The University of Massachusetts Amherst

The client, a large higher education institution, relied on Oracle’s PeopleSoft Campus Solutions for critical student information management, financial aid processing, admissions workflows, and other essential operations. To enhance system efficiency, automate routine tasks, and reduce operational complexity, the institution turned to Solidan to implement a comprehensive automation strategy using Deployment Packages (DPK) and Ansible

CHALLENGE:

Complexity of Automation: PeopleSoft Campus Solutions involved multiple interconnected modules and customizations, requiring a careful approach to automation that avoided service disruptions and ensured proper integration of third-party systems.
Manual Maintenance Overload: The client was struggling with the manual effort required to maintain and update its on-premise infrastructure. Routine patches, updates, and system changes were labor-intensive, creating inefficiencies and operational delays.
Standardization Across Environments: Ensuring consistency across different environments (development, testing, and production) was challenging, leading to discrepancies in configurations and operational issues.
Scalability and Compliance: The client needed an automation solution that would support future growth while meeting stringent compliance requirements for handling student data.

SOLUTION:

Assessment and Planning:Solidan began by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the client’s existing PeopleSoft Campus Solutions environment. This included identifying key areas where automation could be applied to reduce manual workloads and standardize processes. Solidan mapped out an automation strategy utilizing DPK for streamlining system management tasks and Ansible for orchestrating automated configurations across all environments.
Automation with Deployment Packages (DPK):Solidan implemented Oracle’s PeopleSoft DPK to automate the installation, configuration, and patching of the PeopleSoft Campus Solutions environment. The use of DPK allowed the client to manage updates and changes with minimal manual intervention, reducing the risk of human error. DPK also enabled quick environment provisioning and streamlined the rollout of updates across development, testing, and production environments.
Orchestration with Ansible:Solidan deployed Ansible to automate the configuration and management of the infrastructure supporting PeopleSoft Campus Solutions. Using Ansible’s playbooks, Solidan automated tasks such as application server configuration, database management, and security settings, ensuring consistency across all environments. This approach allowed the client to manage multiple environments simultaneously, reducing the time spent on manual configurations and enhancing system reliability.
Customization and Integration Optimization:The automation project also included reconfiguring the client’s custom workflows and third-party integrations. Solidan worked closely with the IT team to ensure that all integrations, such as student portals and financial systems, were seamlessly automated through Ansible, reducing the need for manual monitoring and intervention.
Security and Compliance Setup: As part of the automation strategy, Solidan implemented enhanced security protocols using Ansible to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations, including GDPR and FERPA. The automation framework included regular security updates, encryption of sensitive data, and the automation of compliance audits, ensuring that the system met all necessary regulatory requirements.

“Solidan provided the right resource with the skills we were seeking to help execute on our strategic goals for our Peoplesoft SIS system.”

Scotia Roopnarine

Director of Data Engineering, Information Technology

Result:

Increased Efficiency and Reduced Manual Labor: The implementation of DPK and Ansible drastically reduced the amount of manual labor required to manage PeopleSoft Campus Solutions. Routine updates, patches, and environment configurations were automated, allowing the client’s IT team to focus on higher-value tasks.
Consistency Across Environments: Automation ensured uniformity across development, testing, and production environments, eliminating configuration drift and reducing operational issues caused by inconsistencies.
Faster System Updates and Deployments: The use of DPK and Ansible enabled faster rollout of updates and system changes, reducing downtime and improving the speed at which new features and patches were deployed.
Improved Security and Compliance: Automated security protocols ensured that the system adhered to strict data privacy standards, while reducing the risk of human error in manual processes. Regular security updates were automated, ensuring continuous compliance with regulatory requirements.
Scalability for Future Growth: The automation framework provided by Solidan allowed the client to easily scale its PeopleSoft Campus Solutions environment as its needs grew. Ansible’s flexibility ensured that new environments could be rapidly provisioned without additional manual effort.

Conclusion:

Solidan successfully automated the client’s PeopleSoft Campus Solutions environment using DPK and Ansible, significantly improving operational efficiency, security, and system consistency. The automation project reduced manual labor, streamlined updates, and ensured compliance with regulatory standards, while positioning the client for future growth. Solidan’s expertise in deploying automation frameworks within higher education systems was key to the success of this transformation.