Known Issues for Siebel HI Client with un-supported Internet Explorer 9, 10, 11 and Edge versions (IE9 , IE10 , IE11, Edge) (Doc ID 1627168.1)

Last updated on FEBRUARY 20, 2024

Applies to:

Details

Summary:

Only IE8 is supported with HI client.  Other browsers are not supported.  Customers using other browsers should implement Open UI.

Siebel clients have provided industry-leading innovation on Internet Explorer 5.5 since version 7.02 of Siebel. Both Siebel and Internet Explorer have evolved over the years to provide increasing amounts of leading edge features. In its first generation of software these features were initially provided using Microsoft’s proprietary ActiveX framework.  The IP2015 HI Client for Siebel applications is today supported with use of IE versions up to IE8.  It should be noted that Microsoft has ended mainstream support for IE8, IE9 and IE10 on January 12th, 2016.  As of that time Microsoft has not patched Internet Explorer 8 for any functional issues.  Oracle has provided support directives for IE8 and HI in the following Statement of Direction: Statement of Direction IP2016 Client Platform Support  Oracle provides Support for IE11 and Edge, only with the new Open UI client and Siebel Mobile product offerings.

Microsoft’s backward compatibility: IE9 IE10, IE11 and Edge Changes

Internet Explorer 9 and above have a new rendering layout engine, a new JavaScript layout engine and a new CSS layout engine. Internet Explorer 9 and above require ATL library changes for ActiveX that impact functionality and introduce other regressive security changes.  These advances in functionality have been made in IE9 and above, but backward compatibility has been lost as a result.  The links below by Microsoft and other sources show changed interfaces. The links are not a comprehensive summary, but all of these changes in backward compatibility aggregate.  This puts at high risk proper function of Siebel HI client on browsers other than IE8.   

• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jonbox/archive/2011/02/17/what-ie9-changes-could-impact-your-site.aspx
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer_9#Release_history
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra_(JavaScript_engine)
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2014/04/02/stay-up-to-date-with-enterprise-mode-for-internet-explorer-11.aspx

Microsoft Compatibility Mode and Enterprise Mode.

Compatibility mode attempts to resolve some of the backward compatibility issues to emulate legacy behavior. Though Microsoft documentation implies that only some functional issues can be addressed with compatibility mode, this does not remediate a large amount of functionality required by Siebel.  "Compatibility mode" refers to compatibility with legacy proprietary behavior.

• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/products/ie-9/features/compatibility-view
• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/use-compatibility-view#ie=ie-11
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/ie11-deploy-guide/what-is-enterprise-mode

IE11 and Edge offers a new feature called Enterprise mode.  Enterprise mode addresses some but not a great number of compatibility issues, again not addressing any of the ActiveX compatibility issues between those and older browsers.In order to force the Compatibility View to True via Group Policy can be done as per below reference to blog.

• https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/notime/2015/04/11/ie-enterprise-mode-in-a-nutshell/
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn640687.aspx
• http://blogs.technet.com/b/iede/archive/2014/04/09/ie11-enterprise-mode-for-internet-explorer.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+iede+(Internet+Explorer+Support+-Team+Deutschland)
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2014/04/02/stay-up-to-date-with-enterprise-mode-for-internet-explorer-11.aspx

To clarify backward compatibility of Enterprise Mode to native IE8, Microsoft has provided the following information:

• Most important aspect is to understand that IE11 EM is an emulation of IE8.  This means that will not be or guarantee 100% functionality.
• Emulation consists of the usage of the IE11 Chakra scripting engine emulating IE8's scripting engine. That means that there will be increased performance but IE8 will use the old scripting engine which works differently.  More information about Chakra scripting engine:
  • http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2010/03/18/the-new-javascript-engine-in-internet-explorer-9.aspx
  • http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2012/06/13/advances-in-javascript-performance-in-ie10-and-windows-8.aspx
• Another difference is that changes have been made in the rendering engine that occurred in IE 9 / 10 / 11 which may have an influence to older Document Modes used by Siebel.

Problems found:  Empirical Data

Oracle has aggregated empirical evidence that validate the overall lack of backward compatibility  The list includes, but is by no means limited to:

• ATL changes that do not support Data Execution Prevention for older compilers.
• Windows Messaging System has made significant changes across OS versions in Windows.
• Browser Rendering Engine Changes, especially for right to left support over time.
• COM interface changes
• Input Method editor changes.  Text selection, Focus, api level changes.
• VS Compiler changes related to security vulnerabilities that are not backward compatible/regressive.
• IE11 compatibility mode lack of backward compatibility consideration for for ActiveX components.  (Siebel uses over 300,000 lines of ActiveX code)  
• Multiple “regressive” security changes to secure ActiveX breaking backward compatibility administrative permission requirement to install ActiveX etc.
• OS Architecture changes such as moving keyboard drivers from kernel to user mode and IE features like navigator.online causing issues such as: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2665220 which causes typed characters to be lost in Siebel's client due to poor processing performance in Siebel.  Reference SRX113031410290452

Microsoft’s Support and Lifecycle  Information for IE

Customers are advised against use of running legacy applications like Siebel HI client on new Internet Explorer browsers. Customers are encouraged to understand Microsoft’s end of life milestones of Internet Explorer such as IE8, 9 and 10 during this time of transition as well as Microsoft's commitment to backward compatibility on new browsers.  the Internet Explorer lifecycle information is available at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/microsoft-internet-explorer.  

Oracle’s HI Client Support Commitment and Lifecycle

Oracle is committed to support the HI client on Internet Explorer 8 for Innovation Pack 2015 via patchsets.  Support is outlined in https://support.oracle.cI Hom/epmos/faces/Certify Select the Certifications tab, and enter "Siebel HI Web Client" as the product name to check if it has a current certification listed.  If listed as certified it will be supported for the listed distribution but not enhanced with new features.  Certain limitations such as limited ability to affect fixes for end of life browser versions are in effect.

What Oracle can commit to and recommend

Oracle’s recommendation is moving deployments requiring IE11 or Edge browsers directly to Open UI clients based on the fact that many customers are able to quickly make that transition. Total cost of ownership, increased technology transparency and freedom in browser choices are overwhelming benefits.  Oracle aims to assist customers in understanding options and practical actionable data to minimize risks to their mission critical applications. 

Oracle recommends customers to evaluate the Open UI client as the next generation of Siebel Clients.  The requirements for Open UI are detailed in <note:1499842.1> under the section "Open UI Requirements". Internet Explorer 11, Edge, Chrome, Safari and Firefox provide excellent HTML5 support to run Open UI with noted limitations.  Open UI can be deployed efficiently and provides the next generation of the most innovative CRM solution available in Siebel Open UI. Introductory information on Open UI can be found at Open UI Deployment Guide <note:1499842.1>.  The Open UI Deployment Guide <note:1499842.1> also contains benchmark data for a variety of hardware and browser combinations, Oracle encourages customers to review perfomance on their hardware and browser prior to deploying Open UI.  Siebel Open UI provides a modern customer experience on new browsers.

In Summary

IE9, IE10, and IE11 provide significant challenge in meeting backward compatibility toward IE8, as they are shown not to be 100% backward compatible based on Microsoft and other information. As a result, Oracle strongly advises customers against, and cannot support use of IE versions other than 8 with Siebel HI client.  Customers must reproduce any HI client support issue on Internet Explorer 8. IE 8 issues may have dependencies on Microsoft's lack of supportof IE8, (end of life).

Oracle recommends Open UI as the modern and secure platform of choice for Siebel deployments running on modern browsers.