About – Us

May 11th, 2012 No comments

Hi Guys. I am Satish. I am Computer Engineer and I have worked in an IT MNC.

The dearth of quality Interview Q & A websites has always baffled me and I had to struggle a lot to -
Gather challenging interview questions and answers from an assortment of websites.

This site is an effort to save you valuable time searching for quality interview Questions & Answers for new job seekers and freshers who would like to gain more confindence on the Informatica Tool and real project experience and scenarios that would come across in an Datawarehousing Enviornment.

We a group of friends have started this Informaticatool.com site to help job seekers and learners.This site would also server as a platform to discuss the informatica issues and technical questions related to informatica,Oracle and Others

 

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Repository Query to Identify long Running Tasks

May 4th, 2012 No comments

Repository Tables:

There around a couple of hundred OPB tables in 7.x version of PowerCenter, but in 8.x, this number crosses 400. Below are some of the tables where we can get details of the objects & object properties.

OPB_SUBJECT - PowerCenter folders table

This table stores the name of each PowerCenter repository folder.

Usage: Join any of the repository tables that have SUBJECT_ID as column with that of SUBJ_ID in this table to know the folder name.

OPB_MAPPING - Mappings table

This table stores the name and ID of each mapping and its corresponding folder.

Usage: Join any of the repository tables that have MAPPING_ID as column with that of MAPPING_ID in this table to know the mapping name.

OPB_TASK - Tasks table like sessions, workflow etc

This table stores the name and ID of each task like session, workflow and its corresponding folder.

Usage: Join any of the repository tables that have TASK_ID as column with that of TASK_ID/SESSION_ID in this table to know the task name. Observe that the session and also workflow are stored as tasks in the repository. TASK_TYPE for session is 68 and that of the workflow is 71.

OPB_SESSION - Session & Mapping linkage table

This table stores the linkage between the session and the corresponding mapping. As informed in the earlier paragraph, you can use the SESSION_ID in this table to join with TASK_ID of OPB_TASK table.

OPB_TASK_ATTR - Task attributes tables

This is the table that stores the attribute values (like Session log name etc) for tasks.

Usage: Use the ATTR_ID of this table to that of the ATTR_ID of OPB_ATTR table to find what each attribute in this table means. You can know more about OPB_ATTR table in the next paragraphs.

OPB_WIDGET - Transformations table

This table stores the names and IDs of all the transformations with their folder details.

Usage: Use WIDGET_ID from this table to that of the WIDGET_ID of any of the tables to know the transformation name and the folder details. Use this table in conjunction with OPB_WIDGET_ATTR or OPB_WIDGET_EXPR to know more about each transformation etc.

OPB_WIDGET_FIELD - Transformation ports table

This table stores the names and IDs of all the transformation fields for each of the transformations.

Usage: Take the FIELD_ID from this table and match it against the FIELD_ID of any of the tables like OPB_WIDGET_DEP and you can get the corresponding information.

OPB_WIDGET_ATTR - Transformation properties table

This table stores all the properties details about each of the transformations.

Usage: Use the ATTR_ID of this table to that of the ATTR_ID of OPB_ATTR table to find what each attribute in this transformation means.

OPB_EXPRESSION - Expressions table

This table stores the details of the expressions used anywhere in PowerCenter.

Usage: Use this table in conjunction with OPB_WIDGET/OPB_WIDGET_INST and OPB_WIDGET_EXPR to get the expressions in the Expression transformation for a particular, mapping or a set.

OPB_ATTR - Attributes

This table has a list of attributes and their default values if any. You can get the ATTR_ID from this table and look it up against any of the tables where you can get the attribute value. You should also make a note of the ATTR_TYPE, OBJECT_TYPE_ID before you pick up the ATTR_ID. You can find the same ATTR_ID in the table, but with different ATTR_TYPE or OBJECT_TYPE_ID.

OPB_COMPONENT - Session Component

This table stores the component details like Post-Session-Success-Email, commands in Post-Session/pre-Session etc.

Usage: Match the TASK_ID with that of the SESSION_ID in OPB_SESSION table to get the SESSION_NAME and to get the shell command or batch command that is there for the session, join this table with OPB_TASK_VAL_LIST table on TASK_ID.

OPB_CFG_ATTR - Session Configuration Attributes

This table stores the attribute values for Session Object configuration like “Save Session log by”, Session log path etc.

We can Query against the Informatica repository Tables to identify the Long Running Sessions or Time Consuming Sessions by using the below Query

SELECT
	RepTask.SUBJECT_AREA,RepTask.INSTANCE_NAME,
	TRUNC(AVG(END_TIME-START_TIME)*24, 2) SESS_RUN_HOURS,
	MIN(RepTask.START_TIME) START_TIME,
	SUM(SessTask.SRC_SUCCESS_ROWS) SRC_ROWS,
	SUM(SessTask.TARG_SUCCESS_ROWS) TGT_ROWS
FROM  INFO.REP_TASK_INST_RUN RepTask, INFO.OPB_SESS_TASK_LOG SessTask
WHERE RepTask.run_err_code=0
	AND (RepTask.END_TIME-RepTask.START_TIME)>= 1/24
	AND RepTask.INSTANCE_ID = SessTask.INSTANCE_ID
	AND rownum <100
	GROUP BY RepTask.INSTANCE_NAME, RepTask.SUBJECT_AREA
	Order By SESS_RUN_HOUR desc;
Categories: Informatica, Repository Queries Tags:

Executing Informatica workflow using PMCMD command on UNIX and Syntax

May 4th, 2012 No comments

First lets Check if you have PMCMD available or not.If you have informatica installed on your system its doesn’t mean you can execute this utility also by default, Use below command to find out this utility availability for your informatica installation. If not, need to cross with admin about this utility is available  or not.

Command to Check the Availability:-

find . -name “PMCMD” –print , This Command needs to be executed at INFA application  root directory.

Syntax to Execute a Workflow

pmcmd startworkflow –uv USERName  –pv UserPwd  –s Integration_SERVICEName

–f FOLDER_Name –paramfile ‘\$PMROOTDIR/PARAM_FILE.TXT’

–wait WF_INFA_LOAD

The Above Command would start the workflow WF_INFA_LOAD present in FOLDER_Name on Integration service Integration_SERVICEName by using UserName & UserPwd

 

Informatica PowerCenter 8 Terminologies

May 4th, 2012 No comments

An Informatica PowerCenter environment uses a domain to centralize task carried out by the administrator. A domain can contain multiple nodes. Each service is running on a node.

We can now use the Administration Console to centrally administer the nodes and services in a domain.

The Administration Console is a web application running on the embedded Tomcat server. It allows you to remotely manage the services & Carry out other admin related tasks.

PowerCenter 8 now uses “Services” to replace the term “Server” in PowerCenter 7.1.4. The “Repository service” manages the Informatica repositories. The “Integration Service” runs sessions and workflow jobs.

In PowerCenter 7.1.4, a repository server runs on a Host and a Port (4001). You manually run the server on the machine where the repository server will run. In PowerCenter 8, a “node” is created to represent the host and the port. The repository is running on the node. You can login to the Administration Console remotely to enable or disable the services.

Informatica Workflow Monitor

May 1st, 2012 No comments

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 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.

The following figure shows the Workflow Monitor interface:

Categories: Informatica Architecture Tags:

Informatica Repository Objects & Workflow Manager

April 5th, 2012 No comments

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.

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:

Categories: Informatica Architecture Tags:

PowerCenter Intergation Service Continued

March 15th, 2012 No comments

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
Categories: Informatica Architecture Tags:

Informatica Repository Manager

February 21st, 2012 No comments

 

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 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.

The following figure shows the Repository Manager interface:

Categories: Informatica Architecture Tags:

PowerCenter Intergation Service Continued

January 31st, 2012 No comments

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:

  Designer. Use the Designer to create mappings that contain transformation instructions for the Integration Service.
  Mapping Architect for Visio. Use the Mapping Architect for Visio to create mapping templates that generate multiple mappings.
  Repository Manager. Use the Repository Manager to assign permissions to users and groups and manage folders.
  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.
  Workflow Monitor. Use the Workflow Monitor to monitor scheduled and running workflows for each Integration Service.

Install the client application on a Microsoft Windows computer.

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.

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.
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PowerCenter Integration Service

January 28th, 2012 No comments

PowerCenter Integration Service

The PowerCenter Integration Service reads workflow information from the repository. The Integration Service connects to the repository through the Repository Service to fetch metadata from the repository.

A workflow is a set of instructions that describes how and when to run tasks related to extracting, transforming, and loading data. The Integration Service runs workflow tasks. A session is a type of workflow task. A session is a set of instructions that describes how to move data from sources to targets using a mapping.

A session extracts data from the mapping sources and stores the data in memory while it applies the transformation rules that you configure in the mapping. The Integration Service loads the transformed data into the mapping targets.

Other workflow tasks include commands, decisions, timers, pre-session SQL commands, post-session SQL commands, and email notification.

The Integration Service can combine data from different platforms and source types. For example, you can join data from a flat file and an Oracle source. The Integration Service can also load data to different platforms and target types.

You install the PowerCenter Integration Service when you install PowerCenter Services. After you install the PowerCenter Services, you can use Informatica Administrator to manage the Integration Service.

Web Services Hub

The Web Services Hub is the application service in the Informatica domain that is a web service gateway for external clients. The Web Services Hub processes SOAP requests from client applications that access PowerCenter functionality through web services. Web service clients access the PowerCenter Integration Service and PowerCenter Repository Service through the Web Services Hub.

The Web Services Hub hosts the following web services:

Batch web services. Includes operations to run and monitor the sessions and workflows. Batch web services also include operations that can access repository metadata. Batch web services install with PowerCenter.
Real-time web services. Workflows enabled as web services that can receive requests and generate responses in SOAP message format. Create real-time web services when you enable PowerCenter workflows as web services.

Use Informatica Administrator to configure and manage the Web Services Hub. Use the Web Services Hub Console to view information about the web service and to download WSDL files to create web service clients.

 

PowerCenter Repository Service

The PowerCenter Repository Service manages connections to the PowerCenter repository from repository clients. A repository client is any PowerCenter component that connects to the repository. The Repository Service is a separate, multi-threaded process that retrieves, inserts, and updates metadata in the repository database tables. The Repository Service ensures the consistency of metadata in the repository.

The Repository Service accepts connection requests from the following PowerCenter components:

PowerCenter Client. Create and store mapping metadata and connection object information in the repository with the PowerCenter Designer and Workflow Manager. Retrieve workflow run status information and session logs with the Workflow Monitor. Create folders, organize and secure metadata, and assign permissions to users and groups in the Repository Manager.
Command line programs. Use command line programs to perform repository metadata administration tasks and service-related functions.
PowerCenter Integration Service. When you start the PowerCenter Integration Service, the service connects to the repository to schedule workflows. When you run a workflow, the Integration Service retrieves workflow task and mapping metadata from the repository. The Integration Service writes workflow status to the repository.
Web Services Hub. When you start the Web Services Hub, it connects to the repository to access web-enabled workflows. The Web Services Hub retrieves workflow task and mapping metadata from the repository and writes workflow status to the repository.
SAP BW Service. Listens for RFC requests from SAP NetWeaver BI and initiates workflows to extract from or load to SAP NetWeaver BI.

You install the Repository Service when you install PowerCenter Services. After you install the PowerCenter Services, you can use Informatica Administrator to manage the Repository Service.

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