So you’re a developer making the leap from Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) to Oracle Cloud?
Welcome to the new world! The good news? You already have a head start. Many of the database concepts and table structures from EBS still hold up in Oracle Cloud. But—as always—there are a few critical differences that can trip you up if you’re not prepared.
Let’s walk through five key things every developer should know when transitioning to Oracle Fusion Cloud, especially when it comes to understanding the table structures:
1. No More Direct Database Access
In Oracle Cloud, you can’t just fire up SQL*Plus or TOAD and start poking around the database like you did with EBS. Direct data manipulation is completely off the table.
Instead, you’ll be working through the BI layer using OTBI or BI Publisher to create reports and extract data.
But don’t worry—if you’re craving that familiar TOAD-like experience, tools like DataFusing CloudSQL give you that comfort while staying within Oracle’s access guidelines. (We’ve got a blog post about that here
2. Official Table Lists Are Your Best Friend
You’re going to want to bookmark Oracle’s documentation on accessible tables and views. Oracle provides official lists by module, which are super helpful.
For example, if you’re working with HCM, check out the table and view reference here:
HCM Tables and Views – Oracle Docs
Tip: Can’t find the exact table name? Just Google what you think it might be—Oracle’s documentation pages are usually among the top results.
3. Where Did FND_USER Go?
Remember FND_USER from EBS? It’s gone in Oracle Fusion.
User access and identity are now managed through Oracle Identity Cloud Service (IDCS).
But don’t panic—you can still get user data. Just look for the PER_USERS table instead. It stores user records in Fusion. It’s a bit different, but you’ll get used to it quickly.
4. Forget FND_RESPONSIBILITY_VL—Say Hello to Roles
In EBS, responsibilities were everything, right? You had FND_RESPONSIBILITY_VL to track them.
In Oracle Cloud, roles have replaced responsibilities, and the go-to view now is ASE_ROLE_VL.
Fusion roles are more flexible and powerful, but it does take a little adjustment if you’re used to the old EBS setup.
5. PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F Is Still Here—Kind Of
Yes, PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F still exists, but it’s no longer the one-stop-shop for all employee details.
Want the employee’s name? That’s in PER_PERSON_NAMES_F.
Need marital status or gender? Head over to PER_PERSON_LEGISLATIVE_DATA_F.
Here’s a simple query to get you started:
SELECT
ppnf.display_name,
ppldf.sex,
ppldf.marital_status
FROM
per_all_people_f papf
JOIN per_person_names_f ppnf ON papf.person_id = ppnf.person_id
JOIN per_person_legislative_data_f ppldf ON papf.person_id = ppldf.person_id
WHERE
papf.effective_end_date > SYSDATE;
Wrapping Up
Moving to Oracle Cloud may feel like a big shift, but once you understand a few key changes—especially around how tables are structured and accessed—you’ll find your EBS experience gives you a major leg up.
Got more questions or stuck on something specific? Drop a comment or check out our other blogs focused on helping Oracle developers thrive in the cloud world.
