Linux distro choice

You want to install a linux distro. But what distro is for you ?
The Linux Distribution Chooser is a website which can help you in the distro choice. Without to be exhaustive, it can help for the linux beginners.

Bundles installation

Before the Change Assistant, the bundles installation was nightmare, because of there was only manual steps. And as a bundle is a set of corrections, there is several steps.

Now, with Change Assistant, there is less manual step, but the time of installation is now incredible long. One day per bundle, imagine, when we have to instal several bundles... In fact, the change assistant lose too many time in file transfer : open/close a ftp connection for each file to have to transfer. It's very consume time.

One solution is to stop the process during the automatic ftp, run it manual, set to complete these steps, and restart the Change Assistant.

Anyway, even the project installation, the datamover running and the sql seems to be slower than manual.

One advantage of auto step, you can read the newspapers (professional newspapers, of course), and learn by OTN forum participation. ;-)

PeopleSoft Installation : what required

In order to install a PeopleSoft application, we need to choose a database.
Oracle seems a good choice, even if the development was (still is ?) in most of case on SQL Server...
Then Tuxedo, and a webserver like Weblogic.
The choice of PeopleTools version, actually the last version is 8.48 (new from July), can be deciding what you can, and how many time your application can live without a big upgrade.

You can download all softwares (main version, not upgrade) on http://edelivery.oracle.com/ (unfortunately a http server, so download can be long) and patches on the ftp server ftp.peoplesoft.com (anonymous user).

I advise the reading of the white paper PeopleSoft Enterprise Architecture for more understanding.

Copybase and PSCA

The copy of a database is one of the tasks of a PS admin : to reinit a database from a reference database, to test bundle for example.
But some tasks mustn't be forget.

PSCA - PeopleSoft Change Assistant - is the new assistant to manage upgrade since 8.4x PeopleTools.
Before it was PSUA - PeopleSoft Upgrade Assistant - which was more a informational guide rather than a real assistant.
Since 8.4x PeopleTools, this new tool is very nice to help in bundles/patches/fix installation, there is only few manual tasks.
PSCA work by PS_HOME and by database. He needs a unique identifier into database, this is GUID column from PSOPTIONS table.
This field, not nullable, is initialize on start of the application server only if he's blank value.
So, after a copy of database, DON'T forget to update this field, without what, PSCA will not see your database in your environment, and you will lose some of time to search why...
SQL> select guid from psoptions;

GUID
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
d96d2afa-1dd1-11b2-9e1f-dbeeda0b41ec

SQL> update psoptions set guid= ' ';

1 row updated.

SQL> commit;

Commit complete.

Here I restart the appserver, then :
SQL> select guid from psoptions;
GUID
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ae7099f4-1dd1-11b2-8d5a-fe9855e7faff

SQL>

We will see later that there are some of update after a copy of database, this one today, is only one of these tasks.

PeopleSoft and LONG datatype

Somebody knows when PeopleSoft will stop to use LONG datatype, even into the very last version, there is too much these ones :

SQL> select count(distinct table_name)
    from user_tab_columns
    where data_type = 'LONG'
SQL> /

COUNT(DISTINCTTABLE_NAME)
-------------------------
2085

SQL>

First message - presentation

Well, I launch my own blog today. It was a long reflexion, because I had some doubts about time to update blog, what I will write etc.
Finally, I'm decide to write and will see...

About me :
I'm working since 1995, first on an old system GCOS8, cobol and IDS2 database...
In 1998, I switch into Oracle world with a migration project on Oracle Application as a developper.
Later, in 2000, I start with analyze/conception then as admin Oracle.
And from 2002, I'm working as Oracle DBA in a PeopleSoft environment. As an Oracle consultant, I realize some time short missions for clients (backup/restore solution, performance problem, migration, etc.), but my main job is for a PeopleSoft client.
Now, I'm a technical support for development and production teams.

About this blog :
Mainly around the Oracle database, but as my job is in a PeopleSoft environment, I will try to write about PeopleSoft.
About PeopleSoft, it will be only from a technical point of view, I never will say about fonctional - which I don't know - but about : new release, installation of tier party (tuxedo, weblogic, crystal reports), peopletools, application module, what are the tasks of a PS administrator (copybase, security etc.).

Note :
This blog is under my own responsibility, what I write here never engaged Oracle or my company.
As you could see above, the english is not my mother tongue, so I'm sorry in advance if some word or grammar are not as well.
All remarks are welcome.

Good reading,