By Leigh-Anne McDonald, PMP
Oracle NCA is a next generation application. The future is thin client. The future is Internet Based Applications. The future is focusing on information, not budgeting for upgrades. NCA encompasses all of these concepts. The future is NCA, and Oracle’s future direction is NCA. Currently there are two releases of Oracle NCA available: 10.7 NCA and Release 11.
Oracle NCA impacts everyone using Oracle Applications to improve and automate their business processes. This includes Business Managers, Information System Managers and End Users. All have the same basic requirements of a global business solution system: reliability – will it be available on demand; affordability – will it be low cost and low maintenance to use; intuitiveness – will it be easy to use; and scalability - will it meet the needs of a growing business in a dynamic world.
For a number of years now there have been two flavours of Oracle Applications: Character and Smart Client. Both have served the Oracle user community well both have limitations.
Oracle Character
Oracle Character uses a terminal emulator on the desktop to access the Applications on a remote server. Typically the terminal emulator used is “Telnet” a relatively old utility but nonetheless stable. System crashes in an Oracle Character environment are atypical. More importantly because the Applications do not reside on the desktop, administrative costs associated with client maintenance and for application distribution / support are low. Data processing tends to be rapid because it takes place on the remote server and does not depend on the power of the desktop client. And finally, navigation is keyboard driven which facilitates for rapid data entry.
On the down side, Oracle Character, as of December 31, 1998 is no longer fully supported by Oracle, and by December 31st, 2000 will not be supported. Oracle Character releases 15.X and earlier are not Year 2000 compliant. A number of modules available in Oracle Smart Client and Oracle NCA have not been released for Oracle Character. Similarly, Oracle Character does not have localizations available for all countries nor National Language Support (NLS) for all languages. Lastly, typically new functionality is not ported to Oracle Character.
There are few pros for Oracle Smart Client Applications. Oracle Smart Client enjoys all the benefits of GUI including standardized menus and functions because it uses Graphical User Interface standards. Additionally, Oracle Smart Client enjoys functionality and modules that Oracle Character does not.
Oracle Smart Client has many limitations. Oracle Smart Client uses a classic client / server architecture in which the Applications are loaded onto the desktop client, where much of the data processing is performed. Unfortunately, these GUI Applications are subject to localized GPF and
Oracle run-time errors resulting in the infamous blue screen of death for many users on any given day. Furthermore, because the Applications are installed on the client, there is a high cost associated with the purchase, maintenance and support of both the clients and the applications. Upgrades, patches and customized forms must be distributed to every client rather than loaded on a centralized server which contributes to significant over head, users using different versions, and an I.T. team devoted to supporting the applications.
If this weren’t enough, Oracle Smart Client as of December 31st, 1999 will no longer be fully supported by Oracle and by December 31st, 2001 will not be supported. Nor are Oracle Smart Client releases 15.X and earlier Year 2000 compliant. Lastly, navigation and data entry can be cumbersome because it is accomplished using both a keyboard and a mouse.
Given the limitations of Oracle Character and Oracle Smart Client Applications, the question has to be asked: “What has your system done for you lately?”
It is estimated that business PC user must spend 27 minutes every day simply configuring their machine. This is not the information age but an age when everyone must be their own mechanic. Every computer works differently. Install a new application and hope it’s compatible. You always have to ask: “What version?”, “Which brand?”, “Which operating system?” 1
Plugging in an appliance, brushing our teeth, starting our cars, are all seamless operations. We do not need to understand how electricity is supplied to our homes, water to our faucets, and the intricate details of our cars. The same should be true of computer technology. We should not have to be computer mechanics in order to use computers and enhance our businesses. Each and every CIO and CEO must raise the flag and ask when the endless investment in one hardware / software upgrade after another will stop and begin to pay off. The answer is now.
Oracle NCA (Network Computing Architecture) represents the next generation of computing, allowing organizations to invest more in the applications that will make them successful and enhance their daily business activities, rather than forecasting for system upgrades every year. With NCA you will never have to ask the questions: “What version?”, “Which brand?”, or “Which operating system?” NCA’s design eliminates the monopoly of hardware vendors. No hardware platform or single operating system should dominate in the future.
Oracle NCA is an architectural design based on open standards and extensible infrastructure. Its goal is to move the complexity of Oracle Applications off the desktop and into a Network for better management as well as simultaneous access of up to date information by anyone, anywhere.
Oracle NCA addresses all of the system needs important to Business Managers, Information System Managers, and End Users using a comprehensive global business solution: reliability, affordability, intuitiveness, and scalability. Oracle NCA embraces the best of Oracle Character and Oracle Smart Client to deliver a robust system that uses low cost, low maintenance Web technology. By placing the applications on the Internet they are made available to everyone at the same time and can be accessed from anywhere. Your focus is on the information and what it can do for you, rather than planning for your next upgrade.
Oracle Release 11 is expected to be available in NCA mode only and while Oracle NCA and Oracle Character can co-exist, Oracle NCA and Oracle Smart Client can not. More importantly,
Oracle NCA performs better than Oracle Character and has been proven to perform better over LAN / WAN than Smart Client.
Oracle NCA offers a full suite of Applications including those that are not available in Character mode. At the time of writing this, there were 14 modules available to Oracle NCA that were not available to Oracle Character. Furthermore, significant enhancements have been made in the Manufacturing modules for Oracle NCA. It will offer more “workflow”, and enhanced Multiple Language Support (MLS) capabilities and Euro currency are being addressed.
Oracle NCA embraces standard GUI functionality and web browser behaviour, but moves administrative tasks and user interface logic to the Network Server. Oracle NCA lowers administration costs associated with the purchase, maintenance, and support of desktop clients.
Oracle NCA’s Granular Patching Strategy preserves form customizations. Patch application to Oracle Character or Oracle Smart Client typically replaced what was broken and often times what was not, resulting in customized forms being over-written. Oracle NCA replaces only what needs to be fixed and does not over-write customizations in most cases.
Oracle NCA has been released for Tier One platforms including Sun, NT and HP, and has been certified for use over a WAN which facilitates with Network traffic. Oracle NCA embraces a 32-bit interface rather than the 16 bit in Smart Client. Oracle NCA can co-exist with Oracle add on products such as Oracle Applications Desktop Integrator, Project Connect and Report Exchange.
Oracle NCA’s architectural design consists of a Client Browser, Database Server and Applications Server. This architecture allows for application partitioning, load balancing, and fail-over.
The Database Server used for Oracle Character and Oracle Smart Client remains relatively unchanged for release 10.7 NCA. It’s requirements are basically the same as for client / server in terms of CPU, Memory and Disk Space. Release 11 however, introduces sizing differences associated with Oracle 8, multi-org schema changes, and a number of new features and functions. Typically the database server stores the data, but it can also store logic and perform processing.
The Applications Server is the new piece and consists of the Web Server, the Form Server, the Reports Server, and the Graphics Server. It sits between the client browser and the Database Server. Application logic resides on the Applications Server. There should be no limit on the number of Application Servers that can be used in a classic Oracle NCA architecture.
Oracle NCA represents the future of computer technology. Oracle NCA takes the best of Oracle Character and Oracle Smart Client as well as addresses the business system requirements of
Oracle Applications Users including reliability, affordability, intuitiveness, and scalability. Oracle NCA uses low cost, low maintenance web-based technology for better management as well as simultaneous access of up to date information by anyone, anywhere.
Oracle Character and Oracle Smart Client both use a two tier architectural design: database server and desktop client or terminal. Oracle NCA uses a three tier architectural design: a database server, a client browser, and an applications server. The addition of the mid-tier Applications Server is an up-front cost to everyone upgrading to Oracle NCA. Furthermore, a third tiers adds complexity and forces a company – wide network analysis.
Oracle NCA evangelizes the concept of a thin client. Unfortunately, the thin client isn’t as thin as may be expected. If the client is used only for the applications, then the client is thin. But, if the client is used additionally for other applications such as word processing or spreadsheets, than the client must be thick enough to support these applications in addition to the Applet Viewer.
Note: This white paper was originally presented at the Oracle Applications User Group conference.