Setting Up Servers and Directories

To set up URL database or SFTP attachment servers and directories, use the Administer File Attachments Page.

For supplier contract attachments, add SFTP servers if you do not already have an SFTP server defined for other Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) products, such as PeopleSoft eProcurement.

Note: Setting up database and URL servers is similar except that you only add a database record name, or URL identifier, and do not set up the component directories that are specified for SFTP server setup.

Before accessing a component in the system that stores or retrieves files, you must set up an attachment file-transfer program server and, when the server type is SFTP, its appropriate directories. For PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management, attachments are stored and retrieved from the server locations that are defined on this page. See "Working with File Attachments," PeopleTools: PeopleCode Developer's Guide.

System administrators can add or modify the SFTP root folder and the component-specific subfolder for SFTP servers. Administrators set up the attachment server and directories to operate:

  • Microsoft Word document templates.

  • Clauses.

  • Sections.

  • Document configurator maintenance.

  • Contract entry agreement attachments.

  • Agreement result attachments.

  • Document maintenance.

See also Overriding SFTP Attachment Servers and Setting Up Two SFTP Attachment Servers.

Component Subdirectories

Use this grid after you set up the SFTP attachment server to specify specific server subdirectories for the appropriate components. This enables you to segregate and manage files on the SFTP server as they pertain to contracts.

Note: Component subdirectories are only applicable to SFTP server types, not database or URL servers.

This table provides examples of how you can set up subdirectories. You can enter any path name for a subdirectory. You set up subdirectories for these components:

Component

Path Example

Description

CS_CLAUSE_DEFN

Clause

Stores clause information for Microsoft Word editing.

CS_CNT_AG_RESULT

AgreeResult

Stores contract agreement results that are attachments.

CNTRCT_ENTRY

TransContract

Stores transactional contract-entry related attachments.

CS_DOC_MAINT

AuthoredDocs

Stores generated contract documents.

CS_SECTION_DEFN

Section

Stores section information for Microsoft Word editing.

CS_TMPL_TBL

Configurator

Stores ad hoc document configurator clauses for Microsoft Word editing. See Setting Up Document Templates and Styles.

CS_DOC_SUPP

AuthoredDocs

Stores generated contract documents. The system uses this component for the external/supply side access. The directory must match the internal directory defined for the CS_DOC_MAINT component.

CS_SS_CNT_VFY

TransContract

Stores transactional contract-entry related attachments. The system uses this component for the external/supply side access. The directory must match the internal directory defined for the CNTRCT_ENTRY component.

You can override the attachment server defined during the installation of the PeopleSoft system. When you override the installed server, you can define and use an attachment server specifically for PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management-related documents and attachments. You use the Override Attachment Server ID field on the Installation Options - Supplier Contract Management Page to point to a specific attachment server ID in cases where you are currently using database server attachments in your system only for products other than PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management. You should evaluate the need for using the SFTP Attachment Server feature during the initial setup of the product.

Warning! Overriding an attachment server should be an exception and only performed when absolutely necessary. Overriding the server also affects the use of searching in PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management. If you choose to use a database server for Supplier Contract Management the Attachment Server Override values must be left blank.

You can use a contract-related attachment server if you need to isolate supplier contract-related attachments from the primary attachment server that is used for all other applications. This feature is primarily intended for when you are already using the database attachment server for all other products and are ready to begin using PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management, but you prefer the Supplier Contract Management server to be SFTP-based versus a database server. Therefore, after defining the database attachment server during system installation, you can use the Override Attachment Server ID field on the Installation Options - Supplier Contract Management Page to define the SFTP attachment server for use within Supplier Contract Management only.

When the installation-wide setting is set to a database server and if you are using a database server for all other types of attachments across the installation, then any other features that store attachments, other than within PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management document pages, will continue to be stored in the database server and cannot be searched using the Search Framework. Also, if you have attachments tied to an actual purchasing transactional contract or requisitions that are part of a contract, when you create a supplier contract document tied to the transactional contract, these associated or related database attachments cannot be searched using the Search Framework pages because Supplier Contract Management searches and indexes SFTP server files only.

For more information about Search Framework pages, see Searching for Library and Document Contents.

If you plan to use two SFTP attachment servers and neither one is a database type server, you can use one for the installation-wide setting and use another. unique server, for PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management.

Follow these steps to override the installed server:

  1. Access the Administer File Attachments Page.

  2. Set the active server to the one that you want for all other applications.

    Remember the server ID for the server that you want to use for PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management.

  3. Access the Installation Options - Supplier Contract Management Page.

  4. In the Override Attachment Server ID field, select the server ID for the server that you want to use for PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management.

    When you enter a value in the Override Attachment Server ID field, the system displays a message indicating that the field should normally be left blank.

  5. Click Save.

  6. Enter the URL for the attachment server on the Attachment URLID list in PeopleTools > Search Framework > Administration.

After overriding the attachment server, you can continue with the PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management setup process as you normally would.

Note: This setup only applies to SFTP attachment server types. You also have the option to use a database attachment server instead of a SFTP attachment server.