Yesterday I attended an Oracle partners workshop on ADF (Application Development Framework); ADF is a framework developed by Oracle to simplify development of Java EE based SOA applications and is focused around the JDeveloper tool.  JDeveloper also provides an interface for designing BPEL workflows and database development, indeed the look and feel will be familiar to anyone using SQL Developer as they were once parts of a single product.

So where does ADF fit in to an EPM and BI consultancy?  Whilst you might not have heard of ADF, if you have been around the Oracle scene or looked the website you will undoubtedly be familiar with ‘Fusion’, Oracle Fusion is the convergence of the bulk of Oracle’s acquisitions from the last six or so years onto a single platform with as many common components as possible.  Now your probably ahead of me here and will have guessed what that common platform is and which tool will be used to develop and customise those applications?..ADF.

Oracle EBS, Siebel & JD Edwards are all getting an update then?  Brace yourselves because the quote of the day has to be ‘think of it more as re-implementation than an upgrade’, assuming your still reading, don’t be too worried by this as there was a lot of speculation flying around and much sucking of teeth, but take it as an indication that the new versions of the applications in the fusion stack will be very different behind the scenes and probably on your screens as well.  My personal area of expertise, OBIEE, is the reporting tool that sits astride this whole stack of applications and is also getting a makeover, version 11g is on it’s way and the screen shots and basic demos are starting make sense now I have seen more of ADF 11g.  So let’s look at the upsides, several of these apps are getting a bit long in the tooth and most have web clients that are lagging some way behind the times in terms of appearance and functionality.  So if a business can build in a major upgrade to their existing system lifecycle it may not be that bad, the new functionality will catch and I suspect overtake some of the opposition and the benefits could be huge; and there in lies the problem, at the moment anyone can download JDeveloper and follow the Oracle by Example exercises on OTN, or follow the cue card exercises included in the help files for the program, these will give you a good indication of the look and feel of the finished components you can build, but it’s still really hard to get to see previews of the apps themselves.

Watch this space and if time allows I will explore what ADF has to offer in terms of possible customisation of or additions to OBIEE 11g.