Configuring PeopleSoft Health Center

Before you can begin using the PeopleSoft Health Center, you need to configure the following elements or verify that these elements are set correctly:

  • Configure Integration Broker.

  • Set the Performance Collator property.

  • Enable the PPM agents.

  • Enable and configure the JMX agents.

  • Run the PTSFMonitorConfiguration plug-in.

  • Install Logstash.

  • Start the Logstash service.

Note: Oracle recommends that you should install Elasticsearch and Kibana first and then run the PTSFMonitorConfiguration plug-in to configure the monitoring server and deploy the Health Center dashboards to Kibana. Only after completing these tasks, install Logstash and then proceed with the post-installation configurations as described in the Installing Logstash topic.

Integration Broker must be configured correctly before you can use the Health Center.

See Integration Broker Administration for instructions on setting up the Integration Broker.

You should set the Performance Collator property on the monitoring system.

To set the Performance Collator property:

  1. Run PSADMIN and choose the domain that you want to configure.

  2. Select 4) Configure this domain.

    To configure the domain, the domain needs to be shut down.

  3. Enter y to the question: Do you want to continue (y/n).

  4. Toggle 10) Perf Collator to set it to Yes.

  5. Select 14) Load config as shown.

  6. Restart the domain.

The PPM agents must be able to register with the system before the PeopleSoft Health Center detects anything to monitor.

Enable the PPM agents on:

To enable JMX agents:

  1. Run PSADMIN and choose the domain that you want to configure.

  2. Select 6) Edit configuration/log files menu.

  3. Select 1) Edit domain configuration file.

  4. In the configuration file, in the PSTOOLS section, locate the following parameters and set the values:

    • Enable Remote Administration - Set the value to 1.

    • Remote Administration Port - Set the value to 10100.

      Note: In order to prevent the Java RMI stack from using random ports for the PHC RMI Server, PHC sets a specific port for it, which is the Remote Administration Port value incremented by 1. For example, if the Remote Administration Port is 10100, then port 10101 will be used for PHC's RMI server. When you plan the port usage, this needs to be taken into account.

      Also, in an environment where a firewall is enforced, for a monitored Application server or Process Scheduler domain, the ports assigned for the Remote Administration Port and for the PHC RMI server have to be opened for communication, so that the remote monitoring system's JMX connection can be established. For example, if the monitored domain has the value 10100 set for the Remote Administration Port and the value 10101 is assigned to the PHC RMI server, then the firewall needs to allow ports 10100 and 10101 for communication.

    • Remote Administration Userid - Enter a user ID, for example, admin.

    • Remote Administration Password - Enter a password in clear text or enter an encrypted password. To encrypt the password, use the PSCipher utility.

      Note: If you enter a password in clear text, Oracle recommends that you re-configure the domain using PSADMIN, which encrypts the password and stores in the configuration file.

      For more information on encrypting passwords, see Encrypting Passwords Using the PSCipher Java Utility.

  5. Save the changes you made in the configuration file.

  6. Restart the domain.

The PTSFMonitorConfiguration plug-in configures the monitoring server and deploys the delivered dashboards and visualizations for PeopleSoft Health Center to Kibana. Kibana uses the psft_hc_metrics Elasticsearch index for PeopleSoft Health Center visualizations. You use Automated Configuration Manger (ACM) to run the plug-in.

Before you run the PTSFMonitorConfiguration plug-in ensure that Elasticsearch and Kibana are installed and that both the servers are running instances.

Note: You must ensure to run the PTSFMonitorConfiguration plug-in before you install Logstash. If this sequence is not followed, PeopleSoft Health Center may not function correctly.

You may configure the monitoring server page and deploy the Health Center dashboards to Kibana manually, but ensure that you enter the correct values.

To manually configure the monitoring server, refer to Configuring the Monitoring Server.

To manually deploy the Health Center dashboards, refer to Using the Monitoring Visualizations Page.

Purging Health Center Data in Elasticsearch

PeopleSoft Health Center analytic data is stored in Elasticsearch. You can specify the number of days to retain data in Elasticsearch by setting a value in the Purge Retention Period(Days) on the Configure Server page.

See Configuring the Monitoring Server.

Oracle supports the installation of Logstash on Windows and Linux platforms.

To install Logstash, you use the delivered ELK DPK. For instructions on installing Logstash, refer to the PeopleSoft Deployment Packages for Elasticsearch Installation (Doc ID 2205540.2) on My Oracle Support.

Oracle recommends that you should install Logstash on a different system than the systems on which PeopleSoft or Elasticsearch or Kibana is installed.

As a pre-requisite for PeopleSoft Health Center to work correctly, you must complete the installation of PeopleSoft, Elasticsearch, Kibana, and Logstash. You must also ensure that the PIA instance is up and running so that the Integration Broker REST service is available, which is required for the installation and configuration of Logstash.

After installing Logstash, you may need to complete the following tasks or verify that the correct values are inserted:

  • Create JSON files.

  • Review configuration files.

  • Secure psvault file.

Creating JSON Files

When you install Logstash using DPK, the installation program creates JSON files, which are needed for collecting metrics. The JSON files are stored in the jmxmonitor folder at this location: <LOGSTASH_HOME>\pt\jmxmonitor.

Verify that the JSON files are created by navigating to the jmxmonitor folder. For each application, the installation program creates JSON files for application server, Web server, and Process Scheduler. The file names follow this naming convention: <domain_name>_<SysID>_ApplicationName>_<AgentID>.json, for example, App_1_T58P999R_58.json.

If the installation program does not create the needed JSON files, you should navigate to <LOGSTASH_HOME>\bin\ and run the CreateJSON.bat to create JSON files manually.

Note: Before running CreateJSON bat (Windows) or CreateJSON.sh (Linux), ensure that the environment variable LOGSTASH_HOME is set to the correct path. The PATH environment variable should point to the correct JRE bin location.

Reviewing Configuration Files

When you install Logstash using DPK, the installation program creates two configuration files, namely JsonLogstash.properties and LogstashPipeLine.CONF, in the config folder: <LOGSTASH_HOME>\pt\config.

These configuration files contain the values that you provided during the installation of Logstash, so you may want to review the values.

Securing psvault

During the installation of Logstash using the DPK, the psvault file is placed in the properties folder: <LOGSTASH_HOME>\pt\properties.

Note: The psvault file in Logstash is not related to the psvault in PeopleTools. Therefore, any change to psvault in the Logstash machine does not affect the psvault in the PeopleTools machine. The psvault keys in Logstash and PeopleTools are different.

You can choose to generate a new key if needed.

To build a new key, navigate to <LOGSTASH_HOME>\pt\bin\ and execute the following command: or for Windows and Linux respectively.

  • PSLSCipher.bat -buildkey (for Windows platform).

  • PSLSCipher.sh -buildkey (for Linux platform).

When a new key is generated and updated in the psvault file, which is placed in the Logstash installation, the following values should be regenerated using the PSLSCipher utility that is available (as .bat for Windows and .sh for Linux) in <LOGSTASH_HOME>\pt\bin:

  • IB user name in <LOGSTASH_HOME>\pt\config\JsonLogstash.properties.

  • IB password in <LOGSTASH_HOME>\pt\config\JsonLogstash.properties.

  • Elasticsearch password in <LOGSTASH_HOME>\pt\config\LogstashPipeLine.CONF.

To encrypt a password, navigate to <LOGSTASH_HOME>\pt\bin\ and execute PSLSCipher.bat <password> or PSLSCipher.sh <password>.

Important! You must protect access to the psvault file, so exercise caution when you set access permissions to it.

On the Windows platform, after you install Logstash, you should manually start the Logstash service. (Refer to the PeopleSoft Deployment Packages for Elasticsearch Installation (Doc ID 2205540.2) on My Oracle Support.)

To start Logstash on Windows, perform the following steps:

  1. Open a command prompt window, and change directory to <LOGSTASH_HOME>\bin.

    LOGSTASH_HOME refers to the path where you’ve installed Logstash. For example, if ELK DPK is deployed under c:\elk1, Logstash is installed under c:\elk1\pt\Logstash7.0.0. In this example, LOGSTASH_HOME should be set to c:\elk1\pt\Logstash7.0.0.

  2. Run the following command:

    logstash.bat -f <LOGSTASH_HOME>\pt\config\LogstashPipeLine.CONF

On the Linux platform, after you install Logstash, the Logstash service is automatically started. If the Logstash service is not started, you can start the service by executing the following command:

logstash -f <LOGSTASH_HOME>/pt/config/LogstashPipeLine.CONF