Testing policy with regards to Microsoft Critical fixes and Oracle.

[Steven E. Protter]

Similar to this Microsoft thread, but this is the only place I can reach oracle shops.

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x52e6b8ae502c2f4f87f0fe538f707b5e,00.html

We have a new server at work, which we use to distribute Microsoft Critical patches.

We would like to know if users who develop oracle applications with oracle forms and reports and designer(client server) have any testing protocols to make sure Microsoft patches don't break the Oracle tools.

Whats your policy? Whats your testing procedure.

Minimum points for a reasonable answer is 5.


I am quite concerned that oracle development can be hammered if we're not careful. If your shop uses Oracle Forms and Reports client/server for development, please let me know what the testing policy is, if any.

Also, since the oracle applications are browser based, I'm interested in what quality control checks organizations do prior to distributing IE fixes.

Current enviroment.

IE 5.5 on the client
Windows 2000 Patch 3 plus all Critical patches

Server:
HP-UX 11.11 as fully patched as possible.
Oracle 8.1.7.4.0
ias 1.0.2.2 PL 12
which includes:
forms 6i
reports 6i
apache 1.3

SEP

[Andy Beal]

We don't run Oracle Apps, but we do fight quite a few windows version conflicts with various dlls. We use Norton Ghost to deploy all our machines, insuring that they are mostly duplicates (some differences between models). We try updates on a few of the key images out there by ghosting a test machine and applying the change. Then applying it to a few of our machines around the IS dept. If we get into a sticky situation with some change, we normally figure out how to correct it through ZenWorks and push registry changes/dll changes etc. In our environment we have to have bits of the Oracle client, and actually use the snapshot and push technology to zap the client onto a machine.

As far as IE goes we normally run into some sideshow app (like phone system/call center tools) that require particular versions, recently it's been IE6 required. Luckily we haven't run into anything that stopped working after updating it. I have ran into some issues with newer versions of the Java plugin and stuff that required the older plugin. That's a PITA.

Andy

[John Dvorchak]

Not really an answer but more of a "did you know?" This was emailed to all in our company:

For legal reasons, Microsoft is being forced by the federal government to discontinue distribution and support of their version of the Java Virtual Machine effective January 1, 2004

We were then told to stop using all Web based apps writen for MS VM. I only mention this as a heads up to you since you are trying to develope a testing methodology based on Web application.

I wish I could help answer your real question, but they have OS and Applications so segregated here that we never know what the other side is doing.

[Steven E. Protter]

Hi John,

Oracle was kind enough to warn us about that, so we backed off on JVM.

SEP