Oracle Fusion HCM Extract Changes Only Mode (All Attributes vs Changed Attributes)

Oracle Fusion HCM Extract is one of the most used tools for extracting data from HCM Cloud.
When we run extracts daily/weekly, most of the time we don’t want the full output — we only want data that changed after the previous run.

If you want to see output for Changed and Marked Attribute with Previous Value - visit Link

For this requirement, Oracle provides Changes Only Mode in HCM Extracts.

In this blog you will learn:

What is baseline in Changes Only mode
How to enable Changes Only in Extract Definition
Difference between:
- All Attributes
- Changed Attributes
How to test changes using Person Management

🎥 Step-by-Step Video

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✅ What is Changes Only Mode in HCM Extract?

Changes Only mode helps you extract:

Only changed records since last run
Only changed attributes
Changed + marked attributes
Previous values (old data) for auditing

📌 Available Changes Only Parameters

When you submit the extract, you will see these modes:

All Attributes
Changed Attributes
Changed and Marked Attributes
Changed and Marked Attributes with previous value
Changed, Marked Attributes under threading group
Changed, Marked Attributes, previous data under threading group

👉 In this blog we will cover the first 2 modes:

All Attributes
Changed Attributes

✅ Requirement (Business Scenario)

Create HCM Extract with Changes Only enabled
Change a worker record
Run extract again and fetch only the changed record

✅ Navigation to Create Extract

Go to:

My Client Groups → Data Exchange → Extract Definitions → Create (+)

Step 1: Create Extract Definition

Field	Value
Name	PersonData_Change
Start Date	Any date
Type	Full Profile
Changes Only	✅ Enable

Step 2: Create Data Group

Field	Value
Name	Person_Details
Tag Name	Person_Details
User Entity	PER_EXT_SEC_PERSON_UE
Threading Database Item	Extract Person ID
Threading Action Type	Object actions
Root Data Group	✅ Enable

⭐ What is Threading Database Item?

If you implement Changes Only Extract, it is mandatory to define a Threading Database Item.

It should be the unique identifier for the selected User Entity.

Example:

Person User Entity → Person ID
Assignment User Entity → Assignment ID

Step 3: Create Record

Field	Value
Sequence	10
Name	Person_Details
Tag Name	Person_Details
Type	Detail Record
Process Type	Fast Formula

Step 4: Create Attributes (Sample)

1️⃣ Person ID (Key Attribute)


Person_ID

Field	Value
Name	Person_ID
Tag Name	Person_ID
Data Type	Number
Type	Database Item Group
Database Item Group	Extract Person ID
Output Column	1
Key Attribute	✅ Enable

⭐ Why Key Attribute is Required?

In Changes Only mode, you must configure at least one Key Attribute to uniquely identify each output row.

2️⃣ Person Full Name

Field	Value
Name	Person_FullName
Data Type	Text
Database Item Group	Person Full Name
Output Column	2

3️⃣ Person Gender

Field	Value
Name	Person_Gender
Data Type	Text
Database Item Group	Person Gender
Output Column	3

4️⃣ Person Date of Birth

Field	Value
Name	Person_DOB
Data Type	Date
Database Item Group	Person Date Of Birth
Output Column	4

Step 5: Define Delivery Option

Field	Value
Delivery Option Name	Data
Output Type	Data
Output Name	Data
Delivery Type	None

Step 6: Compile & Validate Extract

Navigate to:

Extract Execution Tree → Compile formulas → Validate

Once validation is successful, submit the extract.

✅ Testing Changes Only Mode (Real Example)

Mode 1: All Attributes (Baseline)

Submit extract with parameter:

✅ All Attributes

Output

It will extract full data output at that point of time.

📌 This run becomes your baseline.

If you want to see step by step video for visit Link

Make a Change in Person Record

Now go to:

My Client Groups → Person Management

Open any worker
Change Person Name
Save

Mode 2: Changed Attributes

Now run extract again with:

✅ Changed Attributes

Output

Extract will compare with the previous baseline run
It will fetch only those records which changed after last run

So you will get only changed worker in output.

If you want to see step by step video for Changed and Marked Attribute - visit Link

⭐ Other Modes (Quick Explanation)

Changed and Marked Attributes

This mode fetches:

Changed records
Plus attributes marked as change

What is “Marked as Change”?

At attribute level, you can enable:

✅ Marked as Change

Meaning:
Even if that attribute didn’t change, it will still be included in output when the record changes.

If you want to see details for Changed and Marked Attribute with Previous Value - visit Link

Changed and Marked Attributes with Previous Value

This mode fetches:

Changed records
Changed + marked attributes
Old values (previous values) for auditing

🔗 Internal Links

Oracle Fusion HCM Extract – Complete Guide
Oracle HDL Load Worker Data
Oracle HDL Common Errors and Fixes
Oracle Fusion HCM Technical Interview Questions
Oracle eText Template BIP Report

⭐ FAQs

Q1. What is Changes Only mode in HCM Extract?

Changes Only mode allows you to extract only those records that changed since the last extract run (baseline).

Q2. What is baseline in HCM Extract Changes Only?

Baseline is the previous successful extract output used for comparison in the next run.

Q3. Is threading database item mandatory for changes only extract?

Yes, threading database item is mandatory because it uniquely identifies records for change tracking.

Q4. What is the difference between All Attributes and Changed Attributes?

All Attributes returns full data output and is used as baseline, while Changed Attributes returns only changed records after baseline.

Q5. What is Marked as Change in HCM Extract?

Marked as Change forces an attribute to appear in output whenever a record changes, even if that attribute did not change.

⭐ Overview

Oracle Fusion HCM Extract

Sunday, 2 May 2021