Understanding Financials and Supply Chain Search
This topic discusses:
PeopleSoft combined with PeopleTools provides search capabilities using the PeopleSoft Search Framework search instances. The PeopleSoft Search Framework provides a standard method to use search indexes for all PeopleSoft applications.
PeopleSoft Query and Connected Query are used by search definitions that define the content used by search indexes. Search indexes should be updated incrementally, which keeps the data current within the index.
Within the Financials/Supply Chain product areas, PeopleSoft Search Framework indexes have been implemented in these areas:
Key components within the Procure-to-Pay business process.
This enables users to perform keyword searches against these components based on specific field values or keywords provided they have been granted security access.
Global search using a keyword search box.
The keyword search box is located in the Oracle portal header. This enables users, who have the appropriate security, to search across business processes using keyword searches.
The purpose of the PeopleSoft Search feature is to provide the ability to:
Search on key words that enable users to find transactions and work with data without having to navigate using menus.
Refine results using facets.
Take direct action from search results.
Search to deeper levels within nested data.
Search for specific values and unstructured text across multiple data locations.
Click this link to view a short video about PeopleSoft Global Search for FSCM.
This table lists terminology related to PeopleSoft Search.
|
Term |
Definition |
|---|---|
|
Global Search |
Available in the PeopleTools header and is secured by user roles. The Global Search bar displays in the header of the application. Beside the keyword edit box, the Global Search bar provides a drop down list for selecting a specific search category against which to run a search. For additional information about Global Search from an application perspective, see Understanding Global Searches. |
|
Standard Search |
Available within selected components, which is the default. Is being used when you see "Find an Existing Value". |
|
Keyword Search |
Available for selected components and is enabled using Configurable Search. Keyword Search allows you to perform a deeper, freer-form search to access application data. For example, the Standard Search is limited to level 0 data, where Keyword Search allows you enter custom keywords and the system. The system searches indexed data from level 0-3. This type of search is secured by user roles. Additional security may also have been specified on the Search Definition, which limits access to specific business units or SetIDs. Even more security can be added by creating security attributes and writing PeopleCode to define the security levels. For more information about Keyword Search, see Understanding Keyword Search within Components. |
|
Configurable Search |
Available when enabled. Configurable Search is a PeopleTools feature (as of 8.60), which allows you to customize the search experience, whether standard or keyword search is used. When using Configurable Search you can select fields and save search criteria that was previously used within component search pages. |
|
Facet |
A field relevant to the search that allows the user to browse or refine search results. For example, the user can refine purchase order search results by business unit, purchase order date, or supplier by clicking on the desired facet value. Facets are presented with counts, which show the number of documents, such as requisitions, purchase orders, journals, and so on, in which the search criteria found and are represented in the search results. |
|
PeopleSoft Search Framework |
The PeopleSoft Search Framework within PeopleTools provides a standard method to use search indexes for all PeopleSoft applications. The Search Framework is based on one or more search engines. For more information about defining search engines, see PeopleTools: Search Technology. |
|
Search Category |
Search categories are part of the PeopleSoft Search Framework that contain one or more search definitions. Search categories help manage search definitions deployed in the Search Framework search engine and provide a way to combine them into functionally related groups. Selecting a search category in the Oracle portal header enables users to narrow the scope of a Global Search, thereby reducing the number of search results that need to be reviewed. Note: For a facet to be properly used, the Facet (Attribute) Name must exist in every Search Definition, within the Search Category. Facets that are not common to all Search Definitions, but used on a search category, will limit the result set to those indexes containing the facet. See the documentation for PeopleTools: PeopleSoft Search Technology. |
|
Search Definition |
Search definitions are part of the PeopleSoft Search Framework that define the main structure of a search index. A search definition contains everything needed to create a search index, which includes facets, security, attachments, pre and post processing, and component mapping. |
|
Search Group |
A flag on a search category that makes the category available in the Global Search box within the Oracle portal header. |
|
Callback Security also known as Search Definition Security |
Callback Security is the term given to the process that the PeopleSoft Search Framework search engine performs when you search for information. The Search Framework determines what data is presented by calling back to the database for all attributes designated by the search categories being searched. The Search Framework search engine caches this information for subsequent searches. Search Definition Security is PeopleCode on the Search Definition that determines access to the results. Security is tied to an attribute, or set of attributes, defined on the Search Definition, which specifically allows or doesn’t allow access. The defined attributes must exist on the query and are sent to the Search Framework search engine for later matching with the results generated by the defined PeopleCode. Search Definition Security can be based on user ID (not recommended), role, installation settings, or some other user-defined parameters. |
Search categories are defined by PeopleSoft and secured by role within PeopleTools security. When Global Search is enabled, you can select a search category and enter free-form text in the keyword edit field. Using search categories reduces the number of places you need to go to perform searches and can improve search performance.
This table lists the functional areas that have been enhanced with PeopleSoft Search Framework technology:
|
Supplier Relations Management |
Financial Management Services |
Asset Lifecycle Management |
Enterprise Service Automation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Purchase Order |
Vouchers |
Asset |
Expense Sheet |
|
eProcurement Requisition |
GL Journal |
Work Orders |
Project Costing |
|
Purchasing Requisition |
Payments |
Maintenance Management |
Contracts |
|
Purchasing Receipt |
Suppliers |
||
|
Procurement Contracts |
Supplier Conversation |
||
|
Strategic Sourcing Event |
Billing |
||
|
Item Catalog |
|||
|
Supplier Contract Documents |
|||
|
Customers |
|||
|
Inventory |
Search results displayed from PeopleSoft Search Framework for Global Search are based on the user’s security access (permission list) to the underlying component shown in the search results. Therefore, if a user does not have access to a particular component, then the user will not see search results. In addition, row level security is applied to keyword search results for Search Pages based on the row level access for the user. This is especially true for SetID and business unit security. If business unit security is enabled, the only valid search results for the enabled business unit is displayed to the user. If Business Unit/SetID types of security are being used, then they must be set up before building search indexes so that all results contain the required security attributes needed.
There are several way to generally set up security, including setting up security by and individual user ID. It is not recommended that setting up security by user ID be used with PeopleSoft Search due to the maintenance involved with search indexes. Indexes that are secured by user will have to be rebuilt every time a user is added or removed. This can cause significant time delays when indexes are large. Therefore, it is recommended that security by permission list be used when Business Unit/SetID security is enabled.
Depending on your FSCM application, there may also be other row level security applied which would prevent the user having access to specific search results. This security has been provided by the application depending on the need for granular restrictions. An example of such security would be access to a supplier contract or expense report by user. These indexes may be more complex to manage since specific users may need to be maintained within each and every individual search result. In some cases, such as Supplier Contracts Management, search results may be updated via incremental index updates when a user changes on a specific searchable object and the update happens automatically. In other cases, changes to granular search security will require a rebuild of your index(es) for the new security to take effect. Review your application-specific documentation for information on row level security which may be enabled for that application. Depending on the type of security implemented, these indexes may require more frequent index rebuilds if these parameters change often within your organization.
Note: It is recommended that security by permission list is used when Business Unit/SetID are enabled to avoid frequent index rebuilds every time there are changes within your organization.