PeopleTools Cache Clearing Guide

There are 3 types of server Cache in PeopleSoft

• Application Server Cache
• Web Server Cache
• Process Scheduler Cache

There is continued confusion on when and what cache should be cleared. This document tries to lay some groundwork on if the cache should be cleared at all. There are times when people request for a cache clear but it is not needed.

Note: PeopleTools DOES NOT cache user or setup data ever. If you can’t get a department to show up or some student id then it is NOT cache related EVER!

Here is a rough guide to when the cache should be cleared.

Process Scheduler Cache

Process scheduler has its own cache outside the application server cache. It keeps its own copies of Component Interfaces, Application Engine PeopleCode and Application engine sections and SQL. In order to clear the Process Scheduler cache the process scheduler needs to be shut down.

To delete process scheduler cache, you need to manually delete all the files and folders in this directory $PS_HOME/appserv/prcs/{YOUR-ENV-NAME}/cache on the process scheduler machine(s)

Application Engine

If you are having an issue with an application engine still running old code after a project migration then ask for a Process Scheduler cache clear. The other 2 types of server cache DO NOT need to be cleared.

If your application engine calls a component interface, and you recently migrated a change to the component interface, generally a Process Scheduler cache clear is needed. The other 2 types of server cache DO NOT need to be cleared.

COBOL

COBOL does not use CACHE. If you are having a COBOL issue cache has nothing to do with it. Do not waste your time trying.

SQR

SQR does not use CACHE. If you are having a SQR issue cache has nothing to do with it. Do not waste your time trying.

Web Server Cache

Web server cache stores the left-hand navigation of the portal objects and things like JavaScript and images that PeopleSoft developers normally do not touch.

There are not that many times when web server cache needs to be cleared. Here are the times when you may need to clear it.

• After a bundle application or upgrade.
• After a tools minor or major patch.
  • I would recommend changing your web profile configuration to cache the location of web server files from the default /cache directory to something like /cache85504 where the tools major and minor version is in the path. The reason is that you often do not have control over the user’s web browser cache, nor do can you always force them to clear it. If you change your caching folder with each tools patch, this forces the client browser to get a new copy of JavaScript and CSS when a tools patch is updated. Since changing the cache folder name to a new location tells the clients that the files have changed since the URL is now different.
• After migrating Portal Content references or folder in a project
  • Many times you also need to clear the application server cache. Therefore, it is generally better not to migrate these.
• If a user cannot see something in the left-hand navigation, and you are sure they have security then there is a trick you can do to force the web server or the user’s web browser cache to refresh. You can give them a link with direct access to the component. PeopleSoft uses a standard URL format with the menu and component name as part of the url. Here is an example link for to the RL Maintenance page MENU.UTILITIES and component.URL_TABLE which ha a “GBL” market.
• https://{SERVERNAME}/psp/{SITENAME}/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/UTILIITES.URL_TBLE.GBL
  • Notice that the last part of the url has the form of MENU.COMPONENT.MARKET at the very end. You can replace this with whatever menu and component that they need to access and ask the user to login then put that link in their browser.
• After a large bundle application or after a database refresh it is often necessary to run the “portal security sync” process. You need to have the “Portal Administrator” role to run this process. Often times a web server cache clear is request but the portal security sync needs to be run in this situation. There is not really any other circumstance that you need to run this process. In older tools releases you had to run this about every time you made a portal change or many security changes. This is no longer the case.

Application Server Cache

Application server cache stores PeopleCode, pages, components, and any code that runs in the web browser. Security, Application level data like student or setup are not cached.

• If you recently migrated some online code (Page or component viewed via a web browser) and the old code is still firing then you may need an application server cache clear.
  • First login with application designer in production to make sure your code migrated properly. If it is there and the old code is still firing then an application server cache clear is needed. No other server cache types need to be purged.
• After a bundle application or upgrade you generally want to clear the app server cache.