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Best Practices

Application Maintenance
The documentation provides users with information to help them plan for and determine the maintenance
strategy and best practices for their organization. It will enable users to develop a comprehensive approach to
maintaining their PeopleSoft applications. This documentation is intended for business owners as well as
technical users, installers, and system administrators who maintain the PeopleSoft implementation. This
documentation does not provide detailed installation and maintenance tasks or upgrade information. You can
find installation, configuration, and maintenance information in the PeopleSoft Change Assistant and other
Lifecycle Management user documentation.

Information in this documentation derives from PeopleSoft development experts, early interactions with
customers, and information gathered from oracle Software Support knowledge and experience. It is intended
to provide users with expert knowledge and recommendations for managing and maintaining the PeopleSoft
applications software using the PeopleSoft Update Manager methodology.

Note. Oracle updates this documentation as needed so that it reflects the most current feedback received
from customers, Oracle support, and Oracle development.

This section provides an overview of PeopleSoft applications maintenance with PUM and presents basic
concepts and conventions needed for considering maintenance process strategies and best practices. See
"What is PeopleSoft Update Manager" on the Learning About PeopleSoft Update Manager tab for detailed
information about the PUM methodology and tools used in the process.

The maintenance process can be divided between the delivered PeopleSoft software and your data in the
PeopleSoft database. PeopleSoft software is comprised of two major parts: the PeopleSoft application (such
as PeopleSoft Financials or PeopleSoft HCM) and the PeopleTools infrastructure, which includes such things
as the PeopleTools Application Server, Process Scheduler, and third-party software. Only PeopleSoft
PUM-enabled applications are currently enabled to use the PUM delivery maintenance method. Older
applications releases and PeopleTools infrastructure do not use PUM.

PeopleSoft applications and the PeopleTools infrastructure deliver components that reside both in the
database and outside the database. These components must be kept aligned when you apply maintenance.
Examples of items in the database are managed objects, stored statements, and metadata for configuration.
Examples of objects outside the database are COBOL, data files, and executable files. Objects that reside
both inside and outside of the database must be updated in a consistent manner to work properly. In general,
regardless of PUM, we encourage you to maintain your PeopleSoft applications and the PeopleTools
infrastructure regularly, which you can do separately or together, depending on your business needs.

You must plan for and perform maintenance on a regular basis.

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Update vs. Upgrade

It is important to distinguish between the maintenance (update) of your PeopleSoft application and the
upgrade of your PeopleSoft application.

Maintenance (Update)

You use a software update to apply updates and fixes, including customizations, to your system. Maintaining a
PeopleSoft application consists of implementing application updates from PeopleSoft Update Images (PIs).

Oracle delivers the PIs (used only for applications) and individual updates as downloadable patches via My
Oracle Support (MOS). Maintenance should be performed regularly throughout the life of your PeopleSoft
release for the purpose of applying fixes and new features delivered by Oracle. Customers determine the
timing and scope of their maintenance, and we encourage you to plan for applying maintenance on a regular
schedule.

Upgrade

An upgrade is a more complex and involved activity than an update: it consists of moving from one major
application release to another, for example, moving from PeopleSoft 9.0 to PeopleSoft 9.2.

Oracle delivers certified upgrade scripts and instructions for specific releases on a schedule determined by
Oracle. You plan, schedule, and perform the upgrade project activities, but an upgrade is broader in scope
than regular maintenance and is performed for the entire database instance. Therefore, the scope of an
upgrade is determined by which products you currently have installed, the PeopleTools release required by
the upgraded applications, plus any integrations you may need to reconfigure or rework to take advantage of
new features and functionality in the new release.

PUM-Delivered New Features and Enhancements

For PUM-enabled applications, PeopleSoft will continue to deliver new features between major applications
releases, but the delivery mechanism will be PUM and the PI. Rather than waiting for the next major release,
you can get some new features and enhancements directly through PUM.

You can take advantage of this additional off-cycle delivery mechanism when new features are delivered with
an image. Occasionally, Oracle will recut the CD (and update content on the electronic delivery site) to
include the rollup of capabilities and updates delivered in previous images. At that time, Oracle will also
recertify upgrades and integrations, and make a new Upgrade Source Image available. Note that the recut CD
will be based on the then current release (and patch) of PeopleTools, which may be different from the initial
General Availability (GA) of the application.

Each PeopleSoft application release has a minimum PeopleTools requirement. This practice has not changed,
and once you are on the new version of the applications and PeopleTools, most new features, enhancements,
and updates will not require an updated version of PeopleTools. As was the case with Feature Packs of the
past, some cases may require a minimum PeopleTools release/patch for a PUM-delivered update. The
PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application will indicate whether a minimum PeopleTools release is

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required when you select the new feature to create a change package, and you will not be able to select the
feature until your target environment PeopleTools version meets the minimum requirement. Please review the
associated documentation delivered with each feature carefully before attempting to apply new features.

Customizations

Many customers perform some level of customization to implement their specific business requirements. One
strength of the PeopleSoft toolset is its ability to make these customizations. However, special care must be
taken in handling these customizations when applying maintenance. Typically, you need to evaluate your
customizations and possibly update or reapply them after applying maintenance.

Oracle provides a variety of tools and documentation to assist with customization management. PUM works
in conjunction with the familiar tools that provide this analysis for you. Application Designer and Data
Migration Workbench (DMW) are the primary tools that provide the compare reports to facilitate
customization management. In addition, the PeopleSoft Test Framework (PTF) may be able to provide insight
into the potential effect of the changes you are considering making to your system. PeopleSoft includes notes
about the updates in the README file included in the released PIs.

See PeopleSoft Online Help and relevant documentation in MOS for more details about the tools described
here.

Maintenance Strategies
Various maintenance approaches are available for maintaining your PeopleSoft application infrastructure, and
these approaches vary based on how active you want to be in maintaining the applicaiton and its
environment. This section presents information and recommendations compiled from Oracle experts in
customer support and product development. Their recommendations are based on the architecture, design,
and expected use of PeopleSoft Update Manager (PUM). This information is intended to help you choose an
approach or combination of approaches and to help you make decisions that best suit your business needs.

This section also presents Oracle-recommended best practices for the different tasks required for maintaining
your PeopleSoft application infrastructure.

Strategic Planning for Maintenance Updates

Start to consider maintenance and updates strategically. You can download the current PI when it is regularly
released without having to do any updates whatsoever. Plan to download it and have it available in case you
need to search for a quick fix. You can have both long-term and short-term strategies for maintenance. Long
term, you should plan to get your system current on updates by planning, scheduling, and testing for a "get me
current" update. Short term, you can have the PI always current and available to search for fixes and quick
change package updates as needed. Long-term updates can be planned and practiced; short-term updates,

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while still requiring testing in a test environment, can be much faster.

We recommend that you adopt and maintain a consistent maintenance methodology using one or a
combination of these strategies:

Proactive: Regularly download the PI when it is released and have the most current PI available locally
so that you can use it immediately when convenient for your business.
Selective: Download the PI regularly and review the updates posted for your application, but apply only
those updates that are relevant to your business.
Reactive: Download the current PI and keep it available for quick inquiries about updates and fixes that
were already released.

Best Practices: Long-Term Planning

At least once a year, but not less than once every two years, use the Apply all updates not yet installed
option in the PUM application to get current on all updates.

Note. If an update selected with the Apply all updates not yet installed option requires a higher release of
PeopleTools, the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application will not include the update in the Change
Package definition.

Continue to plan and coordinate your PeopleTools upgrades. Delaying your PeopleTools upgrades may
affect your ability to select and apply some updates and features.
Reduce the time and effort of long-term maintenance by incorporating the best short-term strategy and
staying current on important updates for your business.
Take advantage of PUM to catch up on updates regularly; take advantage of PUM so that you do not
fall behind on maintenance. Maintaining and supporting your application will be easier if you regularly
schedule maintenance.
Get your environments on a stable base and keep them up to date so that you can take advantage of the
selective and reactive short-term strategies when desired.
Review new features as they are delivered in PI releases. Download the demo image and review it for
new features that will be useful to your organization.

Best Practices: Short-Term Planning

Download the latest PI when it is released. Plan to get it and deploy it regularly so that it is available to
search for needed updates quickly and to create quick updates, if needed.

Important! You must always test your maintenance packages, no matter how small, in a test environment
before applying maintenance to your production environment.

If you are following a long-term strategy to keep your environments at a stable base every 1 to 2 years,
applying regular upgrades as needed should require less effort than in the past.
Use the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application search capability to find critical updates. Create
custom change packages with critical updates and apply them regularly.
Use the advanced search capability of the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application to find updates
for products you use the most and to apply regular maintenance to your most used products.
Use the powerful PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application advanced search capability to find
important updates for your business and to review their effect.

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Proactive Strategy

With this strategy, you regularly download the PI when it is released and have the most current PI available
locally so that you can use it immediately when needed for your business.

This approach has several benefits:

You run the application code that is the same version as that of the Oracle Software Support team,
which makes identifying and solving new problems faster and more efficient.
New updates are easier to apply because fewer prerequisites need to be applied retroactively.
You can use the current PI to understand the effect of planned customizations and to mitigate the effect
of future integration of those customizations by better understanding the latest PeopleSoft code.

This strategy uses fewer resources, and planning and scheduling are dependent on how often you choose to
update and for what scope. PUM can make updating faster and easier.

Take advantage of the PI and PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application to inquire on and list all updates
that have not yet been applied to your environment and to get you current on the latest updates. The push
button feature creates a change package definition for you, including any requisite updates that are required.
Review details of specific updates in the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application and use the Compare
Report features to review selected updates quickly and to see the effect before you create a change package.

The steps for a simple proactive strategy might be as follows:

1. Download the current PI when it is released.

2. Use the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application delivered with the image to:
Select the All Updates Not Yet Installed option.
Review the change package definition and the effects of the updates.
View bug fix details of the updates.
Review compare report impact of the updates compared to PeopleSoft delivered objects
Generate the custom change package definition.
3. Use Change Assistant to create the change package and review the Compare Report to understand the
effect of the updates on customizations.
4. Use Change Assistant to apply the updates to your test environment.
5. Reconcile your customizations and reapply them as needed.
6. Generate a new custom change package, including customizations, from your test environment.
7. Fully test your maintenance updates before applying the changes to your production environment.

Note. Using Change Assistant to apply updates to your test environment, reconciling customizations,
generating a new change package out of your test environment to include your customizations, and fully
testing all updates before moving them into production are not specific to PUM. You perform these same
activities for maintaining older PeopleSoft application releases.

Selective Strategy

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The key difference between this strategy and the proactive strategy is that your selection typically will result
in a smaller scope and less of an effect as compared to the proactive strategy, which may require more time,
resources, and planning.

This strategy enables you to download the PI regularly and review the updates posted for your application,
but then you can apply only the updates that are relevant to your organization. Use the powerful PeopleSoft
Update Manager PIA Application in the image to search the available updates by various search criteria.
PUM enables you to select the updates you want and to include requisite updates automatically. It then
generates the change package definition you need in order to apply the changes you selected in one change
package.

The benefit of this strategy is that it enables you to stay reasonably current without the high level of resource
dedication or scheduling that is associated with the proactive strategy. The challenge of this approach is that
business users may think the schedule is not predictable. The PI and Update Manager application give you
immediate visibility into the effect of your selected updates when you query the PI and compare to your
environment before you attempt to apply the changes. This strategy gives you the ability to plan and schedule
your maintenance activities better.

The steps for a simple selective strategy might be as follows:

1. Download the current PI when it is released.

2. Use the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application delivered with the image to:
Select Updates by Criteria to select from several search options.
View bug fix details of the updates.
Generate the custom change package definition.
3. Review the Compare report to see the effect of the updates on customizations.
4. Use Change Assistant to make the updates to your test environment.
5. Reconcile your customizations and reapply them as needed.
6. Generate a new custom change package, including customizations, from your test environment.
7. Fully test your maintenance before applying the changes to your production environment.

Note. Using Change Assistant to apply updates to your test environment, reconciling customizations,
generating a new change package out of your test environment to include your customizations, and fully
testing all updates before moving them into production are not specific to PUM. You perform these same
activities for maintaining older PeopleSoft application releases.

Reactive Strategy

With this strategy, you do not apply any regular maintenance until you encounter a problem. Waiting to apply
your mainteannce until you have an issue may inconvenience your users, potentially compromising efficiency
and adversely affecting your business operations because the timing of the discovery of the problem is not
under your control.

While we do not recommend this approach, you can still leverage the power of the PI and the PUM
application by regularly downloading the current PI and keeping it available for quick inquiries about updates
and fixes that were already released. The powerful Search By options give you the ability to find fixes for
particular objects quickly and to analyze and apply only the updates that are needed.

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The steps for a simple reactive strategy might be as follows:

1. Download the current PI when it is released in order to save time later when you need to apply a fix.
You can defer downloading the image if you want.
2. When an issue arises, use the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application delivered with the image
and search using the advanced capabilities to find your fix.

Getting Application Updates

This section discusses the different types of application updates that are available and the best practices for
applying those updates.

Applying a PeopleSoft Update Image (PI)

The PI enables you to download the most current updates and keep them locally for query and review without
ever having to perform maintenance on your environment. Separately, you can plan, schedule, test, and
deploy your maintenance as best suits your business needs.

PI for Updating

With PUM-enabled applications, most PeopleSoft updates are delivered in a PI, which is released on a
regular, published schedule. One image is released per database instance for PeopleSoft HCM 9.2, FSCM 9.2,
ELM 9.2, CRM 9.2 and Interaction Hub 9.1.

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The image is a virtual machine running Oracle VirtualBox technology, which is a client virtualization
technology running Linux with an Oracle Database engine. No additional license is required for using this for
patching and updating. The PI includes all the bug fix information for searching using the delivered
PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application, and it can create a change package definition specific to your
selection.

Best Practices

Download a PI regularly when released by Oracle. The download can take several hours, so download
and deploy the latest image when it is released so that you have it available when you need to update.

Keep a current PI available for administrators to query and to find fixes they may need (actual updating
of your environment is done separately). An available, current PI will be helpful when you need to
check the availability of critical updates.

Use the PI for demonstration or evaluation purposes.

Important! With PUM, you must apply your software updates using Change Assistant: it records in the
PS_MAINTENANCE_LOG table (as data in the database), where details of the applied updates are stored.

PI for Bug Replication

You can use the PI for bug replication, and you can set it up to include Oracle Secure Enterprise Search
(SES).

If you are an English-only Oracle database installation, you do not need to maintain a separate PeopleSoft
demo (DMO) environment for bug replication.

Best Practices

Do not use the same PI for both your patching image and to perform bug replication. Use separate
copies.
Download the PI once so that it is available for multiple deployments.
Consider developing Application Data Set (ADS) scripts to move some of your business use cases into a
bug replication image quickly every time you download. This will give you more than a PeopleSoft
demo when you need to confirm an issue.

Note. If using features that require COBOL object code, you will need to compile the delivered COBOL with
your COBOL compiler and license. PeopleSoft does not deliver compiled COBOL with any image. If you
have third-party integrations, you will need to establish those separately for each demo environment if you
want to demo the integration functionality. All other application and PeopleTools features will work in the
fully functional image VirtualBox environment.

PI for Feature Demo

Best Practices

Use a copy of the PI to review new features and for bug replication.
To create a demo environment from a PI, you can set it up using Oracle SES.
Use the Demonstration Flow documentation provided on your application's Update Image
Documentation Home Page for guided instructions through new features and enhancements delivered
in the update image.
You can have several copies of the current PI. For example, set up one for your business users to get

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hands-on experience with new features; set up one for applications and PeopleTools hands-on
experience; and set up one for application feature demos.

Note. If you are using features that require COBOL object code, you will need to compile the delivered
COBOL with your COBOL compiler and license. PeopleSoft does not deliver compiled COBOL with any
image. If you have third-party software integrations, you will need to establish those separately for each PI as
a demo environment if you want to demo the integration functionality. All other applications and PeopleTools
features will work in the fully functional image VirtualBox environment.

Best Practices: Extended PI for Demo Use

Typically, if you download the new PI when it is released, you will have the fully patched, up-to-date
image without having to maintain your own demo environment.
You can use each released PI as a demo environment so that you have the latest updates and fixes.
If you choose to maintain a separate demo image for an extended period, you may also need to apply
updates to it, depending on critical updates released in that time.
If you choose to manage your own demo image environment and need to patch it, you will need to
configure the demo image environment as any other target environment in your system (using
Environment Management Framework) and apply updates to it from an updated patching image source.
Be sure to use the most current PI as the source for your patching. Use the PI to search for updates and
as the source for updates. Create the change package from the PI source and apply it to the demo
environment (the target) as you would for your production PeopleSoft environment.

PI for Future Upgrade

Best Practices

If the maintenance level of your production environment is the same as a delivered PI, then you may
use the delivered PI as the "Copy of your current release Demo" for a future upgrade.
If you intend to perform an application upgrade from this exact maintenance level, Oracle strongly
recommends that you save a copy of this PI for your use in the upgrade.

Using a Download Manager Client

Though not required, consider using a file download manager client to make downloading the PI files easier.
The PI contains several large files, and it can take several hours to download all of them. Several download
managers are available, and some are free.

Some browsers have built-in download managers.

Applying a PRP to a PI

Occasionally, PeopleSoft must release a fix before the next scheduled delivery of a PI. This kind of fix, a
PeopleSoft Release Patchset (PRP), is posted on MOS. It is a change package plus supplementary

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documentation available as an individual update.

You download the patch following the directions provided by Oracle Support. You apply the updates only to
the most current version of the PI. When the next image is released, the PRP is no longer valid because the
update/fix is now included in the newest PI.

Important! Apply PRPs only to the latest PI, never directly to your environment.

Best Practices

Only apply a PRP to the current PI. In MOS, the PRP will indicate that the current PI is a prerequisite.
The PRP will link to the latest PI for download.
If you do not already have the most current PI, download it first.
If multiple PRPs are available, follow the prerequisite documentation delivered with the PRP in MOS.
The PRP change package you download from MOS will include all the metadata the PeopleSoft Update
Manager PIA Application needs so that once you have loaded the PRP to the PI, you then use the
PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application and its powerful search capability to find and select the
update.
The PUM application automatically includes any required updates that are already in the PI or in
prerequisite PRPs into your custom change package definition.
Apply individual PRPs in the sequence specified by the PRP instructions. Once all PRPs are loaded
into the PI, use the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application as you normally would to select and
generate a custom change package definition for your environment.
The PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application will generate the change package definition you
need, including all the updates you will need to make.

Important! You will always source individual updates (PRPs) from the latest PI. You will apply the PRP to
your local current PI and then use the image PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application to search for the
update and create the change package definition to use to apply to your environment.

For more information on downloading and applying PRPs, see the Learning About PeopleSoft Update
Manager tab, "Using PeopleSoft Update Manager."

Applying a Language Update

The following three deliverables are included in your application’s update image in relation to translations:

Translation Bug: Fix for a translated object already delivered.

This is just like a standard bug but specific to a translated language.
Identified as a Translation Bug in the Update Image Contents List.
“Translated Version”: This is the translated version for a bug or feature that was delivered in the
previous update image or an English PRP.
These fixes are indicated as "Translations Bug" in the update image contents list and identified
when you see "Translated Version" in the subject line of the bug.
You can also use the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application to search for "True
Requisites." This identifies the bugs and features you applied in the previous image that now
have translated versions available in the current image.
Translation Delta Packs: Bundle of translation updates for a particular language as identified by Oracle.

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In the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application, use the option to "Define Translation Delta
Pack" to identify a TDP for your installed languages.
These are delivered periodically as translation updates are deemed necessary by Oracle.

BEST PRACTICES

The PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application provides a mechanism to apply the multi-lingual updates to
your image based on the languages you have installed in your target environment. All language updates are
delivered in the PI. The first time you initiate the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application in the PI, it
will automatically load the required language data based on the language selections in your target
environment.

Translations Bug

Since this is just like a standard bug, search criteria such as Specific Update and Product can be used as well
as the Translation Only category. The Translation Only category will allow you to select a language or
languages. The PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application will then display bugs for the selected
language(s). Similar to a standard bug, it is up to you to decide which Translation Bugs to apply.

Translated Version

In some cases, if bugs and features are incorporated in a PI late in the development cycle or delivered in an
English PRP, the multi-lingual data for them may be delivered in a subsequent PI and identified as
“Translated Version”. In order to ensure that you receive the multi-lingual data for the bugs and features you
have installed, search for “True Requisite” using the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application every time
you download a new PI. This search option identifies “Translated Version” of all of the bugs and features you
have applied.

Translation Delta Packs

Translation Delta Packs are delivered from time to time in order to improve user experience in non-English
languages. As a result, it is advisable to search for Translation Delta Packs in each PI you download and
apply the contents to your environment. In some cases, Translation Delta Packs may contain a large number
of objects to address translation consistency. You can use the Review Package Definition link to examine the
contents of the Translation Delta Pack before installing it in your environment.

Warning! The PI base language should never be swapped as it will cause unpredictable behavior in the PI.
You should swap the base language only in your target environment.

Note. The PI language setup assumes that the languages that must be loaded are one or more of the standard
languages delivered with the PeopleSoft applications.

Replacing an Existing Image with a New Image

Oracle recommends that you download each image as it becomes available so that you are ready for any issue

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that may arise with your system. Each application publishes its PI schedule on the PeopleSoft Update
Manager (PUM) Home Page so that you can plan for each new image.

Best Practices

When a new image is available, delete your existing image and replace it with the most current image.
This practice allows you to have access to the most up-to-date fixes and enhancements released by
Oracle. You do not need to retain anything from your "old" image because each image is cumulative,
therefore, all of the fixes and enhancements included in the previous image are in the current image.
If you want to archive your previous images, you can do so by using your virtualization platform
features. Only disk space is required to archive an older image. Consider retaining an older image for
disaster recovery, depending on your company's internal policies.

Applying an Upgrade Source Image

Use this image to upgrade from an older release of PeopleSoft applications to PeopleSoft 9.2 using the
Upgrade Source Image as the source for PeopleSoft updates and upgrade scripts.

The Upgrade Source Image is certified with PeopleSoft 9.2 GA and at regularly scheduled intervals, as
determined by Oracle. Upgrade Source Image releases are less frequent than PI releases.

Best Practices

Do not use the Upgrade Source Image for patching updates because it may not be as up to date as the
PI.
Download the Upgrade Source image form MOS just as you would the PI.
After performing your upgrade using the Upgrade Source Image, use the PI to complete the updates for
your newly upgraded PeopleSoft application environment.

For more information about the PeopleSoft Upgrade Source Image, see PeopleSoft Upgrade Source Images
Home Page (Doc ID 1552580.1).

Searching for, Downloading, and Deploying PeopleSoft Images and

PRPs in MOS

The first file in the MOS PI Patchset will be smaller than the other files. It contains the README document
and other important information about the PI. You download the PI files locally and then put them back
together to deploy the VirtualBox image.

See the Learning About PeopleSoft Update Manager tab, "Using PeopleSoft Update Images."

Important! The PI must be deployed in Oracle VirtualBox.

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Using a Proof of Concept (POC) Patch

POC patches are extremely rare. You download them from MOS and apply them to your environment outside
of the PI or PUM processing. A POC is a single patch for a site-specific solution.

This type of patch is considered a customization and will appear as such as you maintain your environment in
the future.

Applying an Update with Customizations

PeopleSoft updates should always be done with a process that includes testing the updates before applying the
updates to production. PeopleSoft maintenance with PUM uses Environment Management Framework
(EMF), Change Assistant, the PI, and the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application.

An example process flow for PeopleSoft maintenance might be as follows:

1. Set up DEV and TEST environments, which are copies of your production environment, to deploy and
test your maintenance.
2. Download and deploy the most current PI.
3. Configure EMF to include your DEV and TEST environments.
4. Access the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application in the image through Change Assistant to
create your custom change package definition. Use Change Assistant to create the change package and
to apply updates to your target. See PeopleTools 8.54 Change Assistant and Update Manager Online
Help for more information. Change Assistant synchronizes the maintenance history in the PI with the
maintenance history of the target after performing the apply process. In this way, PUM knows what has
been applied to your environment the next time you log in to the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA
Application.
5. Use the CA Initial Pass apply option to apply the update to DEV and to perform compares. The PI is
the source, and your DEV environment is the target.
6. Use Change Assistant to compare and copy the updates from the PI source with any customizations you
may have in DEV.
7. Compare, merge, and retrofit customizations in DEV.
8. Use the Change Assistant upgrade compare process to create a modified version of the change package
in DEV to include your customizations.
9. Perform a test apply of your new change package from DEV to TEST. DEV is the source environment,
and TEST is the target.
10. Thoroughly test the updates in TEST. Use the PeopleSoft Test Framework to automate testing of your
customizations.
11. Once you are satisfied with the updates and your testing, use the Change Package created for the TEST
apply pass (which includes your customized code) to apply the changes sourced from DEV to your

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production environment.

Replicating Issues
With PUM, issues can be segregated into two broad categories:

Issues related to application functionality and processes

Issues related to updating with PUM

For all issues, Oracle Support will ask that you first attempt to replicate any issue in the most current version
of the PI for the applications.

Using an Image as a Demo vs. Maintaining a Classic Demo

Environment

Historically, PeopleSoft required customers to maintain a separate demo PeopleSoft environment (DMO) up
to the most current updates released by Oracle. This environment was to be used for replicating issues before
reporting them to Oracle Support.

PUM enables you to use a copy of the PI as a demo environment for replicating issues. This environment, set
up with the PeopleSoft image, must be a separate copy of the image, not the one you use for patching and
updating. If your production system is running on an Oracle database and you think your issue is not multi-
language related, you can use the image to attempt to replicate your issue. Oracle Support will ask you either
to replicate the issue in the image or to replicate the issue in your own demo environment, which you will
have maintained to the most current update level released by Oracle.

If you think that platform issues may be more prevalent, then you will need to establish and maintain a classic
PeopleSoft DMO environment. Do this by setting up the DMO from the application major release CD. Then,
use PUM to select "all updates not yet applied" in the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application and
update your new DMO environment. You will need to update the DMO environment on a regular basis by
performing the "all updates not yet applied" update from the latest released PI.

If replicating the issue requires that you run a COBOL process, you will need to compile the COBOL
delivered with the image using your COBOL compiler. See PeopleTools Change Assistant documentation for
information about PI setup and configuration.

Resolving Issues Related to Updating with PUM

For patching and updating, you always use the most current release of the PI. The most current PI will always
contain the latest version and patch of PeopleTools, and you also will use the latest version of the PeopleSoft

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Update Manager PIA Application and Change Assistant from the PI (see "PeopleTools Version to Use for
Change Assistant").

While Oracle does not anticipate issues with the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application dependency
calculations and PeopleSoft has thoroughly tested the application and the PUM process, it is impossible to test
every combination and selection permutation that you can do with PUM. Merging custom code can also
introduce issues with updates if not done carefully. To be able to eliminate the PeopleSoft applications or
PUM quickly as the root cause, Oracle Support will ask you to replicate your issue on the most current
version of the PI.

Note. PUM will change your maintenance strategy, so customers must determine how the delivered patch
current DEMO will fit into their overall maintenance process.

An example process flow for replicating an application issue is as follows:

1. Download the most current version of the PI if you do not have it already.
2. Set up a separate copy of the PI to replicate issues in the applications.
3. Set up any needed foundational data and replicate the use case causing the problem in your
environment.
4. If you can replicate the issue in the PI, log a service request with Oracle Support.
5. If you cannot replicate the issue in the PI, create a copy of the environment where you have the issue
and create a "get me current" package using the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application from a
current PI source. This is your new replication (TEST) environment.
6. Use Change Assistant to apply the package to your new TEST environment.
7. After getting current on all available updates, if you can replicate the issue, log a service request with
Oracle Support.
8. If your test reveals that the issue is resolved, you will need to get your product environment up to date
to resolve this issue. See Updates with Customizations.

Resolving Issues Related to Application Functionality

Oracle anticipates that most of the application issues with a root cause in the application can be replicated
using the image as your demo environment. The reasons for this assumption are that the issues are:

Not database platform-specific, so you can replicate on the Oracle image.

Not multi-language-specific, so you can replicate on the English-only image.

If the issue can be replicated in the current image, then you should create a service request and Oracle
Support will assist you.

If you believe the issue is related to database platform or multi-language objects, you may be asked to
establish a separate DMO environment for your database platform or installed languages to try to replicate the
issue. You will set up a DMO environment from the latest CD version of the PeopleSoft application release.
Then, you will use the most current PI and the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application to get the DMO
current on all the latest updates released by PeopleSoft. After you have brought the DMO environment
current on released updates, you will need to attempt to replicate the issue in the DMO environment.

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PeopleSoft Change Assistant and PeopleSoft

Update Manager PIA Application
This section discusses how to benefit most from using PeopleSoft Change Assistant and the PeopleSoft
Update Manager PIA Application.

Backing Up and Recovering the Change Assistant Maintenance

History

Change Assistant is the primary tool for applying maintenance to your environment. The PeopleSoft Update
Manager PIA Application interrogates the Change Assistant maintenance history of your target environment
to provide you with information about which updates were already applied to your environment. A valid
Change Assistant maintenance history of your environment is key to the ease and success of the PUM
maintenance process.

Have a backup and recovery plan for this key element of your update process.

Warning!Never delete the Change Assistant maintenance history. The only time you can delete the
maintenance history is for a new installation.

Using the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application

We encourage you to:

Become familiar with this application: it can help you find fixes quickly without having to log a service
request with Oracle Support.
Understand the search criteria and think of ways these features can help you be more efficient with
your update activities and plans.

Managing Multiple and Concurrent Users in a PI

More than one user can work in a PI at the same time. This occurrence is also technically possible with
Change Assistant but is highly unlikely because customers would find this situation difficult to manage.
Whether logged in simultaneously or not, it is also possible that users can create overlapping packages.
PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application will warn you if your selection overlaps another Change

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Package definition. If you have multiple users updating the same environment, whether in traditional or PUM
updates, you should institute a comfortable level of process and communication among the people responsible
for selecting and applying updates. With PUM, Oracle recommends that you select all the updates you need
and create one Change Package definition to apply to your target environment. The more packages you have,
the more likely you are to have overlaps.

You also may use the same PI to create Change Package definitions for different target environments. In this
case, the users creating the packages will have no visibility of or ability to compare their packages. There is
no effect across target environments.

Maintaining the Change Assistant Maintenance History When

Reusing a Change Package

If you plan to use the same Change Package to apply updates to multiple environments (to your TEST
environment and then again to your PROD environment), you may see different behavior in Change Assistant
if the maintenance history in your target environments is not identical.

Important! If you intend to use the same Change Package for multiple environments, the target environments
must be identical by taking a copy of Production to create both DEV and TEST environments.

When using the same Change Package with multiple target environments, keep in mind that:

If a Change Package is reused and it includes a bug that is already applied to the target, then Change
Assistant will filter steps specific to that bug.
If the target is missing a prerequisite update that is not in the package, then Change Assistant will
provide an error message that the target is missing the prerequisite update. In this case, you will need to
create a separate Change Package that includes the missing prerequisite.

Using the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application Dependency

Calculation

The PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application is delivered with the PI and is always the latest PeopleTools
version and patch release. The PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application gives you the powerful search
capability to find the updates you want. It also has a dependency calculation algorithm that uses the bug and
update metadata delivered in the PI.

An object dependency can occur for different reasons, such as overlapping objects in multiple bugs that you
have not applied yet. These can be things such as an SQR that is run from a PeopleCode event, a COBOL
program launched from an online PIA, Application Engine (AE) in an AE program, record definitions, and so
on. In addition, PeopleSoft may define manual dependencies where there are not overlapping objects, but we
have determined that these bugs are functionally tied together.

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The general functionality of the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application dependency calculation is as
follows:

1. Start with selected Bug A.

2. Query for all bugs that Bug A (from 1) is dependent on.

3. Query for all bugs that depend on Bug A (from 1).

4. Insert Bug A plus results from 2 and 3 into a table.

Loop

5. Select list of bugs from table (insert list from 4 initial loop or 8 subsequent loops).

6. Query for all bugs on which all bugs from 4 are dependent.

7. Query for all bugs that depend on all bugs (from 4).

8. Insert results from 6 and 7 into table.

a. If no inserts are required (that is, 6 and 7 returned no additional bugs vs. list in 5), then exit the loop.

b. If additional inserts occurred, repeat loop and keep looping until no additional inserts (8a condition
met).

9. Review list from 8 and mark bugs that are already applied as such.

End

Sharing Update Information from One PI to Another

No information sharing occurs across released PIs. Only one active, current PI exists for the product family.
When a new PI is released, it contains all the updates from previous PIs. The new PI replaces the previous
one, and you can only download the most current PI.

The Change Assistant maintenance history in the target environment maintains information about which
updates you have applied to your environment. That information persists for the life of the target
environment, and the maintenance history is synchronized with the new PI you download when you create
your first Change Package definition in the new PI.

Avoiding Pitfalls
This section presents issues that users should avoid or monitor.

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Applying POCs

POCs and the PI do not mix.

A POC is considered a customization and is applied directly to your environment. The changes will appear as
customizations that you will have to carry forward with every update. Since a POC fix is delivered outside of
PUM, it should be considered carefully before applying because it could significantly affect the ease of
updating in the future, depending on the change.

Backing Out of Applied Packages

Once a change is applied to your environment, you cannot back out of it other than to restore from a backup.

Deselecting Objects in Change Assistant

Using PUM, you should not have to deselect objects in Change Assistant after the package is generated.
The PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application provides a more detailed level of query capability
(for example, selected updates fy BUG ID) so that you can create targeted change packages. You
should deselect in the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application in the PI.
Once you have created the Change Package definition in the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA
Application in the PI, you use Change Assistant to generate the actual change package.
As with patching with previous releases using Change Assistant, deselecting items from the change
package is not recommended.

Once you generate a change package in Change Assistant, you should not deselect any objects from
the package. The Change Assistant maintenance history contains all of the objects in the change
package, and it does not distinguish between those objects that were applied or deselected and not
applied. The maintenance history assumes all the items in the package were applied. If you must
deselect an item to avoid collisions with a customization, you should carefully examine the delivered
PeopleSoft artifact to make sure you manually take any updates that you need.

Once a change package is applied to your target environment, all of the items in the change package are
logged as applied in the Change Assistant maintenance history of your target environment, even those
that you deselected in Change Assistant.

Note. This advice does not apply to the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application. Deselecting items in
the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application will remove the updates from the Change Package
definition before the change package is created.

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Getting Current and Staying Current

PUM makes getting current and staying current easier than ever before.
The risk of having difficulties increases the further behind you fall on maintenance, and it increases
over time as the PI becomes larger.

Performing a YUM Update

Oracle recommends you perform a YUM update on every PeopleSoft Update Image you download and
install. It is a best practice to ensure that your Image is current and up to date for any security issues. For
information about performing a YUM update, see Using the PeopleSoft VirtualBox Images, “Planning
Security Administration,” Considering the Virtual Machine Guest Operating System Security found on your
application’s update image home page tab, under Installation Instructions.

Selecting the PeopleTools Version to Use for Change Assistant

Plan to use the PeopleTools version and patch release delivered with the PI. It is always the most
current.
Use the version recommended in the PI.
Always use the highest version and patch release of PeopleTools for Change Assistant.

Selecting the PeopleTools Version to Use for Environment

Management Framework

With traditional updates, the Environment Management Framework (EMF) tools release had to be
synchronized with Change Assistant; but with PUM, this is no longer the rule.

Use your existing local EMF agent running at least PT 8.53. Occasionally, a patch to Change Assistant
or EMF will require that both be on the same release. Please consult your PeopleTools patch release
notes to find this specific information for your PeopleTools release and patch.
Only the target environment needs to be configured in EMF. The PI does not need to be configured in
EMF.

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Using Oracle Secure Enterprise Search

PeopleSoft Update Images are delivered with Oracle Secure Enterprise Search (SES). You should set up and
configure SES when using an image as a demo environment. However, when configuring an image as a PUM
source, SES is not required for creating change packages and you should not enable it. Oracle SES requires
significant resources in the image and will affect your overall performance.

Make sure you select No when prompted to set up Oracle SES during the configuration of any image used for
patching and maintenance. Also, you should not use a patching and maintenance instance of an image as a
demo environment. We recommend that you create separate instances of the image for each of these
purposes.

See Using the PeopleSoft VirtualBox Images, "Starting the PeopleSoft VirtualBox Appliance" located on your
PeopleSoft application's Update Image Home Page, Installation Documentation.

Using PUM to Patch vs. Using PUM to Search for Updates

When preparing a Change Package definition to use for an update, always enter the PeopleSoft Update
Manager PIA Application and PI via Change Assistant.
PUM is a PIA application and is accessible through a browser, so you can log into the patching PI to
search for and view available updates. You can also save a Change Package definition, but the actual
change package used to update your environment is generated from Change Assistant, so you should
access the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA Application in the PI via Change Assistant when preparing
a package for patching.
Developers or support analysts may access PUM only via the PIA instance for research about updates
that need to be applied or updates that are available to fix an immediate issue. Only your PeopleSoft
administration team will use Change Assistant to launch the PeopleSoft Update Manager PIA
Application, create the Change Package definition, generate the Change Package, and apply it to your
target environment.

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