Overview
Oracle/PeopleSoft is happy to announce the first feature pack release of the PeopleSoft Applications Portal. This is the first release in the new continuous release model, which we believe will enable us to make new functionality and features available to customers faster. We also expect that the new features will be easier to uptake in more fine-grained packages. The release continues Oracle’s commitment to protecting and extending the value of PeopleSoft applications. It provides valuable enhancements that improve the productivity of end users, as well as improvements to help reduce the total cost of ownership. While the feature pack contains many enhancements, in this post we'll highlight the major enhancements, including the following:
- Unified and seamless navigation
- Content management
- Collaboration
- User Experience/PeopleTools uptake
In addition, there are some collaborative capabilities that are provided by the Applications Portal that will also be enhanced. These enhancements will extend beyond the use of the portal.
The English and Multi-Language CD recuts for the PeopleSoft Portal Solutions 9.1 Feature Pack 1 enhancements are now available on the Oracle Software Delivery Cloud (OSDC). Physical CD shipments will be ready by January 30, 2012. Documentation updates are also complete and available on OSDC and My Oracle Support.
The recertified upgrade scripts are posted to My Oracle Support here:
PeopleSoft Portal Solutions 8.9 to 9.1 Feature Pack 1 Upgrade
PeopleSoft Portal Solutions 9.0 to 9.1 Feature Pack 1 Upgrade
The Feature Pack recut CD is intended for organizations that are implementing PeopleSoft Portal Solutions 9.1 newly, or are upgrading from an earlier release. Feature pack enhancements and maintenance through PeopleSoft Portal Solutions 9.1 Maintenance Pack 1, and PeopleSoft Portal Solutions Bundle #6 are included in these recuts.
New Release Model
Instead of large Portal releases that occur every two or three years, Oracle-PeopleSoft is moving the Applications Portal to a new release model based on Feature Packs. Feature Packs are a new delivery mechanism supplementing the existing delivery mechanisms of bundles and maintenance packs.
Feature Packs will consist of a roll-up of new features and updates, and in addition, at the delivery of Feature Packs, Oracle will include the roll-up of capabilities and updates previously delivered in bundles and maintenance packs as well as re-certify upgrades and integrations.
Unified Navigation
Setting up the PeopleSoft Applications Portal for use with other PeopleSoft applications has been a manual process prior to Feature Pack 1 (FP1). For example, using Applications Portal to access PeopleSoft HCM and other application pages, an administrator sets up the node and registry entries for each CREF and assigns the security information manually. To automate this process in Applications Portal, we are providing a Workcenter specifically supporting Unified Navigation. The Workcenter will guide administrators through the process, and bring all the necessary pages together to streamline the process. The Unified Navigation framework federates all PeopleSoft application nodes in one place so everything can be managed from Applications Portal. Unified Navigation supports systems using PeopleTools 8.50 and above.
Content Management
Content management is an important part of Applications Portal, and the following new features make it more useful and powerful:
- Configurable WorkCenter for delivering and managing content
- Securable portal content by business data
- Update Content usage tracking
The content management WorkCenter offers the ability to more easily manage and consume content, and it also provides the ability to capture and display (in related content) additional contextual information such as ratings, tags, and discussions associated with any piece of content. This enriches the user experience by providing users with additional valuable collaborative information about the content they are viewing. The WorkCenter also makes it easier to navigate among published content items.
Collaboration
A few new features are included to facilitate collaboration and other Enterprise 2.0 activities. This includes improvements to Related Attachments and the calendar.
Related Attachments is a new feature provided by Portal’s Related Links service. This service can be used by any application using the Related Content Framework, enabling users to attach files to virtually any PeopleSoft page or component. The Related Links service is context-sensitive, so related attachments can be keyed to specific data on a page.
Calendars in Portal and Collaborative Workspaces will now support aggregating user tasks, worklist tasks, and action items. This brings all relevant time/date dependent events into a user’s calendar, making them easier to manage and act upon. This consolidated calendar streamlines user event management by enabling users to refer to a single calendar to manage their work.
User Experience--PeopleTools Uptake
Some of the enhancements that are extending the value of the PeopleSoft applications to customers include the following:
- Authorization as a Service
- Guidance on branding and creating a rich self-service user experience
- Global Search
Additional and detailed information is available in my.oracle.support:
Configuring a Contemporary User Experience in PeopleSoft Applications Portal Red Paper (Doc ID 1399586.1)
Portal Solutions Cumulative Feature Overview Tool [ID 793160.1
PeopleSoft Applications Portal Solutions 9.1 Documentation Homepage (Doc ID 887960.1)