Glossary terms
A
Academic Structure
Academic Structure is the foundation of PeopleSoft Campus Solutions. It will encompass WSU's schools and colleges, academic programs and departments, and subject areas. The Academic Structure serves as the basis for the course catalog and schedule, grading scheme, and all related tables that must be created prior to implementation.
ADABAS
(acronym for Adaptable DAta BAse System) is a database management system by Software AG. ADABASE is used extensively in the current student information system, AIS, to retrieve and store information.
Admissions
The systems needed in order to admit undergraduate and graduate students to the University.
App Designer
Application Designer - PeopleSoft tool used for development, modifications, etc.
Application (or App) Engine
A tool used to develop batch or online programs that perform high-volume, background processing against data.
B
Backfill
The process of hiring temporary workers to fulfill daily tasks in order to allow members of specific departments to devote more time to an ERP project. Backfill will not be used for WSU's SIS project.
Batch object
A process or program generally used by developers, such as SQR, COBOL or an Application Engine.
Batch Scheduler
A software application that executes a group of jobs without manual intervention, commonly known as batch processing.
BPD
Business Process Document - A document that identifies various work flows within a business unit, e.g. each step in admission application entry; and identifying required reports.
Business Case
A document used to weigh the pros and cons of a CEMLI, including time required, cost, and alternatives to development. If the business case is approved by management, a Functional Specification is created.
Business Process
Steps, both manual and automated, taken to accomplish a business procedure. Example: The process of admitting, billing, registering, and processing financial aid for a student.
Business Unit
An organization or a subset of an organization that is independent with regard to one or more operational or accounting functions.
C
Career
As part of the zzusis implementation, careers have been defined as undergraduate; graduate; Basic Medical Science; Pharmacy; and Veterinary Medicine. Grouping records according to these career categories gives us the flexibility to reflect differences among the careers. A feature of careers is that separate pages will print for transcript records if a student has records in more than one career at WSU.
CEMLI
Abbreviation for the different kinds of changes that can be made to the PeopleSoft application: Configurations, Extensions, Modifications, Localizations and Integrations (CEMLI). Any changes or manipulations, etc. made to the delivered software application.
Change Control
Processes to prevent unapproved, unplanned changes to the PeopleSoft environment(s). This can be driven by regulatory needs, a desire for consistency between instances, or to make sure no CEMLIs are migrated without proper testing and approval.
Change Management
The management of organizational change during a major project. This typically involves a lot of communication with all the people affected, along with training, support, etc. The goal of change management is to help the organization prepare for and accept a new system, rather than rejecting it because it is different from the previous system.
Clear your cache
The process of removing locally stored browser internet files from your computer.
Compass Methodology
PeopleSoft project implementation methodology consisting of six phases: Strategize, Plan, Structure, Construct, Transition, Deploy.
Component
A page or group of pages within PeopleSoft that represent a business process or task. A component holds one or more pages on an individual topic in the Campus Solutions application.
Configuration
Determining and entering WSU-specific values into the Campus Solutions set-up tables. This does not involve changing the application code.
For example:
- Admissions – Admit Types
- Financials – Tuition Rates
- Financial Aid – Budgets
- Records – Majors and Minors
Conversion
A one-time movement of WSU data from the old system (AIS) to the new system (PeopleSoft Campus Solutions) also referred to as Data Conversion.
CRM
Customer Relationship Management - Application used to manage contact with an organization's customers.
CSW
Campus Solutions Warehouse – Off-the-shelf data warehouse for Campus Solutions.
D
DARS
WSU has used DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) software since the 1990s, to track students' progress toward undergraduate degree completion. The last WSU graduating class to be cleared for graduation through DARS will be August 2012. Effective fall 2012, students will use the zzusis Advising Module to check graduation requirements. The zzusis Advising module will include graduate degree requirements and minor requirements, in addition to undergraduate degree requirements.
Database instances
Separate copies of the Campus Solutions application, which vary in terms of what data is contained in the applications: security access, etc. (e.g. Sys, Demo, Discovery, Development, Test, Production, etc.)
Data Warehouse
The repository of electronically stored data used primarily for reporting and analysis. Data Warehouses provide the means to retrieve and analyze data, to extract, transform and load data, and to manage the data dictionary.
Development
The process of creating or modifying the code that makes up the PeopleSoft application performed by software developers.
E
- A process to allow one system to share data with another data
- Could be file transfer to real-time interface
- Two-way, one-way, real-time
- Created after the Functional Specification has been approved.
- A high level discussion of the technical solution prior to starting any development.
- Focused testing effort to ensure that the modification made will do what it is intended to do
- Minimal testing to make sure basic functions work
- Does not test business process
- Last piece of development
- Typically takes place in the development environment
- Automatic notification of different offices, people, modules that an event took place, usually via email.
- Student drops a class, another module or office is notified of the change.
Effective Dating
Effective dates are used to identify and store historical, current, and future information.
Enhancement
A new feature, written by a developer that adds business functionality. Enhancements often include new pages with new business logic and tend to be more complex than modifications. For example, a new set of pages to handle summer financial aid requests would be an enhancement.
Enrollment REQUIREMENTS
This is the zzusis term for prerequisites. Prerequisites will be enforced at the point of registration for fall semester 2012. Prerequisites for all WSU courses can be viewed in the WSU catalog.
F
FAFSA
Free Application for Federal Student Aid - Standard form used by the government to calculate a student's eligibility for federal student financial aid.
Faculty Services
The areas of faculty interface with student records including grade books, teacher assignment data and transcripts. At WSU these services are currently covered by systems such as RoNet, OARS and SRTS.
FDD
Functional Design Document - a document that describes the functional, as opposed to technical, requirements for a given modification. This document is created by people who know the business processes and needs well, and describes what the system needs to do, but not how it needs to be done. A functional design document is used to create a technical approach document.
FERPA
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act - requires that an institution respect an individual's choice as to what, if any, of their personal data is visible externally or given to external 3rd parties. For example, in university publications, telephone directories, parents, etc.
FFELP
Federal Family Education Loan Program – a United States Department of Education program that provides for private organizations to market, originate, and service federally guaranteed loans, such as Stafford and PLUS loans to students and their parents.
Final Configuration
The configuration established to best meet WSU's needs. The system will come online with this configuration.
Financial Aid
The range of services involved in the provision of financial aid to students, both graduate and undergraduate. This includes compliance with a variety of state and federal regulations.
FISAP
Fiscal Operations Report & Application to Participate – colleges and universities must report expenses for Federal Campus-Based programs such as the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study, and the Federal Perkins Loan program using the FISAP process.
Fit/Gap
An important component in the project life cycle. In this phase, a study is made to identify whether the present system fits the requirements. If any gaps are identified, they are recorded in a prescribed format for further evaluation.
Functional Specification
A document used to outline the business requirements of an approved CEMLI in enough detail that a developer can understand specifically what the business needs the CEMLI to do; it describes the requested behavior of a system specifically as it pertains to the end-user. Typically, functional specifications describe what needs to happen and define the outcome of the process. They do not normally describe how the CEMLI will be built. These are given to a developer who turns the functional specification into a technical specification.
G
Go-Live
Moving a new system from a test environment to a production environment. It is normally linked to a date the event will occur.
GSD
Global Solutions Delivery - Off-site PeopleSoft development support.
H
Hosting
Hosting solutions provide the opportunity for the proposed software and hardware solutions to reside and be administered at any location.
I
Implementation
The activities related to the adaptation of the hardware and software to the specific business processes of WSU. Implementation focuses on the training of staff, the schedule for "going live" and data modeling and conversion.
Instance
An instance is a particular self-contained, functioning PeopleSoft application with its own data, logic and processes. An instance usually has a particular purpose and audience, such as testing, exploring, developing new code, etc. Common instances are Production, QA, Test, Development, Prototype, and Demo.
Integration(s)
A technical link between two or more systems in order to share data, business logic, or business processes. The integration can be one-way, meaning data flows in one direction from one system to the other, or it can be bi-directional, meaning data flows in both directions. This could be one PS application to another, such as CRM to Campus Solutions, or it could be between PS and another system, such as the Degree Audit system, or an outside system such as CollegeNET.
Also known as an Interface.
Interoperability
The capability of different programs to exchange data via a common set of exchange formats, to read and write the same file formats, and to use the same protocols.
L
LMS
Learning Management Systems - Software for delivering, tracking and managing training or classes. Some examples include Angel and Blackboard.
M
Migration
When data or CEMLIs are copied from one instance to another, it is called a migration. In many cases CEMLIs migrate from the development instance, through several test instances, to the production instance.
Modification
A technical change to an out-of-the-box PeopleSoft system. For example, adding fields to a page, changing the logic of the application, and rearranging a page are all examples of modifications. These can range from simple to very complex.
Modular Testing
Step 2 in the testing phase. Includes performing tests start to finish within a module to be sure the systems are working together and properly.
O
OBIEE
Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition Plus, also known as OBIEE Plus, is Oracle's set of business intelligence tools consisting of former Siebel and Hyperion business intelligence offerings.
OCS
Oracle Consulting Services - Oracle Consultants working with the WSU project team on implementing PeopleSoft.
On-line object
These can be accessed by PeopleSoft Application Designer (e.g. fields, records, etc.).
Oracle
A company that provides complete, open and integrated business software and hardware systems. PeopleSoft is an Oracle product.
P
PAGE
Displays the data entered and viewed within a user's web browser.
PATCH
An incremental software update as needed that fixes bugs or addresses issues with the system.
PEOPLECODE
A proprietary language, executed by the PeopleSoft Enterprise component processor. PeopleCode generates results based on existing data or user actions. By using various tools provided with PeopleTools, external services are available to all PeopleSoft Enterprise applications wherever PeopleCode can be executed.
PEOPLESOFT PORTAL
The PeopleSoft Enterprise Information Portal provides a single entry point to locate the documentation, training, and other useful information needed to help with implementation processes and improve daily experience with Oracle products.
PEOPLETOOLS
Development framework upon which PeopleSoft is built.
PERFORMANCE/LOAD TESTING
Testing the computer hardware upon which the software is running to determine how well a system performs under a heavy load of many users, complex transactions, or both. Also known as Pref. Testing.
PLAN
An area of study—such as a major, minor, or specialization—that exists within an academic program or academic career. Also known as Academic Plan.
PORTAL
A secure website that provides content access and links to other websites and pages. An example of a portal is myWSU, which will be replaced with the new zzusis portal as part of this project.
PROCESS SCHEDULER
A PeopleSoft server that manages and monitors processes scheduled to run in the background.
PROGRAM
Academic Program - The entity to which a student applies and is admitted and from which the student graduates.
Q
QA Testing
Quality Assurance Testing – Final round of testing before migrating a CEMLI to the production environment. QA Testing is usually performed by a different group of people than those who performed previous testing steps, such as unit and system testing. The intention of QA testing is to verify that the CEMLI will work correctly in production, and that it passes all of the previous tests.
R
Regression Testing
Re-testing to validate that a system was not affected by the application of a bundle or CEMLI, conversion, etc.
Reporting & Analytics
The ability of the institution to generate required and ad hoc reports for federal and state reporting, internal studies, surveys, assessment and accreditation as well as basic data related to strategic planning.
S
SAP
Satisfactory Academic Progress - SAP is based on the number of credits students enroll in per semester, their term and cumulative grade point average(s) as well as the length of enrollment at WSU in addition to any transfer courses accepted by the university. WSU expects students to maintain academic standards of excellence and make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree objectives. Undergraduate students are in good academic standing if both their current WSU semester and cumulative grade point averages are 2.00 or above. Students not meeting the criteria above are considered academically deficient.
SECURITY PERMISSIONS
Permission lists which are defined areas (e.g. pages, components, etc.) to which roles are attached in order to restrict access within the Campus Solutions application.
SECURITY ROLES
End-users are assigned to roles and then attached to permission lists which grant specific access within the Campus Solutions application
SELF-SERVICE
The portal constitutes the means by which students, staff, faculty and others gain secure access to personal information, other content centrally held, and useful electronic tools as a self-service mechanism.
SETID
High-level key that identifies a set of data rows.
SEVIS
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System – A government system to track foreign exchange students. Universities are required to provide student information updates to the government.
SHOPPING CART
This feature, familiar to anyone who shops online, will be part of the Student Record module in zzusis. Students can place classes into their shopping cart prior to registration, and students can choose to enroll from their shopping carts. Advisors can also see students' shopping carts.
SIS
Student Information System – A mainframe-based system in use at WSU and many other universities across the country. It is the primary source of student information and records for the university. PeopleSoft Campus Solutions is replacing this system.
SIT
System Integration Testing - Step 3 in testing phase. An organized systematic testing of all modules including converted data with CEMLI and interfaces in place.
SLA
Service Level Agreement - A negotiated agreement between two parties where one is the customer and the other is the service provider.
SQL
Structured Query Language - A standard interactive programming language for querying and modifying data and managing databases.
SQR
Structured Query Reporter - A programming language designed for generating reports from database management systems.
SYSTEM INTEGRATION TESTING
An extension of User Testing to include other systems. For example, if integration to another system was developed, the integration test would include a test in both systems to verify that the entire business process was successful.
SYSTEM TESTING
Testing an object in the context of the system to make sure it interacts properly with other parts of the system, for example, other Campus Solutions modules.
STUDENT ADVISING / DEGREE AUDIT
The processes necessary for undergraduate and graduate students to receive appropriate faculty and departmental academic advising and assure reviews of their progress towards graduation.
STUDENT FINANCIALS / BUSINESS PROCESSES
This area includes those processes necessary to bill, receive and track payments by students.
STUDENT RECORDS
Student Records is a broad area including, but not limited to, course grades, transcripts, class schedules, major, GPA, etc.
T
TABLE
An underlying structure that holds set-up information and transaction data in an application.
TECHNICAL DESIGN DOCUMENT OR
TECHNICAL APPROACH DOCUMENT
A document written by a senior developer that is based on the Functional Specification. Its purpose is to define the approach that a developer should take in building the modification, enhancement, or integration, but does not specify every detail. It may specify what tool should be used, considerations, complex logic, etc. The Technical Specification is based on the technical approach document and is written during or after the actual development of the object.
See Technical Specification.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
A very detailed description of how a modification, enhancement, or integration is built, all of the pieces that are used, logic included, database objects used, etc. The audience is other developers, and its purpose is to allow another developer to quickly understand how an object works, what changes have been made to it over time, and all the steps required to make it work in the PeopleSoft Production instance.
TECHNOLOGY / INTEGRATION / ARCHITECTURE
This area includes the hardware configurations, security safeguards, software integration and overall organization of the data systems.
TEST CASES
Individual test scenarios that together make up a test plan. For instance, a test plan to assess enrollment might include several test cases, such as an international student enrollment, a returning student enrollment, a summer enrollment, etc. Each of these specific scenarios is a test case.
TEST PLAN
High level description of how a particular CEMLI will be tested. It does not necessarily include individual test cases. See Test Suite.
TEST SCRIPTS
Automated or manual instruction of testing. Step-by-step process of testing different parts of the system that a functional person can follow to execute a test plan/test suite.
TEST SUITE
A collection of test cases intended to test all of the different possible scenarios for the process or object being tested. It is very important that the test plans be thorough so that there are no surprises when the process or module is in production.
TESTING
Process of confirming the configuration behaves as expected. Testing occurs in various area including Developer Testing, Unit Testing, and Integration Testing.
TIME TRACKER
A time keeping system for all personnel working on the WSU zzusis project to track any time spent directly working on the project.
TRIGGER
An action or event that causes another action or event.
U
Unit Testing
Step 1 in testing phase: Test business processes and CEMLIs (touch every line of code once but not thoroughly).
The first stage in testing a modification, enhancement, or integration. The developer uses a test plan supplied by the functional users to verify that the object works as it is supposed to with the different test cases. If there are problems, the developer fixes the modification until it successfully passes all cases in the test plan. The next step is User Testing. Developer testing does NOT test interaction of the module with other parts of the system, or other systems.
UPK
User Productivity Kit – Oracle provided training and testing tool.
User Acceptance Testing
Tests performed by the functional owner of the system to determine whether the additions or changes to the system are ready to move into production.
User Testing
Consists of a functional user testing a modification, enhancement, or integration using the same test plan used by the developer. This takes place in the test environment. It is essentially a way to verify that the developer testing was accurate and that the module works as the functional users expect it too. If there are problems, the developer fixes those problems in the development environment and the testing process starts over. This does not test integration of the module with parts of the system or other systems. The next step is Integration Testing.
W
WAITLISTS
Starting with registration for fall 2012, waitlists will be available for every class. Students can place themselves on waitlists, as a request to be enrolled. As spaces become available in classes, students will be automatically enrolled from the waitlists.
Web Service
Standardized way of programmatically integrating web based applications over an internet connection.
Workflow
A means to automate a business process to increase efficiency and ensure that all the steps of a business process are completed. It often includes approvals at defined steps before the process can continue. Example: flow of forms requiring approval from one place to another
X
XML Publisher
XML Publisher is a template-based reporting solution that separates the data extraction process from the report layout and allows the reuse of extracted application data into multiple report layouts. XML Publisher uses select features from Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher (BI Publisher) that have been integrated into PeopleTools.
Z
zzusis
zzusis is the name of the soon to be released new student portal as well as the Student Information System project. zzusis was the winning submission in the student naming contest held by ASWSU in Fall 2010.