The Oracle EBS challenge: modern collaboration without compromising security

Oracle EBS remains a mission-critical system for finance, procurement, manufacturing, and asset management. At the same time, many organizations are under pressure to modernize how documents tied to EBS transactions are stored and shared.

Over time, attachments stored as database BLOBs create predictable problems:

• Oracle database growth that increases infrastructure, backup, and recovery costs
• Performance degradation as attachment volumes increase
• Limited document governance compared to modern collaboration platforms
• Difficulty meeting audit, retention, and accessibility expectations

For these reasons, many Oracle EBS organizations migrate attachments from the database to SharePoint Online. SharePoint improves collaboration, search, retention, and accessibility. However, this shift introduces a second challenge that is often underestimated.

What changes when Oracle EBS attachments move to SharePoint

When documents live inside Oracle EBS, access is implicitly controlled by the application. Once those documents are moved to SharePoint, access is governed by Microsoft Entra ID and group membership.

This creates a critical question for Oracle EBS teams:

How do we ensure SharePoint access reflects Oracle EBS user roles and responsibilities without introducing security risk?

Manual access management does not scale. Fully automated access changes can create concerns for security, audit, and compliance teams. Oracle EBS environments often require explicit oversight due to their support for regulated and financially sensitive workflows.

In this use case, Oracle EBS organizations aim to

• Reduce Oracle database growth by moving attachments to SharePoint
• Use Oracle EBS as the source of truth for document access decisions
• Align SharePoint library access with EBS responsibilities
• Maintain visibility and oversight of access changes

This is where AventX A2A fits.

Using Oracle EBS as the source of truth for SharePoint access

Oracle EBS already contains the logic that defines who should have access to documents. Responsibilities, roles, and user assignments reflect business rules that have evolved over time.

AventX A2A allows organizations to leverage that logic by syncing Oracle EBS query results with Microsoft Entra ID group membership. These groups are then used to control access to SharePoint document libraries that store Oracle EBS attachments.

This approach ensures:

• SharePoint access aligns with Oracle EBS responsibilities
• Changes in Oracle EBS users are reflected in document access
• IT avoids duplicating entitlement logic across systems

Balancing automation with governance

Many Oracle EBS organizations support automation, but still require governance. Security and audit teams often need clear visibility into:

• Who is being added or removed from access groups
• Why are those changes occurring
• Evidence that access decisions were reviewed

Instead of blindly enforcing changes, AventX A2A supports a governance-friendly workflow by generating email summaries of proposed Entra ID group changes based on Oracle EBS query results.

This allows teams to review recommended additions and removals before updates are applied, supporting separation of duties and audit requirements.

Why this matters after migrating Oracle EBS attachments

Once Oracle EBS attachments are moved to SharePoint, SharePoint becomes the system of engagement for documents.

Entra ID groups become the enforcement layer for access.

Without alignment between Oracle EBS users and Entra ID groups, organizations risk:

• Overexposing sensitive financial or operational documents
• Granting access based on outdated assumptions
• Failing audits due to unclear access change history

By combining attachment migration with Oracle EBS-driven group governance, organizations modernize document storage without creating new security gaps.

A practical Oracle EBS use case in action

A common scenario looks like this:

1. Oracle EBS attachments are migrated to SharePoint to reduce the database size
2. SharePoint document libraries are secured using Entra ID groups
3. Oracle EBS queries define group membership based on responsibilities
4. AventX A2A produces a clear summary of proposed access changes
5. Teams review and apply updates in line with internal security policies

While AventX A2A supports automated Entra ID changes, this user-based approach allows organizations to modernize document management while retaining confidence in access controls.

Who benefits most from this approach?

This use case is especially relevant for Oracle EBS organizations with:

• Finance, procurement, or HR data subject to audit controls
• SOX, ISO, or regulatory compliance requirements
• A need to reduce Oracle database growth without increasing access risk
• Security teams that require visibility into entitlement changes

It is also well-suited for organizations that want to move toward automation gradually, starting with review and validation before full enforcement.

Outcomes for Oracle EBS organizations

By aligning Oracle EBS user logic with SharePoint access governance, organizations achieve:

• Reduced Oracle database size and improved performance
• Better document usability and collaboration in SharePoint
• Consistent access control driven by Oracle EBS data
• Improved audit readiness and security oversight

Modernizing Oracle EBS document management is no longer optional, but neither is security. Moving attachments to SharePoint delivers real benefits only when access is governed with the same rigor as the ERP itself.

This use case shows how Oracle EBS organizations can reduce database growth, modernize document storage, and maintain strong access controls by aligning Oracle EBS user logic with Entra ID group governance.

Organizations that migrate attachments out of the Oracle database consistently see meaningful infrastructure and performance improvements. One real-world example of Oracle database reduction shows how a global manufacturer reduced database growth by moving Oracle EBS attachments to SharePoint.

If your Oracle EBS environment is growing due to attachments and your security team needs confidence in SharePoint access controls, this approach provides a practical path forward.

Product Naming

As we continue to improve our products and further integrate the major product lines, we decided to rebrand several of our product lines. The following products received name changes:

File Management Improvements

New Product Module: Oracle File Attachment to SharePoint Migration

Our newest module for AventX A2A seamlessly integrates Oracle EBS with SharePoint to streamline document processing and archiving workflows. The module automatically migrates File Attachments from Oracle to SharePoint, then reinserts URL links to Oracle EBS as Web Page Attachments.

This module supports long-term archiving storage for compliance, reduces to database space used by File Attachments, and improves the end-user experience for managing and maintaining documents. Additionally, power users can use SharePoint’s workflow features to create automated document processes with the documents now in SharePoint.

Availability: AventX A2A for Oracle EBS, AventX A2A for Oracle eAM

Oracle EBS Printing Improvements

New Product Module: Print Oracle EBS Reports directly to Windows Printers

Currently, users of our “Local” print module (AventX Print Xpress) can print Oracle EBS report output to a locally defined printer or preview it on their screen. With the latest releases of AventX, this module gains some significant product improvements and a new name.

Meet AventX for Oracle EBS Windows Print…

This updated AventX module provides end-users the ability to submit print jobs directly to any Windows printer. Printing options include (NEW) submitting batches via Windows Print Server (completely bypassing CUPS), printing to locally defined printers (in the office or at home), and displaying/previewing the report output on their Windows or Mac.

The AventX Windows Print and Preview module now makes the job help desk and system administrators easier by streamlining the entire print process from Oracle EBS. Moreover, the product now includes a utility to help map Oracle EBS and Windows Printers, eliminating the need to manage printers in Linux/CUPS.

Availability: AventX for Oracle EBS, AventX for Oracle eAM

Document Delivery Improvements

Securely Deliver Documents via SMS

Users of AventX with Secure File Transfer can now deliver PDF files securely via SMS links to track delivery and views. This functionality utilizes Email-to-SMS technology to ensure your documents get delivered to your recipients quickly and in a manner that best suits their needs. So whether it’s shipping documents, invoices, or more, this streamlined method gives you another option for meeting your customers’ unique needs.

Availability: Secure File Transfer w/ all AventX Supported ERPs

Respect Hunt Group Fax Lines

Many customers have found fax deliverability issues—primarily delays—when sending large volumes of deliveries to the same number. When AventX identified a “same” number, it would hold the fax until the number was “free” again. However, as many high-volume fax users know, fax numbers can often be associated with “Hunt Groups,” a single published number that receives the inbound call (i.e., fax) and quickly routes it to an available phone or fax line. Customers can now identify these “Hunt Group” fax numbers in the AventX configuration. When these numbers are recognized as a Hunt Group, AventX can more quickly process the faxes, ensuring they are delivered promptly.

Availability: AventX Core (All Supported ERP’s) w/ on-premise FAXCOM Fax Severs

AventX for SAP Now Supports Multiple Email Recipients

AventX for SAP ERP users with our AventX Core product line now can associate multiple email addresses with a single fax number. Assigning numerous emails addresses to a single fax number ensures you can meet your suppliers’ and customers’ requests and helps to ensure that your document is received.

Availability: AventX for SAP ERP with AventX Core

Electronic Signature Improvements

Deliver via DocuSign to Multiple Recipients

Not all documents that need to be signed are created equal. Some require signatures from a single signer, such as a President or VP. Others, such as a terms and conditions file, likely need a simple acknowledgment by one of many potential recipients. AventX now works with DocuSign’s native “Signing Groups” functionality to allow any recipient to sign the file electronically. Whether the document is sent to two or two hundred, it’s considered complete once the first recipient signs it.

Availability: AventX for DocuSign w/ all AventX Supported ERP’s

Deliver Documents via DocuSign with Additional Remarks

AventX now offers the ability to pass additional content in the body of a DocuSign email transmission. Previously, AventX passed limited information about the sender, recipient, document, and document name in DocuSign’s email body. Now users of AventX can configure the system to include additional remarks or comments in the body of the email generated by DocuSign to provide helpful information to the recipient.

Availability: AventX for DocuSign w/ all AventX Supported ERPs

Work Order Printing/Management Improvements

New Work Order Filtering Options with AventX Mobile for eAM

The latest release of the AventX Mobile for Oracle eAM app adds additional filtering options to make it even easier to finds the work orders important to you. Earlier versions of the app allowed users to filter for work orders based on the Organization, Department, Resource, and the Asset itself. However, every maintenance department is unique! So now, in addition to these original options AventX Mobile for eAM introduces options to filter work orders based on views like those available in Oracle eAM self-service. The addition of filters based on “My Open Work,” “My Department Work,” and “Today’s Work” will allow AventX Mobile users to easily find the work orders central to their specific job.

Availability: AventX Mobile for Oracle eAM

File Extraction Support for ETQ

AventX can now extract files from ETQ, a third-party quality management system, for inclusion in work order packets. With this enhancement, customers storing critical file attachments in ETQ can dynamically retrieve files, convert them to PDF (if needed), and deliver them to recipients via email, fax, and networked printer.

Availability: AventX for JD Edwards

STR Software begins its 35^th year in business with the announcement of AventX A2A, an application-to-application data and document module for Oracle EBS.

Richmond, Va. – May 27, 2021 – STR Software, a B2B software development company with close ties to Oracle EBS, celebrates its 35th successful year in business on May 27, 2021. Since 1986, STR Software has maintained its vision to develop and support critical software that automates essential business processes.

When STR Software launched on May 27, 1986, it debuted with POS/3000, an automated polling software for the HP3000 that utilized faxing technology to poll retail cash registers for data. STR Software now focuses on developing critical software for Oracle and other ERP systems to automate document delivery, archiving, and printing processes, as well as data loading processes. The company has helped more than 1,550 customers in 28 countries.

On 35 successful years in operation, Ben Bruno, President of STR Software, remarked, “I am extremely grateful for our team members who have helped me to operate STR Software for the last 35 years. Their commitment to exceeding the expectations of our customers has made all the difference. I am incredibly proud of the quality software and superb service STR Software consistently offers because of their efforts.

Today, STR Software announces the launch of AventX A2A, an extension of the AventX for Oracle EBS and AventX for Oracle eAM product suites. As the application-to-application (A2A) name implies, the core functionality of the new module exists to simplify document workflows from Oracle and other applications.

Bruno continued on the product release, “The entire team is excited about our latest offering that automatically removes and inserts attachments from ERP systems and third-party repositories. This will save significant database space in systems such as Oracle EBS.”

At launch, AventX A2A supports a primary objective to integrate Oracle EBS with SharePoint.

The AventX A2A for Oracle EBS SharePoint Connector seamlessly integrates Oracle EBS with SharePoint to streamline document processing and archiving workflows. The module automatically migrates File Attachments from Oracle to SharePoint before reinserting the attachments as Web Page Attachments. Additionally, the software allows Web Page attachments to be inserted into Oracle Records quickly from SharePoint and OneDrive. These features support long-term archiving storage for compliance, reductions to database space use, and improvements to the end-user experience.

Ted Chappell, Vice President of Product Management and Development, added, “This has been a fast and fun project to work on. It began with an idea from a long-time customer that several AventX users validated quickly. It has been an exciting build, using our existing code base, that I believe will quickly grow to provide more functionality for Oracle EBS users.”

A future release of the module in 2021 will allow direct printing from Oracle EBS to Windows Printer Servers. This functionality builds upon STR Software’s existing Local Print features by eliminating the need to manage printers in Oracle, CUPS, and Windows. This simplified printing workflow will save IT Administrators significant time managing an organization’s printer infrastructure and make it easier to print concurrent request output to printers across the enterprise.

About STR Software
STR Software is an enterprise software company based in Richmond, Virginia, specializing in developing automated email, fax, printing, and archiving solutions that fill functionality gaps in ERP applications. With 35 years in the business-to-business software industry, STR Software is known for providing “Solutions That Run” to customers worldwide. STR Software is a Principal Member of the Oracle PartnerNetwork in the Cloud Service and License and Hardware Tracks.

Trademarks
AventX is the registered trademark of STR Software Company. Oracle and SharePoint are registered trademarks of Oracle, Microsoft, and their affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

How Much Space in Your BLOB Oracle Database Is Used by Attachments?

As many of our customers know, our AventX software exists to make our customer’s use of attachments streamlined, simpler, and automated. Whether it is attachments for Work Orders, POs, Invoices, etc., AventX automates the delivery of your primary EBS reports with critical attachments.

As a result, our customers have asked us many times over the years for help determining the “weight” of attachments on their Oracle EBS database. One recent example, more below, was a customer with more than 400 GBs of attachments for maintenance alone.

Usually, our answer is to write a quick query for the customer to check for the data quickly. Now we are finally doing something about it. We’re publishing these queries and providing a solution to help DBAs manage those files that are putting extra strain on their databases.

But first…

…How We Got Here

Oracle’s Document Catalog and Paper Clip features allow users to attach any document to any Record quickly. For many years, the features have been integral components of the Oracle EBS ecosystem.

The features serve as tools to help manage critical attachments stored against Oracle Records.

Using the Attachments Window, EBS Users can view, delete, and create attachments quickly. Standard Oracle functionality lets the user manage various attachment types, including Short Text, Long Text, Images, File, and Web Page.

How to Check Your Database Usage for Attachments

Need a quick way to determine the resources your attachments are eating up in your database?

Run the following query (executed as APPS) to see, in GBs, the DB space consumed by your File Attachments.

Need some help with a specific query? Use the contact form on our website, and one of our local query wizards can try to help you out.

What number did you come up with?

Don’t be scared. You are not alone.

The High Cost of Oracle Database Management

As a DBA, you likely know that a large database means many things. The biggest of which are High Maintenance Costs and Poor Performance.

High maintenance costs come in many different forms…additional hardware and software, licensing, compliance, and training. Plus, the time DBAs spend just to keep the database running—backups, audits, upgrades.

But the real trouble comes with poor performance. If that database is not meeting the needs of your users, you are going to hear about it. Users who need to access the information and files in the database expect their searches to return instant or near-instant results.

While DBAs are there to maintain the database, most of their time is spent ensuring that end users have the information they need when they need it. They should be focused on the big picture…things like uptime, security, backups, not where users are saving their files.

Take Control of Your BLOBs

How to Free Up Precious Database Space Quickly & Permanently

If you ran one of the queries above, you have probably realized that one of the biggest culprits of disk space usage is Oracle EBS File Attachments. Here are a few ways you get back your BLOBs!

Option 1 – Move All the Attachments a NAS Server or Network Folder, then Retrain Users Where to Save & Access Files

Sounds easy enough.

Just retrain your Oracle Paperclip users to:

1. Stop using the Paperclip to save File Attachments to Oracle Records (you need to squash the bad habits first)
2. Instead, save the document to a mapped folder (creating a new folder structure if needed for organization)
3. Copy the Windows Explorer path to the hyperlink (it’s easy: Hold Shift > Right-Click the File > Select Copy as Path)
4. With the file path in hand, now use the Paperclip to save a Web Page attachment to the Oracle Record.

Steps aside, we probably lost you at “Retrain Users,” right? Plus, in the end, it’ll just slow users down and create more support tickets (at least for a while).

All these extra steps defeat the purpose of Oracle EBS Attachments. The beauty of the process is that it’s easy to do, and the users have the files right there, at their fingertips. With the beauty, you get the beast—new, cumbersome process.

Option 2 – Implement File Management Strategies to Reduce Erroneous Files and “Minimize” File Sizes

New procedures are rarely fun and overly time-consuming to implement. But sometimes they can be worthwhile.

Creating procedures about what files can be attached to an Oracle Record is an excellent place to start. For example, DO NOT attach files greater than 5 MBs. And ONLY attach .PNG or .GIF images, because .TIFF files can be huge.

Oracle EBS can be configured to help you manage to these new standards. But the reality is, there will always need to be an exception to the rule.
Maintenance teams will have PDF files that are hundreds of pages long. Accounting will have .XLSX spreadsheets with a few dozen tabs, pivot tables, and who-knows-what-else.

The point being, launching new procedures and maintaining these practices will be nearly impossible to execute.

Option 3 – Migrate the File Attachments to SharePoint as Oracle EBS Web Page Attachments

Crazy idea here. Why move Files from one database to another? The simple answer is: Oracle EBS was not designed to manage documents. SharePoint is a file storage solution that was designed to manage files, make them easily accessible (mapped drives or browser window), make them searchable with metadata and columns, and make the content easy to backup and restore.

In essence, use Oracle EBS as the database it was designed to be and use SharePoint Online as the file management solution it was intended to be.
DBAs will get the database space they need. End users will get a faster experience and more utility from a proper document management system.
Plus, “native” file formats are now “live” documents that can be updated in real-time without reattaching the document to Oracle EBS.

1. SharePoint is designed for storing and managing files – more options, better interface
2. SharePoint directories can be mapped to PCs giving users another option
3. SharePoint can make files easier to search with metadata and information in columns
4. SharePoint is much easier to scale and maintain

The best part is, no retraining is required, and no new procedures need to be implemented.

This option can be completed automatically with a small AventX for Oracle EBS to SharePoint Online connector.

The process automatically (1) migrates old and new File Attachments from Oracle EBS to SharePoint, then (2) reinserts the document back into EBS as a Web Page Attachment. Freeing up database space, creating a better user experience (if desired), and providing a much more efficient tool for long-term document storage and management.

(Plus, if you are planning a move to the cloud—either IaaS or SaaS—a solution such as this can reduce the complexities involved with the transition.)

There you have it, three solutions for freeing up database space consumed by Oracle EBS File Attachments. Each solution carries with it PROs and CONs, but all offer better long-term solutions than continuing to let users freely attach documents to BLOB storage. With the right strategy, you can streamline your database space, provide a better user experience, and implement a solution with almost no training needed. Start by checking out the newest addition to the AventX product suite for application-to-application file transfer.

Oracle EBS Projects require a lot of documentation (.docx, .xlsx, .pdf, images, etc.) to build out the project details. Attaching these documents to Oracle EBS presents several challenges. Gathering documents and attaching them to Oracle Projects can require a lot of time and effort. Once attached as Files, the documents are not easily accessible to the users and those who often need to review and edit the documents for the project.  Integrating a document management software like SharePoint provides many benefits to users and managers, while AventX helps overcome the challenges described above.

Oracle Projects Use Case Summary

Without AventX, a user logs in to Oracle EBS with the responsibility “Projects, Vision Operations (USA).” They then choose ‘Projects’ from the Navigator and find a project (e.g., Project #1001).

Next, they go to the Paperclip to manually add File attachments of various types to the entity PA_PROJECTS, a step required for each document needed on the project or each time a document needs to be updated on the project. Updating and managing documents is tedious and lacks an audit trail of the different versions of the documents attached to the project.

With AventX, users can save documents in a similar way; however, the file is automatically migrated from Oracle EBS to SharePoint Online, while replacing the File Attachment in EBS with a Web Page URL Attachment. Documents can then be viewed in the Projects Record, as well as viewed and managed from SharePoint Online.

Step 1 – AventX evaluates what project files to migrate on a schedule by looking for new or existing file attachments that meet the defined criteria.

Step 2 – The AventX process (1) copies the document to SharePoint Online and (2) enters the document’s metadata into SharePoint columns (making the file more accessible to users—easier to search for and more details visible).

Step 3 – In the final step, AventX (1) deletes the File Attachment and (2) reinserts a URL hyperlink (Web Page Attachment) to the document, effectively replacing the original attachment in Oracle EBS.

In addition, AventX can migrate existing Oracle Projects attachments to SharePoint automatically, to archive existing project work. If a user attaches a file to Oracle using the “old” method, the software will migrate it to SharePoint, automatically, without human intervention. AventX will even put a URL link (Web Page Attachment) back on the Project to the migrated documents so the users have access to the same information in Oracle Project as they had before.

Several Oracle EBS Modules offer the ability to automatically “archive” the document to the Record Header under certain conditions. This is used most prevalently by Purchasing departments. When a Purchase Order is “Approved,” the PO is archived to the PO Header automatically.

This process creates additional files in the Oracle Database and, while “Archived,” the file may not meet important compliance or long-term archiving standards.

In these cases, AventX can migrate the document to SharePoint Online while “re-adding” the approved PO document to the PO Header as a Web Page (URL/Link) Attachment.

How to Archive Approved PO Files to the PO Header

1. Sign into Oracle Purchasing
2. Edit the Purchase Order Standard for {Org}
3. Change the “Archive On” feature to “Approve”

With this configuration setting, Oracle EBS will perform the following.

• Archive a copy of the approved PO to the PO Header as a PDF attachment as a FILE attachment with the category of DOCUMENT
• Create a ZIP file of all FILE attachments that are on the PO Header and create a single FILE attachment with the category of DOCUMENT

AventX Use Case

Now that the PO document is “archived” the PO Header, the AventX for Oracle EBS SharePoint Connector is configurable to migrate File Attachments from EBS to SharePoint. This functionality can be configured for all File Attachments or only specific document Categories (e.g., “Documents” or “Miscellaneous”) and Entities (e.g., “PO Header”).

Step 1 – AventX evaluates POs on a schedule for new or existing file attachments that meet the defined criteria.

Step 2 – The AventX process (1) copies the document to SharePoint Online and (2) enters the document’s metadata into SharePoint columns (making the file more accessible to users).

Step 3 – In the final step, AventX (1) deletes the File Attachment and (2) reinserts a URL hyperlink (Web Page Attachment) to the document, effectively replacing the original attachment in Oracle EBS.

Schedule a Chat

Okay. Enough of the sappy, end of year stuff! Let’s close out 2020 with a list of the product improvements we’ve been working on for the last six months.

Cheers to turning the page on 2020. Here’s to an even better 2021!