MIME

 Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions

MIME is the acronym of Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. MIME type is an optional field on your integrations. 

Instead of you defining your extension along with your File name, you may choose among the listed extension types for the output file. This option doesn't change the actual file format. To change the file format you need to select an alternate output format in Get Data or modify your transformation in Transformation Data tabs.

Packaged Connectors - Special Character Translations

Perform Character Translation

There are chances where your end-point would not be expecting any special characters in the output file that you send to them. When you are working on a Packaged Connector / Core Connector look out for the Integration attribute - Perform Character Translation, and check the check box, which will automatically take care of the translations in your file.

Any of the below special characters you may typically see from Name or an Address field.

Special Characters: 'àâäèéêëîïôœùûüÿÀÁÂÄÈÉÊËÎÏÔŒÙÛÜŸçÇáéíóúÁÉÍÓÚäöüÄÖÜßàèéìòóùÀÈÉÌÒÓÙáéíóúüÁÉÍÓÚÜñÑ¿¡
Translated Characters: aaaeeeeiioeuuuYAAAAEEEEIIOEUUUYCCaeiouAEIOUaouAOUBaeeioouAEEIOOUaeiouuAEIOUUnN?1

Navigation: Go to your Integration >> Related Actions >> Integration System >> Configure Integration Attributes

How to Test your Workday Integration Connection / Delivery Method?

Test Transport

Its always a good practice to test your transport (Delivery) before Launching the integration, this way you know whether your credentials say SFTP / FTP related are working fine or not. This can be for any type of integrations. 

If there is any challenges in the details that you had setup in the delivery method of your integrations you can always reconfirm with your end-point and fix it.

Here is an example of one Integration System as how to navigate and test.

Navigation: Go to your Integration System >> Related Actions >> Integration >> Test Transport

Pick up the required action that you want to perform during the test. Here you can see the selection Connect.

Once you click OK in above screen it tests the delivery method and gives you the response, it could be Completed or it may error if it could not connect.

Integration Common Issues in PROD

 Integration Common Issues in Production

Here are some of the common Issues related to files that you would encounter while supporting any type of integrations in Production. 

For example, an ongoing EIB Outbound integration, you would typically see issues like below:

File Empty:

The file that was sent to the end point is empty where as they were expecting some data in the file. You need to check your Data Source and specially parameters / filters on your integration event. Which parameters were passed during the launch of integration. Check for the data parameters, and try to run your report by passing the same parameters and see if you fetch any rows.

File Not Received:

In the above case, the file was sent but if was empty. Here, the file was not received at the end point. This is most probably something to do with your Delivery method. Check if the SFTP / FTP passwords got changed or any address / directory got changed so that you can update it and relaunch the integration.

File Has Incorrect Data:

In this scenario, the file was sent and the data in the file was not as expected. It could be of two scenarios 

1. More rows than expected 

2. Less rows than expected.

Its not always the fault on our side, there are times when your end point had a different understanding. So it is important to analyze the data as what was sent vs what is expected. You need to know your data source or web service and filters, sub filters properly. 

Example: If your file is missing some employees, you can ask for the sample Employees who are being missed and try to analyze what is causing that employees to miss in the output file. Same goes with the additional employees in the file.

Integrations: EIB with Email as Delivery method throws an error

EIB with Email as Delivery method throws an error - Fix

When you set the delivery method as Email for your Outbound and try to save it, it throws an error. To overcome this error, you have two ways, 

1. As demonstrated below with screenshots

2. By using Encryption for your generated file(Ex: PGP )

The Error pops up when you try to configure and save  your Delivery method with Email

Here is the workaround, if you don't want to set any encryption.  Click below with the navigation.

Enterprise Interface >> Toggle Approve Unencrypted Transport

Depending on the security that you have to approve, you can check the Approve checkbox and approve this.

Finally, you will not see the error but an alert to warn you that you are sending an email which could be outside of your company so be cautious about the data. You may consider Encrypting your data and send it.

This scenario is one among the mostly asked interview questions.

Integrations: Integration System User (ISU)

7 Steps to create and Assign ISU to the Integrations

Integration Security Users also popularly known as ISU are used to assign the integration Worker Account. (It is created in majority of the cases for your vendors / third party systems)

Here are the 7 Steps to Create and Assign your ISU's to the Integrations.

1. Create Integration System User (ISU)

2. Create Security Group - Integration System Security Group (ISSG)

3. Assign the Integration System User to Security Group ( ISU --> ISSG )

4. Find out the list of all domains required for the particular template in WD Community 

5. Assign Newly created security group to all the domains (ISSG --> Domains)

6. Activate pending security policy Changes

7. Assign the Integration System User to the Integration - (Related actions > Workday Account > Assign ISU)

Integrations: How to you identify which integration to choose when you get a requirement

What is the approach?

Here is what I think you should consider while choosing the integration system. It hold good for both inbound and outbound.

When you get the requirement, first see if there are any Packaged Connectors (Delivered) for the third party directly with a little tweaks can help achieve the need.

Then if you were not able to find any delivered packaged connectors, try to see if there are any Core Connectors which are template based can help achieve the need of integration.

If you do not find one from above, check if you can do it with a custom report and through Enterprise Interface Builder.

And if any of the above does not show way for your integration needs, then you look out for Workday Studio. This is the final place where you achieve any complex integrations.

Summary:

Packaged connectors              - Delivered by Workday to connect with third party [End-to-End]
Core Connectors                     - Template based.
Enterprise Interface Builder - Custom Report or Web Service
Workday Studio                      - Multiple output files, Read from different sources , Exceptions,                                                                                                   Inbound & Outbound in same integration.

Integrations: What is WECI in Workday Integrations ?

WECI

WECI, Worker Effective Change Interface, to detect the effective change events of worker. 

The Worker Effective Change Interface is an outbound integration that sends a full effective stack of worker data to third party systems. In addition to the already delivered functionality of corrections, rescinds, indirect, future and retro transactions, there are additional data sections and enhancements customers need in order to fulfill their third party system requirements.

Additional data sections will reduce customer effort in mapping fields required for the downstream system. Adding attributes will increase the flexibility of the connector so that customers can tailor the data extracted to the third party system.

Because of the resource-intensive nature of a WECI event, it is not an appropriate solution for frequent runs or for near real-time integrations, and because WECI returns the full stack of transactions, frequent runs are not necessary. In general, WECI should not be run more than once per day per supervisory org.

Unlike PECI, WECI includes contingent workers in it's output. It will run for the entire active worker population or can be restricted by the "Restrict Results By Orgs" launch parameter. Note that only supervisory orgs can be entered in this launch parameter.

WECI is not designed for time periods of inordinate lengths. Although WECI does not restrict effective and entry date ranges to pre-defined limits, WECI time periods should typically not be longer than a month. Extended time periods of several months or years, will likely cause issues when attempting to process excessive future-or-historic data for which WECI was neither designed nor tested. Restrict time periods to common sense intervals required to feed downstream endpoints.

These are the use cases of WECI:

• Non Payroll Applications i.e. that require full effective stack changes like Data Warehouses, Data Hubs or Compensation Planning applications.
• For Payroll Applications, WECI could serve as a bolt on to PECI in case where PECI has a given limitation for a specific use case of an industry or client that WECI can address.

Common Issues: 

Issue: 

Fields marked as "Include in Output" are not coming through in the output file, even when changed.

Resolution:

Ensure that in the parent section the desired output sections are checked "Include in Output". Selecting child elements does not automatically select the parent element to include in output.

Issue:

The following unexpected error has occurred: Multiple Worker Effective Change Interface - Summary DIS documents found! Should only be one!

Resolution:

Do not orchestrate multiple WECI integrations off of a single BP.

Issue:

A completed hire event is reported and a subsequent effective change updates a value required by the downstream system, such as National ID.

Resolution: 

CCW would only report a single transaction with all the values for transactions subsequent to the hire, so an updated National ID would be automatically included in the HIRE transaction. However with WECI, each transaction is reported independently, therefore there will be separate HIRE and DTA transactions for the HIRE event and subsequent change to National ID. The post-processing transform will need to detect the HIRE event and inspect the following effective changes for values that need to be included on the HIRE event transmitted to the payroll vendor

Issue:

Multiple contact data changes are not consolidated by WECI.

Resolution:

For example suppose there are two contact data changes in an effective date range on different effective dates. On the first date the employee changes their home address, and on the second effective date, their email address changes. The payroll vendor only supports a single row for changes to contact information. In this case all changes containing data for the single row required by the vendor need to be detected during the transform and consolidated in a single row before being transmitted to the vendor.

Interview Questions: EIB

Workday EIB Interview Questions

Here is the list of Interview Questions related to EIB - Enterprise Interface Builder Integrations.

What is EIB and what are the types of EIB?

EIB - Enterprise interface builder tool which is used to build simple inbound and outbound Integrations to connect workday with external endpoints.

Types:
      Inbound
     Outbound 

How many steps are involved in creation of an EIB?

3 Steps / Phases

Get Data, Transform, Deliver

What are outbound EIB?

Outbound EIBs are used to export data from workday. We can also send this exported data to any external vendors or legacy systems through different endpoints such as SFTP/FTP etc.

E.g. Send Dependents data to Benefits vendor from workday.

What are Inbound EIB?

Inbound EIB Integration are used to upload data into Workday from external endpoints or from spreadsheets.

E.g. Inserting One Time Payments, Inserting Bonus Data, Update Emergency Contacts 

We can upload data to workday using spreadsheet attachment or external file from SFTP/FTP/EMAIL locations.

What are the main types of Workday Integrations?
          Workday Studio Integration, 
          Enterprise Information Builder (EIB) Integration, 
          Cloud Connect Integration.

How do you choose which tool is best out of three integrations available?

Few things needs to be considered while choosing the integration tool. Here is what you need to identify first in place.

Is the solution already pre-built? Am I connecting to a third-party vendor with a solution already in place? – If yes, most likely you will choose a Core Connector (Packaged Connector).

Does this integration just need to export or import some data into Workday? – If yes, then most likely you need to go with EIBs.

Do I need to execute several rules, and reports to get the data and calculate the results I need? For example: Determining payroll between Exempt and Non-Exempt employees, calculate deductions, etc. – If yes, then most likely you need a Workday Studio Integration.

Can we create an EIB with the help of matrix report?

No, the reason being reports need to be Web Service enabled for creating EIB and Matrix reports can’t be Web Service enabled.

Can we use all advance reports as a data source in EIB?

 No, we cannot use all advance reports in EIB. We can use only those reports which are web service enabled.

Can we use simple reports as a data source in EIB?

No

What are the types of transformation allowed with EIB?
We can use 3 types of transformation with EIB:

Custom report Transformation -This type is inbuilt transformation of EIB and have limited functionality.
Custom transformation - In this we have to attach XSLT with EIB and supports XSLT functionality. So, this has more features than Custom report Transformation. Learn here w3schools
Document Transformation -This is type of connector that we can connect with EIB and will supports all functionality of Document transformation such as XTT and ETV.

What are the limitations of EIB?
Only one data source can be used. And only one destination point can be configured for one tenant. Can’t define output tag in EIB.

What data sources can we choose while creating the EIB outbound?
EIB outbound is to export the data from Workday.
Data Source - Custom report or Web Services or REST URL

What data sources can we choose while creating the EIB Inbound?
EIB Inbound is to Import the data into Workday.
Data Source - Attachment or External file or REST Endpoint

Name some Web services that you have used for inbound EIB Load?

Request One-Time Payment (OTP)

Change Emergency Contacts

Request Compensation Change

Terminations

While performing EIB Inbound load what should we do to avoid get pending actions / Tasks in inbox?
This represents, when you do a load through EIB the underlying BP/task should get complete without going for any approvals. Because your load may be huge , say 10,000 EE bonus data you are loading at that time, there shouldn't be any workflow triggering for approvals. So, while filling the Inbound Spreadsheet template, we need to select “Automatic processing” on first tab. This will skip the BP's

Where can you view Error messages for an EIB?

You can view the EIB run through Integration Events , Process Monitor

Name some input and output types for EIBs?

Input:   SFTP/FTP, REST, or attachment 

Output: SFTP/FTP, HTTP, Email, CSV, JSON, XML, etc

EIB Integration issues with Scenarios and Resolutions

Scenario 1: The EIB does not display in the integration prompt of the Launch/Schedule Integration task.
Resolution: Verify EIB security Configuration. Edit the EIB and resolve any critical errors.

Scenario 2: Non-legible character appears in Microsoft Excel when you open a CSV output file.
Resolution: Before opening the CSV file in Excel, open the CSV in notepad , Then select File>>save as, UTF-8 encoding.

Scenario 3: File name does not include generated date and time variables when the sequence Generator is configured correctly.
Resolution: When launching or scheduling the EIB, Use these settings with the file name launch parameter.
Value type: Determine value at run time
Value: Next sequence for integration File Utility.

Scenario 4: Workday returns the following error message: Root Cause: BadRequestException: Error code: unknown Response: 500: Processing error occurred. No value provided for required [Prompt Name].
Resolution:  Ensure that all required prompts are being populated when the EIB is launched. You may have to edit the scheduler if the EIB was launched from there.

Scenario 5: Workday returns the following error: Transform failed at component: HandleTransform.request.0.XsltTransform. Reason: Output character not available in this encoding

Resolution: 

1. Open the XSLT transformation file in a text editor.
2. Find the element <xsl: output>.
3. Within that element, search for the setting for encoding=.
4. Often this is set to ISO-8859-1 Change this value to UTF-8.

If the recipient of the EIB cannot accept UTF-8-encoded files, then you must change the source data in Workday.

Additional Reads
Workday EIB Inbound
Workday EIB Outbound
Workday Core Connectors Interview Questions

I will be updating / adding some more questions