Balancing EBS JRE Requirements With Other Java Apps

Customers frequently ask me, "What's the best way of handling JRE requirements when I have other Java applications in addition to Oracle E-Business Suite?"

The short answer: you should always try to use the latest JRE release, but before you do that, you need to review your enterprise JRE requirements carefully to ensure that all of your applications are compatible with it.

Why you should always deploy the latest JRE updates

JRE updates include fixes for stability, performance, and security.  The most-important fixes are for security, of course.  Therefore, we strongly recommend that customers stay current with the latest JRE release.  This applies to all Java customers, not just E-Business Suite customers.

New JRE releases are always certified with EBS on day zero

The E-Business Suite is always certified with all new JRE releases on JRE 1.6, 1.7, and 1.8.  We test all EBS releases with beta versions of JRE updates before the latter are released, so there should be no EBS compatibility issues.  Customers can even turn on Auto-Update (which ensures that a new JRE update is automatically applied to a desktop whenever it’s available) with no concerns about EBS compatibility.

Which JRE codeline is recommended for Oracle E-Business Suite?

Oracle E-Business Suite does not have any dependencies on a specific JRE codeline.  All three JRE releases – 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 – work the same way with EBS. 

You should pick whichever JRE codeline works best with the rest of your third-party applications.

Check the compatibility of all third-party Java applications in use

Of course, Oracle cannot make any assurances about compatibility with other third-party products.  I have heard from some customers who have Java-based applications whose certifications lag behind the latest JRE release.

Organizations need to maintain a comprehensive matrix that shows the latest certified JRE releases for all of their Java applications. This matrix should include the E-Business Suite.

Take the "lowest-common denominator" approach

Customers with multiple Java-based applications generally are forced to take a “lowest-common denominator” approach.  Even if Oracle E-Business Suite and the majority of your Java-based applications are compatible with the latest JRE release, any lagging application's incompatibility with the latest JRE release will force you to remain on the earliest version that is common to all of them.

For example:

• An organization runs Oracle E-Business Suite and four third-party Java-based applications
• Oracle E-Business Suite is certified with the latest JRE release
• Three of the third-party applications are certified with the latest JRE release
• One of the third-party applications is certified only on the previous JRE release
• The organization is forced to deploy the previous JRE release to their desktops. 

Contact all of your third-party vendors

Organizations whose JRE deployments are held back by a particular application's incompatibility should contact the vendor for that application and ask them test with Java Early Access downloads or to participate in the Oracle CAP Program.