Understanding the PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL Attribute

The PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL content reference attribute is introduced in PeopleTools 8.62.06.

The PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL attribute controls the node location where the DynamicLoader application class is run for PeopleSoft portal content. By managing this attribute, administrators define whether data is consistently retrieved from the login (Portal) node or from the remote node.

This attribute is only applicable under the following conditions

• The environment is running in a cluster.

• The section is dynamic and defined exclusively on a remote node (either as an entirely remote homepage or as a section only present on a merged homepage through a remote definition).

Also note the following considerations when using the PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL attribute:

• The term local refers to the login node (the node through which the user accessed the portal) where cluster aware data would be retrieved. Any other node in the cluster is considered remote.

• If a section definition exists locally, it will always be executed on the local (login) node, regardless of the attribute’s value.

• If the PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL attribute is not set, its default value is False. This means that the DynamicLoader application class for a remote section runs on the remote node where it is defined.

The PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL attribute takes either of the two values: True or False.

• When PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL is set to True, the DynamicLoader application class is run on the login node.

  In the Recently Visited and Favorites section templates, the default configuration is to run the DynamicLoader application class on the login node so that the retrieved data is consistent with the Recently Visited and Favorites items displayed in QAB and NavBar. This setting is not typically used with navigation collections.

• When PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL is set to False, the DynamicLoader application class is run on the remote node where the landing page or section originates.

The DynamicLoader application class is a PeopleTools delivered class, so the PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL works seamlessly as long as both the Portal and the remote nodes are running the same patch level of PeopleTools (8.62.06 or later), and the administrator does not have to ensure that the application class is present in both the nodes. However, in the case of custom application class, administrators must ensure that the custom application class is present on the login node and the remote node when using the PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL attribute.

The PS_EXEC_ON_PORTAL attribute is primarily used for Recently Visited and Favorites, ensuring that this data is consistently retrieved from the Portal or login node. However, it is also relevant in clustered environments for other types of cluster-aware data, where information should be sourced specifically from the login node. While its main application is for Recently Visited and Favorites, administrators and application developers can use this attribute for other applications or custom solutions that require data to be pulled exclusively from the login node.