On July 9, 2019, extended Support for SQL Microsoft Server 2008 expired. This means that those on the 2008 version will no longer get security updates, which could be a risk to your infrastructure and applications.
For Oracle EPM Hyperion customers, this affects users on 11.1.2.3 which support Microsoft SQL Server 2008. If you’re still on this version, you also recently lost defect fixing, third party certification updates, and enhancements for your Oracle EPM Hyperion solutions.
This nail in the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 coffin is the last in a series of omens indicating that you must do something, if not now then very soon. In this blog post, we’ll cover several options for you to consider.
Upgrade to Oracle EPM Hyperion 11.1.2.4 or 11.2
With 11.2 scheduled to come out in a couple of months, this probably seems futile. Premier Support for 11.1.2.4 ends in December 2020 and you’d have Extended Support until December 2021. It’s kind of a bleak and short timeline for a costly upgrade. However, if you intend to upgrade to 11.2, you must be on 11.1.2.4.
On 11.1.2.4, you would then migrate Microsoft SQL Server to the 2012 version (11.1.2.4 doesn’t support the latest on-prem versions — Microsoft SQL Server2016/2017/2019).
What you could do is upgrade to 11.1.2.4 and use it as a “jump” environment to get to 11.2. On 11.2, you would also need to upgrade to Microsoft SQL Server 2016/2017.
If you want to wait until 11.2 comes out, we recommend looking into our Support Services options so that you’re still receiving some help/protection while your lacking security and defect fixing.
Move to the Cloud
If you’re sick of worrying about all these on-prem expiration dates, then the natural path might be to migrate to the cloud. Oracle has recently made a lot of changes to the EPM Cloud, with an entirely new pricing model and deployment options.
Now, the cloud comes with all the solutions you need under two offerings — you can learn more about that here.
If you’re using HFM, you’ve probably been concerned with FCCS lacking the functionality of HFM. At Kscope19, we learned that Oracle now considers the Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud tool to have reached parity with HFM. A couple years ago at Kscope16, this was not the case, making the cloud a difficult decision for many.
If you’d like to see a demo of Oracle EPM Cloud’s Financial Consolidation and Close functionality, schedule a consultation or request a demo with one of our experts.
If you’re a Oracle EPM Hyperion Planning user, the Oracle EPM Planning Cloud has a lot of cool new features within its enterprise edition, including free form planning, Groovy support, and scenario modeling. Be sure to follow our blog for more updates on these features as well as upcoming webinars.
Consider an Alternative
If none of the above options sound good to you, it’s not your only choice. You can start evaluating other EPM solutions, such as OneStream XF.
This solution is particularly attractive to those with more than one Oracle EPM Hyperion tool and who are still considering the cloud (OneStream is the same on-prem as it is in the cloud).
OneStream partners with Microsoft and hosts their cloud-based solution on Microsoft Azure.
If you’d like to learn more about features and functionality included with OneStream, download the eBook.
Host SQL Server 2008 on Azure
This last suggestion is straight from Microsoft and, unfortunately, doesn’t help solve your support problem with 11.1.2.3. If you want to stay on Microsoft SQL Server 2008, you can rehost with “few or no application code changes” in Microsoft Azure SQL Databased Managed Instance, according to Microsoft.
You could also move to Azure Virtual Machine for three year of Extended Security Updates, using your existing licenses to save up to 55 percent for choosing a hybrid option.
If you do choose this option and stay on 11.1.2.3, we again recommend looking into some sort of support option to have back up when you need it.
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