Working With Processes and Reports

This chapter provides an overview of PeopleSoft processes and reports and discusses how to:

• Request reports in PeopleSoft applications.

• Check the status of reports.

• View reports in Report Manager.

Note. The procedure described in this chapter applies to most standard reports, but not all of them. Some PeopleSoft applications include reports that you run from outside the system, using PS/nVision or a third-party application. The documentation for your PeopleSoft application tells you which third-party application to use.

Understanding PeopleSoft Processes and Reports

Although much of your interaction with the PeopleSoft system involves working with the online pages of a PeopleSoft application, you also run off-line, or batch, processes that run in the background while you are still using the application or even after you have left the office.

A batch process is a predefined process or program that runs independent of any end user intervention. Typical off-line processes include payroll, journal posting, complex mathematical calculations, or reports that you share with colleagues.

You run batch processes in the PeopleSoft system using the PeopleSoft Process Scheduler, which enables your organization to define processes, submit requests for processes, and set up an "agent" that scans for and runs submitted processes.

As an end user, you need only to be concerned with successfully submitting process requests, monitoring their progress, and viewing their output in Report Manager. You can safely leave process definitions and configuring the Process Scheduler Server to the technical staff at your site. This chapter covers the general procedure for running the standard reports that come with your PeopleSoft applications. If you, or someone in your organization, have added custom reports to the system, the procedure should be similar.

Requesting Reports in PeopleSoft Applications

This section discusses how to:

• Select reports.

• Specify report parameters.

• Specify where and when to run reports.

• Select output formats and set report distribution.

Selecting Reports

To run a report, select it from the appropriate menu in your PeopleSoft application. Many applications have a report menu that lists available reports.

Run Controls

When you want to run a report, you must tell the system when and where you want it to run. For example, you might tell the system to run the report on the database server at midnight, or on a Windows server every Sunday afternoon, or make it available immediately in your browser. For most reports, you also must set parameters that determine the content of the report, such as the business unit or time period on which to report.

A run control is a database record that provides values for these settings. Instead of entering the same values each time that you run a report, you create (and save) a run control with those settings. The next time that you run the report, you select the run control, and the system fills in the settings.

Run Control IDs

Each run control that you create receives a unique run control ID. These IDs are product-specific. Refer to your PeopleSoft product documentation for details on the run control IDs that you will be using. When you select a report to run, the system prompts you for a run control ID. If you are in Add mode, enter a new ID for the run control that you are about to define. If you are in Update/Display mode, enter an existing run control ID, or click the Search button and select from the list of available run control IDs.

Note. If you are running a number of reports in a row from the same menu, you must enter only the run control ID for the first report. When you select a second report from the menu, the application remembers which run control you are using.

To select a report:

1. Select the required PeopleSoft application menu item—for example, Process Financial Information, Maintain Ledgers.

2. Select Report, and then click the required report name.

   When you select a report name, you can choose from these two actions:

   • Add a new run control ID.

   • Select an existing run control ID.

Specifying Report Parameters

You can run off-line processes from pages in your PeopleSoft application in a variety of ways. The way in which you use the processes depends on the application. Access the page from which you want to run your process. For many reports, you need to enter values for parameters that specify what data the report includes, such as from and to dates or business units. The parameters page appears after you enter the run control ID. The following is an example of the General Ledger Activity report.

Note. The pages you use to submit report parameters in your applications may appear differently.

If you selected an existing run control ID, the values in this page reflect the settings from the selected run control; if you added a new value, or if you’re using an HCM application, they are the default values.

You can change any of these settings. However, keep in mind that your changes are saved to the run control when you save or run the report.

To run your report, click Run; the Process Scheduler Request page appears.

Specifying Where and When to Run Reports

You submit a process request from the Process Scheduler Request page. This page displays the options that you have selected for a particular process request and which processes are available for you to submit. Select the options that you want to use in running your process, and select the check box for each process that you want to run. Click OK to queue your process request.

See Submitting and Scheduling Process Requests.

The options available to you on this page are determined by your security profile. For example, each end user has a user profile, which is linked to one or more roles. Roles define groups or types of end users, such as payroll clerks, sales staff, or managers. Each role has one or more permission lists that control what a user can access. You can run only those processes that are associated with your permission list. For example, if you are in the human resources department, you probably belong to a human resources role and therefore can run only human resources processes. The number of processes that appear in the list on the Process Scheduler Request page is directly associated with your security profile.

Select the run options that you want to use in running your process. Depending on your security, you can select the server and run date and time variables for your process. In the Process List group box, select the check box for each process that you want to run.

See Submitting and Scheduling Process Requests.

Selecting Output Formats and Setting Report Distribution

You can choose several kinds of output formats for your process. The following table shows a list of output formats listed by process type and output type:

Note. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your workstation to be able to read Acrobat (.pdf) files.

See Selecting Output Types and Formats.

Report Distribution

The Distribution Detail page enables you to choose the recipients of your process output. To set up distribution for your process output, click the Distribution icon.

If your process allows output that can be emailed—for example, Crystal can create Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files—you can enter an email subject and message and send the output to a group of email addresses.

You can add users or roles to the distribution list by adding a row and entering the pertinent information. You can also use this page to add someone who would not normally have the proper security to view this output.

Note. If you are entering a list of email addresses, insert a semicolon between each address.

See Setting Report Distribution.

Checking the Status of Reports

When you click OK on the Process Scheduler Request page, the system returns you to your application page. Use the Process Monitor to view the status of your submitted processes. Process Monitor is a tool designed to track the status of all running, pending and completed Process Scheduler requests.

Note. The time it takes for a process request to complete varies. The complexity of the process and the current load on the system are examples of the factors that can lengthen the duration of a process request. For example, a large, complicated report extracting large volumes of data will take longer to run than a simpler report. Keep this in mind when monitoring the status of your process requests.

To check the status of your report:

1. Click the link to Process Monitor, or select PeopleTools, Process Scheduler, Process Monitor.

   Your user ID appears in the User ID list box. If the list of processes is too long, you can use the navigation arrows on the screen to scroll through the list.

2. Use the Server, Type, Run Status, Last, and Instance list boxes to limit the processes that Process Monitor displays.

3. Click Refresh to update this page with the latest system activity.

   If the run status is Initiated or Processing, the report is still running. If the run status is Success, the system has finished running the report.

Depending on the status of your report, you can cancel it or put it on hold. If the system is done processing a report, you can delete the report's information from Process Monitor. Click Details to display the options for canceling or holding a request.

See Also

Using Process Monitor

Viewing Reports in Report Manager

Report Manager is like your own personal "in box" of reports and processes to which you have access. It provides a secured means to view report content, check the status of a job, and see content detail messages.

To view your list of reports:

1. Select Reporting Tools, Report Manager.

2. Select View to view your report output.

   The Report/Log Viewer page appears in another browser window.

3. Click the link to the report or any associated files that you want to view.

   The report appears in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.

See Also

Using Report Manager