PeopleSoft Technical Architecture

1
PeopleSoft Technical Architecture

• A Brief Overview
• John Campion, Business Applications
  Administrator, BAS.

2
Version Information

• Database Oracle 9i
• PeopleSoft Application consists of
• PeopleTools Version 8.46
• Campus Solutions Version 8.9 MP1
• Operating Systems
• Solaris 9
• Windows 2003 Server

3
Version Information (2)

• Developer Workstations
• Windows XP
• Oracle Client 9.2.0.6
• PeopleTools Development Suite version 8.46
• Client Workstations
• Any computer capable of running Internet Explorer
  version 6 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox
• Internet Explorer 6 or higher, Mozilla Firefox

4
The Database

• System Catalogue
• RDBMS Data dictionary tables

• PeopleTools Catalogue
• Holds definitions of the application tables,
  PeopleCode, constraints etc

• Application Tables
• Hold the data stored by PeopleSoft.
• Watch out it may not always be where you think
  it is!

Application Tables
PeopleTools Catalogue

• PeopleSoft provides auditing tools to help ensure
  that the two catalogues do not drift out of sync

System Catalogue
5
Logical View of Application Architecture
File Server
Windows Clients
LAN
Developer Tools
Tuxedo / JOLT
HTTP(S)
Web Server
Browser Clients
REN Server
Application Server
HTTP(S) Server
Tuxedo Services PeopleSoft App Services
Portal Content, Report Output
SQL
Integration Gateway (Application Messaging,
Performance Monitor)
FTP/XCopy
Process Scheduler (Batch Processing)
External Systems
DB
XML
XML
6
How it Works

• The user changes data, or queries for data in
  their browser.
• HTTP(S) Server passes the request to the App
  Server using JOLT.
• App Server queries/updates the database using
  SQLNet
• Database responds using SQLNet
• App Server passes response to HTTP(S) server
  using JOLT.
• HTTP(S) server formats page and displays result
  to user.

7
How it Works (2)

• The User Requests a Batch Job
• The request follows the same path into the
  database as before.
• The request is added to the process request table
• The Process scheduler queries this table for work
• The Process scheduler runs the batch process at
  the requested time
• Batch output is written to the webservers report
  repository by HTTP(S) or SFTP or directly to
  users browser if using REN using HTTP(S)
• Report output is available to view for seven days
  in the report repository

8
When it Doesnt Work!

• App Server logs errors with its processes in
  individual process logs
• Batch Scheduler logs errors with batch runs,
  database connections and report posting in its
  own logs
• PeopleSoft supply application monitoring software
  that can trace errors or poor performance

9
Physical Architecture - Considerations

• Most of the logical elements can be co-located
• (Exceptions are O/S specific processes, and file
  formats, e.g. Batch COBOL, Word Mail Merge,
  Crystal Reports Etc)
• Different PeopleSoft Environments can be
  co-located on one machine

10
Physical Architecture

• Development Infrastructure
• All elements of the development PeopleSoft
  Environments are co-located on 2 x Sun V440s
• Windows Batch Process Support is provided by one
  Windows 2003 Server
• Both V440s are SAN connected
• There is also a single Sun V240 used for
  technical proof of concept and destructive testing

11
Physical Architecture (2)

• Pre-Production
• 1 x Sun Clustered E25K (Database)
• 4 x Sun V440 (App Server Batch Server on each
  box)
• 4 x Sun V240 (Web Server)
• 2 x Windows 2003 Servers (Windows Batch Server)
• V440s, V240s and Win 2003 servers are split
  across Renolds House and Kilburn Sites
• Only the E25K is SAN connected

12
Physical Architecture (3)

• Production
• 1 x Sun Clustered E25K (Database)
• 6 x Sun V440 (App Server Batch Server on each
  box)
• 6 x Sun V240 (Web Server)
• 4 x Windows 2003 Servers (Windows Batch Server)
• V440s, V240s and Win 2003 servers are split
  across Renolds House and Kilburn Sites
• Only the E25K is SAN connected

13
Load Balancing and Failover

• The PeopleSoft Application provides Load
  Balancing and Failover at App Server and Process
  Scheduler Level (within an environment)
• Database failover is provided by the Sun Cluster
  in the Production environment
• In production and pre-production environments
  load balancing at the web server level is
  provided by UoMs Cisco CSM load balancer.

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The End

• Questions?