10 Synchronizing with Oracle Human Resources

Modifying Additional Oracle Human Resources Attributes for Synchronization

To include additional Oracle Human Resources attributes for synchronization, follow these steps:

1. Copy the oraclehragent.cfg.master file and name it anything other than Agent_Name.cfg. This is because the Oracle Directory Integration Platform generates a configuration file with that name, using it to pass the configuration information to the Oracle Human Resources agent at run time.

2. Include an additional Oracle Human Resources attribute for synchronization by adding a record to this file. To do this, you need this information:

   • Table name in the database from which the attribute value is to be extracted. These tables are listed in Table 10-1. The file uses abbreviated names for the four tables used in the synchronization.

   • Column name in the table.

   • Column data type. Valid values are ASCII, NUMBER, and DATE.

   You also need to assign an attribute name to the column name. This acts as the output tag that is used to identify this attribute in the output file. This tag is used in the mapping rules to establish a rule between the Oracle Human Resources attribute and the Oracle Internet Directory attribute.

   You must also ensure that the map column—that is, the last column in the record—is set to the value Y.

   Note:

   If you add a new attribute in the attribute list, then you must define a corresponding rule in the orclodipAttributeMappingRules attribute. Otherwise the Oracle Human Resources attribute is not synchronized with the Oracle Internet Directory even if it is being extracted by the Oracle Human Resources connector.

Excluding Oracle Human Resources Attributes from Synchronization

To exclude an Oracle Human Resources attribute that is currently being synchronized with Oracle Internet Directory:

1. Copy the oraclehragent.cfg.master file and name it anything other than Agent_Name.cfg. This is because the directory integration server generates a configuration file with that name, using it to pass the configuration information to the Oracle Human Resources connector at run time.

2. Do one of the following:

   • Comment out the corresponding record in the attribute list by putting a number sign (#) in front of it.

   • Set the value of the column map to N.

Configuring a SQL SELECT Statement in the Configuration File to Support Complex Selection Criteria

If the previous supporting attribute configuration is not sufficient to extract data from the Oracle Human Resources database, then the Oracle Human Resources agent can also execute a preconfigured SQL SELECT statement in the configuration file. There is a tag to indicate this in the configuration file, namely, a [SELECT] in the configuration file.

The following example shows a sample select statement to retrieve some information from the Oracle Human Resources database. Note that only the SQL statement should follow the [SELECT] tag. The BINDVAR bind variable needs to be there to retrieve incremental changes. The substitutes passes this value (the time stamp) to the Oracle Human Resources connector.

All the column expressions retrieved in the SELECT statement must have column names—for example, REPLACE(ppx.email_address),'@ORACLE.COM','') is retrieved as EMAILADDRESS. The Oracle Human Resources connector writes out EMAILADDRESS as the attribute name in the output file with its value as the result of the expression REPLACE(ppx.email_address),'@ORACLE.COM'''.

The following is an example of a a SELECT statement in a configuration file.

[SELECT]

SELECT
     REPLACE(ppx.email_address,'@ORACLE.COM','') EMAILADDRESS ,
     UPPER(ppx.attribute26) GUID,
     UPPER(ppx.last_name) LASTNAME,
     UPPER(ppx.first_name) FIRSTNAME,
     UPPER(ppx.middle_names) MIDDLENAME,
     UPPER(ppx.known_as) NICKNAME,
     UPPER(SUBSTR(ppx.date_of_birth,1,6)) BIRTHDAY,
     UPPER(ppx.employee_number) EMPLOYEEID,
     UPPER(ppos.date_start)  HIREDATE
FROM
   hr_organization_units hou,
   per_people_x ppx,
   per_people_x mppx,
   per_periods_of_service ppos
  WHERE
      pax.supervisor_id  = mppx.person_id(+)
  AND pax.organization_id = hou.organization_id(+)
  AND ppx.person_id = ppos.person_id
  AND ppx.person_id = pax.person_id
  AND ppos.actual_termination_date IS NULL
  AND UPPER(ppx.current_employee_flag) = 'Y'
  AND ppx.last_update_date >= (:BINDVAR,'YYYYMMDDHH24MISS')

Preparing for Synchronization

To prepare for synchronization between Oracle Human Resources and Oracle Internet Directory, follow these steps:

1. Ensure that the Oracle Human Resources connector and the directory integration server are installed on the host from which you want to run the Oracle Human Resources connector.

2. Ensure that you have the information for accessing the Oracle Human Resources system, including:

   • Connect string to the Oracle Human Resources system database

   • Access account

   • Password

3. Configure an integration profile for the Oracle Human Resources connector, as described in "Task 1: Configure a Directory Integration Profile for the Oracle Human Resources Connector". Ensure that all values in the integration profile are properly set, including:

   • Oracle Human Resources attribute list

   • Oracle Human Resources attribute mapping rules

   • Scheduling interval

4. Once everything is properly set, set the Profile Status attribute to ENABLE. This indicates that the Oracle Human Resources connector is ready to run.

5. Start the Oracle directory server and the Oracle Human Resources system if they are not already running on the respective hosts.

6. When everything is ready, start the directory integration server if it is not already running on this host.