This chapter provides an overview of resource pools, the unassigned resources pool, methods of creating resource pools, and generic resources, and discusses how to:
Set up resource pools.
Manage pool resources.
Load resource pool information in batch.
Organizations can have hundreds to thousands of resources that make up the supply side of the capacity planning model. Resource pools provide a mechanism to organize supply in a meaningful way to support capacity planning. You can group resources in any configuration to support your operations.
Resource pools are defined in a hierarchy to establish relationships between different resource pools and allow for roll-up analytics and reporting. You can model the resource pool structure to your organizational structure, for example, using human resource (HR) departments. However, the way that you categorize and manage your resources from a capacity standpoint may vary greatly from your organizational structure. Pools may go down to a lower level of granularity or be grouped in a different way to provide the desired analysis and reporting necessary for effective decision making. Pools are rarely static because new pools are added and others are inactivated. Pool managers can change, pool hierarchy can be reorganized, and resources can be transferred between pools.
Pools can contain generic resources as placeholders for future capacity. This future capacity could represent a known increase in headcount due to hiring more employee resources or obtaining contractors to fulfill future demand. At some point, the pool manager replaces each generic resource with a named resource.
You can use resource pools to filter resources on the Staffing Workbench and during express searching for resources. You can also use resource pools for approval workflow routing, where pool managers act as resource managers and control the use of the resources in their pools. During system implementation or reorganization of resource pools, an administrator creates pools and associates them in the pool hierarchy.
Typically, there are two functional roles that are associated with resource pools—pool administrator and pool manager. This table discusses each role's tasks in the process:
Role |
Responsibility |
Pool Administrator |
Manages the overall pool hierarchy, has access to all resource pools, and manages reorganizations. Responsibilities include:
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Pool Manager |
Owns and manages the resource pools and the resources within their pools. Responsibilities include:
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Resource pools are required for PeopleSoft Resource Management resources, and there must always be an active pool in the system. The system uses the Unassigned Pool (pool ID 0000000001), which is delivered with PeopleSoft Resource Management, as the default pool when creating a Resource Management resource.
You can modify the pool name, description, and pool manager, based on your security role, to make the pool more meaningful to the organization.
These are important guidelines for using the Unassigned Pool:
The Unassigned Pool must always be at the most outdented level (level 1) of the pool hierarchy.
You can add child pools to the Unassigned Pool.
You can not modify the status of the Unassigned Pool because it must remain active to support the default pool functionality.
You can not add named resources to the Unassigned Pool by using the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page.
When named resources are removed from any other pool, the system automatically adds them to the Unassigned Pool because each resource must always belong to a pool in PeopleSoft Resource Management.
Note. When you implement PeopleSoft Resource Management, after you establish pool administrators, immediately assign a pool manager to the Unassigned Pool.
You can create or modify resource pool assignments by five methods in PeopleSoft Resource Management:
Create a named resource.
Add a generic resource directly to the pool.
Pull a resource from the unassigned pool.
Batch load resources and pool assignments.
Transfer resources between pools.
When you create a resource by using the Create Resources page or the Create Resources Program page, you specify the pools to which the resource belongs. Specifying the pool at the time of resource creation streamlines the process of assigning pools.
Adding generic resources to a pool helps the pool manager model future capacity of a pool. For example, a pool manager may be given authorization to hire a database administrator (DBA) in two months. The manager can add the DBA to the pool now as a generic resource, thus enabling the DBA to be included in capacity planning against future demand.
Use the Pool Administrators component (RS_POOL_ADM) to add pool administrators. Use the Create Resource Pools component (RS_RES_POOL) to create and modify resource pools.
This section discusses how to:
Define resource pool roles.
Create resource pools.
Establish the resource pool hierarchy.
Page Name |
Definition Name |
Navigation |
Usage |
Setup Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Resource Management, Resource Pools, Set up Pool Administrators, Set Up Pool Administrators |
Define resource pool administrators. |
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Setup Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Resource Management, Resource Pools, Create Resource Pools, Resource Pool |
Add or modify resource pools. |
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Resource Management, Manage Resource Pools, Resource Pool Hierarchy, Pool Hierarchy |
Establish the resource pool hierarchy. |
Access the Set Up Pool Administrators page (Setup Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Resource Management, Resource Pools, Set up Pool Administrators).
Pool Administrator Id |
Add at least one pool administrator during implementation to create pools and the pool hierarchy. You can choose any operator ID in the system. You can define any number of pool administrators, but we recommend that you define no more than three. |
Access the Resource Pool page (Setup Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Resource Management, Resource Pools, Create Resource Pools).
Pool ID |
Displays the system-generated pool identifier. This key field is assigned sequentially when you add a pool. |
Pool Name |
Enter a name for the pool, which you can modify when necessary. |
Pool Manager |
Enter the pool manager. You can select any employee in the system, even if the employee is not established as a resource in PeopleSoft Resource Management. Pool managers can receive workflow to approve assignments or allocations for resources in their respective pools. |
Status |
Select Active or Inactive. Pool managers can change the status of their own pools and any child pools. You can change inactive pools to an active status at any time. Only active pools appear in the pool hierarchy. |
Pool Resources |
Click to access the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page to view and modify the resources of the selected pool. |
Pool Hierarchy |
Click to access the Pool Hierarchy page to establish the pool organization and relationships. |
Access the Pool Hierarchy page (Resource Management, Manage Resource Pools, Resource Pool Hierarchy).
Select the check box in the first column of the grid to identify the row that you want to modify. You can indent or outdent the selected row, move the selected row up or down in the hierarchy, or add rows below the selected row.
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Click the Indent icon to indent a row. This action makes the previous row a parent pool. You can not indent on the first pool in the list, and you can not indent more than one level from its parent row. Indenting a summary pool also indents all of its child pools. |
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Click the Outdent icon to outdent a pool, which moves the selected row down one level. You cannot outdent a row that is already at the most outdented level. Outdenting a summary pool also outdents all of its children. Outdenting a row with siblings makes the selected row the parent of its siblings; the selected pool becomes a parent pool. |
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Click the Move Up icon to move a row above the previous row. If the selected row is a parent pool, all of its child pools also move up. The pool that you move up inherits the more indented hierarchy level of the pool above and below the moved pool. |
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Click the Move Down icon to move a pool below the following row. If the selected row is a parent pool, all of its child pools also move down. The pool that you move down inherits the higher hierarchy level of the pool above and below the moved pool. |
Number Rows |
Enter the number of rows that you want to insert below the selected row and click the Add icon to add the rows. The default number of rows is 1. |
Pool Name |
Enter the pool name. Only a pool administrator and the pool manager can modify this field. Pool names are indented or outdented based on their relative hierarchical position. |
Manager ID |
Enter the pool manager's employee ID. Only a pool administrator can modify this field. |
Status |
Select Active or Inactive as the pool status. Note. When you inactivate a pool, the system checks to see if any open resource requests specify the pool that you want to inactivate. Inactivating the pool triggers the system to remove the pool from all resource requests with a status of Open that specify the pool. |
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Click the View Pool Details icon to access the Resource Pool page and modify pool details. Only the pool manager, the administrator, or a pool manager from a higher pool in that branch of the hierarchy can access and modify this page. |
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Click the View Pool Resources icon to access the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page to view and update the selected pool's resources. Only the pool manager, the administrator, or a pool manager from a higher pool in that branch of the hierarchy can access and modify this page. |
This section discusses how to:
View pool resources.
Add multiple date ranges.
Add named resources.
Add generic resources.
Transfer resources between pools.
Modify resource transfers.
See Also
Establishing and Maintaining Employees and Non-Employees as Resources
Page Name |
Definition Name |
Navigation |
Usage |
Resource Management, Manage Resource Pools, Pool Resources, Manage Pool Resources |
View the resource information for the selected pool. |
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Click a link in the Name column on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. |
View pool resource details and modify membership dates. |
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Click the Add Named Resource button on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. |
Add named resources to the pool. |
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Click the Add Generic Resource button on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. |
Add generic resources to the pool. |
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Click the Transfer Resources icon on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. |
Transfer named resources from one resource pool to another. |
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Resource Management, Manage Resource Pools, Modify Resource Transfer, Modify Resource Transfer |
Modify a pending resource transfer. |
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Click the Delete icon for a resource on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. |
Remove a resource from the pool and confirm the deletion. |
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Click the Pool History link on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. |
View the pool history for a particular pool. |
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Click the View Supply Category Analytics link on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. |
View the Supply Category Analytics for a particular pool. |
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Click the Transfer Assignments link on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. |
Transfer assignments from one resource to another in a particular pool. |
Access the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page (Resource Management, Manage Resource Pools, Pool Resources, Manage Pool Resources).
Name |
Click a name link to access the Pool Resource Detail page and view the resource's role, region, and personnel status, add comments, and change pool membership dates and capacity percent. |
Start Date and End Date |
Displays the range of dates in which the resource belongs to the pool. If the resource belongs to the pool for multiple date ranges, the earliest start date and the latest end date appear. Date ranges that are in the past do not appear on this page. You can view historical information on the Resource Pool History page. |
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The Multiple Membership Dates icon appears next to a date range if the resource has multiple future date rows for the resource pool. |
Capacity Percent |
Displays the resource's availability percentage from a capacity planning perspective. For example, if the resource is a full-time worker, the percentage is 100%. If the resource only works half of the standard work week, the capacity percentage is 50%. You can also use this field to represent a resource who works full-time but whose time is only half allocated to project work that is considered for capacity planning. In this case the capacity is 50%. The percentage that appears is based on the active capacity percent for the current day that is specified on the Pool Resource Detail page for the resource. |
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Click the Transfer Resources icon to transfer the resource to another pool. |
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Click the Delete icon to delete the resource and the resource's history from the pool. Examples of when you might want to delete a generic resource from a pool are if the resource was created in error, if the manager's headcount was removed, or if you found a named resource to replace the generic resource. Deleting a generic resource from a pool also deletes all of the resource's history. Delete named resource only if the resource was added in error; otherwise, transfer the resource. If the named resource has been in the pool multiple times, deleting the resource removes only the resource's most current assignment entry, not the entire history. When you delete named resources from a pool, the system automatically adds them to the Unassigned Pool because each resource must belong to a pool in the system. |
Add Named Resource |
Click to access the Add Named Resource page and add a named resource to the pool. |
Add Generic Resource |
Click to access the Add Generic Resource page and add a generic resource to the pool. |
Pool History |
Click to access the Resource Pool History page to view pool history details. Note. Current resource assignments do not appear on the Resource Pool History page. |
View Supply Category Analytics |
Click to access the Supply Category Analytic parameters page to select pools and specify search options for the system to use to calculate supply category analytics. |
Transfer Assignment |
Click to access the Transfer Assignments page to view and transfer, in bulk, future-dated project and activity assignments. This is useful when pool managers know that they are transferring a resource from their pool and need to reassign any future work that is assigned to the resource. |
Access the Pool Resource Detail page (click a link in the Name column on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page).
Pool Membership Dates
Any date periods with an end date that is greater than the current date appear in this grid. You can add different date ranges with different capacity percentages for the same resource.
Start Date, End Date, and Capacity Percent |
Enter the specific additional start and end dates for a resource to have multiple date ranges in the same resource pool. Date ranges cannot overlap in the grid and must not overlap with dates for that resource in any other pool besides the Unassigned Pool. After you specify multiple date ranges for a resource, the earliest start date and latest end date appear on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. The capacity percent that appears on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page is current for today's date. |
Access the Add Named Resource page (click the Add Named Resource button on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page).
Resource |
Click the Lookup Employee icon to search for a resource from the Unassigned pool. When you add named resources to the pool with this method, you can only select resources that are currently belong to the Unassigned pool. |
Comments |
Enter additional comments to describe the resource. |
Start Date |
Enter the start date of the resource for this pool. This field is required. The start date must be greater than or equal to the start date of the resource in the Unassigned pool and less than or equal to the end date of the resource in the Unassigned pool. |
End Date |
Enter the end date of the resource for this pool. This field is optional because upon hiring the resource, you may not know when the resource is going to leave the pool. If the resource is part of another pool in the future, the end date on this pool cannot overlap the resource's pool assignment in another pool. |
Capacity Percent |
Enter a percentage for the resource. This value represents the availability of the resource from a capacity planning perspective. For example, if the resource is a full-time worker, enter 100 for 100 percent. If the resource works only half of the standard work week, enter 50 for 50 percent. This field is required. The value must be greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 100. |
Access the Add Generic Resource page (click the Add Generic Resource button on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page).
Name |
Enter a descriptive name of the resource that you plan to hire, such as Generic Developer, that will help you distinguish this resource from others in the list. |
SetID and Role |
Enter the appropriate setID and role from the Project Role table (PROJ_ROLE). This value is the resource's role for that particular pool, such as Staff Developer. Although resources can have multiple roles in an organization based on the project, the value in this Role field is the primary role and is used for capacity planning. |
Region |
Enter the region in which the resource is needed. Available values are from the Region Code table (REGION_CD) for the PeopleSoft Resource Management region category ID. |
Personnel Status |
Select Employee or Non-Empl (non-employee, such as a contractor) to designate the personnel type of the generic resource. |
Pool Membership Dates |
Enter the dates and capacity percent in this grid for the generic resource. |
Access the Transfer Resource page (click the Transfer Resources icon on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page).
Resource |
Displays the resource ID and resource name from the row in which you clicked the Transfer Resource icon on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. |
Transfer From |
Displays the pool from which you navigated on the Pool Resources - Manage Pool Resources page. |
Transfer To Resource Pool |
Enter the resource pool to which you want to transfer the corresponding resource. You can select any active pool, including the Unassigned Pool. You can only select one pool. If you select the pool to which the resource currently belongs, an error message appears when you confirm the transfer. |
Transfer Date |
Enter the effective date of this transfer. You can enter any calendar date that is on or after the current date. Note. The transfer date is the start date of the resource in the transfer-to pool. The transfer-from pool is populated with the end date, which is the first calendar day preceding the transfer date. Note. You cannot enter a past date as the transfer date. |
Transfer Resource |
Click to complete the transfer resource process. The system checks to see if any pending Assignment Approval or Assignment Date Change workflow exists. If pending workflows exist, a warning message appears asking if you want to cancel the resource's pending Assignment Approval or Assignment Date Change workflow. Click Yes for the transfer process to cancel the pending (incomplete) workflow. Click No to cancel the transfer process and return to the Transfer Resource page. We recommend that users manually resolve all outstanding assignment workflow before transferring a resource so they will know the potential resource assignments and date changes for the resource. |
Access the Modify Resource Transfer page (Resource Management, Manage Resource Pools, Modify Resource Transfer).
Resource |
Enter the employee ID of the resource with the pending transfer. |
Originating Pool |
Enter the resource pool name from which this resource is scheduled for transfer. |
Transfer To Pool |
Enter the resource pool name to which this resource is scheduled for transfer. |
Transfer Date |
Enter the resource's original transfer date that you want to modify. |
Show Pending Transfer |
Click to view theOriginating Pool Information, Transfer to Pool Information, and action buttons. |
Modify Transfer Date |
Select to modify the transfer date; enter the new transfer date. |
Cancel Transfer |
Select to cancel the transfer. |
OK |
Click to perform the action of modifying the transfer date or canceling the transfer. |
This section provides an overview of the Resource Pool Import utility, lists a prerequisite, and discusses how to:
Navigate in the Resource Pool Entry spreadsheet.
Modify resource pools in batch.
Modify named resource pool assignments in batch.
Modify generic resource pool assignments in batch.
Import resource data.
Perform mass pool changes.
Assigning pools and tracking pool information is critical to the success and effectiveness of capacity planning. You must be able to load large volumes of resource pool information quickly and efficiently. The Resource Import utility provides an easy way to accomplish this. These two scenarios are examples of when you would typically make batch changes to pool information:
During implementation to load the initial large volumes of resource information.
During reorganizations to quickly update pool assignments and rebuild the pool hierarchy in batch.
The system uses a Microsoft Excel file to import mass pool changes. The file is stored in the Excel directory on the drive where PeopleSoft PeopleTools are located. For example, if you store PeopleTools in c:\pt848, the Resource Pool Entry.xls spreadsheet is stored in c:\pt848\excel.
The delivered Resource Pool Entry.xls spreadsheet comprises four sheets:
Resource Pool Import Utility Home Page: Select the actions to perform for the spreadsheet.
Pool Modification: Add or modify resource pools.
Resource Pool Assignments: Add, modify, or delete named resource pool assignments.
Generic Resource Pool Assignments: Add, modify, or delete generic resource pool assignments.
Use the menu on the Mass Pool Changes page to manage the steps in the import process. To upload the Microsoft Excel file, use the Submit Pool Changes link on the Mass Pool Changes page.
To submit batch pool changes, the pool administrator completes these steps:
Load or update pool information to the Resource Pool Entry.xls spreadsheet.
Click the Import Pool Data button on the Resource Pool Import Utility Home Page sheet in the Excel file to initiate the import process.
Enter server address and access information to import the resource data and submit the process.
The data is moved to PeopleSoft staging tables.
Access the Mass Pool Changes page in PeopleSoft Resource Management and click the Submit Validation Process link for the system to validate the data.
If errors occur during processing, click the Fix Errors link and correct the errors.
Validate the data again by clicking the Submit Validation Process link.
If errors are still present, repeat Steps 4 and 5 until no errors occur.
When no errors occur, click the Submit Pool Changes link on the Mass Pool Changes page.
To use the Mass Pool Changes feature to load changes to resource pools into PeopleSoft Resource Management, users must have access to the WEBLIB_RS web library as part of their permission lists. To enable the Mass Pool Changes feature:
Select PeopleTools, Security, Permissions & Roles, Permission Lists.
Open the appropriate permission list that has access to the WEBLIB_RS web library.
Click the Edit link for the WEBLIB_RS web library name and select Full Access for the POOL_IMPORT.FieldFormula.IScript_Import_Pools function.
Note. In addition to the Mass Pool Changes page, this business process also uses four sheets contained in the Resource Pool Entry.xls Excel spreadsheet file.
Page Name |
Definition Name |
Navigation |
Usage |
Resource Management, Manage Resource Pools, Mass Pool Changes |
View the status of submitted changes from the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet upload, submit a process to validate pool changes, and submit a process to purge the import table. |
Access the Resource Pool Entry.xls spreadsheet on your local drive. Select the Resource Pool Import Utility Home Page sheet.
Add/Modify Resource Pools |
Click to add or modify resource pools. |
Change Named Resource Pool Assignments |
Click to add, delete, or change named resource pool assignments. |
Change Generic Resource Pool Assignments |
Click to add, delete, or change generic resource pool assignments. |
Import Pool Data |
Click to enter the appropriate server access information to import the resource pool data and submit the data for import. |
Access the Pool Modification sheet (Resource Management, Manage Resource Pools, Mass Pool Changes).
Action |
Available options are: Add: Select to add a resource pool. You must supply the pool name, manager employee ID, and status. The pool ID is generated by the system. Change: Select to modify existing pool information. The only required fields are the Pool ID and any other fields that you want to modify. |
Pool ID |
Enter a value only when you are modifying pool information. |
Pool Name, Manager Employee ID, and Status |
Enter values when adding a pool. Status can either be Active or Inactive. |
Parent Pool ID and Parent Pool Name |
Enter values for the parent pool of the pool that you are adding or changing, if applicable. This is used to build the hierarchy of pools in the system. If you do not enter a value and the action is Add, the new resource pool is placed at the highest (most outdented) level of the pool hierarchy. |
Access the Resource Pool Assignments sheet.
Action |
Available options are: Add: Select to add a named resource to the pool. You must enter the employee ID, pool name or pool ID, start date, and capacity. Note. If the pool is newly added to the spreadsheet, you will not yet have a pool ID because the ID is system-generated. In this case, you must specify the pool name. When the process encounters a pool name without a pool ID in this spreadsheet, it assumes that you are referring to a newly created pool. If the pool name is not in the current Resource Pool Modification spreadsheet with an action of add, an error occurs, even if the pool name already exists in the system. If the pool that is being affected already exists in the system, you must enter a pool ID. Delete: Select to delete a named resource's pool assignment. You must enter the employee ID, start date, and pool ID. Change: Select to change an existing resource's assignment. You must enter the pool ID and employee ID. Enter additional data that you want to modify. Note. Delete and Change actions are valid only for existing pools, not for newly created pools that you are adding through the Pool Modification spreadsheet. |
Access the Generic Resource Pool Assignments sheet.
Action |
Available options are: Add: Select to add a generic resource to the pool. You must enter the resource name, pool name or pool ID, start date, capacity, setID, region, and personnel type. Delete: Select to delete a generic resource's pool assignment. You must enter the resource name, start date, and pool ID. Change: Select to change an existing generic resource's assignment. You must enter the pool ID and resource name. Enter additional data that you want to modify. Note. Delete and Change actions are valid only for existing pools, and not for newly created pools that you are adding through the Pool Modification spreadsheet. |
Access the Import Dialog box by clicking the Import Pool Data button on the Resource Pool Import Utility Home Page sheet.
Server Address |
Enter the location of the server on which to load the pool information. Example: http://rt-lnx01.peoplesoft.com:8779/xmllink/e900r22bnt |
User ID and Password |
Enter the ID and password with which to log into the PeopleSoft system. |
Automatically run pool update process |
Select to automatically load the pool information directly into the pool transaction tables. If you do not select this option, the data is left in the staging tables. This option gives you the ability to run multiple imports without affecting the pools transactional tables. At a later time, you can run the update process to move the information from the staging table and load it into the pool transaction tables. Note. Selecting this option for the import process does not guarantee that the pool information will be updated automatically in the system. Before the information is taken from the staging tables and loaded into the pool tables, the validation process is run on the data to ensure that it does not violate any business rules. If violations occur, the system will not load the data into the transactional tables. At that point, access the Mass Pool Changes page, fix the errors, and then import. |
Access the Mass Pool Changes page (Resource Management, Manage Resource Pools, Mass Pool Changes).