Archive for July 8th, 2010
Backward Compatability
Backward Compatability is a very big technological driver. Especially for software companies like Oracle that have customers with a large installed base of users who rely on expensive functionality that they have purchased. When companies invest in software it is usually for very good business reasons and they expect that software to carry on doing at least what it did in the previous version as time progresses.
In 2006 I argued (www.niall.litchfield.dial.pipex.com/ManageabilityManifesto.pdf) that Oracle Corp had removed some existing functionality from Standard Edition users of the database product by making certain features that had previously been available in a management pack for SE users (and the base product for that matter). I started a petition (that had very little effect, the relevant product manager said they preferred to hear direct from customers – presumably in sales meetings – and not from users and advocates of the product ) and generally made a bit of a fuss.
Four years later and the same team have committed a similar error again. If you visit http://www.oracle.com/oms/enterprisemanager11g/webcast-067871.html you can hear Charles Phillips and others talking about Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g. What’s frustrating for me is that some of what is described (for example the management packs for Oracle E-Business Suite described in BreakOut Session 1 @8:33 , but especially 10:14-12:44) exists in the 10g product, but will not install on and is not certified for 11g. I can’t speak to whether an upgraded installation will work correctly, but I’m not encouraged. It turns out that this subject was covered on Stephen Chan’s excellent blog at http://blogs.oracle.com/stevenChan/2010/06/oem_11g_amp_acmp_plans.html. It rather looks as if to get features that were working in 10g Enterprise Manager, you’ll have to wait for a future release of the management pack – and moreover that possibly this project has only just started.