Informatica Client Tools

Informatica PowerCenter provides an environment that allows you to load data into a centralized location, such as a data warehouse or operational data store (ODS). You can extract data from multiple sources, transform the data according to business logic you build in the client application, and load the transformed data into file and relational targets.

In Informatica all the source, target and transformations information is store in the Informatica Repository which we call Metadata.

PowerCenter also provides the ability to view and analyze business information and browse and analyze metadata from disparate metadata repositories.

1. PowerCenter repository. The PowerCenter repository resides in a relational database. The repository database tables contain the instructions required to extract, transform, and load data.
2. PowerCenter Client. The PowerCenter Client is an application used to define sources and targets, build mappings and mapplets with the transformation logic, and create workflows to run the mapping logic. The PowerCenter Client connects to the repository through the PowerCenter Repository Service to modify repository metadata. It connects to the Integration Service to start workflows.
3. PowerCenter Repository Service. The PowerCenter Repository Service accepts requests from the PowerCenter Client to create and modify repository metadata and accepts requests from the Integration Service for metadata when a workflow runs.
4. PowerCenter Integration Service. The PowerCenter Integration Service extracts data from sources and loads data to targets.

PowerCenter Client

The PowerCenter Client application consists of the tools to manage the repository and to design mappings, mapplets, and sessions to load the data. The PowerCenter Client application has the following tools:

1. Designer. Use the Designer to create mappings that contain transformation instructions for the Integration Service.
2. Mapping Architect for Visio. Use the Mapping Architect for Visio to create mapping templates that generate multiple mappings.
3. Repository Manager. Use the Repository Manager to assign permissions to users and groups and manage folders.
4. Workflow Manager. Use the Workflow Manager to create, schedule, and run workflows. A workflow is a set of instructions that describes how and when to run tasks related to extracting, transforming, and loading data.
5. Workflow Monitor. Use the Workflow Monitor to monitor scheduled and running workflows for each Integration Service.

1. PowerCenter Designer

The Designer has the following tools that you use to analyze sources, design target schemas, and build source-to-target mappings:

• Source Analyzer. Import or create source definitions.
• Target Designer. Import or create target definitions.
• Transformation Developer. Develop transformations to use in mappings. You can also develop user-defined functions to use in expressions.
• Mapplet Designer. Create sets of transformations to use in mappings.
• Mapping Designer. Create mappings that the Integration Service uses to extract, transform, and load data.

The following figure shows the default Designer interface:

1. Navigator

2. Output

3. Workspace

You can display the following windows in the Designer:

• Navigator. Connect to repositories and open folders within the Navigator. You can also copy objects and create shortcuts within the Navigator.
• Workspace. Open different tools in this window to create and edit repository objects, such as sources, targets, mapplets, transformations, and mappings.
• Output. View details about tasks you perform, such as saving your work or validating a mapping.

2. Mapping Architect for Visio

Use Mapping Architect for Visio to create mapping templates using Microsoft Office Visio. When you work with a mapping template, you use the following main areas:

• Informatica stencil. Displays shapes that represent PowerCenter mapping objects. Drag a shape from the Informatica stencil to the drawing window to add a mapping object to a mapping template.
• Informatica toolbar. Displays buttons for tasks you can perform on a mapping template. Contains the online help button.
• Drawing window. Work area for the mapping template. Drag shapes from the Informatica stencil to the drawing window and set up links between the shapes. Set the properties for the mapping objects and the rules for data movement and transformation.

The following figure shows the Mapping Architect for Visio interface:

1. Informatica Stencil

2. Informatica Toolbar

3. Drawing Window

3. Repository Manager

Use the Repository Manager to administer repositories. You can navigate through multiple folders and repositories, and complete the following tasks:

• Manage user and group permissions. Assign and revoke folder and global object permissions.
• Perform folder functions. Create, edit, copy, and delete folders. Work you perform in the Designer and Workflow Manager is stored in folders. If you want to share metadata, you can configure a folder to be shared.
• View metadata. Analyze sources, targets, mappings, and shortcut dependencies, search by keyword, and view the properties of repository objects.

The following figure shows the Repository Manager interface:

1. Status bar

2. Navigator

3. Output

4. Main

The Repository Manager can display the following windows:

• Navigator. Displays all objects that you create in the Repository Manager, the Designer, and the Workflow Manager. It is organized first by repository and by folder.
• Main. Provides properties of the object selected in the Navigator. The columns in this window change depending on the object selected in the Navigator.
• Output. Provides the output of tasks executed within the Repository Manager.

Repository Objects

You create repository objects using the Designer and Workflow Manager client tools. You can view the following objects in the Navigator window of the Repository Manager:

• Source definitions. Definitions of database objects such as tables, views, synonyms, or files that provide source data.
• Target definitions. Definitions of database objects or files that contain the target data.
• Mappings. A set of source and target definitions along with transformations containing business logic that you build into the transformation. These are the instructions that the Integration Service uses to transform and move data.
• Reusable transformations. Transformations that you use in multiple mappings.
• Mapplets. A set of transformations that you use in multiple mappings.
• Sessions and workflows. Sessions and workflows store information about how and when the Integration Service moves data. A workflow is a set of instructions that describes how and when to run tasks related to extracting, transforming, and loading data. A session is a type of task that you can put in a workflow. Each session corresponds to a single mapping.

4. Workflow Manager

In the Workflow Manager, you define a set of instructions to execute tasks such as sessions, emails, and shell commands. This set of instructions is called a workflow.

The Workflow Manager has the following tools to help you develop a workflow:

• Task Developer. Create tasks you want to accomplish in the workflow.
• Worklet Designer. Create a worklet in the Worklet Designer. A worklet is an object that groups a set of tasks. A worklet is similar to a workflow, but without scheduling information. You can nest worklets inside a workflow.
• Workflow Designer. Create a workflow by connecting tasks with links in the Workflow Designer. You can also create tasks in the Workflow Designer as you develop the workflow.

When you create a workflow in the Workflow Designer, you add tasks to the workflow. The Workflow Manager includes tasks, such as the Session task, the Command task, and the Email task so you can design a workflow. The Session task is based on a mapping you build in the Designer.

You then connect tasks with links to specify the order of execution for the tasks you created. Use conditional links and workflow variables to create branches in the workflow.

When the workflow start time arrives, the Integration Service retrieves the metadata from the repository to execute the tasks in the workflow. You can monitor the workflow status in the Workflow Monitor.

The following figure shows the Workflow Manager interface:

1. Status bar

2. Navigator

3. Output

4. Main

5. Workflow Monitor

You can monitor workflows and tasks in the Workflow Monitor. You can view details about a workflow or task in Gantt Chart view or Task view. You can run, stop, abort, and resume workflows from the Workflow Monitor. You can view sessions and workflow log events in the Workflow Monitor Log Viewer.

The Workflow Monitor displays workflows that have run at least once. The Workflow Monitor continuously receives information from the Integration Service and Repository Service. It also fetches information from the repository to display historic information.

The following figure shows the Workflow Monitor interface:

1. Gantt chart view

2. Task view

3. Output window

4. Time window

The Workflow Monitor consists of the following windows:

• Navigator window. Displays monitored repositories, servers, and repositories objects.
• Output window. Displays messages from the Integration Service and Repository Service.
• Time window. Displays progress of workflow runs.
• Gantt Chart view. Displays details about workflow runs in chronological format.
• Task view. Displays details about workflow runs in a report format.