PeopleTools 8.61 - Upgrade
APRIL 15, 2024 03:30 AM
Oracle released PeopleTools 8.61 on January 17, 2024, initially available on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, with on-premises availability following in April 2024. This release aligns with Oracle's ongoing product and support strategy, ensuring customers benefit from enhanced functionality and security. Organizations still using PeopleTools 8.59 or earlier received their final Critical Patch Update (CPU) in October 2024, with no further updates planned for those versions. Upgrading to PeopleTools 8.61 is crucial for maintaining security compliance and leveraging new product enhancements. This version introduces innovative features that improve system performance, security posture, and user experience.
Key Takeaways
- Critical Upgrade for Security and Functionality: Upgrading to PeopleTools 8.61 is essential to maintain security compliance and leverage innovative features, as no further updates will be provided for versions 8.59 or earlier after October 2024.
- Enhanced Usability and System Performance: New features like sectionalized Fluid homepages and dashboards, configurable search enhancements, and embedded insights in Fluid WorkCenters improve user experience and streamline administrative tasks.
- Strengthened Security Features: Updates include forgotten User ID recovery, the "Allow Lock" option for user profiles, and password character exclusions, enhancing security compliance and self-service capabilities.
- Simplified Updates and Customization: The introduction of PAU (PUM Automatic Updates) for direct customization uploads and real-time indexing for search definitions ensures faster, more efficient update processes and data accuracy.
Key Features in PeopleTools 8.61
Sectionalizing Fluid Homepages and Dashboards
In PeopleTools 8.61, administrators can now organize fluid homepages and dashboards into sections, giving them more precise control over the arrangement of tiles and grouping them by function for improved usability and a better user experience. The new Section Assignments page simplifies creating and managing these sections. Additionally, administrators may disable end-user personalization, meaning users can no longer rename homepages, add or move tiles across homepages, or delete tiles. With this update, sectionalized homepages and dashboards automatically restrict user personalization. Unlike previous versions, where tiles could be reordered directly on a homepage, personalization in PeopleTools 8.61 is now only accessible through the Personalize Homepage page.
Security Enhancements
Configuring User Profiles for Forgotten User ID Emails
To recover a forgotten password, users must provide a valid user ID. If users do not remember their user ID, they can retrieve it by requesting an email sent to the associated address. This eliminates the need to contact the help desk or a security administrator. To enable this self-service feature, the system administrator follows these steps:
- Add the user's email address to their profile.
- Ensure email permissions are enabled on the user's permission list.
- Create email content that will be sent to users.
- Setup a website where users can submit requests to recover their forgotten user ID.
This streamlined process improves user experience by offering quick, independent recovery options.
Allow Lock Option for User Profiles
On the User Profiles - General page (PeopleTools > Security > User Profiles > User Profiles), a new "Allow Lock" option has been introduced. When this setting is enabled, it ensures that the user account follows all applicable password policies and can be locked out if necessary. By default, the option is selected to maintain security compliance. However, if the option is deselected, the password controls for that user profile are bypassed. This means the account is no longer subject to standard security rules. Security administrators should be cautious when this option is disabled because it removes essential password protection for managing system accounts.
Excluding Characters from Randomly Generated Passwords
On the Password Controls page (PeopleTools > Security > Password Configuration > Set Password Controls), administrators can specify characters to exclude randomly generated passwords. This feature ensures that certain characters (i.e., problematic special symbols) are not used when the system generates passwords for users who have forgotten theirs. For example, administrators might exclude characters that conflict with the rich text editor used in password recovery emails or those that could unintentionally form inappropriate words.
PAU (PUM Automatic Updates)
Starting with PeopleTools 8.61, you can now upload customizations and enable object merging directly from the PeopleSoft Application Updater (PAU). This expanded functionality was previously limited to Change Assistant. Also, a new "Customization Instance" option has been introduced on the Manage Databases page, providing a streamlined, database-oriented approach. This new feature allows customization projects to be uploaded directly from remote databases via PAU, enhancing flexibility and simplifying the update process.
Configurable Search
In PeopleTools 8.61, when an error occurs during a keyword search, it is important to understand the cause and how to resolve it. The system automatically switches to the standard search page until the issue is resolved. A notification will appear to inform users of the switch. Once administrators address the error, the system reverts to keyword search seamlessly. Recent and saved searches continue to display based on the selected search type.
With PeopleTools 8.60, the Search Framework introduced real-time indexing for search definitions using queries and connected queries. In PeopleTools 8.61, this capability has been extended to support real-time indexing for activity guide search definitions. This enhancement ensures that data is indexed immediately after modification, keeping the indexes more up-to-date than traditional incremental indexing and eliminating the need for scheduled updates.
In this release, when you search for a keyword using global search, the Search Framework displays keyword-matching suggestions. It also shows the content reference descriptions as additional details. Additional details are shown in both the suggestions search and the global search results. If the content reference description is not available, then the system displays the folder name as an additional detail.
Embed Insights in Fluid WorkCenter
Search Framework provides the Configure Insights Dashboards - Insights tab to enable you to embed Insights in Fluid WorkCenter. The new Insights tab allows you to create new content references that can be used within Fluid WorkCenter.
FAQ
- Why should organizations upgrade to PeopleTools 8.61?
Upgrading to PeopleTools 8.61 is essential for security compliance and accessing the latest product enhancements. Organizations using PeopleTools 8.59 or earlier no longer receive Critical Patch Updates (CPUs) after October 2024. The new version includes improved system performance, enhanced security features, and better user experience.
-
How does PeopleTools 8.61 improve security?
Security enhancements in PeopleTools 8.61 include:
- Self-service recovery options for forgotten user IDs, reducing reliance on help desks.
- New password control settings that exclude problematic characters and enable account lock options for added security.
- Improved management of system accounts and compliance with password policies.
- What is the impact of real-time indexing in the Configurable Search Framework?
The real-time indexing feature ensures that data is indexed immediately after modification, keeping search results up-to-date without needing scheduled updates. This functionality enhances efficiency and ensures users have the most current data for keyword searches.
Conclusion
Each PeopleTools upgrade introduces a wealth of features designed to enhance user and administrator experiences by streamlining tasks, improving security, and maximizing efficiency. With every update, you gain the tools to accomplish more with less effort. PeopleTools 8.61 is no exception, offering a range of powerful features to elevate your PeopleSoft environment. Many customers look forward to an 8.61 upgrade and the new features.
We are happy to discuss the latest enhancements in PeopleTools 8.61 or explore other PeopleSoft-related topics with you in detail. Let's connect so we can help you make the most of your PeopleSoft investment.
SMACT Works is a technology-focused systems integrator and IT/ERP consulting firm. We deliver end-to-end consulting, managed, and implementation services for Oracle Cloud Applications, IaaS & PaaS, On-Premise PeopleSoft & EBS Applications. Headquartered in Dublin, OH, we have a global presence with North America and Asia offices. We are an Oracle Gold Partner Cloud Standard, ISO 9001, and 27001 certified delivery organization serving customers with Excellence and Integrity.
