Support recommends you keep your system current by upgrading to and applying the latest PeopleTools patches and updates. The PeopleTools Adoption Policy for Campus Solutions 9.0 (Doc ID 1365646.1) will help you recognize which versions of PeopleTools give you the best chance for success.
Regardless of the PeopleTools version you are using, you will want to make sure to you the correct and latest version of the Release Adapter.
Excerpt from CS Tools Adoption Policy
Campus Solutions continuous delivery model releases 4 bundles each year. Without major CS application releases forcing a common PeopleTools upgrade and baseline, CS Application Development needed to determine a point in time to start delivering enhancements to customers using new PT features. Working with the HEUG Technical Advisory Group (TAG), the PeopleTools and Campus Solutions development teams have defined a PeopleTools adoption policy that provides reasonable options for customers to stay current on PT, while adopting new features in CS. This new policy builds upon the Tools 8.50 minimum requirement for Campus Solutions that was instituted in July 2011. The basic policy is as follows: Campus Solutions customers will need to proceed with a Tools upgrade no later than 24 months after a specific Tools release becomes generally available. This approach has some built in flexibility for customers, but also allows the CS product to incorporate, over time, new capabilities that are delivered in PeopleTools releases.
Customers may want to consider these options when completing their Tools upgrade planning:
Option A: Upgrade to each new PeopleTools release every 12–15 months
•Advantage: Early access to new features and functions, certified on latest technology
•Risk: Annual upgrade planning and workload, coordination with application maintenance
Option B: Upgrade to every other new release in 20–24 month intervals
•Advantage: Environment stability, less effort spent on upgrade activity
•Risk: Delayed access to new functionality, PTools P1 support only during Critical Patch window
For your reference, here are the PeopleTools release dates:
Tools 8.50 – Sept 2009
Tools 8.51 – Sept 2010
Tools 8.52 – Oct 2011
Tools 8.53 – Feb 2013
Using the above PeopleTools release dates, here is a guide to help calculate the date by which one would need to upgrade to a minimal Tools version to be in conformity with the Campus Tools Adoption policy:
Tools 8.51 GA Sept 2010 + 24 months = Should be upgraded to Tools 8.51 or higher by Sept 2012
Tools 8.52 GA Oct 2011 + 24 months = Should be upgraded to Tools 8.52 or higher by Oct 2013
Tools 8.53 GA Feb 2013 + 24 months = Should be upgraded to Tools 8.53 or higher by Feb 2015
Note: By complying with the above minimum Tools version and dates you are in conformity with the Campus Tools Adoption policy. However, specific features may require a higher Tools version than this minimum Tools requirement. These Tools prerequisites will be stated specifically in the bundle documentation and in this Knowledge Document.
Finding the Latest Version of Release Adapter
Regardless of the PeopleTools version you are using you will need to get the latest version of the Release Adaptor to ensure that objects that are not applicable to your version of PeopleTools are removed from the project. Doc ID 1486291.1 (E-UPD Using Specific Release Adaptor Versions: Project Contains an Invalid Definition Type and Cannot be Opened) will keep you up-to-date on the latest Release Adapter version and where you can obtain it.
As of the writing of this article, the latest version of Release Adapter can be found in Patch 17631599 (Update ID 902126). Always use the latest patch, as it replaces all previously released Release Adapter patches.
After applying a patch/bundle, always review the release adaptor log file and verify no issues are present.