Oracle Fusion SaaS provides a native capability known as BI Cloud Connector (BICC), which facilitates the extraction of business data into CSV format. These extracts can be stored on shared cloud-based resources such as the built-in Universal Content Management (UCM) server or Oracle Object Storage. Once data is staged in these locations, it can be programmatically or manually retrieved to local environments for downstream processing—including transformation, loading into data warehouses, or integration with other enterprise systems. The extracts, or data stores, are also referred to as View Objects (VOs).
As outlined, the two common storage destinations are:
Choosing the right target can impact performance, scalability, and your data pipeline architecture. This blog post outlines Let’s break down the pros and cons of each approach.
This section presents an overview and comparison of UCM and OCI Object Storage as storage destinations for BICC, highlighting how BICC interacts with each option.
UCM (Universal Content Management) is Oracle’s integrated content management system designed for storing files and documents within Fusion Applications. In contrast, OCI Object Storage is a scalable, cloud-native solution optimized for storing large volumes of unstructured data.
The table below outlines a feature-by-feature comparison of both storage options.
Feature
UCM (Universal Content Management)
OCI Object Storage
Primary Use
Document/content storage within Oracle Fusion apps
General-purpose cloud object storage
Integration with BICC
Native destination for BICC extracts
Requires intermediate step (download from UCM)
Accessibility
Restricted to Oracle Fusion Apps
Accessible via REST API, SDK, CLI
Performance & Scalability
Suitable for small to medium volumes
Highly scalable, better for large datasets
Retention/Archival
Limited retention policy
Supports lifecycle management and archiving
Security & Access Control
Tied to Fusion user roles and privileges
IAM policies and buckets control access
Figure 1: UCM and OCI Object Storage features
Persisting BICC Extracts in UCM
Native Export to UCM (Out-of-the-Box Behavior) is the default behavior, where BICC exports data directly to UCM. Extracted files can be accessed through the Scheduled Processes interface in Fusion Applications or downloaded using UCM Web Services.
Key Characteristics:
BICC exports data directly into UCM.
Files are accessible under Scheduled Processes > Export and Import.
To retrieve the files:
Use the File Export process within Fusion Applications, or
Invoke the UCM Web Service (GenericSoapPort) to download files programmatically.
Advantages:
No additional setup required—ready to use out of the box.
Fully integrated with Oracle Fusion security, ensuring compliance within the Oracle Cloud ecosystem.
No need for external infrastructure or configuration.
Suitable for short-term data access or manual retrieval.
Limitations:
Not ideal for large-scale or long-term data storage.
Limited support for automation and scheduling flexibility.
Less suitable for external data processing, integration, or analytics use cases.
Persisting BICC Extracts in OCI Object Storage
If you have read Jay’s blog here, you know how to configure OCI Object Storage as a BICC extract destination.
With the Export to OCI Object Storage approach, BICC extracts data directly to OCI Object Storage. The exported files are accessible through Object Storage and can be retrieved using any S3-compatible API. This enables seamless integration with external systems, as well as processing by Oracle Data Integration or loading into Autonomous Database/Data Lake, both of which natively integrate with OCI Object Storage.
Key Characteristics:
BICC exports data to OCI Object Storage.
Files can be accessed via S3-compatible APIs.
Data is easily consumable by external platforms, Oracle Data Integration, or Autonomous Data Warehouse (ADW)/Data Lake through native integrations.
Advantages:
Highly scalable and cost-effective storage solution.
Seamless integration with analytics, data warehousing, and lakehouse architectures.
Well-suited for automation and integration with other OCI services.
Supports long-term retention, backup, and advanced data lifecycle management, including archival capabilities.
Limitations:
Requires initial setup and automation configuration.
Further comparison
Security features
UCM primarily uses basic authentication (username and password) for access. For production environments, it is recommended to adopt more secure integration methods, such as OAuth 2.0, Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC), or secured external access configurations.
In contrast, OCI Object Storage supports modern and secure authentication mechanisms suitable for automation and production use. These include:
OCI configuration files or environment variables for credential management.
Instance principals for seamless, secure access when running on OCI Compute instances.
Support for IAM policies, enabling fine-grained access control.
We can compare the security features of the two approaches along three dimensions:
Access Control:
UCM leverages Fusion Application roles to manage user access within the Oracle Cloud Applications environment. In contrast, OCI Object Storage utilizes IAM policies, compartmentalization, and encryption controls, offering more granular and flexible access management across cloud resources.
Auditability:
UCM provides limited audit capabilities, primarily within the context of Fusion Applications. OCI Object Storage, however, offers comprehensive auditability, with detailed access logs and security insights available through Cloud Guard and Audit service, supporting compliance and operational monitoring.
Encryption:
In UCM, encryption is implicitly handled within the Fusion Applications environment. OCI Object Storage provides AES-256 server-side encryption by default, ensuring robust protection of data at rest, with options for customer-managed keys (CMKs) through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Vault.
The following table outlines key security-related features of UCM and OCI Object Storage, highlighting differences in access control, auditability, and encryption:
Feature
UCM
OCI Object Storage
Access Control
Fusion App Roles
IAM policies, compartments, encryption
Auditability
Limited
Detailed logs available via Cloud Guard
Encryption
Implicit within Fusion
AES-256 server-side encryption (default)
Figure 2: UCM and OCI Object Storage security
Use cases – Recommendations
The following tables provide recommendations on when to use UCM or OCI Object Storage along with the strategic value of each approach for customers evaluating cloud architecture or data governance options.
Use Case
Recommended Storage
Executive Explanation
Short-term exports for internal users
UCM
UCM is tightly integrated with Oracle Fusion and provides immediate access to extracts via the Scheduled Processes dashboard. It’s ideal for business users or analysts who need to retrieve recent data for review or operational reporting without additional infrastructure or automation.
Long-term archival or large volumes
OCI Object Storage
OCI Object Storage is purpose-built for scalable and cost-effective data retention. It supports large datasets and archival strategies, including lifecycle policies that automatically transition data to lower-cost storage tiers—making it optimal for compliance, audit, and historical data retention needs.
Integration with Data Lake / ADW / Big Data
OCI Object Storage
For organizations using Autonomous Data Warehouse (ADW), Oracle Data Lakehouse, or big data platforms, OCI Object Storage acts as the central landing zone. It enables direct ingestion and seamless interoperability with advanced analytics, machine learning, and BI tools, aligning with enterprise data modernization goals.
Minimal setup or quick manual access
UCM
UCM requires no additional configuration, making it perfect for one-off or infrequent access scenarios. Fusion users can download extracts manually without involving IT or external systems, reducing complexity and accelerating access.
Scheduled automated data pipelines
OCI Object Storage
Modern data pipelines rely on automation, scheduling, and integration with external systems. OCI Object Storage supports these capabilities through APIs, CLI, and SDKs, and is well-suited for orchestrating end-to-end workflows using tools like Oracle Data Integration, Oracle Integration Cloud, or custom ETL frameworks.
Figure 3: UCM and OCI Object Storage use cases
Final word
For organizations in the early stages of leveraging BICC, or those requiring quick, ad hoc access to extracted data within Oracle Fusion, storing files in UCM is a convenient and readily available option. However, for enterprises aiming to build robust, scalable, and automated analytics or reporting ecosystems, migrating BICC extracts to OCI Object Storage offers a more strategic and future-ready solution. It enables seamless integration with data lakes, business intelligence tools, and long-term storage platforms—positioning your data architecture for sustained growth and agility.
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Summary
This blog post outlined the differences between using UCM or OCI Object storage for BICC extracts.
Oracle Fusion BICC extracts can be stored in either the built-in UCM or in OCI Object Storage, each offering distinct advantages depending on the organization’s data needs.
UCM is ideal for quick, short-term access and manual retrieval within Fusion, requiring minimal setup and integrating seamlessly with existing user roles.
OCI Object Storage, on the other hand, provides a scalable, automation-ready platform well-suited for long-term retention, data lakes, and integration with enterprise analytics and warehousing solutions. Choosing the right destination impacts not just operational efficiency, but also the long-term scalability, automation, and architecture of your data ecosystem.
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Authors
Matthieu Lombard
Consulting Solution Architect
The Oracle A-Team is a central, outbound, highly technical team of enterprise architects, solution specialists, and software engineers.
The Oracle A-Team works with external customers and Oracle partners around the globe to provide guidance on implementation best practices, architecture design reviews, troubleshooting, and how to use Oracle products to solve customer business challenges.
I focus on data integration, data warehousing, Big Data, cloud services, and analytics (BI) products. My role included acting as the subject-matter expert on Oracle Data Integration and Analytics products and cloud services such as Oracle Data Integrator (ODI), and Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC, OA For Fusion Apps, OAX).
