Understanding User Profile Options

If you are going to authenticate users with the directory server, a PeopleSoft user profile is still required. That is, a row is still required in the table in which PeopleSoft user information is stored (PSOPRDEFN). In this context, you cache LDAP user information inside your PeopleSoft system. The properties that you specify on the Mandatory and Optional User Properties pages are the columns in PSOPRDEFN that the system populates with values from your directory server. These values comprise your user profile options.

PeopleSoft applications use this cache of user information, not your directory server. Whenever a transaction requires user information, the application refers to the local PSOPRDEFN table as opposed to querying the directory server. This improves performance.

After a user signs in to the system and the Signon PeopleCode is carried out, PeopleSoft creates a row for that user in the user definition table by retrieving the LDAP information and creating a local cache. Signon PeopleCode maintains this row automatically; manual updates are not necessary. Any changes made in the directory server are reproduced in the local cache.

Some properties are required when creating a PeopleSoft User Profile; these properties appear on the Mandatory User Properties page. Other properties are optional; these properties appear on the Optional User Properties page.

Note:

You must supply user properties to Signon PeopleCode only if you intend to authenticate users with your LDAP directory.