How to Reset APPS and SYSADMIN Passwords in R12.2

Resetting the APPS and SYSADMIN passwords is a fundamental task for any Oracle Apps DBA, but in EBS R12.2, doing it incorrectly can break your environment's connection to the database or the WLS (WebLogic Server).

In this guide, we will use the recommended AFPASSWD utility, which has replaced the older FNDCPASS for many R12.2 tasks.

 Prerequisites

1. Access to the Application Tier as the applmgr user.
2. The run edition environment file must be sourced.
3. Access to the Database Tier as the oracle user (to verify connectivity).
   
   

Step 1: Source the Environment

Before running any utility, ensure you are in the Run Edition environment.

 $ . /u01/install/APPS/EBSapps.env run

Step 2: Resetting the APPS Password

Oracle recommends using the AFPASSWD utility in R12.2. Unlike the old days, this utility handles the integration with the WebLogic Domain automatically.

 $ AFPASSWD -s APPS

Execution Steps:

1. Enter the current APPS password.
2. Enter the new password for the APPS user.
3. Verify the new password.
   
   

Note: The utility will update the password in the database and automatically synchronize it with the WLS Data sources.

 Step 3: Resetting the SYSADMIN Password

The SYSADMIN user is an application-level user (FND_USER). You can change this via the "Define User" form in the application, but if you are locked out, use the command line:

 $ AFPASSWD -f SYSADMIN

Execution Steps:

1. Enter the APPS password.
2. Enter the new password for SYSADMIN.
   
   

Verify the password.

Step 4: Verify the Changes

After resetting, verify that you can still connect to the database from the application tier using the new password:

$ sqlplus apps/<new_password>

Also, log in to the Oracle E-Business Suite Login Page using the SYSADMIN account and the new password to ensure the application listener and OAM are functioning.

Why use AFPASSWD over FNDCPASS?

• AFPASSWD is more secure (it doesn't show passwords in the process list).
• It is specifically designed to handle the R12.2 Dual File System and WebLogic integration more cleanly.
  
  

 Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Account Locked: If you try to log in with the old password too many times, the APPS schema might get locked in the DB. Have your System DBA run: ALTER USER APPS ACCOUNT UNLOCK;.
  
  
• WLS Connection Pool Errors: If the application fails to start after a password change, run the adcfgclone.pl or adchkcfg.sh to ensure the context files are synced.