Oracle Configurator Overview
Oracle Configurator let you define configurable commercial models and rules your business would like to follow. Configrator module is actually referred as Configurator developer. Items are imported into configurator developer where model structures, option classes, user interfaces, constraint rules are defined.
References: References are the individual common repeteable models that can be referenced in multiple other models. Eg. if you are selling multiple laptop models and many of which uses 120GB hard disk, then you can define 120GB hard disk as model and reference in all other laptop models. Any change you do to 120GB hard disk model will reflect in all other models it is used(referenced).
Properties: Properties are nothing but attributes that are attached to the models. Properties will help in defining the rules. Properties can be of user defined or system. User properties are proprties created by the user manualy. System properties are system generated like Name, description etc.
Effectivity: This controls the active timing of availability. Unless effectivity is active the changes will not reflect in runtime configurator. This faciliattes the commercial engineer to make changes to model wihtout being visible to order entry staff or customers. Once the model is ready to be released, then efflective dates can be set to active.
Configurator rules: Critical activity of configurator is to define the rules. Rules givern what a user can select and can’t select. You can also automatic rules when a product A is selected then product B is automatically selected. Rules can be also be sequenced to define the priority in which they should be applied.
User Interface: User Interface controls what a user see during run time configuration selection. UI is defined through UI master template and UI content template.
Testing, debugging & Publishing: Once all the rules, structures, UI is defined the last step in configuration development is testing that it works as intended in a test environment, debugging any errors that arise. Publishing the models pushes the configurator data to destination instance which is used for ru ntime configuration.