PITSS - Oracle Forms upgrade / Forms Migration FAQ
Major Points in comparing PITSS.CON with Oracle’s Migration Assistant
Pro - Migration Assistant Forms upgrade / Forms migration
Migration Assistant is free. Unfortunately PITSS.CON isn’t, but you do get what you pay for. Even when using Migration Assistant, Oracle estimates it will take between .75 and 1.5 days per Oracle Form and Report object to get up to 11g from 6i/9i. PITSS.con takes as little as 5 days for applications consisting of 50, 1,500, 3,000, or even more Forms and Reports objects to upgrade/migrate.
Pro - PITSS.CON Forms upgrade / Forms migration
Migration Assistant handles 6i to 9i/10g/11g Forms upgrades only. PITSS.CON handles any version of Oracle Forms to 10g/11g
Migration Assistant does not handle all of the issues that PITSS handles. For instance, there are many Version 3.0 commands that do not have a replacement available with Migration Assistant, so it is simply commented out. PITSS.CON fixes it.
Migration Assistant does not work on the entire application at one time. You can create a script to work on all files in a directory, but that isn’t the same thing. PITSS.CON looks at all FMB, OLB, PLL, MMB, RDF, and Database Objects when fixing each required change. And even generates reports about the entire application with all the form location specifics. Migration Assistant allows you to see the log file of one form at a time.
Migration Assistant allows you to decide if you want HOST to be replaced with CLIENT_HOST or not. But that is for all Forms submitted against Migration Assistant. This is a consideration for READ_IMAGE_FILE, WRITE_IMAGE_FILE, GET_FILE_NAME, HOST, TEXT_IO, etc… PITSS.CON allows you to decide for all occurrences, some occurrences, or an individual occurrence; which is usually the case. Sometimes it should occur on the Application Server, sometimes on the Client box.
Migration Assistant does not have a solution for RUN_PRODUCT that works when you are using the Reports Parameter form to gather values. PITSS.CON does have one, and it can be implemented in minutes.
Migration Assistant does not offer capabilities to remove redundant or dead code. PITSS.CON is a Full Lifecycle development tool that allows you to Migrate, Clean Up, Interrogate, Maintain, and even Evolve you application.
Migration Assistant does not allow you to locate and address un-supported/un-upgradeable commands like VBX, OCX, some DDE, some ORA_FFI, When-Mouse-Leave, When-Mouse-Enter, FORMS_OLE, etc
Migration Assistant does not look into the DB. This is usually not important to a migration, but this is a tool that you can continue to use and continue to save time and money with.
Migration Assistant does not allow for Bulk actions. During your migration process, there are simply things that are not taken care of. When you find these, you will come up with a solution. PITSS.CON can apply that solution to every instance, Migration Assistant lets you do it manually. For instance, if you want a Java Bean Calendar to pop up for Date Fields. PITSS.CON can change all of these. Migration Assistant is of no use.
Issues that come up that are causing you trouble that were not detected by Migration Assistant can be handled with PITSS.CON. For instance, a MAX_LENGTH on a field that is also Synchronizing with another item will now cause a Warning. Maybe you don’t want warnings, or maybe you are now allowed to implement code with Warnings. Migration Assistant will not solve this for any occurrence throughout the application. PITSS.CON does take care of this in minutes throughout the entire application.
The last point I'd like to make is that Oracle recommends that you use our software for the cleanest, cheapest, fastest Migration.
What does it take to Upgrade Oracle Forms and Reports 10g to 11g
Fundamentally the changes made to 11g do not affect the run-time engine for Forms and Reports (9i, 10g Release 1 or 10g Release 2). The new functionality is really on the peripheral pieces of the Application Server. For instance, there will be changes to the JDK (11g uses version 1.6). So you may require some changes in how you use WebServices if you are using them in an earlier version of Web Forms.
But to move your Oracle Forms and Reports 9i or 10g objects to 11g, you just need to re-compile on the 11g Server.
From Forms to APEX - Oracle Application Express Architectural Review
Is it a Conversion, Upgrade, Migration, or Modernization
When moving your Oracle Application from any version of Oracle Forms and Reports to 10g/11g, it is often referred to as a conversion, upgrade, migration, or modernization. These terms appear to be used fairly loosely throughout the Oracle community. But Oracle Corporation is very clear on this topic ... sort of.
According to Oracle, If you are moving from an earlier release of Oracle Forms and Reports to a later, supported version of Oracle Forms and Reports, you are performing an upgrade to your Forms and Reports. You are really upgrading the Application Server to Oracle AS 10g/11g.
The term Migration is really supposed to refer to people who are converting their Oracle Forms and Reports to another technology like .NET, ADF, or Java. The files you end up with are in no way the same as your original FMB, OLB, PLL, MMB, or RDF files. Though we think that the technology differences from Client-Server (6i) to Web Forms (9i, 10g, 11g) is enough of a different to warrant this term, Oracle does not. And that of course is why they named their tool to help you perform an Upgrade "Migration Assistant".
Modernization, which is Oracle's term for the movement to newer technologies, more or less falls in the same category as Migration. And again, we think a Forms Upgrade is still a Modernization. Once you are running Web Forms (9i, 10g, 11g), you can co-exist with these other technology stacks. Your application is now Web enabled and can utilize most of the Web functionality (even more so with 11g).
Conversion is a term that describes the action no matter where you go with your application. Any way you look at it, the file format is not going to work in your old technology. It has been converted to meet the criteria of your new technology.
Realistically, you would upgrade your software on your server to recognize your newly converted Oracle Forms and Reports. All of which was migrated to an Application Server, if you didn't have one previously. And anything that is running on the Web is considered modern technology.
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