PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture

What is PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture?

The PeopleSoft application runs on various technologies which are spread across what is called the PeopleSoft pure internet architecture, this architecture contains the below elements,

1. The RDBMS database server.
2. The Application Server.
3. The Batch Server.
4. The Web Server.
5. The Client web browser

Explain the Components of the PIA?

The Client Web Browser:
The Client or User will be able to access the application using a web browser which is certified to be supported by PeopleSoft as documented by Oracle. PeopleSoft provides a thin client and there is no software or applet which is required in the client-side.
The browser uses HTTP protocol to send a request to the servlet present in the web server which communicates with the application server. The application server only sends information of the below formats,

1. HTML
2. XML
3. JavaScript
4. Cookies

The browser should have session cookies enabled, as PeopleSoft leverages the browser cookies to store a unique access token after the user is initially authorized. The unique access token will be used by PeopleSoft to bypass the sign-in process when the user accesses another PeopleSoft system in the same browser.

The Web Server:

The PeopleSoft WebServer forwards the requests made by the Web Browser to the application server and also returns the response back to the Browser. The supported web containers are Oracle WebLogic and IBM Websphere.

The Application Server:

The Application Server uses Oracle Tuxedo and Oracle Jolt to convert the Java based HTTP requests to a C++ environment. The application server will send SQL requests to the database server to fetch information from the database server.

The Batch Server:

PeopleSoft facilitates in creating exclusive Jobs, or processes to do tasks. The Batch Server is deployed for serving as a dedicated resource for running Jobs and processes, it can be created in a Linux or Windows environment. Some processes might be dependent on software which are available only in Windows, such as the nVision and Crystal processes.

The Database Server:

The Database Server is the most important component of the PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture, it contains the PeopleSoft database. The supported database servers are Oracle, DB2 and SQL Server. The application server contains the connectivity information of the database in its configuration file.


How are the components of the PIA connected?

The below diagram explains the architecture.






The Web Browser connects to the Web server over internet or intranet connection. The Web server contains a configuration.properties file which stores the information of IP and Jolt Port of the Application server. The application server contains a psappsrv.cfg configuration file which contains the connectivity information about the database server. Similarly the batch server contains a psprcsrv.cfg configuration file which stores the database connectivity information. If the Batch and Application servers are not in the same machine as the Database server then they would require the Database Client software to be installed in their machines individually.

Introduction to PeopleSoft and PSAdmin

What is PeopleSoft?

PeopleSoft is an ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) software, which provides Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS), Financial Management Solutions (FMS), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) software, as well as software for manufacturing, enterprise performance management, and student administration to large companies, governments, and organizations.

In the year 2005, there was a hostile acquisition of PeopleSoft by Oracle corporation. Since then the PeopleSoft brand and market line are marketed by Oracle.

Who are the founders?

PeopleSoft was created by David Duffiled and Ken Morris in the year 1987. After it got acquired by Oracle, David Duffield moved on to create a new cloud based ERP software system called Workday.


What are the technologies involved?

PeopleSoft is a combination of different technologies spread over what is called the "PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture". Predominantly the underlying programming languages are C++, Java, tuxedo..etc. PeopleSoft supports multiple database platforms such as Oracle, DB2, Sql Server.


What are the basic skills required to learn PeopleSoft Administration?

Some of the skills required for PeopleSoft Administration are as listed below,

1. Basic understanding on client-server architecture.
2. Knowledge on working in Unix/Linux and Windows based server environments.
3. Working with tuxedo.
4. Understanding web containers such as Oracle Weblogic, or IBM Websphere.
5. Knowledge on Oracle, DB2 or SQL Server database servers.

What are some of the roles of a PeopleSoft Administrator?

1. Installing and maintaining the PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture, and deploying the domains.
2. Performing upgrades and applying patches/bundles.
3. Monitoring the database, performing SQL tuning, there are some roles which will ask the PSAdmin to perform DB Backup and restore.
4. Supporting the development team on testing and migrating custom code changes to production environment.