Peoplesoft OVM FSCM9.1 Feature Pack 1 Peopletools 8.51.07

As promised, Peoplesoft team keeps the Peoplesoft OVM templates up-to-date. After The latest HCM 9.1 template based on Feature Pack 1 and Peopletools 8.51.02 (Dec-2010), last week has been released the second OVM template for FSCM (first was delivered earlier in Sept-2010).
This one is based on FSCM 9.1 Feature Pack 1 (up to Bundle #9/maintenance Pack #5) and Peopletools 8.51.07. Latest application version and Peopletools pach (well, the patch 08 has been released since then).

1. The database server
After importing the template, start the VM.
Do not use DHCP, but rather a static IP address :

Whatever you entered to start automatically the database, it won’t work (as documented in the readme file) :

As usual now in the PSOVM, CSS fails to start but it won’t harm anything later on :

For testing purpose, following up a previous post on an older PSOVM, I used a lower case database name.

If given a lower case database, you must update the table PS.PSDBOWNER, the deployment script are not doing it properly to make it upper :

And eventually, you’ll have your running database and listener (domain is .us.oracle.com) :
      
Note :
1. SYSADM’s password upper case :
[oracle@psovmfscmfp1db ~]$ sqlplus sysadm/sysadm

SQL*Plus: Release 11.1.0.7.0 - Production on Mon May 2 06:32:43 2011

Copyright (c) 1982, 2008, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

ERROR:
ORA-01017: invalid username/password; logon denied

Enter user-name:
[oracle@psovmfscmfp1db ~]$ sqlplus sysadm/SYSADM

SQL*Plus: Release 11.1.0.7.0 - Production on Mon May 2 06:32:50 2011

Copyright (c) 1982, 2008, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Connected to:
Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.1.0.7.0 - 64bit Production
With the Partitioning, OLAP, Data Mining and Real Application Testing options
2. Installed language is English only :
SQL> select language_cd from pslanguages where installed=1;

LANGUAGE_CD
------------
ENG

3. Unlike the first PSOVMs released, there’s no issue with the profile :
SQL> conn / as sysdba
Connected.
SQL> select username,account_status,expiry_date,profile
from   dba_users
where username in ('PEOPLE','SYSADM') ;
  2    3
USERNAME                       ACCOUNT_STATUS                   EXPIRY_DATE        PROFILE
------------------------------ -------------------------------- ------------------ ------------------------------
PEOPLE                         OPEN                                                DEFAULT
SYSADM                         OPEN                                                DEFAULT

SQL> l
  1* select * from dba_profiles where profile='DEFAULT'
SQL> /

PROFILE                        RESOURCE_NAME                    RESOURCE_TYPE                    LIMIT
------------------------------ -------------------------------- -------------------------------- -----------------------------
DEFAULT                        PASSWORD_GRACE_TIME              PASSWORD                         UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        PASSWORD_LOCK_TIME               PASSWORD                         UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        PASSWORD_VERIFY_FUNCTION         PASSWORD                         NULL
DEFAULT                        PASSWORD_REUSE_MAX               PASSWORD                         UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        PASSWORD_REUSE_TIME              PASSWORD                         UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME               PASSWORD                         UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        FAILED_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS            PASSWORD                         UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        PRIVATE_SGA                      KERNEL                           UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        CONNECT_TIME                     KERNEL                           UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        IDLE_TIME                        KERNEL                           UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        LOGICAL_READS_PER_CALL           KERNEL                           UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        LOGICAL_READS_PER_SESSION        KERNEL                           UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        CPU_PER_CALL                     KERNEL                           UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        CPU_PER_SESSION                  KERNEL                           UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        SESSIONS_PER_USER                KERNEL                           UNLIMITED
DEFAULT                        COMPOSITE_LIMIT                  KERNEL                           UNLIMITED

16 rows selected.

2. The App/Batch/PIA server
After importing the template, start the VM.
Do not use DHCP, but rather a static IP address : 
 
Once again, that works great.
    

3. Peopletools 8.51.07 zipped file for Windows client
[root@psovmfscmfp1 ~]# su - psadm2
cd [psadm2@psovmfscmfp1 ~]$ cd $PS_HOME
[psadm2@psovmfscmfp1 tools]$ ls
FSCM                        cblbin    log                     src
FSCM_InstallLog.log         class     peopletools.properties  tmp
PSEMAgent                   data      psconfig.sh             toolsadmin.sh
PSEMViewer                  dict      scripts                 toolsclient.zip <--
PeopleTools_InstallLog.log  etc       sdk                     utility
SecurityAddIns              fonts     secvault                verity
appserv                     jre       setup                   web
bin                         jre1.6.0  sqr                     webserv
[psadm2@psovmfscmfp1 tools]$ ls -lrt toolsclient.zip
-rwxr-xr-x 1 psadm1 oracle 61191937 Mar 23 21:57 toolsclient.zip
[psadm2@psovmfscmfp1 tools]$

Copy the file and unzip it onto your local desktop. In 2-tier, you’ll need an Oracle client, in 3-tier, no need Oracle client, but you’ll have to configure a WSL listener on the AppServer domain.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************
NOTES :
1. The SELINUX errors/warnings I have reported a while ago here have been fixed.
2. The missing SETSPACE sqr I reported here has also been fixed.
3. The scripts under $PS_HOME/scripts I was requesting here have been added.
Nice to see they are listening and trying to keep these templates alive as much as possible.

PS: if for some reasons you need to mount a nfs point, that will work fine from the PSOVM database server but not from App/Batch/PIA server. You’ll need to install a couple of additional RPMs, please read more in the Peoplesoft OVM forum’s thread I created here.

Enjoy it,

Nicolas.

Application messaging troubleshooting : endless ping node

It’s really common to use a small configuration for environments such as DEMO, SYS or even for development databases to avoid the server to be overloaded within useless processes. But doing so, you should be sure it is not set too small otherwise you could have some issues when setting the messaging up.
Here’s an example of a common issue a Peoplesoft DBA might be face to.
I’m working here on the PSOVM CRM 9.1 based on Peopletools 8.50.09. Of course, it is assuming the Pub/Sub service has been set to “Yes” as shown below:


Checking the local node for proper configuration (user and password must be set) :
 
So far, so good.
Now, let’s configure the gateway. For initial configuration, load the connector first :
 

And try to ping the gateway to confirm it works :


Now, let’s configure the node in the gateway :

Default user id is “administrator”, default password is “password”.


Now try to ping that new added node :


It will process endlessly until reaching the timeout.

Note that there’s no error messages in any log files, nothing to help.
Having a look into the configuration file, psappsrv.cfg, PSAPPSRV has only 1 min. instance :

Change it to a minimum of 2 :
 
Reconfigure and restart the application server :
 

Note there’s now 2 processes PSAPPSRV.

Coming back in the front end application, trying again to ping the local node within the gateway configuration as previously failed :

Few seconds later, it is successful :


So, when you want to work within the messaging, always set at least 2 as a minimum instances for PSAPPSRV process in the configuration file.

As a side note, if you fill a wrong Peopletools release as shown below, it will fail but that time with a clear explanation (Integration Gateway: PeopleSoftTargetConnector - invalid PeopleTools release). So, be sure about the correctness  of the release until the patch level :



Nicolas.

Peoplesoft PIA silent deployment

Whether the silent Weblogic installation is documented in the Peopletools Installation Guide (Task 2-1-5: Installing Oracle WebLogic on Linux or UNIX in Silent Mode), the silent PIA deployment is not. Is that because it does not exists ? Is that because there’s no use of that ? Well, it exists and in few cases it can help. Especially if you are applying Peopletools patch on regular basis. As you may know, it is most often required to redeploy the domain.

Last month I replied to a resurrected thread on Peoplesoft OTN Forum regarding a silent deployment of the PIA. I was initially – last year - thinking that was not possible. But working a lot with the PSOVM since then, I saw the PIA deployment on “fly” during the OVM template installation.

Going through the PSOVM App/Batch/PIA server once deployed, there’s a script which is called to deploy the PIA : /opt/oracle/psft/vm/installpia.sh
The script is relatively easy to understand :
PT_HOME=/opt/oracle/psft/pt
TOOLS_HOME=$PT_HOME/tools
BEA_HOME=$PT_HOME/bea
SILENT_INSTALL_FILE=install.properties
 
echo "Doing PIA silent install"
if [ ! -d $TOOLS_HOME/tmp ]; then
    mkdir $TOOLS_HOME/tmp
fi
 
cd $TOOLS_HOME/tmp
 
 
# If there is a pre-existing silent response file we
# remove it
if [ -f $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE ]; then
    rm -f $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
fi
 
echo PS_HOME=$TOOLS_HOME >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo DOMAIN_NAME=peoplesoft >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo SERVER_TYPE=weblogic >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo BEA_HOME=$BEA_HOME >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo USER_ID=system >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo USER_PWD=password >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo INSTALL_ACTION=CREATE_NEW_DOMAIN >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo DOMAIN_TYPE=NEW_DOMAIN >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo INSTALL_TYPE=SINGLE_SERVER_INSTALLATION >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo WEBSITE_NAME=$PIA_SITENAME >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo APPSERVER_NAME=localhost >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo JSL_PORT=$JOLT_PORT >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo HTTP_PORT=$PIA_HTTP_PORT >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo HTTPS_PORT=$PIA_HTTPS_PORT >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo AUTH_DOMAIN= >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo WEB_PROF_NAME=DEV >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo WEB_PROF_USERID=PTWEBSERVER >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo WEB_PROF_PWD=PTWEBSERVER >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
echo REPORTS_DIR=/var/tmp/psreports >> $SILENT_INSTALL_FILE
 
cd $TOOLS_HOME/setup/PsMpPIAInstall
sh setup.sh -javahome $TOOLS_HOME/jre -i silent \
-DRES_FILE_PATH=$TOOLS_HOME/tmp/$SILENT_INSTALL_FILE -tempdir $TOOLS_HOME/tmp

So, first build your own response file with all the required fields according to your environment and action you are doing (deployment, re-deployment), and call it within DRES_FILE_PATH. That parameter was unknown for me. It is rather a nice learn. Of course, it might require a lot of testing, but it could be helpful if you have a high number of environments to re-build time to time, especially useful after a Peopletools (patch) upgrade which can be done on regular basis.

Save the response file in a secure place, and eventually you’ll see the advantages of silent PIA deployment. Run the installer with the silent option avoids some painful time to remember what ports are used, what webprofile, what reports directory…
I was initially not convinced about the usefulness of that, but try it. Use it.

Nicolas.

Manage Peoplesoft with OEM Grid Control (3/3)

Last part of this series about Peoplesoft managed in OEM Grid Control, once the OEM Grid Control is installed with the Peoplesoft plug-in, once the Agent is installed on the targets with the Peoplesoft plug-in, it’s time for configuring the all thing in OEM GUI.

First, add the Peoplesoft target :
The user is the Peoplesoft domain owner (not necessarily the owner of the PS_HOME), for the PSOVM servers, that’s psadm2.

The discovery path is the PS_CFG_HOME. If it is missing from the environment variable, it is going to the user’s home directory. For the PSOVM servers, it is going to the psadm2’s home :

Choose the type you want to manage :
 

We can link the Oracle database when Peoplesoft is discovered (here the db server was not started) :

And finally, everything selected earlier is now recognized :

From now, we can start/stop (all in one shot if required) and configure the all Peoplesoft domain.

Let’s see the Process Scheduler possibilities :
Here, we can do whatever we are doing within the psadmin tool from the target host:
 
 

Let’s see the Application Server possibilities :    



And the WebServer :   
I won’t go through every single sub-menus over there, there are too many. But as you can see above, everything we – as Peoplesoft DBA - usually do from the backend, directly connected onto a server, can be done through OEM Grid Control. Rather nice, especially when managing a lot of environments. That’s maybe a bit of work for configuring everything properly, according to all the specificities of the environments, but that makes the life so easier once it is done that I think it is worth to do and to have on board.

Enjoy it.

Nicolas.