Working with PS_APP_HOME

This topic contains an overview and discusses how to manage environments where PS_APP_HOME has been implemented.

The PS_APP_HOME environment variable refers to the location where you have installed the contents of your PeopleSoft application. In previous PeopleSoft releases, you installed PeopleTools into a high-level directory referred to as PS_HOME, and then you installed your PeopleSoft application into the existing PS_HOME location such that PeopleTools and your PeopleSoft application co-exist within the same directory structure.

In the current release, PeopleTools provides the option of installing your PeopleSoft application into a separate directory, outside of the PS_HOME location. The location where you install your PeopleSoft application files is represented by the PS_APP_HOME environment variable. For example, an environment where PS_APP_HOME is implemented may have the following environment variables set.

Environment Variable

Description

PS_HOME

Location where PeopleTools is installed. For example: C:\PT_853.

PS_CFG_HOME

Location where the server domain configurations are installed. For example:

PS_CFG_HOME=D:\pt_server

PS_APP_HOME

Location where your PeopleSoft application files are installed. For example:

PS_APP_HOME=N:\HCM_920

Note: The installation performed by the PeopleSoft Deployment Packages supports separate PS_APP_HOME and PS_HOME.

Important! Deciding whether to install your PeopleSoft application into a separate PS_APP_HOME should be considered while planning your installation.

See PeopleTools Installation and your PeopleSoft application installation guide.

Sites that take advantage of the PS_APP_HOME option can expect a variety of benefits, including:

  • PeopleTools patches and updates can be applied knowing that no application content has been disturbed. Likewise, PS_APP_HOME application updates can be applied independently.

  • Increased flexibility and modularity in that a single PS_HOME can be associated with multiple PS_APP_HOME locations.

  • Disk space savings, due to shared PS_HOME amongst multiple PS_APP_HOME locations. Using the traditional method, each application installation requires its own PeopleTools installation.

  • When troubleshooting it will be easier to isolate application and PeopleTools issues.

If you elect to install your PeopleSoft application outside of PS_HOME, then you need to make sure to set the PS_APP_HOME environment variable prior to running PSADMIN, which can be done manually or by using a.BAT or shell script. Also, as you configure your system, you need to be mindful of the PS_APP_HOME location.

Note: If you do not set the PS_APP_HOME environment variable explicitly, PeopleSoft runtime retrieves all runtime content from PS_HOME. That is, unless you set PS_APP_HOME to a value different than PS_HOME, the system assumes PS_APP_HOME=PS_HOME.

In many of the configuration settings where PS_APP_HOME might be involved, PeopleTools includes both PS_APP_HOME and PS_HOME references. For example,

RCCBL PRDBIN=%PS_APP_HOME%/cblbin:%PS_HOME%/cblbin

In environments where PS_APP_HOME has been implemented, system elements such as server domains have access to content supplied by both PS_HOME and PS_APP_HOME, but files added by the PeopleSoft application installation (those residing in PS_APP_HOME) that have the same name as those in the PeopleTools PS_HOME take preference.

The following table outlines key areas in the PeopleSoft system, where you need to consider the PS_APP_HOME variable if you have installed your PeopleSoft applications into a location outside of PS_HOME. When you are installing, configuring, and maintaining your system, make sure to keep these items in mind and review the documentation associated with these areas.

PeopleSoft Infrastructure Element

PS_APP_HOME Consideration

Application Server

PS_APP_HOME must be set explicitly before running PSADMIN, similar to setting PS_CFG_HOME manually.

Remote Call COBOL can look for COBOL programs in both PS_APP_HOME or PS_HOME, so be sure to review those settings.

See RCCBL PRDBIN.

Process Scheduler

PS_APP_HOME must be set explicitly before running PSADMIN, similar to setting PS_CFG_HOME manually.

The Process Scheduler domains reference PS_APP_HOME and PS_HOME locations for the following processes:

  • COBOL

  • SQR

  • nVision

See Understanding the PeopleSoft Process Scheduler Configuration File.

COBOL

During your installation, you will need to perform different tasks when compiling COBOL.

See the product documentation for PeopleTools Installation"Installing and Compiling COBOL on <your operating system>"

SQR

When specifying locations where the system should look for SQR reports, for example, in Process Scheduler or in Configuration Manager, make sure to consider reports that may exist in PS_APP_HOME.

Lifecycle Management

For applying updates and performing upgrades, PS_APP_HOME also needs to be considered for various tasks, including:

  • Crawling the environment with Environment Management Framework.

  • Creating change packages

  • Defining environments for upgrades.

See Change Assistant and Update Manager.

Windows Development Environment

When setting up Windows Development workstation profiles using Configuration Manager, you set the PS_APP_HOME variable on the Process Scheduler tab, and you'll also consider your PS_APP_HOME location when specifying:

  • SQR report locations.

  • COBOL location.

  • nVision directory paths.

  • Data Mover directories.

See Understanding PeopleSoft Configuration Manager.