| PeopleSoft's architecture has greatly changed in version 8 from all prior versions in that it is now a 100% server-centric Internet based architecture with no code on the client. The new PeopleSoft 8 architecture makes it possible for all of your users across your enterprise to access the PeopleSoft applications through a web browser. However, with this new server-centric architecture comes more responsibility in the area of administration and maintenance.
There are many layers and servers to consider. An end user client browser communicates with the web server over the HTTP protocol. The web server is responsible for running the java servlets and web services. Therefore, you have to take into consideration the web server hardware, its configuration, and its resources to ensure adequate response time. In addition, there is a network layer between the browser and web server that can potentially be a bottleneck.
Next, the web server communicates to the application server through Jolt/Tuxedo. The web server passes requests to the application server, the application server runs several key PeopleSoft services that will obtain meta-data and data from the database, the database passes it back to the application server, the application server builds any components necessary packages it over jolt/tuxedo and sends it back to the web server who presents it to the browser.
As you can see there are many layers and servers involved in the PeopleSoft architecture. Therefore, it is crucial that you understand how to install, configure, and tune each area specifically.
For those of you that may be unfamiliar with PeopleSoft Infrastructure, here is your quick cheat sheet. PeopleSoft software is installed on servers, each server with a specific type of duty. Additionally, some may be physically separate machines while others may be logical servers (more on that a little later).
The primary servers needed by PeopleSoft software are:
File Server
Database Server
Batch Server
Application Server
Web Server
Reporting Server
These servers work together to distribute the processing needed to the user, typically through a web browser. Together, these servers consist of the Pure Internet Architecture (PIA, for short).
File Server
When installing PeopleSoft software, the first stop is the file server. Typically a Windows 2000 server, the file server is where the PeopleSoft CDs are first installed. Many of the other servers, as well as Windows-based clients, can map a drive to the file server to run PeopleSoft software. The file server simply contains the PeopleSoft files; in other words, the installation routines do not place anything in the registry, so the files can be FTP'd to non-Windows servers, etc. The file server is the master, or "golden" copy of the PeopleSoft-delivered files.
Database Server
The heart of the infrastructure is the database server. It houses the database(s) that contain the application data. Many PeopleSoft customers have several databases for each PeopleSoft application suite (i.e. PeopleSoft Financials or Human Capital Management). Typical databases would include Demo, Development, Training, Unit Test, System Test, QA, Performance, and Production. The Database Server must be powerful and contain many high-capacity, high-speed, high-availability disks. Most PeopleSoft customers use Oracle for the database (especially now that Oracle owns PeopleSoft Corporation).
Batch Server
The Batch Server is also commonly referred to as the Process Scheduler Server, as the PeopleSoft-delivered software that handles batch processing is called the Process Scheduler. We will refer to this server from this point forward simply as the batch server. The batch server executes reports and processes on a scheduled basis, and this server typically resides on the same physical machine as the database server, for performance purposes.
Application Server
If the database server is the heart of the infrastructure, then the application server is truly the brains of the bunch. This needs to run on a machine with a very fast CPU and plenty of memory. It does not require extensive disk space like the database server. The application server is the communicator; as all database requests (except those initiated by the batch server or 2-tier Windows clients) are accepted by the application server, and sent to the database server through various services running on the application server machine. For example, long-running queries are handled by one type of application server service while quick-running ones are handled by a separate service. Additionally, 3-tier Windows clients, as well as web browser clients' connections (via the Web Server) are handled by the application server. Consider the application server as the traffic cop.
Web Server
The web server accepts the web-based browser clients' requests and connections. In turn, it sends messages (using Jolt software) to the application server. The web server does not know what a database is, nor does it even know about PeopleSoft. It simply serves up web pages and passes messages to the application server.
Reporting Server
The reporting server, working closely with the batch server, allows a user to see the results of a report. When a web-based client runs a report in PeopleSoft, this is accomplished by accessing the PIA through web pages. Once the report request is made, the Process Scheduler (i.e. batch server) runs the report. Once the report file is produced, the distribution agent service of the batch server passes the report file to the reporting server, which makes the report available automatically on the web. The reporting server is like a reporting-specific file server.
That should give you a good understanding of the PeopleSoft architecture. This information is the base foundation that every PeopleSoft professional should understand.
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