[OAUGNetDBA]-Re: Is Oracle Software Configuration Manger Worth the Effort?

[Doug Sparks <DSparks@vical.com>]

Not to be sarcastic, but I believe that

" software versions, hostnames, directory structure/OS environment variables"

could actually be considered security concerns in some instances.  Call it my cautious nature, but I'd shy away from any tool which gathers its own information and provides it to someone else outside the company.  By nature, it is an output which if compromised could lead to the loss of sensitive corporate information

Now if it ran monthly and you could review and approve what was transmitted, that might be useful, but overall it just sounds like a way for Oracle to ferret out licensing discrepancies with those more unscrupulous customers.


Doug Sparks

-----Original Message-----
From: OAUG Net DBA listserver [mailto:OAUGNetDBA@oaug.com] On Behalf Of James Morrow
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:07 PM
To: OAUG Net DBA listserver
Subject: [OAUGNetDBA]-Re: Is Oracle Software Configuration Manger Worth the Effort?

The agent does upload information to Oracle.  I believe that they have
a document that
details exactly *what* is sent.

My understanding is that it's limited to things like:

software versions, hostnames, directory structure/OS environment variables

My understanding is that things like "chart of accounts" or any module specific
setups are NOT transmitted.  (whereas module licensing status would be).

It would NOT transmit any passwords or any actual data.

-- James
----------------------------------------------------------------------
James J. Morrow | Senior Oracle Applications DBA
morrow.james <at> gmail <dot> com



On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 2:59 PM, NV <nvora76@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi James,
>
> If this software phones home as you say, is it to Oracle directly or
> to you only? If it does go to Oracle directly I would think that there
> might be some compliance/security issues that you may have to consider
> like PCI/SOX etc. Do you know if such concerns exist at your place?
>
> Thanks,
> Neel
>
> On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 1:18 PM, James Morrow <morrow.james@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Basically, you install the collection agent for each (unix) user that owns
>> an $ORACLE_HOME, (you'll have to "register" various components...
>> so, RDBMS $ORACLE_HOME, $IAS_ORACLE_HOME,
>> 8.0.6 $ORACLE_HOME, E-Business Suite).  It runs out of cron (schedules
>> itself, thank you)
>> and "phones home" periodically to update stored configuration information.
>>
>> Pretty simple to install, nice Flash-driven interface (not
>> particularly "lightweight"
>> mind you, but certainly "pretty").
>>
>> Now, as far as useful, well....
>>
>> In our case, it seems somewhat confused about things like E-Business suite
>> modules/products/product families.  For example, we're unable to log a "SCM" SR
>> against Oracle Projects (projects anything, for what it's worth)
>> because there isn't
>> a valid choice on the MetaLink SR create menu for anything that we can
>> identify that
>> would include any of the Projects modules.
>>
>> Also, synchronization of the data between SCM and the MetaLink SR
>> process doesn't
>> appear to be completely smooth.
>>
>> In my opinion, nice to play with, interesting toy... certainly worth
>> the effort to install...
>> Don't know how much real use we've gotten out of it, however.
>>
>> -- James
>>


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