Oracle Workflow Interview Questions

Workflow Interview Questions

What is workflow and what are the benefits of using workflow?

Oracle Workflow is a graphical tool that allows you to create, track and modify the business process, embedded in the Oracle database server, it can monitor the workflow activity statuses.

Benefits: 

• Create a clear business process definition
• Automate the business routings
• Monitor the process
• Allow users to define their own business process to suit their organization needs.
• Readily change the business process definitions in case of a change business process

Oracle Workflow Builder

what are the steps involved in oracle workflow?

Design & create a Workflow using Oracle Workflow Builder start the Oracle Workflow process from pl/sql integrate Oracle Workflow with pl/sql for validation and DML etc. build Oracle Workflow Notifications attach roles/people to notifications in Oracle Workflow.

What are the various ways to kick-off a workflow? 

You can either use wf_engine.start_process or you can attach a runnable process such that it subscribes to a workflow event.

What is lookuptypes?

A lookup type is a static list of values. These lists can be referenced by activities and by item type, message or activity attributes.

When starting (kicking off) an oracle workflow process, how do you ensure that it happens in a background mode?

1. If initiating the process using start_process, do the below

wf_engine.threshold := -1;

wf_engine.createprocess(l_itemtypetitemkeyRYOUR PROCESS NAMES');

wf_engine.startprocess(l_itemtype, l_itemkey)

2. When initiating the workflow process through an event subscription, set the Execution Condition Phase to be equal to or above 100 for it to be executed by the background process.

Give me one example where apps use partitioning in Oracle workflow?

 WF_LOCAL_ROLES

Can you send blob attachments via workflow notifications? 

Yes, you can send BLOB Attachments.

What is runnable Check box?

We can’t run the process directly if a runnable checkbox is unchecked.

When will an activity be deferred in Oracle workflow?

Activity cost > Workflow Engine threshold

activity is deferred when the activity cost is greater than the Workflow Engine threshold. If the activity cost = 0 or if the activity cost is less than the Workflow Engine threshold, the activity will become Active.

Does Oracle 10g support rule-based optimization?

 The official stance is that RBO is no longer supported by Oracle 10g.

What is the primary purpose of an oracle workflow?

Routes information, Sends notifications, Defines process rules

The primary purposes of a workflow are to route information, send a notification, and define process rule. Although some history is maintained automatically by Oracle Workflow, it will not be considered as creating audit trails.

What is lookup types?

Lookup type is a list of values( look up codes).

What will be your partitioning strategy on GL_BALANCES? Your views, please?

This really depends upon how many periods are regularly reported upon, how many periods are left open etc. You can then decide to partition on period_name, or period ranges, or on the status of the GL Period.

How will you define the possible results of an activity in order to drive different transitions?

As lookup codes for a lookup type

You define the possible results of an activity to drive different transitions using lookup codes for a lookup type. You cannot use item attributes. Separating the activity into two does not make sense since you want to drive two transactions with the same activity, but with two result codes. A process activity will not help in this scenario.

How to launch the workflow from the backend?

• Wf_engine.launchProcess(),
• Wf_engine.createprocess(),
• Wf_engine.startprocess()

Launch process directly run the process. Create process will pick up the process. Create Process is used for complex process.

How will you add a new column to a List Of Values ( LOV ) in Oracle Applications Framework? Can this be done without customization?

Yes, this can be done without customization, i.e. by using OA Framework Extension coupled with Personalization. Implement the following Steps:-

1. Extend the VO ( View Object ), to implement the new SQL required to support the LOV.
2. Substitute the base VO, by using jpximport
3. Personalize the LOV Region, by clicking on Add New Item. While adding the new Item, you will cross reference the newly added column to VO.

You have written a piece of code in POR_CUSTOM_PKG for Oracle iProcurement, but it is not taking any effect? What may be the reason?

Depending upon which procedure in POR_CUSTOM_PKG has been programmed, one or more of the below profile options must be set to Yes

• POR: Enable Req Header Customization
• POR: Enable Requisition Line Customization
• POR: Enable Req Distribution Customization

What is the key benefit of punching out to suppliers catalogs rather than loading their catalogs locally in Oracle iProcurement?

Punchout has several advantages like Catalogs don’t need to be loaded locally saves space on your system. You can get an up-to-date list of catalogs by punching out and also you get the benefit of up-to-date pricing information on vendor items.

What are the settings needed for printing bitmap reports?

Get your DBA to configure two files i.e. uiprint.txt & default.ppd For details, refer to Metalink Note 189708.1

In an Oracle Report data group, you have a “data link” between two queries. How do you ensure that the data link is made Outer Joined?

The data link is an Outer Join by default.

What are the various ways to kick-off a workflow

You can either use wf_engine.start_process or you can attach a runnable process such that it subscribes to a workflow event.

How do you know if a specific Oracle patch has been applied in apps to your environment?

 Use table ad_bugs, in which column bug_number is the patch number.

• SELECT bug_number, to_char(creation_date, 'DD-MON-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') dated
• FROM   apps.ad_bugs
• WHERE  bug_number = TRIM('&bug_number') ;

How to use set or get attribute values from backend?

WF_ENGINE.SETITEMATTRTEXT (), WF_ENGINE.GETITEMATTRTEXT ().

Which table is used to provide drill down from Oracle GL into sub-ledger?

GL_IMPORT_REFERENCES

What is itemkey and userkey?

Both are used to track the process execution.

What is the significance of profile option “Responsibility Trust Level”.?

In order to make a responsibility accessible from an external web tier, you must set profile option “Responsibility Trust Level” at responsibility level to “External”. Only those responsibilities that have this profile option against them will be accessible from External Middle tiers.

What are the activities in the workflow builder?

The workflow builder activities are Attributes, Messages, Process, Functions, Events.

What are the modes we have in workflow function? RUN, CANCEL, SUSPEND, TIMEOUT, FORWARD, TRANSFER.

What is the role of Document Manager in Oracle Purchasing?

POXCON is an immediate concurrent program. It receives pipe signal from the application when a request is made for approval/reservations/receipts.

How will you open a bc4j package in jdeveloper?

Oracle ships a file named server.xml with each bc4j package. You will need to ftp that file alongside other bc4j objects(VO’s, EO’s, AM, Classes etc). Opening the server.xml will load the complete package starting from AM(application module). This is a mandatory step when building Extensions to the framework.

Interview Questions On Oracle Workflow

What is expand roles check box?

Check Expand Roles to send an individual copy of the notification message to each user in the role. The notification remains in a user’s notification queue until the user responds or closes the notification. If you do not expand the role for a notification activity, Oracle Workflow sends one copy of the notification message to the assigned performer role and that notification is visible in the notification queue of all the users in that role. If one user in that role responds or closes that notification, the notification is removed from the notification queue of all other users in that role.

What are comparison activities?

The comparison activities provide a standard way to compare two numbers, dates, or text strings.

• Compare Date: Use to compare the value of an item type attribute of type Date with a constant date.
• Compare Number: Use to compare the value of an item type attribute of type Number with a constant number
• Compare Text: Use to compare the value of two item type attributes of type Text.

It calls procedure WF_STANDARD.COMPARE.

Each comparison activity has two activity attributes:

• Test Value: A constant number, date, or text string which to compare to a reference value.
• Reference Value: An item type attribute of type Number, Date, or Text.

The comparison activities use the Comparison lookup type for a result code. Possible values are ”Greater Than,” ”Less Than,” ”Equal,” or ”Null,” if the item type attribute is null.

Compare Execution Time:  The Compare Execution Time activity provides a standard way to compare the elapsed execution time of a process with a constant test time.

The Compare Execution Time activity calls a PL/SQL procedure named WF_STANDARD.COMPARE EXECUTION TIME.

How do you link a Host type concurrent program to Concurrent Manager?

Assuming your executable script is LOADPO.prog, then use the commands below

• cd $XXPO_TOP/bin
• ln -s $FND_TOP/bin/fndcpesr $XXPO_TOP/bin/LOADPO

 In OA Framework Self-Service screen, you wish to disable a tab. How will you do it?

Generally speaking, the tabs on an OA Framework page are nothing but the SubMenus. By entering menu exclusion against the responsibility, you can remove the tab from the self-service page.

How to load the workflow from one instance to another instance?

Wfload filename.wft, wfload username/password.

How to make concurrent program end with a warning?

If the concurrent program is of type PL/SQL, you can assign a value of 1 to the “retcode” OUT Parameter. For a Java Concurrent program, use the code similar to below ReqCompletion lRC;

//get handle on request completion object for reporting status

• lRC = pCpContext.ReCompletion();
• lRC.setCompletion(ReCompletion.WARNING, "WARNING");

What are Synchronous & Asynchronous modes?

Synchronous does not interact with the database.

How does substitution work in OA Framework? What are the benefits of using Substitution in OA Framework?

Based on the user that has logged into OA Framework, MDS defines the context of the logged in user. Based upon this logged in context, all applicable personalization is applied by MDS. Given that substitutions are loaded as site level personalizations, MDS applies the substituted BC4J objects along with the personalizations. The above-listed steps occur as soon as Root Application module has been loaded.

The benefit of using Substitution is to extend the OA Framework without customization of the underlying code. This is of great help during Upgrades. Entity Objects and Validation Objects can be substituted. I think Root AM’s can’t be substituted given that substitution kicks off after Root AM gets loaded.

How can you import invoices into Oracle Receivables?

You can either use AutoInvoice by populating tables RA_INTERFACE_LINES_ALL,  RA_INTERFACE_DISTRIBUTIONS_ALL &  RA_INTERFACE_SALESCREDITS_ALL.

Alternately you may decide to use API ar_invoice_api_pub.create_single_invoice for Receivables Invoice Import.