2 Before You Install the Recipe

You must perform some initial configuration tasks on your Oracle Aconex and Unifier instances to be able to connect to these external systems using Oracle Integration and synchronize issues between them.

Configure Oracle Aconex

You must complete the following tasks in Oracle Aconex:

  1. Create project fields to enable users to specify if an issue needs to be sent to Unifier.
  2. Apply project fields to an issue type.
  3. Create or update an issue to send to Unifier.

Create Project Fields

A project administrator needs to create project fields in Oracle Aconex that will enable the users to specify if an issue needs to be sent to Unifier.

To learn about using project fields in Oracle Aconex, see Using Project Fields in the Oracle Aconex Help.

Information specific to creating project fields for integration is provided below.

Create the following fields for the project whose issues you want to synchronize:

  • Send to Unifier Issue
  • Unifier Issue Record Number
  • Unifier Project Number

Note:

For all three fields, you do not have to enter anything in the Field Name field; it is set by Oracle Aconex automatically.

To create new project fields, complete the following steps:

  1. Log in to Oracle Aconex and select the required project.
  2. Select the Setup tab, then select Project Settings.
  3. On the Project Settings page, select Project Fields, then select Fields.
  4. On the Project Fields page, click the New Field button.
  5. In the New Field dialog box, enter the information for the new field:
    1. For the Send to Unifier Issue field:
      1. From the Type list, select Select List (Single).
      2. In the Label field, enter Send to Unifier Issue.
      3. In the Select Options field, enter Yes, No, and Sent on separate lines.
      4. Leave the Inline Edit check box unchecked (the default).
      5. Leave the Selections Allowed field set to Single (the default).
      6. In the Tool Tip field, provide an optional tool tip. For example, Yes – Send the issue to Unifier, or No – Do not send the issue to Unifier, or Sent – Issue has been added to Unifier.
    2. For the Unifier Issue Record Number field:
      1. From the Type list, select Text.
      2. In the Label field, enter Unifier Issue Record Number.
      3. In the Min Character Limit field, enter 1.
      4. In the Max Character Limit field, enter 15.
      5. In the Tool Tip field, provide an optional tool tip. For example, the record number created in Unifier for the issue.
    3. For the Unifier Project Number field:
      1. From the Type list, select Text.
      2. In the Label field, enter Unifier Project Number.
      3. In the Min Character Limit field, enter 1.
      4. In the Max Character Limit field, enter 60.
      5. In the Tool Tip field, provide an optional tool tip. For example, the project number for the issue created in Unifier.

Apply Project Fields to an Issue Type

After creating new project fields, you need to apply them to the issue type for the issue that you want to synchronize with Unifier.

To learn about applying project fields to issue types in Oracle Aconex, see Apply Project Fields to Issue Types in the Oracle Aconex Help.

Information specific to integration is provided below.

To add fields to an issue type:

  1. Log in to Oracle Aconex and select the required project.
  2. Select the Field tab, then from the Project section, select Settings.
  3. On the Settings page, select Issues, then select Issue Types.
  4. In the Issue Types table, select Edit Fields next to the required issue type.
  5. From the Project Fields library, click the + plus icon next to a field to add it to the issue type. Repeat this step for all the fields that you want to add to your issue type.

    Note:

    The order that you add fields will be the order that they appear in the issue.
  6. Select the Mandatory check box next to the Send to Unifier Issue field to make it mandatory.
  7. Select Save.

Create or Update an Issue to Send to Unifier

You can create a new issue or update an existing issue that you want to synchronize with Unifier.

To learn how to create an issue in Oracle Aconex, see Adding a New Issue to a Project in the Oracle Aconex Help.

Information specific to integration is provided below.

To create a new issue to be sent to Unifier:

  1. Log in to Oracle Aconex and select the required project.
  2. Select the Field tab, then select Issues.
  3. Click Add Issue.
  4. Enter the following information in the New Issue dialog box:
    1. From the Issue Type list, select the required issue type. Typically, it will be an issue type to which you applied the new project fields.
    2. In the Description field, provide a brief description of the issue.
    3. In the Assignment section:
      1. From the Assigned To list, select the organization to which the issue is assigned.
      2. In the Due field, enter the due date for the issue.
    4. (Optional) In the Photos and Location sections, add any photos or location details.
    5. In the Additional Details section, from the Send to Unifier Issue list, select Yes.

      Note:

      The Unifier Project Number and Unifier Issue Record Number fields will be auto-populated after you run the integration flow to synchronize Oracle Aconex issues with Unifier.
  5. Select Save.

Note:

You can also update an existing Oracle Aconex issue in Unifier by changing the Send to Unifier Issue field to Yes, provided the issue status is not Closed in Unifier. When updating an existing Oracle Aconex issue in Unifier, only the issue description known as Title in Unifier is updated.

Configure Unifier

You must complete the following tasks in Unifier:

  1. Create a Project: Create a shell (project) with which you want to link your Oracle Aconex issues. A shell is where users can organize business information in one place to make managing it easy. For more information, see Creating a Shell.
  2. Enable the Business Process for the Project: Information is entered and stored using electronic business process (BP) forms and routed via configurable workflows. You can create your own business processes and configure the workflow to determine how you will process the Oracle Aconex issues created via integration in Unifier. For more information, see Setting Up Business Processes and Configuring Business Processes
  3. Activate the Workflow: Workflows are included with the business process and control how business process records flow through the steps of the creation, response, review, and approval process. You must activate the workflows that you plan to set up and use. For more information, see Configure a BP Workflow (Workflow Tab).

Note:

The default workflow selected in the auto creation settings of the issues business process is used when Oracle Aconex issues are created in Unifier. For more information, see Set Up Auto-Creation for a Workflow BP.