# PeopleTools-Only Upgrade Checklist: Step by Step to 8.61 or 8.62

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/peoplesoft-peopletools-only-upgrade-checklist
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

A step by step checklist for a PeopleTools-only upgrade with DPK and Change Assistant, from certifications to rollback, with the critical steps marked.

## Category

oracle

## Erp

Oracle PeopleSoft

## Audience

- PeopleSoft administrator
- PeopleSoft DBA
- PeopleSoft upgrade lead

## Tool

**Kind:** checklist

**Groups:**

#### Planning

**Items:**

**Text:** Confirm the target PeopleTools release and patch (8.61.xx or 8.62.xx) is certified for your application release in My Oracle Support Certifications

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Check certifications for database version, operating systems, WebLogic, Tuxedo, JDK and browsers for the target release

**Critical:** true

Download the PeopleTools upgrade guide for the target release and the matching Change Assistant upgrade template

List customizations to PeopleTools-owned objects (delivered style sheets, PeopleTools pages, messages, system data) that the upgrade will overwrite

Inventory integrations, COBOL, SQR, nVision, BI Publisher and third-party bolt-ons that depend on PS_HOME

Review release notes for deprecated or removed features and PeopleCode functions used in your code

Reserve disk for a new PS_HOME on every server and space for a full database backup

#### Install the new PeopleTools

**Items:**

Deploy the PeopleTools DPK for the target release on each server, keeping the current PS_HOME in place until cutover

Put site-specific settings (paths, users, ports, domain options) in psft_customizations.yaml instead of editing delivered YAML files

Keep PS_HOME, PS_APP_HOME, PS_CUST_HOME and PS_CFG_HOME separate so tools, application and custom files are replaced independently

**Text:** Install the target-release PeopleTools client, Application Designer and Change Assistant on the Windows upgrade workstation

**Critical:** true

Install and test database client connectivity from the workstation and every server

Download the latest PeopleTools patch for the target release so it is applied in the same window

#### Change Assistant upgrade job

**Items:**

**Text:** Take a full database backup and record the restore procedure before the job starts

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Define the target database environment in Change Assistant with the new PS_HOME and client paths

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Create the PeopleTools upgrade job from the template and run steps in order, never skipping a failed step

**Critical:** true

Let the job run the rel scripts that alter PeopleTools system tables between releases, and review their output

Let the job copy the PeopleTools project, load messages and system data, and run the PeopleTools conversion programs

Apply the target PeopleTools patch as part of or straight after the upgrade job

Review every manual step, warning and error in the Change Assistant logs before marking the job complete

Run SYSAUDIT and DDDAUDIT and resolve new exceptions against your pre-upgrade baseline

#### Post-upgrade configuration

**Items:**

Create application server, Process Scheduler and PIA domains from the new PS_HOME (DPK or psadmin)

Re-apply custom domain settings from the old psappsrv.cfg, psprcs.cfg and web profile, checking for renamed parameters

**Text:** Recompile and relink COBOL against the new PS_HOME

**Critical:** true

Clear application server cache and web server cache before first sign-on

Redeploy the search engine certified for the target release (OpenSearch on current releases, which replaced Elasticsearch) and rebuild search indexes

Update integrationGateway.properties, reload the gateway and re-ping every Integration Broker node

Confirm Process Scheduler runs AE, COBOL, SQR, nVision and BI Publisher jobs

#### Testing

**Items:**

**Text:** Run integration regression for every inbound and outbound service operation

**Critical:** true

Regression test key online transactions on Classic and Fluid pages, including homepages and tiles

Test batch: month-end Application Engine, COBOL and SQR processes with timings compared to baseline

Test sign-on, single sign-on, permission lists and web service access

Test custom PeopleCode and application classes flagged by release notes

Test reporting: PS Query, BI Publisher, nVision and Excel to CI if used

#### Cutover and rollback

**Items:**

Run at least one full rehearsal on a copy of production and record the elapsed time of each step

Freeze PeopleTools and object migrations for the cutover period

**Text:** Back up the production database and keep the old PS_HOME and domains intact

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Document rollback: restore the database backup and restart domains from the old PS_HOME

**Critical:** true

Monitor application server, Process Scheduler and Integration Broker logs closely for the first business days

Remove the old PS_HOME only after an agreed stable period

**Scoring Note:** Critical items are the ones where a miss usually forces a restore or an outage. Release numbers and search engine versions change by patch; confirm in the upgrade guide for your exact target.

## Content

**Intro:** This checklist covers a PeopleTools-only upgrade, where the application release stays the same and PeopleTools moves to 8.61 or 8.62. It follows the DPK and Change Assistant method Oracle documents for current releases.

**Sections:**

#### How to use it

**Body:** Work through the groups in order on a rehearsal copy first, ticking items and exporting the list as the run sheet. Items marked critical are the ones that most often force a restore when missed: certification, backups, the Change Assistant environment definition, running the job in order, COBOL recompile, integration regression and a written rollback. A PeopleTools-only upgrade changes the PeopleTools system tables and binaries, not application data, so most risk sits in the environment rather than in business logic.

**Bullets:**

- Rehearse at least once on a copy of production.
- Time each step so the production window is realistic.
- Keep a list of every manual step you had to repeat.

#### What actually changes

**Body:** The new PS_HOME brings new Tuxedo and WebLogic requirements, new client tools and a new Change Assistant. The upgrade job alters the PeopleTools tables with rel scripts, imports PeopleTools objects, loads messages and system data, and runs conversion programs. Domains are rebuilt from the new PS_HOME, and COBOL must be recompiled. Current releases use OpenSearch in place of Elasticsearch, so a jump from an older 8.5x release usually means a new search deployment and full index rebuild, not just a restart; the certifications for your target patch name the supported search version.

#### Common mistakes

**Body:** The usual problems are an old Change Assistant or client used against the new release, missing database client on the workstation, domains copied from the old PS_CFG_HOME without checking renamed parameters, COBOL not recompiled, and Integration Broker gateway properties pointing at old paths. Another frequent one is not separating PS_CUST_HOME, so customised SQR or COBOL gets overwritten by the new PS_HOME. Finally, teams forget to re-test integrations end to end, and partners only find the break on the first production run.

**Bullets:**

- Do not edit delivered DPK YAML; use psft_customizations.yaml.
- Compare SYSAUDIT before and after, not just after.
- Clear caches before the first test sign-on.

**Cta:** If you want your PeopleSoft team to ask upgrade and configuration questions of their own environment in plain English on site, we can add a private AI layer to it.

**Faq:**

#### What is a PeopleTools-only upgrade?

**Answer:** It moves the PeopleTools technology layer, meaning PS_HOME binaries, system tables, Change Assistant and middleware, to a newer release while the application release, such as HCM 9.2 or FSCM 9.2, stays the same. Application maintenance through PUM images is a separate process, although many sites schedule both together.

#### How do I upgrade a PeopleTools minor release or patch?

**Answer:** A patch within the same release, for example 8.61.05 to 8.61.10, is applied with Change Assistant as a PeopleTools patch: deploy the patched PS_HOME, run the patch job, rebuild domains if needed and clear cache. A move between releases, such as 8.59 to 8.61, uses the full PeopleTools upgrade job described in this checklist.

#### Do I need DPK for a PeopleTools upgrade?

**Answer:** Oracle delivers current PeopleTools releases as DPKs, and the DPK is the documented way to deploy PS_HOME and middleware. You can let the DPK set up domains or deploy only the software and build domains yourself with psadmin. Either way, keep site settings in psft_customizations.yaml.

#### How long does a PeopleTools upgrade take?

**Answer:** It depends on database size, number of customised PeopleTools objects and how much middleware changes. Measure it on a rehearsal copy of production; the Change Assistant job and domain rebuild are usually hours, while testing takes most of the calendar time. Plan the production window from the rehearsal timings plus contingency.

## Search terms

peopletools upgrade steps, peopletools only upgrade, peopletools upgrade dpk deployment script, how to upgrade peopletools minor release, peopletools upgrade 8.62, peopletools upgrade step by step, peopletools 8.61 upgrade checklist

---
Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json