About Bulk Data Extracts (Analytics)

Analytic reporting data is available via the Bulk Data Extract (BDE) task types. The BDE provides analytics that you can use and access off-line, primarily reporting from an external repository to answer business questions not available within the application context, or easily answered within the application context, or for which report data is restricted to a single institution.

Bulk data extract task types are available for positions, assignments, people, and schedules.1 Each of the following task types export an XML file with field information to perform data mining functions and apply analytics from an external system. This may be useful for cloud deployments where basic position/shift, person, assignment and schedule data is needed without having to manage a separate connection to the database.

To view analytic task types you must have both the Bulk Extract (BE) and Gateway (GM) add-on license. To see whether or not you sourced Bulk Extracts, go to Setup > System > System Information > Options (Must show both BE + GM).

IMPORTANT:
The bulk data extract process is CPU intensive. As such, we recommend 2GB of RAM + 1 CORE for any server that has the Task Manager enabled. Additional disk space may be required for output files depending on the number of users, number of positions, and specialty/group matrix, as well as schedule edits. Disk sizes have been observed in the range from 100M to over 3G.

Each of the following task types export an XML file with field information for the purpose of analytics. Simply put, the extract provides business data of meaning to a third party application, which means not all of the fields are exported. The following bulk data extracts show when licensed:

1 Not available for Blueprints. Bulk data extracts do not include blueprint-specific data.