Capturing Analytic Instances

This chapter provides an overview of the Analytic Instance Capture Utility and discusses how to:

• Capture analytic instance data.

• Import analytic instance data.

Understanding the Analytic Instance Capture Utility

When customers report a problem in an application that uses PeopleSoft Analytic Calculation Engine or PeopleSoft Optimization Framework, they often need to send the relevant data and metadata to PeopleSoft engineers who can then review the problem. Using the Analytic Instance Capture Utility, customers can package the data and metadata in a form that they can send to PeopleSoft for analysis and debugging. PeopleSoft developers than employ the Analytic Instance Capture Utility to “unpackage” (import) the data for analysis.

The Analytic Instance Capture Utility works across platforms. For example, there should be no problem if a customer exports data from an Oracle database and then PeopleSoft user support imports it into Microsoft SQL Server. The same is true if the data is exported, for instance, from a UNIX platform and imported into Windows.

Note. The machines being used to import and export data must be on identical versions of PeopleTools.

The Analytic Instance Capture Utility is not intended to handle major problems, such as crashes. Instead, it focuses on data problems—for example, when customers discover incorrectly calculated application data and want PeopleSoft developers to help determine the source of these calculations errors.

Note. Before using the Analytic Instance Capture Utility to communicate with PeopleSoft support, you should attempt to diagnose the problem by using the Analytic Model Viewer.

See Viewing and Debugging Analytic Models.

Capturing Analytic Instance Data

You need to capture the relevant data and metadata before sending it to PeopleSoft support for diagnosis. You can capture the data by loading an analytic instance and then exporting it with the Analytic Instance Capture Utility.

By default, the Analytic Instance Capture Utility exports the analytic instance to a directory that it creates entitled <PS_HOME>\appserv\<domain>\LOGS\<analytic instance><timestamp>. For example, if you export an analytic instance named ACEINST, the resulting export directory is named something like <PS_HOME>\appserv\<domain>\LOGS\ACEINST_20041113_015912. A valid export directory will by default include the following files. If not, the export was not successful:

• The utility registration file items.reg.

• One or more data cache files named data_1.bin, data_2.bin, and so forth.

• Two .txt files, exportResults.txt and importDirections.txt. The exportResults.txt file contains explicit details on how to export your metadata to a project. The importDirections.txt file contains details on how to import this particular analytic instance.

See Loading and Unloading Analytic Instances.

Pages Used to Export Analytic Instances

Exporting Analytic Instances

Access the Export Instance page:

To export an analytic instance:

1. Load the analytic instance.

   See Loading and Unloading Analytic Instances.

2. Access the Export Instance page.

3. Optionally, select whether to filter the loaded analytic instances, either by analytic type or by model name.

4. Click Search to display the designated loaded analytic instances.

5. Click the option button to the left of the analytic instance that you want to export.

   Although you can load multiple analytic instances, you can export only one at a time.

6. Click Export Instance.

   Under Export Result, a message indicates the status of the export operation. This message lists:

   • The instance name and whether it was exported successfully.

   • The export machine.

   • The export directory.

   • A message about the exportResults.txt file.

7. Retrieve the exportResults.txt file for specific details on how to export this analytic instance.

8. In PeopleSoft Application Designer, create a project that has the same name as the export directory that was created during the export procedure.

   Remember, the export process creates a directory whose name consists of the analytic instance name followed by the date and timestamp. For example, if the analytic instance is named ACEINST, the directory might be named ACEINST_20041113_015912.

   See Working With Projects.

9. Select Insert, Definitions into Project and insert the items listed in the exportResults.txt file into the project.

10. Save the project.

11. Select Tools, Copy Project, To File.

12. Select <PS_HOME>\appserv\<domain>\LOGS\<analytic instance><timestamp> as the export directory and then click Copy.

13. Zip the contents of <PS_HOME>\appserv\<domain>\LOGS\<analytic instance><timestamp> and send it to PeopleSoft user support.

Importing Analytic Instance Data

After the customer packages the analytic instance and sends it to PeopleSoft user support, user support must import that data to diagnose the customer issue.

Pages Used to Import Analytic Instances

Importing Analytic Instances

To import an analytic instance:

1. Unzip the packaged analytic instance into the directory of your choice—for example, c:\TEMP.

2. Read the importDirections.txt file for explicit details about how to import this analytic instance.

3. In PeopleSoft Application Designer, select Tools, Copy Project, From File.

4. Search for the project named <analytic instance><timestamp>.

   This project, which is the result of the export functionality, should be located in the c:\TEMP\<analytic instance> directory. For example, if the analytic instance is named ACEINST, the directory would be named something like c:\TEMP\ACEINST_20041113_015912.

5. Access the Create Analytic Instance page and create an analytic instance named <analytic instance>—for example, ACEINST.

   See Creating, Deleting, and Copying Analytic Instances.

6. Access the Analytic Instance Load/Unload page and perform these steps:

   See Loading and Unloading Analytic Instances.

   1. Select the name of the directory you just created.

   2. Select the Import From File check box.

   3. Enter the import directory name under File Directory.

   4. Click the Load Analytic Instance button.