Lifecycle Management in PeopleTools 8.60

Sasank Vemana, leader of PeopleTools Strategy group, shared insights on the latest Lifecycle Management features in PeopleTools 8.60.  He offered everything needed to reduce complexities and take advantage of automations, getting customers to a level of maintenance that keeps pace with the constant process of updating in his May 2023 presentation, Making the most of Lifecycle Management (LCM), at Quest’s RECONNECT Live! at BLUEPRINT 4D Conference.

The automation strategy starts with updating images and taking changes from it. This process includes downloading and installing, bringing forward configurations, applying changes and selective adoption. Following these steps is strategic and moves you from operation to maintenance. 

Deploying the update image on OCI is highly recommended. A hybrid LCM makes for more automations. It increases ease and simplicity and is reliable, fast and secure.  

Once the image is downloaded, use Change Assistant to sync configurations. PeopleSoft automated updates (PAU) comes with 8.59. It does more work for you and makes your life easier. Automation is available for PeopleSoft Release Patch-sets (PRP’s), which are incremental updates that happen in between update images. These could be fixes and/or improvements. PRP’s can be set on a schedule. 

Sync configurations between PUM images automatically using Administer Metadata. You can back up PUM metadata, restore PUM metadata, or retrieve old PUM metadata.  

Options are available within Administer Metadata. Choose your preferences for customization repository, merge repository, and test repository. You can also choose your package definition and PUM automatic updates. 

Downloading, syncing configuration and keeping current is automated. Everything takes care of itself. All you have to do is install. Only so much functionality can be automated, though, because there is not a way for PeopleTools to know each individual’s infrastructure data. However, further automations can be done on OCI. Installation now can be automatic, which is a huge advantage of OCI.  

What it used to be vs. what it is now 

In 8.59 and earlier, users used Change Assistant to load languages and upload target DB information. Users would set up the Define Database then upload the Target Database Information to PUM source. This is where users get data between PUM images. Then users could select customizations and bring it from one environment to another. 

Now with 8.60, many components have been brought online. There is a flow of data coming from the target and going through the API’s. The PUM is always going to initiate the call and get the data, but it is coming from the target to the update image. You can use the PUM interface to do this. 

What is built online includes loading language, upload target DB information, upload usage repository, sync merge repository, sync usage repository. In the future, Change Assistant will be used to apply the change to the target environment.  

More about API’s 

With Automated Use Interface, you can set up the orientation. Is this a target environment? PUM source? Usage repository? You can select multiple for your database. Then you can define database activities. You can select options such as load languages, retrieve target DB information, sync merge repository objects, sync usage monitor data. All of this can be done online and you can schedule when you would like for it to happen. 

The goal and future direction for PeopleTools 8.61 and beyond is to make it fully online so that more automations are available. 

Insights 

When you take change and have created your package, how do you know the impact? This is where a lot of work goes in. You can do an impact analysis in the PUM image without going through the project to make comparisons. 

Already available from the PUM Analytics Dashboard is analysis in terms of what change you have in your target database and what your PUM image received. It will show you how much you have or have not applied and allows you to get a good sense of where you are with maintenance levels. There is powerful data available here. The advantages are that, straight from PUM analytics, you can set up actions and create change packages. 

Even newer is more uptake for you to implement in your customization repository. The value here is that if you’ve uploaded to the PUM as you’re selecting your change package, you will know if you have impact. Asking your admins for comparisons won’t be necessary. You can sit right with the PUM image and plan ahead. 

Planning ahead 

Instead of PUM to PUM taking so many days, leaving you wondering how long it will take and anticipating worst case scenario for what you will need for retrofit and testing, you can now customize these objects. Right size your planning straight from the PUM image to know exactly how much time needed. This is the value of customization repositories.  

There is also value in uploading your usage repository on to the PUM image. This can tell you if the objects in your change package are being used in your environments. If you have something you’re not using, your chance of impact is low. Having this data can make you more strategic in applying maintenance. 

Uploading test repositories on to the PUM image will show you what you have tests for and if it is being used. You can run a test coverage report that will show what objects you use and if you have tests for it. With this information, you can target your testing plans, finding out what is important to you and what you do not need to test.  

Here are all the repositories that you can bring from your environment and maintain in the PUM: 

• Customization-your customizations or objects of interest: Create multiple customization projects or objects of interest. You may not want to touch these in between updates, so you can set it up to not take certain changes that conflict with what you want to stay the same. It will just upload the metadata or the key information for the objects. 
• Merge- customization that you want to auto merge: Merge was new in 8.59 and was created for a few specific objects. You can now automatically merge them with your changes. It takes a copy of your code and keeps it in the PUM. It will manage different versions and automatically merge them with your changes. There are a lot of controls through automated merge. You can set it up for specific objects or, within object type, select what you want to automatically merge. Set controls in PUM configuration for how much you use merge.

• Usage- objects that you use in your application: Usage Monitor has been available for a long time, but the problem was that it was part of Performance Monitor, which means that more maintenance was required. Now it is decoupled from Performance Monitor in 8.60 and is a part of PeopleTools. It now tracks all objects being used between business processes or tracks the objects being used. It tells all objects used by all users in the system.

• Test- your test scripts: Test repositories have also been around for a while, but the latest version lets you take it right from the PUM or even before. This allows you to start planning ahead for resources, know what tests you’ll need and take them right away. You can also know what objects are used, but not tested.  

These capabilities work together to enhance your experience. 

Key Takeaways 

Unlocking all of these PUM repositories has great benefit. It enables you to see what customizations are costing you the most. It shows you what customizations are conflicting. You can monitor what customizations are being used at all. All of that data is there and available to you. There are further benefits when you utilize these insights to see what impact is made.  

The modernization aspect is making it easier to make changes online, bringing in more automation opportunities so users can be less dependent on Change Assistant. Features have come into the PUM interface and all can be utilized for your automation strategy online. The work that needed to be done before to separate what you do with the PUM source from the target environments-plan, create change packages, apply to targets- is now an option to automate and run on OCI as well.  

For more on PeopleSoft, check out the Quest Learn Library. 

You can view Sasank Vemana’s full BLUEPRINT 4D presentation here: Making the most of Lifecycle Management (LCM)

Welcome to the Quest Oracle Community! We’re dedicated to empowering Oracle users through education and networking. Founded in 1995, we serve 25,000+ JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, Oracle Cloud apps, and Oracle Database users. Gain access to technology leaders, experts, and invaluable insights. Discover solutions, make informed decisions, and boost your skills. Let Quest help you and your company make better, faster choices, deploy Oracle products more efficiently, and navigate modernization. Join us now and unlock a world of possibilities!