In this article we will look into the Payroll Batch Loader (PBL) Transformation Formula and HCM Data Loader (HDL) Transformation Formula and how to make the existing PBL formula get working without having to write custom HDL FF.
Oracle came up with a package which can be imported using the Manage Configuration Packages option under Setup and Maintenance.
As part of this package, they have provided us with a payroll flow, two HDL FFs and other supporting table based valuesets.
Table of Contents
Payroll Flow Name:
Load data from PBL File (Seeded one for HDL FF being Load data from File)
HDL Fast Formulas:
- PBL to HDL Element Entry (Used for Element Entry object)
- PBL to HDL Other Objects (Used for Payroll Relationship, External Bank Accounts and Personal Payment Method objects)
Valuesets (Table based):
These valuesets will be used by the above two fast formulas to get the required information from the payroll flow input values, element name, assignment information, costing information, Legislative information, Logging information and request information.
PAY_LOADER_ASG_NUMBER_VS
PAY_LOADER_ELEMENT_VS
PAY_LOADER_ENTRY_ASG_DETAILS_VS
PAY_LOADER_ENTRY_COST_VS
PAY_LOADER_ENTRY_DETAILS_VS
PAY_LOADER_ENTRY_IV_VS
PAY_LOADER_ENTRY_LDG_VS
PAY_LOADER_PPM_BANK_VS
PAY_LOADER_FLOW_PARAMS_VS
PAY_LOADER_FORMULA_VS
PAY_LOADER_LOGGING_VS
PAY_LOADER_MESSAGE_DATA_TYPE_VS
PAY_LOADER_PERSON_NUMBER_VS
PAY_LOADER_REQUEST_ID_VS
The Payroll Flow “Load data from PBL File” is a copy of “Load data from File” and the input parameters for this flow are:
Content ID – This the Content ID of the Input File
Transformation Formula – This will be the HDL Formula. We need to provide one of the above Formulas provided by Oracle(listed above).
PBL Transformation Formula – This is an optional parameter. If you are using an existing PBL Formula, you can input it here, else you can prepare the input file in the PBL standard format which doesn’t require any Fast Formula or you can create a new PBL formula if the input file isn’t in the standard format.
Maximum Concurrent Threads for Import – Used by the Initiate Data Loader process to set the multi-threading processes for Import.
Maximum Concurrent Threads for Load – Used by the Initiate Data Loader process to set the multi-threading processes for Load.
Process Configuration Group – This is used to specify the multi threading capability for Generate Data Loader file process and also add Logging Category of G whenever required.
“PBL To HDL Element Entry” formula
In PBL, the Element Entry supports the creation of Element Entry, Entry Value, Cost Allocation and Cost Allocation Account information using single row of data.
However this logic is split into multiple business objects in HDL. For Element Entry is one DAT file with multiple lines fro Entry Values, Cost Allocation is another DAT file and Cost Allocation Account is another DAT file. So whatever we could achieve in PBL using single line of data will be split into three HDL files ElementEntry.dat, CostAllocationV3.dat and CostAllocationAccountV3.dat.
This payroll flow will generate all these three files and zip them and process them using HDL. The HDL process will process them sequentially as Element Entry, Cost Allocation and then Cost Allocation Account in the same sequence.
The Configuration Package can be downloaded from Cloud Customer Connect at link – https://cloudcustomerconnect.oracle.com/posts/2059c0d22d
Here are the details of that post:
There are two documents on that link.. Once is a PDF with the steps and the other is the actual configuration package that must be uploaded.
Patterns supported by this package:
PBL to HDL by reusing the existing PBL formula:
PBL to HDL by reusing the existing PBL default layout which does not have a PBL transformation formula:
Simple Layout to HDL by using a new formula:
In all of the above cases we use the “Load Data from PBL File” flow.
Once this package has been imported (Steps on the PDF document on Cloud Connect post) follow the below steps to run the process:
Navigate to My Client Groups > Payroll > Submit a Flow (Responsive UI) or
Payroll > Checklist > Submit a Payroll Flow (Classic UI)
Search for “Load Data from PBL File” and click next
Provide the Input parameters and submit the flow. It will generate the HDL file and load it. We can check the status of it on Import and Load data screen under Data Exchange.
The Configuration Package can be downloaded from Cloud Customer Connect at link – https://cloudcustomerconnect.oracle.com/posts/2059c0d22d
Hope this was a good read.
If you have used this package and have some feedback or if you know any known issues with this package, let me know through comments section.
