Search Results ben_pl_extra_info_pk

Overview

BEN_PL_EXTRA_INFO is a table within the BEN (Advanced Benefits) product module of Oracle E-Business Suite, documented as VALID in release 12.1.1 and 12.2.2. Its description, "Plan Extra Information," identifies its role as the repository for supplemental, user-defined attribute data attached to benefit plans. Benefit plans in Oracle Advanced Benefits are configured with a core set of business attributes, but organizations frequently require additional informational fields beyond the delivered model. This table provides that extensibility through two parallel column families: a DFF-style attribute block (PLI_ATTRIBUTE_CATEGORY and PLI_ATTRIBUTE1 through PLI_ATTRIBUTE20) and a second block (PLI_INFORMATION_CATEGORY and PLI_INFORMATION1 through PLI_INFORMATION30).

The table is owned by the BEN schema and contains 65 documented columns. Its primary key is BEN_PL_EXTRA_INFO_PK, defined on the single column PL_EXTRA_INFO_ID. Under the heuristic Data Vault classification mined from the foreign key structure, this object is modeled as a standalone table rather than a hub, link, or satellite. That classification reflects the absence of documented outbound foreign key relationships to other tables, and it suggests treating the object as an independent descriptive entity anchored by its own surrogate key, with the PL_ID column serving as the logical connection to the plan definition it enriches.

Key Information Stored

The single most important column is PL_EXTRA_INFO_ID, the surrogate primary key that uniquely identifies each extra-information row and is the basis of the BEN_PL_EXTRA_INFO_PK unique index. It is not a business key; it carries no meaning beyond row identity.

The principal business-reference column is PL_ID, which associates each row with a specific benefit plan. INFORMATION_TYPE distinguishes the category or purpose of the record, and REQUEST_ID together with PROGRAM_APPLICATION_ID, PROGRAM_ID, and PROGRAM_UPDATE_DATE captures the concurrent program context that created or last processed the record. The descriptive payload is carried by PLI_ATTRIBUTE_CATEGORY, PLI_ATTRIBUTE1 through PLI_ATTRIBUTE20, PLI_INFORMATION_CATEGORY, and PLI_INFORMATION1 through PLI_INFORMATION30. These two category columns act as the value sets or context identifiers that determine how the corresponding attribute and information columns are populated.

Standard audit columns include LAST_UPDATE_DATE, LAST_UPDATED_BY, LAST_UPDATE_LOGIN, CREATED_BY, CREATION_DATE, and OBJECT_VERSION_NUMBER. The last of these supports optimistic locking during concurrent updates. No business-key candidate beyond the primary key is documented.

Common Use Cases and Queries

The most frequent use is gathering all extra information for a given plan, typically by joining to the plan definition table on PL_ID. A representative query selects PL_EXTRA_INFO_ID, PL_ID, INFORMATION_TYPE, and the attribute or information columns required by the report, filtered by INFORMATION_TYPE to isolate a single configuration context.

• Plan configuration reporting: list all supplementary attributes attached to plans of a given type for audit or migration review.
• Data extraction for interfaces: pull PL_ID plus the PLI_INFORMATION columns into downstream payroll or carrier feeds.
• Audit tracking: use LAST_UPDATED_BY and LAST_UPDATE_DATE to identify who modified extra plan information in a date range.
• Troubleshooting concurrent processes: use REQUEST_ID, PROGRAM_ID, and OBJECT_VERSION_NUMBER to trace which concurrent program inserted or updated a row.

Related Objects

The metadata identifies BEN_PL_EXTRA_INFO as standalone, so relationships are inferred from the PL_ID and REQUEST_ID columns rather than documented foreign keys. The most significant related objects are:

• BEN_PL_F (or the corresponding plan definition entity) — joined on PL_ID to resolve the parent plan.
• BEN_PL_EXTRA_INFO_PK unique index — enforces uniqueness on PL_EXTRA_INFO_ID.
• FND_CONCURRENT_REQUESTS — joined on REQUEST_ID to resolve the originating concurrent request.
• FND_APPLICATION and FND_CONCURRENT_PROGRAMS — joined on PROGRAM_APPLICATION_ID and PROGRAM_ID to identify the program that populated the row.
• FND_USER — joined on CREATED_BY, LAST_UPDATED_BY, or LAST_UPDATE_LOGIN for user attribution.
• BEN_PL_EXTRA_INFO API or DML routines within the BEN product — used to insert and maintain rows consistently rather than direct SQL.