Informatica Designer

An Overview

Designer Purpose

Designer is used to create mappings and mapplets to specify how to move and transform data between source and targets

Designer helps create the source definitions, target definitions and transformations to build mappings.

Designer Tools

Source Analyzer– Import or create source definitions

Warehouse Designer– Import or create target definitions

Transformation Developer– Used to create reusable transformations

Mapplet Designer– To create reusable Mapplets

Mapping Designer– To create Mappings and non- reusable transformations

Transformations

A transformation is an object that performs a specific function in a mapping, such as looking up data or performing calculation or aggregation.

Mappings

Mappings represents data flow between source and targets.

Mapping is used by Informatica server to read, transform and load data at the time of execution of an ETL task.

Mapplets

It contains a set of transformations and allows you to reuse the transformation logic in multiple mappings. Mapplet can includesource definition also.

Launch Designer-Add Repository

Connect to the Repository

Designer Windows

Navigator

Status Bar Output

Workspace

Designer Windows

Navigator. Use to connect to and work in multiple repositories and folders. You can also copy and delete objects and create shortcuts using the Navigator. Workspace. Use to view or edit sources, targets, mapplets, transformations, and mappings. You can work with a single tool at a time in the workspace. You can use the workspace in default or workbook format. Status bar. Displays the status of the operation you perform. Output. Provides details when you perform certain tasks, such as saving your work or validating a mapping. Right-click the Output window to access window options, such as printing output text, saving text to file, and changing the font size.

Using Business Documentation

Business documentation provides details about a repository object or transformation expression. The Designer allows you to create and edit links to business documentation that you have developed for repository objects. The documentation must reside on a local machine, network server, or company intranet or internet web site in a Windows environment.

Document Formats

You can develop business documentation in HTML, PDF, or any text format, for the following repository objects: Sources and targetsTransformations MappletsMappings

Specify Document path (Click on link to open the document)

Designer Tasks

Add a RepositoryIn order to access information stored in a repository, Repository definition must be added to the designer.Once repository is added, the repository should be connected in order to access the information in it.

Open and Close Folder

Once connected, the folders in repository become available in the left pane of designer window.Once in the folder, the designer tools can be used.Folder can be opened by double clicking it.Folder can be close by selecting it and disconnecting using the disconnect button.

Accessing Designer Tools

Sources

Sources can be created in source analyzer from:Relational tables, views or synonymsCobol filesFlat Files – Fixed width/delimitedXML SourcesWeb Service Provider

Source definition is usually imported and notcreated as it should match exactly with source.

Updating source definitions

Designer propagates the changes to mappings when the source definition changes.Mappings may become invalid in some cases like deleting a column used in mapping.Mappings need to be edited and revalidated in such cases.

Import from Database

Create ODBC Source

Select ODBC Source

Select Tables to Insert

Source Tables Imported

Double Click Table to Modify

Exercise

Login to DB:Run Source Table DDL and Data ScriptCreate ODBC SourceImport All Tables (See constraints)

Import Flat file Source

Flat File: Step1Fixed Width or Delimited

Flat File: Step2 Delimiters, Text Qualifier

Flat File: Step3Data Types

Flat File Source Imported

View file definition

Columns

Properties

Metadata Extensions

Exercise

Import Flat File Source

FilesCust_Ord.txtProduct_Discount.txt

Targets

Targets can be created using Warehouse Designer:

RelationalFlat FileXML

Target Creation

Import target definitionCreate based on source definition by dragging source definition to Warehouse analyzerManually create Target DefinitionDesign several related targets and their relationship as a ‘Schema’. This is also used to create Cubes and Dimensions using wizards.

Create Target Tables

In case of manual creation/editing of targets, Designer generates DDL and executes it to create target tables.This includes creation of new targets, dropping and creating changed targets or dropping and creation of indexes.

Choose Warehouse Designer in Tools

Import Target from Database

Create ODBC Source

Select Tables to be Imported

Tables imported into Warehouse Designer

Target import from Flat file

Same as source import

Exercise-Target

Import from Target Tables from Database

Import from flat file– customer_file.txt

Manually create Target

Target Created

Edit Table

Add Columns

Create Indexes

Metadata Extensions

Table Created

Generate SQL

Edit SQL

Execute SQL

Compare and Preview Data

Two Sources/Targets or any two objects of same type can be comparedPreview data

Select two targets to be compared

Column Comparison

Preview Data

Exercise

Compare Customer Relational target with customer flat file.Preview Source/Target Data

Mapping

Mapping is an ETL Program.

Every mapping must contain the following:Source DefinitionTransformationTarget DefinitionConnectorsIt may also contain ‘Mapplets’

Creating a Mapping

Create Source, Target and Reusable ObjectsAdd Source and Targets (Drag in to Mapping)Add Transformation and Transform LogicConnect the MappingValidate the MappingSave the Mapping

Default Source Transformations in a Mapping

Sources always need Transformations that determine how the data is read and extracted based on its type

Source Qualifier – Relational and Flat FileNormalizer – Cobol SourceApplication Source Qualifier – Application SourceXML Source Qualifier – XML Sources

Transformation

Transformation is a repository objectIt generates, modifies and passes dataTransform logic is defined in a transformationInformatica provides pre-built transformsEach transform has certain rules that apply to itTransforms can be created for reuse in multiple mappings

Ports

Input Ports – Receive DataOutput Ports – Pass DataInput/Output Ports – Receive data and pass it unchanged

Component Ports

Sources - Only Output portsTargets - Only Input PortsMapplets - Input/output portsTransformations – Depends on the transformation and its application

Linking Ports

Manual LinkingAutolinking– By Name– By Position

Select Mapping Designer

Drag Source in a mapping

Source Qualifier Transformation

By Default created for Relational and flat file sources

Source qualifier qualifies a relational or flat file source definition in a mapping

Source qualifier represents the rows that Informatica server reads when it executes a session

Source qualifier displays transformation data types. These determine how the source database binds data when server reads it. Do not alter data types in Source qualifier

Ports

Properties

Add Target

Autolink Ports

Autolink by Name

Mapping Created

Target Properties

Relational Target Properties

Reject truncated and overflow data– Write truncated data to reject file

Update override– Override the default update statement

Pre/Post session SQL

Flat file Target Properties

Date/Time Format– Default Date/Time Format

Thousands Separator– Default Thousands Separator for numeric values

Decimal Separator– Default decimal Separator for numeric values

Save and Validate

Validating Mapping

Port Connection Validation– Required Ports are connected– All connections are valid

Expression ValidationObject Validation– Objects and their instances

Copying Objects

Copy objects across foldersCopy objects within folder

Creating shortcuts

Shortcuts can be created by dragging objects into the destination shared folder or into mapping.Shortcuts can not be created in non-shared folders

Dependencies

Designer allows developer to view dependencies to see the impact of changes being made.Dependencies can be viewed for source, target, transformation, mapplet and mappings.Example: primary key-foreign key dependency

View Dependencies

Mapping Exercise

Add Customer SourceView Source Qualifier PropertiesAdd Customer TargetManually Link Few PortsAuto link rest of the portsValidate and see validation result/SaveCreate Copy/ShortcutsView dependencies

Debugger

Designer provides debugger to execute the mapping to determine the errors and data condition at multiple developer defined break points.

Debugger uses a session on Informatica server

Debug Process

Create BreakpointsConfigure the DebuggerRun the debuggerMonitor the debugger– Debug Log– Target Window– Instance Window

Modify Data and Break points

Edit Breakpoints

Breakpoints

Instance Name– Create a global breakpoint (Applicable on all

rows)– Create against a single transformation

Breakpoint Types– Data

Data condition

– Error

Add Global Breakpoints

Configure Break Points

Error– No Ports can be specified– Specify no. of errors before stopping

Data– Global

Specify no. of rows to skip before stopping“Any Port” set to IsNull or IsDefaultNo Port condition (Stops at defined row count)

– TransformationSpecify no. of rows to skip before stoppingSpecify Multiple Port Conditions for one BreakpointSpecify Multiple breakpoints

Transformation Conditions

Data condition can be applied to following port parameters– Port Value– Row Type (Insert/Update/delete/reject)– Rowid– Any Port (IsNull/IsDefault)

Session

Session object defines run time properties of a Mapping.– Connection details– Log file Names– DML operation– Etc.

Session Types– Workflow Session– Debug Session

Debugger Session Types

If Informatica server has executed the mapping alreadyExisting non reusable sessionExisting reusable session

If it’s a new execution on the serverNew debug session

Configuring The Debugger

Informatica Server and Session TypesSession InformationSession ConfigurationTarget Options

Start Debugger

Informatica Server and Session Types

Session Information-Connection Tab

Session Information-Target Properties Tab (Normal/Bulk, Insert/Update/Delete)

Session Information-Reader/Writer Tab

Transformation Configuration

Session Configuration (Source Row Type)

Target Options(Discard does not commit data)

Continue Debugger

Continuing the Debugger

Continue to next break– Continues until encounters a breakpoint

Continue to next instance– Continues until reaches next transformation or encounters a

breakpoint

Step to a specified instance – Continues until reaches the user selected transformation or

encounters a breakpoint– Can not step to sources, targets, unconnected

transformations

Monitor

Target DataDebug LogSession Log

Modify Data

When debugger pauses, current instance displays in instance window. Users can– Modify output data– Change Null data to Not Null Data– Change Not Null to Null– Modify Row Types (Insert/Update etc.)

View Target and Transformation instances

View Session log

Exercise

Create Global Breakpoint without data conditionRun Debugger