Cantara Integration Platform 6.1 Released

Following the successful major release of Cantara 6.0 in 2020, Rinami has added a number of key enhancements to Cantara Integration Platform with minor release 6.1. This post describes some of the functionality and security supported in this latest version.

Cloud Security

Increasing the security of Cantara cloud deployments, Cantara software is now protected by Google Cloud Platform container analysis and vulnerability scanning. Automatic scanning of Cantara software deliverables adds another layer of assurance for your business data. Full details about the capability are available from Container analysis and vulnerability scanning  |  Google Cloud.

SFTP Authorization for Media Objects

Cantara 6.1 adds secure communications for Media Objects, enabling SSH encrypted data connections for mobile devices in the field. Media objects allow Cantara users to attach marked-up photos, pdf files and other attachments to work orders. This extra detail can be very useful for storing inventory parts images and specifications relevant to a particular asset, which a parts interpreter will know but a service mechanic may not. Media objects can also be used to capture images of equipment wear or damage, or to draw attention to circled engine parts requiring repair. SFTP authorization ensures that Cantara media objects can be trusted with potentially sensitive data attachments.

Tenant Scheduler Auto-Start 

The tenant scheduler now supports automatic start-up upon server restart. This improves Cantara's recovery from disruptions, particularly for on-premises environments. Services are restored without the need for manual intervention, minimizing downtime.

OAuth2 Refresh Token Disabled for De-Authorized Users

Disabling a user's single sign on account now triggers disabling of JDE access as well. This ensures that de-authorized users who are already signed on will not be able to continue accessing JDE services through the Cantara API. This is an important feature for managing the information security of your business and reducing the risk of a data breach.

Cantara Legacy API default Response Format

To maintain full compatibility with Cantara 4 and 5 applications, the Cantara 6.1 API provides response data that is XML-formatted by default. Requests which specify a particular response format (either XML or JSON) will continue to be honored. Rinami recommends that requests should always specify a required format, rather than relying on a default format.

Minimum JDK Release Updated

The minimum JDK version required by Cantara 6.1 servers has been upgraded to JDK 11, ensuring modern support and security for the platform. For customers whose deployments include a Cantara Agent server, note that the agent server will now only upgrade automatically if the required JDK version has been installed.

WebLogic Support Updated

Cantara now supports Oracle WebLogic version 14.1.1. Details of the enhancements provided by this release are available from Announcing Oracle Weblogic 1411.

Cantara Scheduler Negative Day Offset for Period Date Trigger

The Cantara scheduler now supports period date triggers defined as a negative offset in days. This enables customers to configure report scheduling configurations such as the day before a new period begins.

Trust Added To User Management Methods

Cantara 6.1 adds support for Trust authentication. The full list of supported user management methods now includes Cantara, LDAP, Everest SSO, JDE, Steltix TLX10, OAuth2 (including Azure AD and Firebase) and Trust.

Capital Asset Management That's Well Connected

 

Rinami's Mobile CAM connects asset service teams with the planning systems used across your business. The mobile app provides a user-friendly way to view and manage work orders - wherever you are working, and because it's based on Cantara Integration Platform, it has the advantage of real-time interaction with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne. So all data is live.

Mobile CAM shows asset maintainers an up-to-date and prioritized listing of requested work items. You can set it to display only the work that has been assigned to you, your crew, or a particular site. You can also search for information about a particular asset. However, the strengths of Mobile CAM become more evident when you see the content within a work order.

Enhanced Work Instructions

Mobile CAM provides access to clear information enabling your team to complete maintenance tasks safely, efficiently, and in compliance with standards. These aren't lofty goals - they're essential requirements that need to be facilitated. Mobile CAM can present step-by-step instructions, parts drawings and photos, manuals, or a video showing how to replace a part. This is particularly helpful for a team member who may be unfamiliar with an aspect of the asset. There may also be attachments with tooling information, required permits or safety advice.

The app also highlights exactly what information needs to be recorded. As individual tasks are checked off, Mobile CAM gives team members confidence that they have done what is required.

Streamlined User Input

Mobile CAM provides an easy way for workers to record the outcome of asset inspections and repairs, and update job status. This data, together with the parts and hours consumed, is immediately shared back to other business teams. So by the time a team member lets you know that stock is getting low, it's probably already been re-ordered.

Like all Cantara mobile apps, user input is streamlined so that using the app is never a burden. Think of simple checklists, status selectors, meter entry... when you're working on equipment you can't stop to write a book. The app is efficient, designed to become a natural part of performing a task, rather than an extra chore.

Mobile CAM allows equipment meters to be recorded at any time, and eliminates the problem of rushed handwriting that needs to be deciphered later. The app immediately checks the entered values against the last readings stored in JDE, and makes sure they're valid. Meter reads (or measurements from any device sensor) can be conducted as part of normal asset operation, or during any maintenance event, rather than being left until end of month or worse. The readings drive future maintenance planning, so it's easy to see the value in keeping them up to date. They impact on reporting, parts procurement, external inspections and labor requirements.

No Paperwork

Another advantage of Mobile CAM is that it eliminates service paperwork, so maintainers can spend more time maintaining equipment, and less time writing up, printing and collating the required documentation. Reports can be generated automatically, based on the work order details entered during maintenance. Working without paper might improve job satisfaction too.

Noticing Problems As You Go

We all recognize that mechanics can save us a lot of heartache, and money, by keeping up with preventative maintenance. Yes, inspection of parts wear will help you optimize an asset's productivity; but knowing that a turbo needs to be replaced before the whole engine is destroyed is more critical. That's why Mobile CAM lets maintainers create additional work orders, for issues they may notice on the job. An additional work order can be created while the mechanic is right beside the machine, and they can attach marked-up photos or other details that should be captured. Creating a work order takes seconds, and the information goes straight to JDE, ensuring that problems are not forgotten.

Security

Cantara supports numerous authentication providers and complies with modern security methodologies, including LDAP, Everest SSO, JDE, Steltix TLX10, OAuth2 (including Azure AD and Firebase) and Trust. Role-based access applies to all users, whether logging in to a cloud-based or on-premises Cantara server, or a Cantara mobile app. The connections between Cantara mobile apps, Cantara servers and JD Edwards use SSH encrypted communication links too.

Featureset

Mobile CAM handles a range of asset management functions:

• Work order search, view and update (including checklists for work order close)
• Parts issue (and return of unused parts)
• Labor details, including time entry (as hours, or via start/stop buttons)
• Asset service history
• Pre-start equipment checklists
• Safety enhancements like operator fatigue checklists
• Offline support (allowing you to travel in and out of mobile range)

The app can be customized with additional features, such as Item Search or Inventory Inquiry. All functionalities can be aligned with your specific business processes.

The Mobile CAM app and Cantara Integration Platform are a capital asset management solution from software company Rinami rinami.com, with headquarters in Queensland, Australia.

A better scheduler for JD Edwards EnterpriseOne

The Cantara Integration Platform provides a powerful solution for creating RESTful services for Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne as well as a comprehensive platform of mobile applications and client software development kits for mobile and desktop applications.

What you may not know is that the solution also incorporates a powerful batch scheduling tool at no extra cost. The scheduling platform overcomes a number of key deficiencies in the standard JD Edwards EnterpriseOne batch scheduler and at a price point that makes deployment an easy decision.

So, what are the key pain points of the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne batch scheduler and how does the Cantara Advanced Job Scheduler overcome these?

Dependency Management

There are only two ways to deal with inter-job dependencies with the standard JD Edwards scheduler and neither of them are very appealing. The first, not so safe way, is to just make sure that jobs are scheduled far enough apart that the first job is finished before the second one starts. Of course, there is no guarantee that the first job will not be held up unexpectedly and the second job will just kick off any way.

The second, more common method, is to schedule all dependent jobs in a single threaded queue. Unfortunately, this is a very inefficient method and leads to extended batch processing windows, especially when there are multiple jobs involved.

The Cantara Advanced Job Scheduler has a very clever way of overcoming this problem and making the overall batch schedule much easier to manage. The first element is to enable batch jobs to be scheduled in groups with dependency definition within the group. The second element to the solution is the ability to define dependencies between groups. Let’s look at these two elements in more detail.

Group Scheduling

Generally, day end processing incorporates several closely related batch jobs that must be appropriately sequenced. A good example of this the manufacturing day end batch jobs. Within the Cantara scheduler can you can define a manufacturing day end group and place within this the manufacturing accounting and work order commitments repost batch jobs. You can define the group as being sequential on success, which basically means that each job within the group must complete before the next job is submitted in the order specified. What this means that rather than having to schedule 5 batch jobs independently, the user only needs to schedule the group. If any of the jobs fails then the group will stop processing and a notification email will be sent to the designated monitor for that group. Cantara also supports parallel submission within a group if dependency is not an issue.

Group Dependencies

On top of group scheduling, Cantara then allows the definition of inter-group dependencies. So, to use the manufacturing account group example, you can also define a GL batch post group and make this dependent on the completion of the manufacturing accounting group. Cantara supports multiple dependency types include submit on success, submit on completion (even in the prior group has errored) or submit on start which means that group b won’t start before group a but can run in parallel.

The added benefit of inter-group dependencies is that a single group can be dependent on the completion of an unlimited number of other groups. In the case of GL batch post, we may require that manufacturing accounting, sales day end and AR/AP processing have been completed before the GL batch post is submitted. This enables users to schedule the three prior groups to run in parallel thus maximizing system utilization and minimizing the window within which the day end processing must run.

Schedule Monitoring

The JD Edwards schedule does not contain any effective method of schedule monitoring and thus organizations generally must revert to third party tools that monitor the JD Edwards database. This approach is complicated and not easily repeatable as the parameters that constitute failure tends to differ between jobs.

The Cantara Advanced Job Scheduler has a simple monitoring and notification system that allows users to define notification triggers and to incorporate standard enterprise system monitoring tools if required. Not only does Cantara monitor the state of the submitted batch job but it also tracks the run time of the scheduling group. Users can define a minimum, target and maximum run time for each group and can decide if a group executing outside of these tolerances constitutes a failure. The maximum run time is an easy metric and generally indicates that a batch job has encountered a problem either through incorrect data selection, invalid processing logic that has caused an infinite loop or system performance problems. As soon as the maximum run time is exceeded a notification is sent the group monitor informing of the issue and Cantara can also cease execution of the group in this instance based on group configuration. The minimum run time threshold is utilized to ensure that a scheduled group has completed some data processing. There’s nothing worse that assuming the batch job has processed successfully only to find that all the report displays is a message stating “No Data Selected”.

In addition to this, enterprise monitoring tools can interrogate the state of the batch scheduler and check for failed groups either through REST services published by Cantara or direct access to the Cantara scheduler database if preferred.

Job Output from Cantara Console or via notification

Cantara allows access to the PDF or CSV output of JD Edwards batch jobs directly from the Cantara Administration Console. In addition, you can choose to have these outputs emailed to one or more subscribers automatically on job completion.

Restarting the Scheduler

How many times has an organization stop their batch scheduler for a period of time, forgotten to purge the missed jobs, restarted the scheduler and then seen their batch queue fill with jobs that are not required. The Cantara Advanced Job Scheduler provides a simple method to deal with this situation. There are two options for each scheduled group. The first is to just skip the execution until the next scheduled trigger point and the second is to submit the group once immediately before then resuming the normal schedule. As Cantara still maintains dependencies between groups it makes stopping and starting the scheduler a painless experience.

Exclusion periods

One common requirement for organizations is to prevent jobs like GL batch post from running whilst month end processing is being carried out. For most, this requires the schedule to be manually adjusted to disable the jobs and then another adjustment to reenable them which can be a tedious process. The Cantara scheduler allows for exclusion calendars to be defined and applied to multiple scheduling groups. In simple terms, you may choose to have a batch post job run every 15 minutes and then exclude execution for three days during month end processing so that it can be run manually as required.

Processing Option overrides and Variables

A common headache for users of the JD Edwards scheduler is the requirement to actively maintain processing options and data selection that incorporates things like processing date, current financial period, or multiple changing business units. The Cantara scheduler overcomes this limitation with a couple of powerful features. The first is that the Cantara scheduler can override processing options and data selection on report submission. This allows users to define a single version within JD Edwards and then reuse that version multiple times, with different processing options and data selection, within the Cantara scheduler. So, when changes are required, especially to data selection, it is no longer a requirement for the version to be promoted through multiple environments and for a JD Edwards package to be built and deployed for those change to take effect.

The second feature is the use of variables within processing options, report interconnects and data selection. Let’s say for example that you have multiple reports which all require the current financial period to be defined. Within Cantara you would define a variable that equates to the current financial period and then apply this variable to each of the reports that requires it. Now a change to the variable value is automatically applied to all reports that utilize that variable making period close and changes a simple task. In addition, Cantara variables support basically calendar arithmetic. This allows users to define data selection and processing option dates that are calculated from today’s date. This means you can now set a report processing date to be Today minus or plus any number of days.

Complex Scheduling Patterns

With the Cantara scheduler, a wide range of scheduling patterns can be achieved. No longer are you limited to a static interval based of a start time. You can choose simple patterns like run every 10 minutes or 24 hours up to far more complex patterns such as run at 5:30pm every Mon, Wed and Fri and only in the months of October to December. In addition, Cantara is JD Edwards date pattern aware which means jobs can be scheduled based on the financial date pattern of any company. You may wish to schedule jobs to run on the last day of the period or the first weekday of the period or the last Friday of every quarter. All of these options are possible with the Cantara scheduler and, combined with the advanced dependency management, an extremely efficient and robust job schedule can be defined for any organization.

High Availability and Load Balancing

A major pain point for organizations that are required to meet strict service level agreements and availability targets is the fragility of the JD Edwards scheduler. The Cantara Advanced Job Scheduler overcomes this issue in two ways. Firstly, the Cantara Integration Platform supports horizontal scaling which means that multiple Cantara instances can run the same schedule at the same time. Thus, if a single Cantara instance fails the schedule will continue to run as expected. Secondly, the Cantara Integration Platform supports load balancing and fail over between JD Edwards batch servers. No longer is the JD Edwards schedule required to run on a single JD Edwards enterprise server and the processing can be spread across multiple servers. If any single batch server fails, Cantara automatically removes it from the group and continues processing on the remaining servers. In addition, Cantara batch server groups are self-healing so if it detects that the batch server has resumed operation it will be automatically included back in the group.

Multiple Environments

The Cantara scheduler allows scheduling across multiple JD Edwards environments. For example, you may choose to define a full job schedule against the CRP environment before changing over to the UAT and then finally the production environment. Alternatively, you may choose to have a mixed schedule with some jobs running in production and other running in non-production. All of these options are available with the Cantara scheduler.

Non-JD Edwards Scheduling

Cantara provides a flexible extension framework which can be included in the job schedule. This means that jobs that are not part of JD Edwards can be incorporated into the schedule, including dependencies. Out of the box Cantara comes with extensions for script execution (for all platforms) and AIS service execution. An example of where this is useful would be to kick of ETL jobs that extract data into a data warehouse once the day end processing has completed. Another option would be to populate Z Tables within JDE prior to executing the import batch job. Extensions can be written for any number of different applications and situations and therefore greatly extend the reach and flexibility of the Cantara Advanced Job Scheduler.

In summary, the Cantara Advanced Job Scheduler is everything that the standard JD Edwards batch scheduler is not. Combine this with Oracle Validated Integration and all of the integration and mobility features of the Cantara Integration Platform and you have a powerful tool to greatly improve the performance of your ERP platform. If you would like further details on how the Cantara Advanced Job Scheduler can be utilized within your business, please contact us at Rinami.

Adding Business Value with Effective Maintenance Planning

The effective operation and maintenance of an organisation’s plant and equipment is fundamental to maximising productivity and ultimately business profits. Unexpected equipment failure can introduce significant costs in both downtime and the cost to repair. Repeated unexpected failures can cause changes, whether intentional or not, to production planning to account for the expected reduced productivity and this will directly impact the products and services being provided to an organisation’s customers.

A secondary consequence of poor maintenance planning is the corresponding increase in the value of spare parts that an organisation’s maintenance department will hold. This is in response to a lack of understanding of the inventory demand of the business and the high visibility when spare parts are not available in the event of a breakdown.

Does any maintenance plan work? Manufacturing reports point to one key component of a plant maintenance plan that provides the most business value: an efficient strategy.

Choosing Your Strategy

The traditional approach to maintenance strategies has been to establish a preventative maintenance schedule for each unit. This approach, in comparison to no strategy at all, greatly reduces the likelihood or equipment failure and also allows production planning to be completed with a known constraint which is the downtime required for preventative maintenance tasks to be completed.

However with the introduction of computerised maintenance management systems (CMMS) it is now possible for businesses to take a far more sophisticated approach to delivery maintenance strategy. JD Edwards EnterpriseOne includes two capabilities within their Capital Asset Management module to do this. These are the Failure Analysis and Condition Based Maintenance functionalities.

Failure Analysis allows a maintenance department to gain a far better understanding of the modes of failure for the equipment they manage and also the conditions under which that failure occurs. This information allows the business to develop strategies to both remove the conditions that are likely to cause failure and also develop responses to conditions that are known to cause failure and ultimately take preventative and thus planned actions to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected breakdown occurring.

As opposed to a scheduled maintenance plan where maintenance activities are undertaken based on some measure such as time or distance travelled, a condition-based approach to plant maintenance consists of asking questions such as, “Is there noticeable wear and tear? Is the asset exhibiting any unusual behaviour?” If a threshold is reached is then preventative action can be taken to remove the likely mode of failure that will result from that condition.

Condition Based Maintenance enables a business to greatly reduce both the cost of operating and the overall productivity of their plant by reducing unnecessary shutdowns and expensive maintenance activities. Maintenance departments can move to a schedule of inspection and monitoring and then react to that information to deliver the most efficient maintenance plan possible.

Failure analysis enables a business to refine and improve the trigger points that will cause maintenance activities to occur and thus further improving equipment reliability and productivity.

Downstream Benefits

One of the major benefits of effective maintenance planning and overall improvement in equipment reliability is the ability of organisations to significantly reduce their spare parts inventory as well as reducing the likelihood of stock outs on critical spares.

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne has sophisticated inventory management, material resource planning and forecasting capabilities that are tightly integrated in the Capital Asset Management module. These tools allow organisations to minimise the spare parts required to be carried across multiple sites and ultimately drive down the cost of operating and maintaining their plant and equipment. Organisations can gain clear visibility of both the short term and long terms demands being produced by their maintenance strategy and develop supply plans to meet those demands.

Another consequence of an effective maintenance plan is far more confidence in the production plan and thus an overall improvement in productivity. When production departments are confident that the equipment they’re using is reliable then they will strive to increase the overall utilisation of that equipment.

Final Thoughts

One of the emerging benefits of the Internet of Things is that the data required to run far more sophisticated and cost effective maintenance strategies is becoming far easier to acquire and manage. Businesses are able to gain access to both the current state of their equipment as well as the conditions under which it is operating. This valuable information enables businesses to target their maintenance activities for more efficiently thus reducing their overall costs and giving them a significant advantage over their competitors.

Rinami has extensive experience is maximising the value gained from the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Capital AssetModule and combining all of the functionality available within the product to deliver maintenance processes and analysis that enable businesses to focus on true reliability engineering. The Cantara Integration Platform enables the value of the Internet of Things to be realised by rapidly delivering JD Edwards integration with any number of data sources. This combined with our mobile technologies that enable a business to push their maintenance processes and functions out into the field where they add the most value means that we can offer a complete asset management solution in a very short space of time.