In Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC), Lookups are used to store and manage static or reference data that can be used across different integration flows. Lookups allow you to centralize and maintain data that doesn’t change frequently and can be shared across various integrations. Here’s how to use Lookups in OIC:

Creating a Lookup:

1. Access Integration Designer:
   
   1. Log in to Oracle Integration Cloud.
   2. Navigate to the “Integration” section and click on “Integration Designer” to access the designer interface.
2. Create a New Lookup:
   
   1. In the Integration Designer, locate the “Lookups” section in the left panel.
   2. Click on “Lookups” and then click the “+ Create” button to create a new Lookup.
3. Define Lookup Details:
   
   1. In the “Create Lookup” dialog, provide a name and optional description for your Lookup.
   2. Choose the schema for your Lookup. You can either use an existing schema or define a new one for your Lookup.
4. Define the Lookup Entries:
   
   1. In the Lookup editor, you can define entries for your Lookup. Each entry typically consists of a key and a value.
   2. Key: This is the unique identifier for the entry.
   3. Value: This is the data associated with the key.
   4. You can add multiple entries to your Lookup.
5. Save and Activate the Lookup:
   
   1. Once you’ve defined your Lookup entries, save your changes. You can also activate the Lookup to make it available for use in integrations.

Using Lookups in Integrations:

1. Access Integration Editor:
   
   1. In the Integration Designer, create or open an integration where you want to use the Lookup.
2. Drag and Drop Lookup Activity:
   
   1. In the integration flow, drag and drop a “Lookup” activity from the palette onto the canvas where you want to use the Lookup data.
3. Configure Lookup Activity:
   
   1. Configure the Lookup activity by selecting the Lookup you created earlier from the dropdown list.
   2. Specify the key or keys (input fields) for the Lookup entries you want to retrieve data for.
   3. Map the retrieved data to the desired variables in your integration.
4. Use Lookup Data:
   
   1. You can now use the data retrieved from the Lookup in your integration flow as needed. This data can be used for transformations, condition checks, or other operations.

Benefits of Using Lookups:

• Centralized Data: Lookups allow you to maintain reference data in a centralized location, making it easier to update and ensuring consistency across integrations.
• Reusability: Lookups can be used in multiple integrations, promoting reusability of common data.
• Easy Maintenance: You can update Lookup data without modifying the integrations that use it, reducing the impact of changes.
• Improved Readability: Using Lookups can make your integration flows more readable and easier to maintain by separating static data from the integration logic.