Understanding the Alter Analyzer

In addition to PeopleSoft Application Designer compare features, you can also use the Alter Analyzer to compare the PeopleSoft record source and target metadata, gaining insight into an Alter operation. The Alter Analyzer does not compare all application metadata, just selected attributes, highly relevant to the application DDL.

In most cases, the Alter Analyzer will be used during PeopleSoft application upgrades, and specific instructions for setting this up appear in your PeopleSoft upgrade instructions and Change Assistant templates. The Alter Analyzer applies, for the most part, to the traditional PeopleSoft upgrade process referred to as "upgrade in place." The main focus of the Alter Analyzer is to enable you to determine the DDL implications of applying a change to the metadata. The change can be a new release (upgrade), but could also be a patch, a bundle, a maintenance pack, and so on.

The Alter Analyzer consists of two Application Engine programs that:

1. Load selected record metadata values from the database into a set of staging tables to create a 'base line' of your metadata, capturing a snapshot of the metadata at that time.

2. Compare the equivalent metadata attributes between the baseline and the target record metadata.

3. Record metadata differences between baseline and target record metadata in the alter repository for ongoing analysis.

A typical scenario when using the Alter Analyzer would be:

1. Run the metadata loading program to establish a baseline of the metadata.

2. Apply the metadata change(s).

3. Run the metadata analyzer program, and review the alter repository information.

Benefits of the Alter Analyzer include:

• Insight into the alter process, which enables the upgrade process to become more fine-tuned. Designers of the PeopleSoft application upgrade process can use the Alter Analyzer (internally) to rearrange the alter process, making it more modular and flexible, which passes on improved performance to customers upgrading applications.

• A record of all metadata changes can be stored in the alter repository, which you can refer to, query, run reports against as needed, both during and after an upgrade.

• Improved visibility of important record metadata changes, especially if there is a large volume of record and record field definitions to be compared. With the alter repository, you can quickly access the most relevant changes related to DDL.