The People Soft Internet Architecture

8/8/2019 The People Soft Internet Architecture

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The PeopleSoft Internet Architecture (PIA) is a server-centric component architecture thatenables secure end user access to PeopleSoft applications. Its components include the following:

Internet Access Device

Web Server

Application Server Database Server

Each component fulfills a unique niche within the system, all of which are described in thePeopleSoft Internet Architecture Components lesson of this course.

With PIA there is no "traditional" client. Workstations simply need to have a supported browserinstalled. No other applets or connectivity software is needed on the workstation that runs the

browser because all processing occurs at the server level. Dynamic HTML, rendered by theApplication Server, is passed to the Web Server and sent on to a supported browser interface.

PeopleSoft Integration Technologies:

Application Messaging - System-to-system communication.

Component Interfaces - Transactions from external systems to PeopleSoft.Application Engine - Used in batch application processing.

File Layouts - Used for integration with legacy systems.

PIA supports pure internet access for all PeopleSoft applications. It enables you to take

advantage of all of the PeopleSoft intranet and internet solutions, as well as the PeopleSoftIntegration Technologies, such as Application Messaging.

These technologies streamline integration of PeopleSoft applications with other PeopleSoftapplications, custom internal systems, eMerchants, and customer trading partner systems. Bysupporting the open flow of information between systems, the PeopleSoft Integration

Technologies provide true internet- based system integration.

The PeopleSoft Internet Architecture delivers intuitive, high-performance, HTML-based thinclient applications that run on any machine with internet access. PIA deploys all transactions

through a web browser.

Benefits of Browser-Based Deployment

Minimizes the Training EffortReduces Application Deployment CostsLowers Client Hardware Requirements

Allows Extensive Portability


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There are two basic access methods with the PeopleSoft Internet Architecture:

(1) Directly, through a delivered homepage dedicated only to PeopleSoft applications, or(2) Through a portal that may contain non-PeopleSoft content references.

Both of these deployment options are further discussed in the PeopleSoft Development andDeployment lesson of this course. Both options provide the benefits listed above of browser-based deployment.

Minimizes the Training Effort:

Simple access Intuitive web look and feel

Less training is needed because most people with access to computers are very familiar with the

look and feel of web pages, and know how to navigate within web browsers like Yahoo! and

Amazon.com. End users just click a hyperlink to enter the PeopleSoft applications.

Reduces Application Deployment Costs:

HTML-based for low bandwidth access HTML and JavaScript deployed to the browser

No client installations required

Browser-based applications are easily deployed to end users.

By placing a hyperlink in an email or on a corporate website, users can access the applications

just like they access any other website.

The cost of deploying browser-based applications is close to zero.

Lowers Client Hardware Requirements:

Robust, scalable server-centric architecture

Supports thousands of concurrent users

Because the browser-based applications put very small demands on the client machine, the enduser does not need a high-end, expensive computer to use PeopleSoft applications. This means

lower costs to customers, as they will not need to upgrade their client machines in order to usethe latest PeopleSoft release.

Allows Extensive Portability:

Web browser independence Client operation system independence


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Together the Web Server and the Application Server make up the middle-tier of PIA; however,the Application Server does most of the work.

The Application Server is the core of PeopleSoft Internet Architecture. It handles messages from

the Web Server through JOLT and executes all PeopleSoft business logic. In addition, it

maintains the SQL connection to the Database Server for both browser requests and for thePeopleSoft development environment. PeopleSoft uses TUXEDO to manage databasetransactions.

At execution time, the Application Server fetches the most recent application definitions from

the Metadata Repository of the Database Server. The Application Server caches the definitions inmemory and executes the business rules, based on the definitions. Definitions such as pages, are

created using the Application Designer tool in the PeopleSoft 8 development environment.The Application Server consists of numerous PeopleSoft services and server processes that

handle transaction requests. One of these server processes, PSAPPSRV, performs all applicationprocessing for a PeopleSoft internet session and generates the HTML to be displayed in the

browser. For example, it is the PSAPPSRV process of the Application Server that builds andloads the pages which are then transmitted to the browser, as requested, through the Web Server.

As you can see, the Application Server is truly the heart of PeopleSoft Internet Architecture.Just as in the PeopleSoft three-tier architecture, with the PeopleSoft 8 Internet Architecture,

information is stored on the Database Server in three types of tables: System Catalog Tables,PeopleTools Tables, and PeopleSoft Application Data Tables. Each table type contains specific

information that is related to running PeopleSoft applications.The PeopleSoft database is therepository for all information that is managed by PeopleSoft applications. Not only is application

data stored in the database, but the PeopleSoft metadata is also maintained in the database.Metadata is what drives PeopleSoft Internet Architecture. Because PeopleSoft architectures have

always been metadata-driven, PeopleSoft has been able to make the leap from client/server tointernet-based applications without having to completely rewrite existing applications.

Several internet-related definitions were enhanced in PeopleTools 8.4 to enable full internet

application development. These are the HTML Catalog, images, and style sheets. Just like fields,records, pages, menus, and other definitions, these definitions are stored in the PeopleTools

Tables of the Database Server, and are fully upgradeable.

Multiple Application Servers can be connected to a single Database Server, whichsimultaneously handles the Application Server connections and development environment

connections

Documents

The People Soft Internet Architecture