Logging Processing Parameters

Use logging parameters to investigate problems that aren't easily identified in other ways. In a normal operation, disable logging because it can impact the performance of the process you're logging.

Note: Prepare log files before contacting Oracle Support for assistance. Define the logging area, category, and range of assignments before resubmitting the problem.

Logging Parameters

Typically, you use this feature during your initial implementation and testing before you go live. In a normal operation you should disable detailed logging.

The three processing parameters for logging are:

• Logging Area

• Logging Category

• Formula Execution Logging

Logging Area

The Logging Area parameter works with the Logging Category parameter to limit the code area for logging. Even if you set the logging category, you must also set the logging area if you want to limit logging to a particular code area.

The values correspond to C-code entries in the form PY_ENTRY, which includes the functional area that will have logging enabled.

Logging Category

Logging categories define the type of information included in the log. You can set any number of categories by specifying multiple values to focus on specific areas that you think may be causing a problem. The application doesn’t allow a blank value and you must delete the parameter row if logging isn’t required.

This table explains each logging category. It provides the log output information to investigate the problems encountered.

Parameter Value	Logging Category	Description
B	Balance Information	Provides output information that shows the creation and maintenance of balances used during payroll processing.
C	C cache structures information	Provides output information that shows details of the payroll cache structures and changes to the entries within the structure. While working on a service request, Oracle may ask you to use this parameter to gather additional information.
E	Element entry information	Provides output information that shows the state of the element entries in the process memory after retrieving entries from the database. The information is provided whenever data for an entry is changed during processing.
F	Formula information	Provides output information that shows details of formula execution, including formula contexts, inputs, and outputs.
G	General logging information	Provides general information, rather than a specific information type. This parameter doesn't provide sorted output. In general, it's recommended that you choose parameters that provide specific types of information.
I	Balance output information	Provides output information that shows details of values written to the database from the balance buffers.
L	Balance fetching information	Provides output information that shows the balances retrieved from the database and whether or not the process will use those balances. (If balances such as Year To Date totals have expired because the year has changed, the process resets them and uses the new balance.)
M	Entry or exit routing information	Provides output information to show when any function is entered and exited. This information is indented to show the call level, and can be used to trace the path taken through the code at the function call level. Often, this information is useful when attempting to track down a problem such as a core dump.
P	Performance information	Provides output information to show the number of times certain operations take place at the assignment and run levels and why the operation took place. This parameter is often used to balance the buffer array write operation.
Q	C cache query information	Provides output information that shows the queries being performed on the payroll cache structures. While working on a service request, Oracle may ask you to use this parameter to gather additional information.
R	Run results information	Provides output details of run results and run result values from the Run Results buffer or the Values buffer before writing them to the database. This enables verification that the buffer contents were correct.
S	C cache ending status information	Provides output information that shows the state of the payroll cache before the process exits, whether that process ends with success or an error. While working on a service request, Oracle may ask you to use this parameter to gather additional information.
T and Z	PL/SQL detail and PL/SQL output	To obtain detailed information about the PL/SQL calls made by the Payroll application, use the combination of the T parameter and the Z parameter. This combination is typically useful for obtaining information about payroll processes that use a large amount of PL/SQL code, such as prepayments and archive. Using this parameter, the process buffers output while it's running and places it the end of the log file after processing is complete. Each payroll process instance has its own log file, located under the log subdirectory for the particular process ID.
V (USA only)	Vertex tax calculation information	Provides output information that shows the values passed in and out of a third-party Vertex tax engine. This parameter also provides a separate file in the Out directory that shows the internal settings of the Vertex engine. This logging option is available to customers in the USA only.

Formula Execution Logging

Formula execution logging is the code area where logging is performed. This processing parameter mechanism is only available for formula logging in the payroll run. Specify parameter values as a character or combination of characters to determine the area for logging. For example, the string di (the combination of d and i) corresponds to the logging of database item cache access and formula input and output values. The default value is no logging.

Caution: Use the dump logging options in rare circumstances only. The T trace option, which generates very large amounts of data, would significantly slow down processing.

The following table lists formula execution logging parameter values and its details.

Parameter Value	Meaning
c	Change contexts
d	Database item cache access
D	Database item cache dump
f	Formula cache access
F	Formula cache dump
I	Formula input/output values
m	Miscellaneous
n	Nested calls
s	SQL execution (database item and PL/SQL formula function calls)
T	Trace (very large level that provides the inputs and outputs of every call made when executing a formula)
w	Working storage area access
W	Working storage area dump
1	Level 1 (combination of c. f, i, and m)
2	Level 2 (combination of 1, c, d, n, and w)
3	Level 3 (combination of 2, D, s, and W)
4	Level 4 (combination of 3 and F)
5	Level 5 (combination of 4 and T)