your
environments

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 are at the same update level and can receive an Environment Refresh on the date you request. If
necessary, Support will identify the date on which your environments should be updated to the same level
so that you can reschedule your Environment Refresh.

10. How will I know if the update process changes?

This document will be updated as changes occur and will be communicated via the Cloud Notification
Portal and Customer Connect.

11. Can I request Exception Updates because I always want the latest available fixes applied to my
environments?
Exception Updates are only approved on a case-by-case basis when you have a previously documented
issue that is severely impacting a key business process with no workaround. You can find additional details
in the Exception Updates section in this document.

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