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PeopleSoft makes packaged business-application software for larger companies. This chapter provides an introduction and overview of PeopleSoft, its technology, and its history. We'll take a very high-level look at some of the major parts that make up today's PeopleSoft systems, namely the database (in this case Oracle) that stores both the PeopleSoft application data and much of the application code, the Tuxedo Application Server, and the PeopleTools integrated development environment, which is used for most aspects of developing and administering PeopleSoft applications.

We'll then step through the overall architecture of a PeopleSoft system and see how it has evolved from the initial client/server architecture to the modern four-tier Internet architecture. Finally, we'll take a look at what all this means to the database administrator (DBA) charged with maintaining a PeopleSoft application, and we'll consider the implications it has for the relationship between developers and DBAs on PeopleSoft systems. This introduction will help to put some of the following chapters into context.

What Is PeopleSoft?

Reuters' abridged business summary for PeopleSoft begins with this statement:

PeopleSoft, Inc. designs, develops, markets and supports enterprise application software products for use throughout large and medium-sized organizations worldwide. These organizations include corporations, educational institutions and national, state, provincial and local government agencies. The Company provides enterprise application software for customer relationship management, human capital management, financial management and supply chain management, each with a range of industry-specific features and functions.1

In 2003 PeopleSoft acquired J.D. Edwards. The products that were formerly PeopleSoft are now referred to as "PeopleSoft Enterprise." The products that were formerly J.D. Edwards are called "PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne" and "PeopleSoft World." This book is about PeopleSoft Enterprise software.

There are currently eight Enterprise product lines that contain various modules:

• Campus Solutions: This product is designed for universities and other highereducation institutions.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): PeopleSoft started to use Vantive CRM internally in the Global Support Center (GSC) in 1997. They liked it so much that they purchased the Vantive Corporation in October 1999 and sold the Vantive product alongside the PeopleSoft 7.5 products. Vantive CRM was rewritten to run under PeopleTools and was re-released as PeopleSoft CRM 8.
• Financial Management: This is a complete financial management and accounting package.
• Human Capital Management (HCM): This product was referred to as Human Resource Management (HRMS) until release 8.1. Traditionally, it has been PeopleSoft's strongest product. There are various modules including Time and Labor, Benefits, and Student Administration. There is a North American local payroll, and there are other payroll interfaces for various countries. A separate Global Payroll (GP) module was released with version 8.1, and the list of Country Extensions for GP continues to grow.2
• Service Automation: This product provides self-service access to various modules. From PeopleTools 8.44, offline mobile clients are also available for some modules.
• Supplier Relationship Management: This product supports purchase and procurement processes.
• Supply Chain Management: This product supports business-to-business interaction along the supply chain.
• Enterprise Tools and Technology: This product contains all the PeopleSoft proprietary technology and development tools (often referred to simply as PeopleTools) that are used by PeopleSoft to develop its applications. The development tools are included in all of the other products so that companies can customize and extend the delivered products to match their own requirements. However, it is also possible to license PeopleTools separately develop a system from scratch.

There is no unique master-detail relationship between product lines and modules. Some modules are included in more than one product line. For example, there are HRMS and Payroll modules from HCM, and there are also Receivables and General Ledger modules from Financials in Service Automation.