Often, Siebel system administrators or Siebel developers need to switch the Siebel application to the vanilla or out-of-the-box configuration, in order to test/debug a version of Siebel that has custom configurations. In earlier Siebel releases (prior to Open UI), developers had to switch the Siebel SRF (Siebel Repository File) to an out-of-the-box SRF and restart the Siebel services to be able to view the application in vanilla mode.

In the latest versions of Siebel (Open UI), Oracle has made it much easier to run the application in a vanilla configuration mode. With the introduction of the Open UI version, the system now has two object manager parameters that can be used to do this quickly. By default, the two parameters are set to “False” in the object manager component:

• Manifest Safe Load – Default set to False, doesn’t run in Vanilla Mode
• Enable Safe Load – Default set to False, doesn’t run in Vanilla Mode

By setting these parameters to “True,” the application will run in the vanilla out-of-the-box configuration. This is very helpful when debugging issues and working with Oracle support to identify the root cause of any encountered application issues.

We encountered a strange issue in our customer’s Oracle CTMS application. Our team had configured a customer’s Oracle Siebel CTMS application based on their specific business requirements, including the need for new views for end-users.

The application was working fine for years without any issues until the customer reported that certain views in the application were no longer accessible or visible. When users were trying to navigate to the view, the mouse icon would change to an hourglass for some time and then stop without navigating to the requested view.

Upon further analysis, we identified that the HTTP request made to access the view was not receiving an HTTP 200 OK success status response code. The HTTP 200 OK success status response code indicates that the request has succeeded. The connection attempt was made from the browser, but the server denied the request.

The cause of the issue was due to the latest update to the snort rules updated in the Load Balancer. Snort rules are primarily used for intrusion and vulnerability detection. It uses the rules to identify whether the incoming URL is malicious or not. In this specific case, when navigating to a custom view, the snort rules detected it as a suspicious URL and dropped the connection.

Our IT team identified the snort rule causing the issue. Disabling this rule returned the application to functioning as desired for the custom views.

Do you experience issues with your Siebel applications and infrastructure? If so, reach out to us for help.

Has your organization been thinking about upgrading your Siebel Clinical Trial Management (CTMS) system to the latest version available, but aren’t exactly sure what the potential benefits an upgrade could bring? With the newest version of Siebel, Innovation Pack 2019 (IP2019), there are some significant updates that bring key features and benefits to end users. There are also platform-wide upgrades that make development easier and more efficient, not to mention infrastructure and administration improvements, which could make maintenance and support even more streamlined.

Below are some key benefits of IP2019 and how they impact specific types of users:

If you have Siebel CTMS, I’d like to invite you to a webinar to learn more about IP2019. If you are not familiar, but are in the process of evaluating CTMS solutions, join me to hear why the most prominent life sciences organizations have implemented Oracle’s CTMS.

Register for the webinar: Oracle Siebel CTMS IP2019 Highlights and Upgrade Considerations

Previously, I examined how to develop content and implement iHelp. In this final installment I discuss the iHelp lifecycle and control.

iHelp comes with a built-in version control system. When you create a new iHelp article, it starts at version 0, with a status of “In Progress.” You then enter and edit the content, testing as necessary while the status is still “In Progress.” By doing this, you can make the article visible for the Siebel Administrator (or other desired responsibility) but not change what end-users see.

Once satisfied, you “Activate” the article, which locks editing for that version and deactivates the old version (if there is one). After an article is active, you can either deactivate or revise it. If you deactivate it, iHelp removes it from visibility from all of its responsibilities, and the status changes to Inactive.

If you “Revise” it, a new version is generated with a status of “In Progress,” but this does not affect the current “Active” version. End users will continue to see the old version until you activate the new one. But, as mentioned earlier, you can still make “In Progress” articles visible to whatever responsibilities you like.

To learn more about iHelp and the assistance it can provide with Oracle’s Cloud Siebel CTMS, you can click here or fill out the form below.

Previously, I outlined how iHelp can assist administration. This blog will highlight the useful cases of Oracle’s iHelp.

iHelp is useful for tasks of different complexity. You can use iHelp for short data entry-type tasks, like entering a new subject for a site in which you list out the steps and give field descriptions and highlights. Some medium-length tasks fall into this category as well.

For longer tasks, iHelp’s view links are really helpful, especially where the task may span multiple screens. If these longer tasks require decisions, branching can display content that’s relevant to what the user is doing. For example, there’s an iHelp article about creating activity and trip report templates, and it branches according to whether the user is creating a general activity template or a trip report one.

You can also use iHelp for well-placed tips and reminders that give general pointers for a screen, like tips on querying, or process reminders. And iHelp is useful for both new and more-experienced users. For new users, iHelp will guide them through their tasks until they learn how to perform them on their own. For experienced users, it provides a quick and easy way to refresh their memory on tasks that are rarely performed.

To learn more about iHelp and the assistance it can provide with Oracle’s Cloud Siebel CTMS, you can click here or fill out the form below.

Previously, I discussed iHelp and all the assistances it provides. This blog looks at the end-user benefits that Oracle’s Cloud Siebel CTMS iHelp provides.

One of iHelp’s key end-user benefits is that the content is available on demand, directly in Siebel – there’s no need to dig through a user manual or even divert your attention from the application. Just open up the side panel and let iHelp be your guide. Customizability allows content to be completely relevant to your organization.

The internal view links move users to where they need to be at each step in a process, saving and preventing mistakes. By including both a link and instructions on sub-steps on how to get there, iHelp teaches users to navigate on their own.

Context sensitivity allows iHelp to highlight the fields and buttons a user needs to leverage. iHelp shows them exactly what they need to be working with at any given point, and again, teaches users to locate those fields and buttons themselves.

Branching allows content to adapt to user actions, based on field values entered. You can also branch based on other facts – the user’s position or responsibility, for example. And you can link to external resources, which is useful for more lengthy content that would be more appropriate for a traditional document. It can also be useful to include screenshots.

All of this comes together to empower users to help themselves, which can greatly reduce the amount of user support required for Siebel.

To learn more about iHelp and the assistance it can provide with Oracle’s Cloud Siebel CTMS, you can click here or fill out the form below.

Previously, I introduced iHelp and how this program can help you work Oracle’s Cloud Siebel CTMS. This blog will analyze with iHelp truly is.

iHelp is a context-sensitive, interactive, and highly customizable on-screen help tool. It keeps track of where you are in the system and adjusts content accordingly. It is interactive in that it shows you what to do and takes you to where you need to be. And iHelp is highly configurable. You create the article content from the ground up, including the titles and instructions. Your iHelp developer defines all of it.

iHelp is displayed in a pop-out panel on the left-hand side of any screen for which you’ve created articles. iHelp articles are designed to provide step-by-step instructions. You can include screen and view links that take users directly where they need to go at a given step. You can configure iHelp to highlight relevant fields and buttons as the user clicks on a step. As the user enters data, iHelp can branch down different paths of a flowchart, adapting its content to user actions based on the logic you specify. And you can include hyperlinks to external pages or resources, for example, an eLearning system, a help document, or a screenshot.

This image shows the iHelp panel on the left. As you can see, it lists out each step. The arrow is pointing to one of the internal view links mentioned earlier, so if the user clicks, it will take them to the view you set. Notice the instructions on how to get to the view, in addition to the link – this teaches users to do it on their own.

A little farther down, you’ll notice that it highlights some of the fields. These are the field lists in step 3 – this way you can give field-level instructions while indicating their location to the user.

To learn more about iHelp and the assistance it can provide with Oracle’s Cloud Siebel CTMS, you can click here or fill out the form below.

It’s no secret that a clinical trial management system (CTMS) streamlines and simplifies the running of clinical trials, and that Oracle’s Siebel Clinical (Siebel CTMS) is the most robust system in the space. But what you might not know is exactly how it would simplify your work life.

In this guide, we’ll cover various job functions in which Siebel CTMS an be useful.

• Clinical Administrators
• Clinical Document Associates
• Clinical Finance Associates
• Clinical Research Associates
• Site Monitors
• Clinical Executives
• Study Managers

This guide represents the most common roles we’ve encountered during our Siebel CTMS implementations, and the most frequently experienced benefits we’ve gathered from users.

After much anticipation, it finally happened, we got a project where the client wanted to use Siebel version 18 (aka IP 2018), which meant that this project was going to be done primarily utilizing the Composer rather than Siebel Tools.

When I started the project, I tried to find a brief introduction to the Composer for someone who is experienced in developing with Siebel Tools, but was unable to find one. This blog is meant to fill in that void by showing you how to login to the Composer, create a workspace, do some changes, unit test these changes, and then merge these changes back into the main workspace for every user to use. Note that there is no SRF.

Using Siebel Composer

The first point to mention is that there is a separate object manager for the composer. Other than the URL you will know that you are logging into the Composer by the “Siebel Web Tools” under the Login button.

After you login you will notice a user interface very reminiscent of Siebel Tools. Notice that the + button and the trashcan are greyed out. That is because by default when you first login, you are logged in to the main line workspace.

Click on the box icon to the right workspace (in this case labelled Main). This takes you to the Workspace view.

Press the Create icon on the top right, and a popup window opens, requiring you to enter the name of the new workspace and a comment.

You will notice that it then changes the workspace label from Main to the name of your new workspace. Next, press the close button.

After pressing Close, it takes you back to the object explorer view. You will now notice that the Add and Delete icons are now enabled.

Here is the bug that we are going to fix. Log on to the application object manager, navigating to the Protocols | Activity list applet, export all columns;

And this generates the following error;

Now back to the Siebel Composer, expand the web template items, and make inactive the following two web template items;

After making them inactive, they will turn red indicating that they are inactive.

Now back in the Siebel UI, click on the workspace icon;

Highlight the workspace name, and press open;

Next, press the inspect icon.

Then press the close icon.

This takes you back to the regular Siebel UI. Retry to export all columns;

And now no errors. The next step is to make this change available to all users. Go back to the Siebel Composer, and once again press the Workspace icon;

Press the version icon;

Enter a required comment;

Next press the submit button;

Then press Submit.

And finally Press Deliver.

And now this change is available to all users.

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Download our guide, “Getting Started with Siebel CTMS in the Oracle Cloud” to learn the signs that it’s time for Siebel CTMS, the benefits of Siebel CTMS, how to build a business case for Siebel CTMS, and choosing a Siebel CTMS cloud implementation partner. To learn more or discuss your specific needs, Contact us.

There is a better way to get help in Siebel Tools!

Suppose you are trying to get help about a business component field property (for example, force active):

You could navigate to the help menu and choose Contents:

Siebel Tools will return a list of all places in which “Force Active” is referenced. In this case, the one we are looking for is the fourth one on the list:

However, an alternate way to get help is to have the focus in Siebel Tools on the object that you are interested in and then press F1.

When you press F1, Siebel will return help on the properties for that object.

This is way more intuitive!

Recently, we had a requirement to create an installation of Siebel Tools that would run against the server database and be READ_ONLY with no ability to change the user that had WRITE privileges. The users of this machine knew the password for SADMIN, and also had the ability to create a new user that had READ/WRITE privileges.

Was meeting this requirement possible? Yes!

Here are the steps:

• Create in the Oracle database, an account READ_ONLY.
• Create a new role SSE_READONLY that was a copy of SSE_ROLE but only had select privileges. Note, you have to be careful and make sure that SSE_READONLY had access to ALL the tables that SSE_ROLE does.
• GRANT SSE_READONLY TO READ_ONLY

Here is a screenhot that shows you are able to log into Siebel Tools using READ_ONLY:

Here is a screenshot that shows you can view all objects:

Here is a screenshot that shows what happens if you attempt to update an object:

So, that is 50% of the task. Now, how do I prevent someone from logging in as a different user?

There are likely many ways of doing this, but I chose to use a database trigger:

CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER DENY_LOGIN

AFTER LOGON ON DATABASE

DECLARE

BEGIN

IF ( sys_context(‘USERENV’,’IP_ADDRESS’) <> ‘192.168.1.3’) and USER <> ‘READ_ONLY’

THEN

raise_application_error( -20001, ‘Connection not authorised on this workstation’ );

END IF;

EXCEPTION

WHEN OTHERS THEN

RAISE;

END;

/

This is what happens if try to log in using SADMIN:

A colleague of mine recently informed me that there are hidden properties in Siebel Tools. This post will share how to make these properties available.

In your Tools.cfg file set this value:

ClientConfigurationMode = All

The complete list of object types can be found here.

Some of the more interesting object types include:

Applet | List Column | Sequence. When you are on a list applet and do an export of all columns, this value controls the order in which they appear. This had always puzzled me: if you do an export of visible columns, the order is the same as it is presented in the UI, but an export of all columns usually appears to be in a random order.

Applet | Background bitmap. The bitmap object definition to display in the background of the applet.

Applet | Control | Height. The height of the control in pixels. Valid values are numbers greater than or equal to 0. The default value is 10.

Applet | Control | Width. The width of the control in pixels. Valid values are numbers greater than or equal to 0. The default value is 40.

Applet | List Alpha Tab Search Field. Name of the alpha tab search field. The field specified is the field in the business component for the applet in which the alpha search should be applied.

If specified, it causes the list applet to have an alphabet tab search bar.

Note of caution, Siebel documentation also states that “You cannot use the Form Applet Wizard, List Applet Wizard, View Wizard, or set the HTML Sequence if the ClientConfigurationMode parameter is All.”