Informatica (PowerCenter) Key Concepts (PartI)

Informatica (PowerCenter) Key Concepts PartI:

This series will review the fundamental of the PowerCenter(7.1.2) Suite.
The key components of Informatica are PowerCenter Client Tools, Repository Server, Power Center Server and the Repository. The Repository Server and the PowerCenter Server constitute the ETL Layer which does the ETL process.

Below is how the client to server communication flow looks like:
The PowerCenter client sends a request to Repository Server.
The Repository Server verifies the connectivity information of the target database
The Repository Server starts a Repository agent Process
The Repository Server uses a Repository agent process to communicate with the Repository.
The PowerCenter Server process communicates with the repository to run scheduled workflows. When a workflow is run manually the Power Center Server uses the instructions configured in the mapping (stored in the Repository) to read , transform and write data.
(details on what a workflow and mapping is discussed below).

Below are the key PowerCenter Client Tools:

a)Repository Manager: To create and manage repository, create and manage users
b)Repository server admin console: To manage the Repository Server
c)Designer Tools:
(i)Source Analyzer: to import source definitions
(ii)Warehouse designer: to import target definitions
(iii)Transformation developer: a repository object that generates/modifies and parses data. This object can be reused .
(iv)Mapping: a mapping is nothing but a set of source and target definitions linked by transformation objects. A mapping is what represents the data flow from source to target.
Mapping Designer is used to create Mappings.
(v)Mapplet designer: A mapplet is a set of objects that you use to build reusable transformation logic.
(vi)Workflow: a workflow is a set of instructions that tells the Power Center Server how to execute a task. Workflow Manager can be used to create and run workflows. Workflow Monitor can used to monitor the running of workflows.(If you are new to the ETL world the above concepts may be overwhelming in the beginning, but as we go through other chapters you will be able to see how the concepts relate to the ETL process)