Setting Up PeopleSoft Search for CRM

This list highlights the steps for setting up and enabling PeopleSoft Search for CRM applications. For more information about PeopleSoft Search, see the PeopleTools: Search Technology product documentation.

CRM delivers definitions that are mentioned in steps 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7.

1. Refer to the Elasticsearch Home Page (Doc ID 2205540.2) for the installation and implementation of PeopleSoft Search Framework and Elasticsearch for your PeopleTools version.

2. Create PSQuery or connected queries to provide required search metadata.

   A query contains record fields to be made available for search index creation, and is used by the PTSF_GENFEED AE program to fetch application data.

   The CRM system provides queries for each delivered search object in CRM:

   • Solution

   • Case

   • Troubleshooting guide script

   • Service order

   • Defect

   • Fix

   • Correspondence document template

   • Product

   • Inbound email

3. Create search definitions.

   A search definition helps to build a search in a declarative way. It maps the PeopleSoft Query fields to searchable attributes in the search engine. The search definition also enables you to attach security attributes to restrict access to the search results, and provides the information required by the framework to enable the system to create search results.

   The CRM system delivers a search definition for each search object mentioned in a previous step.

   See PeopleTools: Search Technology, “Creating Query and Connected Query Search Definitions”, Creating Search Definitions.

4. Create search categories.

   A search category is an aggregation of one or more search definitions, providing a logical grouping of data. Because search queries only run against search categories and not search definitions, a search definition has to be included in at least one search category in order to be available for search at runtime. Search categories provide users the ability to search across multiple search indexes that relate to one another and are grouped together by search category. For example, you can search for a case by case ID in Global Search and if a search category that includes search indexes for cases and solutions is exposed there, you can choose to look up that case across different indexes and be able to find the case as well as solutions that are related to it simultaneously.

   The CRM system delivers a search category for each search object mentioned in a previous step.

   See PeopleTools: Search Technology, “Creating Search Categories”, Understanding Search Categories.

5. Deploy (or undeploy) each search definitions and search categories to be available for searches. Search definitions and categories have to be deployed to the search engine before they can be used in searches. Deployment means at a high level the creation of a search index structure for a search definition being deployed, the crawling of the defined search criteria for it and ultimately, the population of searchable data in the search index with the results of the associated query. When a search definition is deployed to the search engine, you can manage it in PIA, such as sorting it in search categories, updating, undeploying and even deleting it from the search framework.

   See PeopleTools: Search Technology, “Administering PeopleSoft Search Framework”, Administering Search Definitions and Search Categories.

6. Define search contexts if applicable.

   Note: This step is needed only if you are writing a new search index and want to expose it to the Global Search functionality.

   If you use Global Search, you define search contexts to determine which search indexes (grouped in search categories) users have access to depending on where they are in the system. For example, you can set up the system to display pertinent sets of search categories when users are navigating on the home page, accessing content of a particular node, or accessing a work center.

   The CR_GBL_KNOWLEDGE_BASE search category is available in the search context to enable the global search capability on solutions and cases. The CR_RD_PERSON, CR_RD_COMPANY, and CR_RD_CONSTITUENTS are available to enable global search capability on persons, companies, and constituents respectively.

   See PeopleTools: Search Technology, “Administering PeopleSoft Search Framework”, Managing Search Context.

   To enable Global Search, see Configuring Global Search task in the installation document for PeopleSoft Customer Relationship Management 9.2, which is available in the PeopleSoft Documentation Portal.

7. Configure options for CRM runtime search pages.

   Note: This step is needed only if you want your search index to be searched automatically when users perform solution search in a CRM component.

   See Configuring Options for Runtime Search Pages.

8. Build search indexes.

   Before users can perform searches at runtime, a search index must be built on the search engine for each deployed search definition. Invoke the PTSF_GENFEED AE program in the Schedule Search Index page to build the index (build the structure and populate it with searchable data based on the associated query).

   Schedule to run incremental index to update existing index and add only documents associated with rows that have been added or updated since the last index build or update.

   See PeopleTools: Search Technology, “Administering PeopleSoft Search Framework”, Working with Search Indexes.

9. Perform test searches.

   Use the Search Test page to test any built search index.

   See PeopleTools: Search Technology, “Working with PeopleSoft Search Framework Utilities”, Using the Search Test Page.