​​​​The start of 2024 has brought great news for the PeopleSoft community with the highly anticipated releases of PeopleTools 8.61 and Cloud Manager Image 17. To begin exploring the new and exciting features of 8.61, one of the most efficient ways is by utilizing Cloud Manager. With the latest Cloud Manager image, users can easily upgrade to PeopleTools 8.61, among other benefits. 

Let's delve into some of the new updates that came with Cloud Manager Image 17. 

Environment Advisors 

One important enhancement is the addition of Environment Advisories. With increasing emphasis on data security, it is imperative to keep environments up to date with the latest CPU patches. To help with this, Cloud Manager now provides an alert for two scenarios that will help customers manage their environments. A visual indicator is shown for environments when new patches are available and not yet applied. The number of new fixes will be highlighted on the Environment tile once Cloud Manager downloads them through a PeopleTools subscription. Additionally, if the environment has a scaling policy, Cloud Manager will provide a new weekly recommendation for middletier resources. This recommendation can be automatically implemented using the Policy Manager or set to download according to the Policy Action Schedule. 

Enabling Custom Actions Within Policy Manager

Another significant improvement is the ability to enable custom actions within the Policy Manager. Many have expressed the need for more flexibility in managing their PeopleSoft environments, and with Cloud Manager 17, this is now possible. Using the Governance framework, customers can now implement their own customer script or REST APIs into a policy. To create the policy, select Invoke Handler as the Policy Action. Users can take advantage of this feature by creating a PeopleCode application class, which then allows customers to customize their environments according to their preferences. 

Support for Custom User Names and Locations

In response to customer feedback, Cloud Manager has also made it possible to use custom user names and locations when provisioning, adding a node, creating a template, and performing a lift and shift. In the past, Cloud Manager used to require default user names and locations, which was not practical for many customers. This enhancement in Image 17 aims to address this issue. 

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Adding Support for OpenSearch Provisioning

In line with the transition from Elasticsearch to OpenSearch for the search server in PeopleTools, Cloud Manager now offers the correct search technology when provisioning new environments. For those using PeopleTools 8.61, 8.60.07+, or 8.59.21+, OpenSearch will be the default option. However, for older PeopleTools patch levels on 8.59 and 8.60, Elasticsearch will still be available. Users can switch to OpenSearch during an upgrade to a patch, or PeopleTools release that supports it. 

Self-Managed Update Image

Image 17 also marks the introduction of a self-managed update image feature. This allows users to keep PeopleSoft Update Images up to date and synchronized with their environments using Policy Manager. The Repository can be used to subscribe to maintenance for desired applications, and policies can be set up to automatically create a new Update Image when it is downloaded by Cloud Manager. The metadata, such as package definitions, database definitions, repositories, and PUM Automated Updates (PAU) schedules, will be synchronized from the previous Image, making the process more seamless. It's essential to note that this feature is only available for Update Images delivered on PeopleTools 8.61 and will be accessible in 2024. 

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In conclusion, the new Cloud Manager Image 17 brings valuable updates and enhancements that will greatly benefit the PeopleSoft community. From improved security measures to more flexibility in customizing environments, Cloud Manager continues to make the PeopleSoft experience better and more efficient for users. 

Interested in seeing how Sentinel can support your PeopleSoft systems with updates and migrations?
‍Contact a member of our team to learn more.