FNDLOAD and FNDSLOAD | Oracle 11i E-Business Suite from the Front Lines

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FNDLOAD, also known as Oracle Applications Generic Loader, is a generic loader used to populate a variety of table types. FNDSLOAD is another utility used to load functions, forms, and menus. They are Concurrent Programs that can move data between text file representations of data and the tables within the database after reading a configuration file to determine what data to process.

Typically this utility is used by ADPATCH to load information into the patch database tables to maintain that information simply. However, it will also download data from database tables into text files that will allow you to read and manipulate that data outside of the database structure. FNDLOAD reads a configuration file (extension.lct) and, based on the information in that configuration file, extracts the data into a flat text data file with a .ldt extension. This information can be acted upon by an end user (pulled up into an Excel spreadsheet for charted reporting, for example) or loaded into another database using the same utility.

The generic loader has two modes — download and upload — and each support referential integrity ideas of master-detail constraints and foreign key constraints. The file resulting from a download session is structured data that meets the criteria set forth in the configuration file. This file is easily readable and interpretable and can be used later to upload through the same utility. If you are not dealing with prepackaged information supplied by Oracle through a patch set, care must be taken on an upload session. The configuration file will contain information needed to determine if a row that does not exist in the data file, but does exist in the database, should be retained or deleted. If a row does not exist in the database for information that is contained in the datafile, a new row is inserted into the database. The Owner and Last Update Date attributes of the existing records are examined and, based on a set of rules contained within both the configuration file and the code for the FNDLOAD program, the ultimate outcome of a row that is to be updated is determined. Owner = CUSTOM rows in the database are never overwritten with an Owner = SEED row found in the datafile. Owner = Seed values are always updated if a corresponding Owner = Custom value is found in the datafile. If the Owner in the database and the Owner in the file are the same, the value of the row is updated only if the Last Update Date of the row in the datafile is newer than the Last Update Date of the row in the database.

The configuration file describes not only the data but also the access method to be used in the handling of that data. Much like SQL*Loader, the configuration file is necessary for the correct interpretation of the data, but unlike SQL*Loader, the same configuration file can be used to allow data to be either uploaded or downloaded.

The Concurrent Program's name is FNDLOAD and the command to the executable takes the following format (description is in Table 8.7):

 FNDLOAD apps/pwd 0 Y mode configfile datafile entity [ param… ]

Table 8.7: FNDLOAD Parameters
Parameter	Description
Apps/pwd	This is the Apps userID and the value of the password in your environment. The database to which it connects is taken either from the SID value or from the TWO_TASK value if it is not passed in in the form apps/apps@vis.
0 Y	These are Concurrent Program flags.
Mode	The mode you are running the loader in: download or upload. Results of the run are determined by this parameter; care should be taken if you do not want to inadvertently overwrite values in the database.
Configfile	Name of the configuration file to be used by loader. Include extension (most typically .lct, although that is not enforced nor supplied as a default by the program).
Datafile	Datafile to write. Will be overwritten if it already exists. Typically given an extension of .ldt, although it is not enforced or supplied by the program.
Entities	Entities to either upload or download. If uploading, ALL is typically what you want to do, so specify a "-" in this position.
Param	Additional optional parameters that can be passed to the program. Format for the optional parameters should be in the NAME = <value> format with the value not conflicting with an existing attribute name in the command string.

To download data from the FND_APPLICATION_TL table where the APPSNAME = FND based on the criteria in the myconfiguration.cfg configuration file into the myout.dat output datafile from the VIS database connected as apps with the default password of apps, use the following command:

 FNDLOAD apps/apps@vis 0 Y DOWNLOAD myconfiguration.cfg myout.dat FND_APPLICATION_ TL APPSNAME=FND

To upload the same information into the same place, use the following command:

 FNDLOAD apps/apps@vis 0 Y UPLOAD myconfiguration.cfg myout.dat -

The format of the configuration file is in the form of:

 DEFINE block DOWNLOAD block UPLOAD Block

Define block provides the structure of the datafile's data records. Download block contains the SQL statement that determines which rows qualify for download. Valid SQL statements, including those that contain joins for clarity and resolution, are supported in this block. The Upload block contains a SQL statement or a PL/SQL anonymous block that accepts data from a file and applies that data to the database tables. Identical statements are executed for every row that is in the input data file.

More detail and extended examples are available in Appendix C of the System Administrator's Guide available from your CD pack or for download from Oracle Tech Net (http://otn.oracle.com).

Security Key Generation

Oracle Apps makes use of SSL technology and requires an encryption/decryption key on the system. This key needs to be created for secure connections to the system. The system verifies that it has its key by checking to see if the identitydb.obj file is located in the default location. When the key is present, it looks in the $HOME directory of the person who owns the application, usually appsmgr or similar, and in the directory of anyone defined to the system as a local administrator who logs in as themselves to the system to perform maintenance (run ADPATCH, run ADADMIN, and other utilities) for the indetitiydb.obj file.

Running adjkey -l will allow you to see if you have a key present and accessible. If adjkey -l is unable to find a key, it will return output similar to that in Table 8.8.

Table 8.8: Output if ADJKEY -l Is Unable to Find a Valid Key
D:\visappl>adjkey -l Copyright (c) 1998 Oracle Corporation Redwood Shores, California, USA AD Java Key Generation Version 11.5.0 NOTE: You may not use this utility for custom development unless you have written permission from Oracle Corporation. Reading product information from file… Reading language and territory information from file… Reading language information from applUS.txt… Scope: sun.security.provider.IdentityDatabase, source file:C:\vismgr\identitydb.obj AD Java Key is complete.

Table 8.8: Output if ADJKEY -l Is Unable to Find a Valid Key

 D:\visappl>adjkey -l                       Copyright (c) 1998 Oracle Corporation                             Redwood Shores, California, USA                                      AD Java Key Generation                                              Version 11.5.0 NOTE: You  may not use this utility for  custom development unless you have written permission from Oracle Corporation. Reading product information from file… Reading language and territory information from file… Reading language information from applUS.txt… Scope: sun.security.provider.IdentityDatabase, source file:C:\vismgr\identitydb.obj AD Java Key is complete.

If no key appears to be present, you can recreate the key by running the adjkey initialize command to create it or (if you can find another identitydb.obj file on the current system) you can copy the indetitydb.obj file from another %HOME% to that of the current user. Trying to create a key when one already exists in the home of the given user will return the Table 8.9 output. In the example the default values were taken. If you have paid for a key from a key provider, you will use the values that you are provided by that company.

Table 8.9: Create a Key When One Is Available
D:\visappl Copyright (c) 1998 Oracle Corporation Redwood Shores, California, USA AD Java Key Generation Version 11.5.0 NOTE: You may not use this utility for custom development unless you have written permission from Oracle Corpora- tion. Reading product information from file… Reading language and territory information from file… Reading language information from applUS.txt… Successfully created javaVersionFile. AD Java Key will now create a signing entity for you. Please enter the name of the entity you wish to create [Customer] : After creating the signing entity, a certificate will be created for signing jar files locally. You can specify an organization to be used in identifying the certificate. Please specify an organization to be assigned to the certificate [DEFAULT_ORG] : Name conflict. Please remove the identity named Customer before adding a new identity with that name. java key error: adjava -mx128m sun.security.provider.Main -cs Customer true The above Java program failed with error code 1. See the java key log file and/or the program log file for details. Failed to initialize customer signature environment.

Table 8.9: Create a Key When One Is Available

 D:\visappl                     Copyright (c) 1998 Oracle Corporation                           Redwood Shores, California, USA                                    AD Java Key Generation                                            Version 11.5.0 NOTE: You may not use this utility for custom development unless you have  written permission from  Oracle Corpora- tion. Reading product information from file… Reading language and territory information from file… Reading language information from applUS.txt… Successfully created javaVersionFile. AD Java Key will now create a signing entity for you. Please enter the name of the entity you wish to create [Customer] : After creating the signing entity, a certificate will be created for signing jar files locally.  You can specify an organization to be used in identifying the certificate. Please specify an organization to be assigned to the certificate [DEFAULT_ORG]  : Name conflict. Please remove the identity named Customer before adding a new identity with that name. java key error: adjava -mx128m sun.security.provider.Main -cs Customer true The above Java program failed with error code 1. See the java key log file and/or the program log file for details. Failed to initialize customer signature environment.

If adjkey -initialize is successful, again using the default values provided by the prompt, you will get output similar to that in Table 8.10, which verifies that the file and key were created.

Table 8.10: Creation of Security Key
D:\visappl Copyright (c) 1998 Oracle Corporation Redwood Shores, California, USA AD Java Key Generation Version 11.5.0 NOTE: You may not use this utility for custom development unless you have written permission from Oracle Corpora- tion. Reading product information from file… Reading language and territory information from file… Reading language information from applUS.txt… Successfully created javaVersionFile. AD Java Key will now create a signing entity for you. Please enter the name of the entity you wish to create [Customer] : After creating the signing entity, a certificate will be created for signing jar files locally. You can specify an organization to be used in identifying the certificate. Please specify an organization to be assigned to the certificate [DEFAULT_ORG] : Created identity [Signer]Customer [identitydb.obj][trusted] Generated DSA keys for Customer (strength: 512). Generated certificate from directive file D:\visappl\admin\out\adcert.txt. Your digital signature has been created successfully and imported into the javakey identity database. This sig- nature will now be used to sign Applications JAR files whenever they are patched. IMPORTANT: If you have multiple web servers, you must copy files to each of the remaining web servers on your site. See the documentation reference for more information. java key is complete.

Table 8.10: Creation of Security Key

 D:\visappl                     Copyright (c) 1998 Oracle Corporation                           Redwood Shores, California, USA                                    AD Java Key Generation                                            Version 11.5.0 NOTE: You may not use this utility for custom development unless you have written permission from Oracle Corpora- tion. Reading product information from file… Reading language and territory information from file… Reading language information from applUS.txt… Successfully created javaVersionFile. AD Java Key will now create a signing entity for you. Please enter the name of the entity you wish to create [Customer] : After creating the signing entity, a certificate will be created for signing jar files locally.  You can specify an organization to be used in identifying the certificate. Please specify an organization to be assigned to the certificate [DEFAULT_ORG] : Created identity [Signer]Customer [identitydb.obj][trusted] Generated DSA keys for Customer (strength: 512). Generated certificate from directive file D:\visappl\admin\out\adcert.txt. Your digital signature has been created successfully and imported into the javakey identity database.  This sig- nature will now be used to sign Applications JAR files whenever they are patched. IMPORTANT: If you have multiple web servers, you must copy files to each of the remaining web servers on your site. See the documentation reference for more information. java key is complete.

If adjkey -l is successful in finding its key, it will display output similar to Table 8.11.

Table 8.11: Adjkey -l Successfully Finding Key
D:\visappl>adjkey -l Copyright (c) 1998 Oracle Corporation Redwood Shores, California, USA AD Java Key Generation Version 11.5.0 NOTE: You may not use this utility for custom development unless you have written permission from Oracle Corpora- tion. Reading product information from file… Reading language and territory information from file… Reading language information from applUS.txt… Scope: sun.security.provider.IdentityDatabase, source file:C:\vismgr\identitydb.obj eitb[identitydb.obj][trusted] AD Java Key is complete.

Table 8.11: Adjkey -l Successfully Finding Key

 D:\visappl>adjkey -l                     Copyright (c) 1998 Oracle Corporation                           Redwood Shores, California, USA                                    AD Java Key Generation                                            Version 11.5.0 NOTE: You may not use this utility for custom development unless you  have  written permission from Oracle Corpora- tion. Reading product information from file… Reading language and territory information from file… Reading language information from applUS.txt… Scope: sun.security.provider.IdentityDatabase, source file:C:\vismgr\identitydb.obj eitb[identitydb.obj][trusted] AD Java Key is complete.

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