Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
Introduction
One of the major challenges consultants have faced over the last couple of years with respect to HCM
Data Load is to automate the entire process of Downloading Data from the HCM Cloud Application,
Making Transformation (Updates/Edits to them) and reloading the same back to the application using
HCM Data Loader.
Things are relatively easy if one is loading data from a legacy application to HCM Cloud as in most cases
one has access to database where they can use pl/sql programs to first get data in HDL format and then
use transformation technique to make changes to data and then upload the HDL file in Oracle HCM
Cloud Application.
Imagine, you are asked to do the entire activity in HCM Cloud itself. Meaning say your application is
already gone live and then there is a requirement to say change the location of all employees in the system
from Location A to Location B . One would need to create a new assignment record which would start
one day after the most recent assignment record. In this scenario one would have to perform the following
steps:
1. Extract All Eligible Records in HDL format
2. Make Changes to the record
3. Upload the new record into application
In this, example we would try to demonstrate the same. For simplicity sake we would only use one
Worker Record (Person#898453 for this example) and just modify the value of one attribute say
“WorkAtHomeFlag”. Which means if the value of “Work from Home” is No or Null the new record
should have a value of Yes and if the value of Work from Home is Yes it should be changed to No.
So without further ado, lets gets started.
Extract All Eligible Records in HDL Format
In one of the previous article (Generating EText Output From HCM Extract In Oracle Fusion HCM
Cloud Application) we have seen how to create eText output.
So, we will create an HCM Extract which will fetch the following fields:
Business Object / Entity Data Field
WorkRelationship PeriodOfServiceId
PersonId
LegalEntityId
DateStart
PrimaryFlag
WorkerNumber
WorkerType
Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
Business Object / Entity Data Field
WorkTerms AssignmentId
PeriodOfServiceId
EffectiveStartDate
EffectiveEndDate
EffectiveSequence
EffectiveLatestChange
AssignmentName
AssignmentNumber
ReasonCode
WorkAtHomeFlag
*Field Highlighted in Green is the one which is to be changed. All other fields are basic fields which are
required for any update/correction action required.
Business Object / Entity Data Field
Assignment AssignmentId
WorkTermsAssignmentId
EffectiveStartDate
EffectiveEndDate
EffectiveSequence
EffectiveLatestChange
AssignmentName
AssignmentNumber
PrimaryAssignmentFlag
PrimaryFlag
ReasonCode
WorkAtHomeFlag
*Field Highlighted in Green is the one which is to be changed. All other fields are basic fields which are
required for any update/correction action required.
We would have two data groups created namely WorkerDataGroup and WorkTermsDataGroup.
WorkerDataGroup is the Root Data Group.
Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
Some Details related to Data Group are in table below:
DataGroupName UserEntity DataGroupFilterCriteria ExtractRecor
ds
WorkerDataGrou PER_EXT_WORK_RELATIONSHI (pps.person_id=30000017 WorkRelatio
p P_ALL_UE 3638388) nship
WorkTermsData PER_EXT_SEC_ASSIGNMENT_U (asg.primary_flag='Y') WorkTerms
Group E Assignment
Also we should have the following Connection between the Root Data Group (WorkerDataGroup) and
WorkTermsDataGroup
Parent Data Group Parent Data Group Child Data Group Child Data Group
Database Item Database Item
WorkerDataGroup Extract Relationship WorkTermsDataGroup Extract Assignment
Period Of Service Id Period of service
Once we have all these details populated we would need to define the Extract Delivery Options. Details
for which are in below table
Attribute Name Attribute Value
Start Date 1/1/2000
End Date 12/31/4712
*Delivery Option Name WorkerHDLData
*Output Type Text
Report /Custom/Practice
Samples/UpdateAssignmentExtractReport.xdo
Template Name UpdateWorkAtHomeFlag
*Output Name Worker
*Delivery Type Inbound Interface
Required Checked
Encryption Mode None
Override File Extension .dat
Integration Name Worker
Integration Type Data Loader
Compressed Delivery Group UpdateAssignment.zip
Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
Make Changes to the Record
Now that we are all set from extracting the data from application. Let’s next try to focus on the
transformation logic applied. We would apply the logic on the eText Template and the reason for the
same is:
1. We do not want to use any transformation in HCM Extract
2. All Transformation are done in eText template
This, however is the approach I followed, and one may choose to have a different rule applied.
Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
As discussed, we would be creating a new record and only try to modify the value of
“WorkAtHomeFlag”. This eventually means that we will have the Effective Start Date value changed to
current value + 1 for both WorkTerms and Assignment Record and the value of “WorkAtHomeFlag”
altered based on current value (i.e from ‘N’ to ‘Y’ , ‘Y’ to ‘N’ or even Null to ‘Y’)
Business Object/Entity Data Field Transformation Logic
WorkTerms EffectiveStartDate INCREASE_DATE(EffectiveStartDate,1)
WorkTerms WorkAtHomeFlag If WorkAtHomeFlag = ‘N’ or
WorkAtHomeFlag is NULL
Then ‘Y’
Else If WorkAtHomeFlag = ‘Y’
Then ‘N’
End If
Assignment EffectiveStartDate INCREASE_DATE(EffectiveStartDate,1)
Assignment WorkAtHomeFlag If WorkAtHomeFlag = ‘N’ or
WorkAtHomeFlag is NULL
Then ‘Y’
Else If WorkAtHomeFlag = ‘Y’
Then ‘N’
End If
Upload the New Record into Application
Once we are done with the above setup we will get Worker.txt file which will have all the data but HDL
only supports .dat file extension and so to ensure we get the file with same filename and also it triggers
the “HCM Data Loader” we have to perform the following steps:
1. Add a parameter named “Auto Load” to the UpdateAssignmentExtract
2. Add “Initiate HCM Data Loader” to UpdateAssignmentExtract payroll flow
Add “Auto Load” Parameter to UpdateAssignmentExtract
We would need to add a new parameter. Details of the parameter are in below table
Attribute Name Attribute Value
Sequence 100
Name Auto Load
Tag Name Auto_Load
Data Type Text
Display Yes
Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
Add Initiate HCM Data Loader Payroll Flow to UpdateAssignmentExtract Payroll Flow
As a next step we would also need to Add “Initiate HCM Data Loader” Payroll flow as part of
UpdateAssignmentExtract Payroll Flow. We can either navigate to Payroll->Checklist->Search for
UpdateAssignmentExtract Payroll Flow Pattern or use Refine Extracts->Search for
UpdateAssignmentExtract
Once the search results are retrieved we need to click on “Edit” (pencil icon) and choose the following
task
Name Initiate HCM Data Loader
Description Generate HCM Data Loader File and optionally perform a Data Load
Task Type Standard Process
*Please make sure to select the payroll flow which has the description of “Generate HCM Data Loader
File and optionally perform a Data Load” as the other payroll flow task which has similar name will not
serve the purpose here (both have different definition)
Once we add the payroll flow task we should click on “Go To Task” and add the following details:
Initiate HCM Data Loader Task Definition: Basic Information (Data Loader Archive Action)
Name Data Loader Archive Action
Execution Mode Submit
Data Type Text
Parameter Basis Bind to Flow Task
Basis Value UpdateAssignmentExtract, Submit , Payroll Process
Usage Input Parameter
Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
Initiate HCM Data Loader Task Definition: Basic Information (Data Loader Configuration)
Name Data Loader Configuration
Execution Mode Submit
Data Type Text
Parameter Basis Constant Bind
Basis Value ImportMaximumErrors=100,
LoadMaximumErrors=100,
LoadConcurrentThreads=8,
LoadGroupSize=100
Usage Input Parameter
Now the setup part is complete.
Verification
In order to confirm that the automatic load process is working as expected we need to perform the
following steps:
1. Verify Application Data Before Load
2. Run UpdateAssignmentExtract
3. Check the Worker.dat file which is zipped inside UpdateAssignment.zip
4. Verify Application Data After Load
Verify Application Data Before Load
We would navigate to Person Management -> Search for Person Number 898453 and check the
Assignment Record.
Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
We could see that the most recent Assignment Record has Effective Start Date as 10/14/18 (i.e
2018/10/14 in YYYY/MM/DD format) and the value of Working at Home field is No
This means that the new Assignment Record should have an Effective Start Date of 10/15/18 (i.e
2018/10/15 in YYYY/MM/DD format) and the value of Working At Home should be Yes.
Run UpdateAssignmentExtract
We would now submit the UpdateAssignmentExtract with Auto Load parameter value as ‘Y’
Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
When we click on “Ok and View Checklist” it would take us to the checklist page where we can check
the status of the tasks.
We can see that the payroll task has successfully completed.
Also, when we check the extract run details for “SampleRun10” we can find that a content id has been
generated (DL_WORKER_1416194)
Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
Check the Worker.dat file zipped inside UpdateAssignment.zip
Once we click on the Download icon next to DL_WORKER_1416494 , UpdateAssignment.zip file gets
downloaded. The zip file contains Worker.dat file which has the HDL file as prepared by combination of
UpdateAssignmentExtract and the UpdateWorkAtHomeFlag eText template. We could see that the
transformation rule have been applied and so the effective start date is 2018/10/15 and also
WorkAtHomeFlag value is ‘Y’
Verify Application Data After Load
Before we look at the Assignment Detail for Person# 898453 let us have a look at the “Import and Load
Data” screen
And now if we quickly look at the Assignment Record for 898453 23 could see that a new assignment
record has got created effective 10/15/2018 and also the Work From Home value has changed to Yes
Loading Data into Oracle HCM Cloud Using Inbound Interface Delivery Option
By: Ashish Harbhajanka
Summary
So, this is how one can automate the HCM data load in Oracle HCM Cloud Application. While I have
only used a single attribute “WorkAtHomeFlag” to demonstrate how this feature works one can use any
other attribute or a combination of attribute and update the same.
You may download the Extract Definition, eText RTF and the sample Worker.dat file from below link:
UpdateAssignmentExtract (Extract Definition)
UpdateWorkAtHomeFlag (eText RTF File)
Worker.dat (Sample File Generated by HCM Extract in this example)
With this I have come to the end of the article and I hope this will be of some use to you all.
Thanks all for your time and have a nice day!
