Conversation With Informatica

For online or class room training in Informatica, contact us on [email protected] created by - Deep Narayan, Informatica professional

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Conversation with Informatica

Dear Informatica Sir, what is your use?

I am a software which is used to ‘data on move’. Usually data is stored in database like Oracle or SQL Server and others. The databases are very well designed to store and retrieve data. But for handling ‘data on move’, the database has limited features. Hence you need me when you want to put your ‘data on move’.


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But why I will put data on move. Its is so comfortably stored in database.

Some 15 years ago, data on move was not required. But now, moving data has become a common practice. In business operations, ‘data on move’ is witnessed when a new application is built but the old data has to be poured in it from an old system.

It means, you can change old system to a new system.

No . I can only move the data from old system to a new system. So that you do not loose the customers, service and other data when you start using a new application.


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Another business scenario where we move data is in dataware house projects. There data from multiple systems are brought at one place for consolidated reporting.

Does it mean that you create dataware house.

No. Dataware house consists of multiple tools. I undertake one part , which is bringing of data.

So Mr. Informatica, you are just about moving data. !

I can change data during movement.


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The ‘data on move’ may not fit well in the new house. The structure of new application can be different, the field length can be less or more, the parent child relation may be different in the new system. So while moving data, it has to be changed (transformed in Informatica terminology) such that it fits well in the new system. Informatica very effectively handles data transformations while moving data.

Can we say that Informatica is used to move data from one place to another and while moving it is changes data as per requirement .

Yes, my dear. You are right.

Oh, its so simple.

If you want, I can explain it in a complicated manner.

That’s ok. Does Informatica has programming in it?

Some times. Mostly programs are simple one line logic.


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Learning Informatica is more like learning how to use an application. When a programmer is using Informatica, she spends 80% of time in drag, drop, linking, checking the options, verifying the result, 10% time on writing the code.

Which are other tools similar to Informatica?

Data Stage, Ab-initio and Taleo perform similar task. Each has its plus and minus point.

Can Informatica move data from file to database?

Yes, this is one of the features. It can move data from flat file, xml file or cobol file to a table or to another file. It can handle data from Oracle, SQL SQL SERVER, Sybase, DB2, teradata.

What is pre-requisite to learn Informatica ?

Informatica picks data from database and moves it to new table in same or other database. Hence basic knowledge of database operations is required. Also, quite often Informatica is used in dataware house (consolidated reporting across multiple applications ) projects. So overall knowledge of DW is desirable.

Quite often a training course in Informatica starts with 4-10 hrs on database operations and 3 hrs on concepts of datawarehouse.


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Now let me ask some questions. Which of the following are ture?

Informatica is used to move data from on table to another

True / False

Informatica is used to move data from one database to another

True / False

Informatica can pick data from either file or from table True / False

Informatica can be used with Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, Teradata.

True / False

While moving data, Informatica can modify the data also.

True / False

Informatica is often used in consolidated reporting (dataware house)

True / False

Informatica programmers earn more than one million dollars per year.

True / False


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Working on Informatica is 90% drag and drop and 10% type n write.

True / False

- All are true.

All are true except about Informatica professionals earning one million dollar.

Humm !!. Does ‘packers and movers’ use Informatica to move household goods from one location to another?

No. Informatica can move only data from one system to another. Now, let me tell you the course coverage on basics of SQL and PLSQL.

We start with basics of SQL and little bit of PLSQL

First you must know how to login to database, use simple SQL commands. This way you can Create a table to store data, insert into table, update, delete and select data. Modify table, add remove columns, primary key, and foreign key. Create views on table. Use built in functions, select data based on groups, with WHERE clause, HAVING clause and ORDER BY Clause. Use sub-query within query. Use system tables to find existing tables, views, keys, procedures. Save and revert changes with commit and rollback command.


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You should complete the exercise of – Create a table which can store sales record. In this table Insert data, modify and delete data. Find sales made by each salesmen, find the branch having max sales, and find salesmen having max sales in each branch.

Then comes PLSQL which is programming language in oracle. You must know how to write a program in Oracle with PLSQL, input output parameter, error handling and execution.

This way you should be able to write a simple procedure to calculate and return tax value based on input of employee id.

Having known about simple database operations, you must understand the architecture of Informatica. The best way to learn architecture is to install Informatica. Although installation is not the job of a Informatica administrator, and not of programmer, but still she should know it.

While installation, you must understand the terms of Domain, Node and Repository . You should know that Informatica admin consol works.. Use Adminstation consol repository manager to check Repository service, Integration service and user access. Find path of log file, trouble shoot Informatica server startup issues. You should learn the use of designer, workflow manger, workflow monitor.

It means that a programmer must learn how to install Informatica?

No. I said that its better for a programmer to learn installation. In Informatica projects, there is an Informatica administrator, who would take care of this task.


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Thanks god. I can manage without learning how to install. Please keep me telling about those things which I can skip learning.

If you learn minimum, you cannot be at par with Informatica certified professionals.

Oh ! It means there is option for Informatica certification also. Like oracle certification. I hope it free of cost.

After learning Informatica, you can opt for certification. But its not free of cost.

Is there any way to get discount on certification?

No. Unfortunately, till now there is no clearance sale for Informatica certifications.

Tell me something more about Informatica?

Informatica belongs to the family of ETL (Extract Transform and Load) tools.


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When you say ‘Extract’ does it mean that Informatica removes the data from the original source.

No.

Then why you said ‘Extract’. If a rabbit extracts a carrot, he removes the carrot from the original place.

Humm. You are quite logical. Instead of Extract Transform and Load (ETL), you can assume it to be Read , Transform and Write. But ETL is the common term.

Why this incorrect name ETL is in use.

Sir, please leave me. I have many more works. You better write you grievance to Informatica corporation (www.Informatica.com)

Informatica corporation? Is Informatica a separate company? I thought its part of oracle.


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Informatica corporation is a company, it closely works with database companies like oracle , DB2. The ETL tool provided by Informatica corp is called ‘Informatica Powercenter’. Quite often people call ‘Informatica Powercenter’ as Informatica or PowerCenter. Its better to use the word Powercenter or ‘Informatica Powercenter’. The word Informatica should be used to refer the company, Informatica corporation.

If I learn Informatica PowerCenter ETL tool , can I get a salary of 1 million?

Yes.

YaaHoo ! now I am ready to learn Informtica. I mean Informatica Powercenter.

Let me clarify. You can get a salary of 1 million if you join as CEO. If you join a as a programmer or a developer, you can expect 25% higher salary than average IT professionals.

No problem. I am ready to join as CEO. Please tell me the course content.


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First you must know basics of database operation which I described earlier. Then there should be complete installation of Informatica on you machine Then you should know ABC of Informatica, Step A, Step B, Step C

Step A - Start Informatica designer :

Then you should know how to user Informatica designer . Informatica Designer is the tool where a developer spends around 70% of their time.

To start Informatica designer, you must click on the designer icon on yr desktop or in the start menu.

With help of designer, a developer creates the programs. A program in Informatica is usually called map because it depicts the flow of data from originating point to destination point.

Create source and target definition:

In a map (informtatica ETL Program) , the first step is called creating a source definition. The source definition is pictorial description of a table in database. This source definition is internally connected to the table from where data has to be picked.

The second step is called creating a target definition. The target definition is pictorial description of a target table in database where data as to finally reach. This trarget definition is internally connected to the table from where data has to finally reach.

The third step is create a map by connecting source and target using connectors in designer. And save your map (program)

Source and target tables can be in the same database or in a different databases. Like start of travel and end of travel can be in the same country or in the different country, depending upon our travel plan. Source and target tables can be in different database types, example source table can be an oracle table and target table can be a SQL Server table.

Extract and load table data – Extract data from on table and load to table/file using Informatica. Use simple transformation to make changes in data while loading.


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Step B - Start Informatica Powercenter workflow manager

Workflow manager is used to run the map created in designer. From designer you can create a program, but in order to execute it , you must

user workflow manager. Click on icon of workflow manager at your desktop or in the start menu.

In workflwo manger, you create a program called workflow which internally connects to the map you created earlier. Then you run the workflow, which executes the map. Insort, workflow is the program to execute informatica map.

Step C - Start Informatica Powercenter workflow monitor

Workflow monitor is used to check the progress of progress of execution of workflow hence execution of Informatica map. From this tool, you can check if execution is successful or failure, how many rows are inserted, what is the start time and end time and other execution statistics.

Go to desktop or in the start menu, and click on the icon

Now, go to database and check the result. – Once execution is successful, login to the data base. Check the number of rows in source table, and check if all have moved in the target table or not. This way you can test the result of mapping, workflow and workflow running. If the target table has all the rows of source, you can celebrate the success. Now you know ABC of using Informatica .

Rest of things are,

Exploring Step A, more about Designer


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Exploring Step B, more about Workflow manager

Exploring Step C, more about workflow monitor


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