Platform access level: Org Admins
Reporting completions to Oracle puts each learner's finished Arist course onto their Oracle Learning record, with no one re-keying it. Arist builds a completion file in Oracle's HCM Data Loader (HDL) format and delivers it to Oracle, where it loads against the matching course and learner. This guide is written for the IT and Oracle administrators who set the writeback up.
1. Completion writeback overview
When a learner completes a course in Arist, Arist records that completion in Oracle Learning as a learning record on the worker. Arist produces the completion as an HDL file, the format Oracle's HCM Data Loader uses to load learning records in bulk. Arist reports completion status as Not Started, In Progress, or Completed, so a learner's progress is reflected, not only their finished courses.
Note: This is an outbound, completions-only flow. Arist does not publish course content into Oracle. The courses you report on already exist in Oracle Learning, and each completion references one of them by its course number.
2. Before you begin
Two matches have to line up before any completion can load, because Oracle rejects a record it cannot tie to a known course and learner.
Course numbers match: Every course you report on exists in Oracle Learning, and its Oracle course number matches that course's Arist External ID.
Learner numbers match: Each learner's Oracle Person Number, which is their Employee ID, matches their Arist User ID.
Important: Confirm both matches on a small set of test records before the first full load. A mismatch on either the course number or the Person Number is the most common reason a record is rejected by Oracle.
3. Two ways to deliver completions
Arist can deliver the completion file two ways. The right one depends on how much Oracle access your security team is willing to grant.
File drop to your SFTP (recommended): Arist builds the HDL file, compresses and encrypts it, and places it on an SFTP location you provide. Your team picks it up and runs HCM Data Loader to import it into Oracle Learning. Arist needs only SFTP write access and your encryption key, which is the lightest-access option.
Automated load through REST and UCM: Arist uploads the file to Oracle WebCenter Content (UCM) and initiates and monitors the load through the
dataLoadDataSetsREST resource, so there is no manual import on your side. This removes the client-side step but requires elevated Oracle access: permission to run HCM Data Loader, REST access to trigger and monitor loads, write access to the UCM staging location, and rights to manage learning records.
Note: Most clients start with the SFTP file drop, because it keeps Arist's Oracle access to a minimum and reuses the file-transfer pattern their team already runs. You can move to the automated load later without changing the file itself.
4. Fields in the completion file
Each completion record in the HDL file carries the fields below. Arist populates the learner, course, and dates from the completion, and sends the Oracle constants as fixed values.
Field | Value or source | Notes |
LearnerNumber | The learner's Oracle Person Number | Matches the learner to their Oracle worker record |
LearningItemNumber | The Oracle course number | Must match the course's Arist External ID |
LearningItemType | ORA_COURSE | Sent as a constant |
AssignmentType | ORA_REQUIRE_ASSIGNMENT | Sent as a constant |
AssignmentAttributionType | ORA_PERSON | Oracle accepts ORA_PERSON or ORA_SPECIALIST; Arist sends ORA_PERSON |
AssignmentSubType | ORA_EVT_SUBT_ADMIN | Sent as a constant |
AssignedByPersonNumber | Person Number of whoever assigned the course | Optional |
LearningRecordValidFromDate | The learning item start date | Optional |
LearningRecordCompletionDate | The date the learner completed the course | Set when the status is Completed |
LearningRecordExpiryDate | The learning item expiry or end date | Optional |
5. File format requirements
Oracle's HCM Data Loader is strict about the file, so Arist builds it to these rules. Confirm they match your Oracle configuration before the first load.
Dates: Every date uses the format YYYY/MM/DD.
Characters: No special characters appear in any field.
Packaging: The completion data is a
.datfile named to the HDL specification, compressed into a.ziparchive.Encryption: Arist encrypts the archive with your PGP public key before it is placed on your SFTP, so the file is protected in transit and at rest on the server.
6. Delivering the file over SFTP
Your team provides an SFTP location for Arist to write the encrypted file to, and a PGP public key for the encryption. Arist places the file on a schedule, and your team collects it and runs the HCM Data Loader import.
Item | What to provide |
Hostname | The SFTP server address Arist connects to |
Port | The SFTP port, typically 22 |
Username and credential | The account Arist authenticates with, by password or SSH key |
PGP public key | The key Arist encrypts each file with before upload |
Tip: Ask Arist to send you a copy of an early file so your team can confirm the format, the course and Person Number matches, and the HDL import all work before you rely on the scheduled delivery.
Related articles
HRIS Integration - Oracle
Arist and Oracle - Technical Guide
Note: Need help at any point? Reach out to your Arist Customer Success contact, or email [email protected].