Peoplesoft v8/LDAP Issues

from 1/22 - 1/23 Meeting with Jeff Pernoud (Peoplesoft)

Meeting Date: 1/23/02

Purpose: To identify issues and impacts surrounding the Peoplesoft v8 upgrade with regards to LDAP, HTMLAccess, and other portal services. The focus of the meeting was on short-term issues, particularly those things needed to get us up in version 8 with the functionality we have today.

NOTE: Not all attendees were present for all aspects of discussion

Major Discussion Points and Conclusions

When will ISIS need to use LDAP to authenticate users?

Who's working on mapping functionality from 7 to 8?

When do we convert facstaff to use Netid?

Applicants do not have access to the portal

What else needs to happen?

Issue

When will ISIS need to use LDAP to authenticate users?

Conclusion

Immediately (or at least immediately after the upgrade, ie August).

Discussion

Peoplesoft has changed the security model in their self-service applications to require all users to authenticate to the Peoplesoft system. In technical terms, we need OPRID’s for every student in version 8, where a single (system-level) OPRID was sufficient in version 7.

It appears that using a single, system-level OPRID in version 8 would require some extensive modification (including modifying most, if not all, of the pages that students would see).

While the change is an overall security and auditing improvement, it does mean that our existing HTMLAccess applications will no longer function. It appears that the quickest path to restoring the functionality that users have today is to allow them to use self-service functions present in version 8 of SA, while using LDAP authentication (which Peoplesoft supports and which is in place for other applications, including the My UW portal).

Please look at this graphic for an example of how we believe this will work.

Issue

We don't know what functions currently offered via HTMLAccess, EASI, or IVR map to Peoplesoft 8 self-service functions.

Conclusion

Someone should be working on mapping existing functionality to new facilities available with Peoplesoft SA v8. The group listed above did not know of any efforts to map functionality between 7 and 8, and this is a critical step in preserving existing functionality. This task is relatively urgent.

Issue

In switching Peoplesoft to use LDAP authentication, we may or may not choose to convert those faculty and staff that currently have Peoplesoft operator ID's.

Conclusion

It doesn't appear that there are many technical issues surrounding this, so the decision should be based on support and direction.

Issue

Applicants do not exist in LDAP presently, and do not have access to the portal.

Conclusion

If we provide a mechanism for applicants to interact with Peoplesoft Self-Service functions using the existing model (a service account into Peoplesoft), applicants don't need to be added to LDAP.

This assumes that applicants only need access to Peoplesoft information, and don't need to log into the portal for other reasons. Hopefully, the e-Infrastructure group will bring to light any additional requirements.
 

What else needs to happen?

There were a number of other issues that came up (roles, session management) in the course of this meeting that need to be addressed. Some require engaging the ISIS project folks on campus, others may require additional consulting services from Peoplesoft.

Tom Jordan is following up on getting the ISIS project management engaged in the issues raised here.

Ozzyie Chen is working with DRMT and the portal folks to work out the particulars of how LDAP authentication w/Peoplesoft via the portal can be done.