HCM Extracts FAQ for Release 5
Question
What are the database item (DBI) group
names and user entities for the following
items:
- Deduction Code
- Deduction Amount
- Deduction Factor
- Deductions Change Effective Date
Are these available in the
PER_ASG_ASSIGNMENT_DETAIL_UE user
entity?
Can Oracle Transaction Business Intelligence
(OTBI) integrate with Fusion HCM Extract?
Is it possible to capture the data saved in
Flexfields as an extract?
For example: In order to capture the number
of contacts an employee has, you can
include one flexfield to capture the count of
contacts. Can you capture this count in an
extract?
Can you extract any element from the
underlying tables? Does it extract from View
Objects (VOs)? Are the VOs mapped to every
field in the table?
Would HCM Extracts support conversions
and inbound interfaces?
What is an extract type?
Answer
Pay element DBIs are dynamically generated once payroll is defined.
The automatically generated element DBIs should be available in a DBI
groups list, if block is created with user entity
PER_EXT_PAY_EMPLOYEES_UE
Database items (DBIs) are automatically generated when you create
elements. You can use these DBIs in data elements directly. You must
use the PER_EXT_PAY_EMPLOYEE_UE user entity.
Do not use the PER_ASG_ASSIGNMENT_DETAIL because it is not a
valid user entity in HCM Extracts and should not be associated to a
block.
Yes. You have two options:
1: HCM Extracts can extract the data and produce an output using
CSV, XML or PDF. OTBI can then accept a data source in excel or XML
format (SaaS customers will need Oracle to set this up for them).
2: BI Publisher can also accept a data source in excel or XML format
(again SaaS customers will need Oracles help). HCM extracts has
integration with BI Publisher.
There are database item groups available on most of the Person and
Assignment related tables, and if the number of contacts for an
employee is stored in flexfield attributes, then yes, you can extract
this information.
HCM Extracts is based on seeded fast formula meta data (routes, user
entities, database items, DBI groups, etc). Fast formula meta data is
based on seeded SQL queries, and not based on VOs.
The HCM Extracts tool is for outbound interfaces only. You use this
tool to extract data in the supported layouts and deliver that data in
different file formats.
Here is a list of extract types and their descriptions:
1- Full Profile (FULLPRF): Use this type for complete employee and
payroll data archives. You can also use this extract type for all custom
or seeded extracts.
2- Archive Retrieval (ARCRET): Use this type for reports based on

For a 'Changes Only' extract run, can you
include column level changes only? Or will
the extract include the whole row for a
person if the person has a change?
Will Changes only extract work if one of the
DFF was changed?
How does the HCM extract determine that
there are changes in the data?
permanently archived data. For example, payslip. This extract type is
intended for seeded extracts only.
3- Benefits Carrier (BENCARRIER): Use this type for providing data to
3rd party benefits service providers. You can also use this extract type
for custom or seeded extracts.
4- EOY Archive (EOYAR): Use this type for End of Year archives (HR,
payroll, benefits etc.). You can also use this extract type for custom or
seeded extracts.
5- HR Archive (HRAR): Use this type for all HR archives, and you can
also use for custom or seeded extracts.
6- Payroll Archive (PAYAR): Use this type for payroll or payslip
archives. This extract type is intended for seeded extracts only.
7- Payroll Interface (PAYINT): Use this type for providing data to 3rd
party payroll service providers. You can also use this extract type for
custom or seeded extracts.
8- Payments (PAYMENTS): Use this type for salary payment method
archives. For example: paid through cheque, bank transfer. This
extract type is intended for seeded extracts only.
9- Other Payroll Archive (PAYROLLAR): Use this type for all payroll
archives. You can also use this extract type for custom or seeded
extracts.
You can invoke a Changes Only extract run by including the
‘CHANGES_ONLY’ parameter and threading details. This type of
extract can generate incremental data by comparing the previous
runs. There are four modes that we support in the following table:
Parameter
Value Description
N Extract produces full output
Performs a comparison with previous runs and will
display entire row/data under this action if any of the
Y data elements have changed.
Will display elements that have changed or marked as
Attribute mandatory.
Will display elements that have changed or marked as
Attrib_Old mandatory plus the previous value.
Yes, this will work.
Changes only program compares current output (XML) with previous
run (output XML) and deliver the entire changed record.
When you run a Changes Only extract with parameter value as Y,
Attribute, Attrib_Old, the extract program compares current output

What UE or DBI group do you use to include
the social security number?
What UE or DBI group do you use to include
the legal entity name?
Which DBI do you use to gain access to the
Termination Reason at the relationship
level? ‘Person Termination Action Reason’ is
the only attribute available for a leaving or
termination reason.
What is the difference between the
‘Assignment Status Type’ and the ‘Extract
Employee Assignment Status Type’
attributes?
How do you know which one to use?
Can you hard code a space using a data
element? Do you have to select the 'String'
type element?
How do you extract person ID?
How do you attach lookups to parameters?
What is the threading database item and
what is the connection with the extract
block?
How do you determine the threading
database item for each UE? Do you have to
with previous output, and identifies the changed items and extracts
the result.
Use the 'Person Primary NID' DBI. The DBI groups listed while creating
data elements are derived from the User Entities you selected in the
block definition.
The PER_EXT_PAY_EMPLOYEES_UE and
PER_EXT_SEC_ASSIGNMENT_UE
user entities set the context of the person_Id and therefore you can
use the ‘Person Primary NID’ DBI group with either of them.
Use the 'Assignment Legal Employer Name’ DBI. The
PER_EXT_PAY_EMPLOYEES_UE and PER_EXT_SEC_ASSIGNMENT_UE
user entities set the context of Assignment_ id and therefore you can
use the ‘Assignment Legal Employer’ DBI group with either of them.
You can use the 'Person Termination Action Reason' database item
group because it provides you with the termination reason details at
the relationship level.
The 'Extract Employee Assignment Status Type' attribute is a DBI
group which is directly associated with the user entity when defining
the block. The 'Assignment Status Type' attribute is a DBI group which
is associated with a different user entity, and is accessible because of
contexts that have been set (indirectly derived).
Directly associated DBI groups are more efficient compared to
indirect. Therefore, it would be better to use the 'Extract Employee
Assignment Status Type' attribute rather than the 'Assignment Status
Type' attribute because of performance considerations.
No. You can include a space in the EFT/RTF template directly, rather
than creating a data element.
You can use the 'Extract Employee Person Number' DBI group to
extract person ID information. Do not use the 'Person ID' DBI group
because it is an invalid DBI.
You can add lookups to parameters using the Refine HCM Extract task.
A threading database item is required for implementation of the
Changes Only feature. The threading database item is a unique ID in
the chosen user entity.
Generally for Pay Employee UE, Assignment UE it would be DBI with
%ASSIGNMENT%ID. For Person UE, it would be DBI with pattern
%PERSON%ID.
You can declare one threading database item for one extract. You can
declare the threading database item at the root block or any child
block level. For example, you declare the threading database item
from the location where you need changes only.
It is implicit. For example, for the Job UE, the threading database item
would be: ‘%JOB%ID’, for the Contact UE, the threading database
provide a unique element as the database
item? Can this be any unique item? For
example, any ID in that entity?
What is the context in which you identify the
‘threading action type’?
Can you create a user entity?
How do you display flexfield values in an
extract?
How do you schedule an extract?
item would be’ %Contact%ID’.
You should always use “Object Actions” for Adhoc reporting purpose.
No.
Refer to the HCM Extracts User Guide with the attachment document
on HCM Entity Attributes for Extracts for a complete list of user
entities and associated attributes. (Available in My Oracle Support,
Doc ID 1559127.1).
You can configure registered HCM flexfields to add contexts and
segments for your business requirements. After you deploy the
flexfield, you can generate database items for the flexfield for use in
your formulas and extracts by submitting the Generate Flexfield
Database Items process from the Payroll Checklist or Payroll
Calculation work areas.
Refer to the HCM Extracts User Guide for more information on
generating DBIs for flexfields. (Available in My Oracle Support, Doc ID
1559127.1).
You can schedule an extract using a fast formula with ‘Flow Schedule’
as the type. You can select the following options for recursive
scheduling: Daily, Weekly, and Monthly.
Refer to the HCM Extracts User Guide for more information on
scheduling an extract. (Available in My Oracle Support, Doc ID
1559127.1).