Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC) is a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offering from Oracle that facilitates integration between various applications, services, and data sources, both within and outside an organization. It allows you to connect different systems and automate business processes. One important aspect of integration is data mapping, which involves transforming data from one format to another as it moves between different systems.

In Oracle Integration Cloud, data mapping is an essential part of creating integrations. When you’re connecting two or more applications, you often need to ensure that data is properly transformed and mapped between them. Here’s a basic overview of how data mapping works in Oracle Integration Cloud:

1. Source and Target Schemas: In an integration scenario, you typically have a source application or system from which you extract data and a target application or system where you want to send or load the data. Each of these applications has a specific data format, often represented as schemas.

2. Data Mapper: Oracle Integration Cloud provides a visual mapping tool that allows you to create data mapping logic. This tool helps you define how data should be transformed from the source format to the target format. The data mapper is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, allowing you to drag and drop elements from the source schema to the corresponding elements in the target schema.

3. Transformation Logic: Within the data mapping tool, you can define transformation logic using functions, expressions, and conditional statements. This logic might involve concatenating strings, performing calculations, applying conditional rules, and more. The data mapper provides a range of built-in functions to help you achieve the necessary transformations.

4. Testing and Validation: After creating the data mapping logic, you can test it using sample data. Oracle Integration Cloud allows you to preview how the transformation will be applied to the data. This helps you verify that the mapping is working as expected before deploying the integration.

5. Deployment and Execution: Once the data mapping is defined and tested, you can deploy the integration. Oracle Integration Cloud will use the mapping logic you’ve configured to transform data as it flows from the source to the target application.

6. Monitoring and Troubleshooting: Oracle Integration Cloud provides monitoring and logging capabilities, allowing you to track the data flow and identify any issues. If there are problems with the data mapping, you can review the logs and correct the mapping logic as needed.

Remember that Oracle Integration Cloud is a dynamic platform, and its features and capabilities may evolve over time. It’s important to refer to the official Oracle documentation or training resources for the most up-to-date information on working with data mapping in Oracle Integration Cloud.