Informatica Fundamentals

An Overview of Informatica PowerCenter

• Overview of PowerCenter covering areas such as the Architecture, Terminology, Tools GUI, Mappings, Transformations, Sessions, Workflows and Workflow Monitor

ETL Fundamentals

• Create flat file and relational Sources using the Source Analyzer
• Create flat file and relational Targets using the Target Developer
• Mappings using the Mapping Designer
• Workflows using the Workflow Designer
• Monitor the workflow using the Workflow Monitor
• Preview Target Data using the PowerCenter Designer

Trouble Shooting

• Understand PowerCenter Log files
• Use PC log files to:
• View and look up error messages
• Correct mapping and workflow errors

Define list of PC Designer Transformations and Workflow Tasks

• Clarify Active vs. Passive Transformations
• Use the Expression Transformation and Editor in a mapping which applies a file list to load multiple flat files into a stage table utilizing expression and filter transformations to format and screen erroneous customer data
• Use Reusable Designer Transformations to apply same formatting logic to Employee records

Features & Techniques

• Outline use of Arrange All and Arrange All Iconic
• Show ‘Autolink’ feature
• Show ‘Select Link Path’ feature
• Define Propagation of Port Properties
• Joins and Link Conditions
• Define Joins
• Clarify Heterogeneous vs. Homogeneous Joins
• Use a Joiner Transformation to join relational and flat file sources
• Use the Source Qualify to join two relational sources
• Make use of Link Conditions to execute one session when the first finishes successfully

Outline Debugger Interface

• Show creation of a break point
• Show ‘Evaluate the Expression’ functionality
• Re-Execute mapping with different values
• Sequence Generators, Lookups and Caching
• Define the Sequence Generator
• Define the Lookup Transformation
• Understand the different types of Lookups
• Clarify Lookup Caching
• Use a Flat File Lookup to add data to a relational target
• Create a Multiple Row Return Lookup, use Aggregators
• Expressions to count the number of orders a Customer has as
  well as total the sales for that customer. Add those values to a target
• Build a Dates Lookup Cache for use in determining start and end dates of target
  records
• Utilize Event Wait, Event Timer and Email
• Tasks to wait for flat files and email users upon successful/failed load
• Use a decision task to set criteria by which the workflow will decide which execution branch to follow

Build a mapping that uses Update

• Strategies and Routers to determine insert/update logic for a target
• Overrides will be used for incremental (daily) loading of the target
• Sorter, Aggregator, Unconnected Lookups, Mapping Parameter/Variables and Mapplets/Worklets
• Define Sorter Transformation
• Detail Aggregator Transformation and Aggregate Functions
• Explain Unconnected Lookups and how they are called
• Describe Mapping
• Parameters/Variables and initialization priority
• Outline Mappets and Worklets
• Use these Transformations to create a mapping which loads records from warehouse Dimension tables to a Fact table
• Parameter File Instruction

Workshop

• Business requirement details will be provided so that the
  student can design and build their own mapping necessary
  to load a Promotions Aggregate table. The workshop will
  provide Velocity Best Practices documents that can be used
  to determine the correct logic for the mapping Workflow
• Design Workshop
  Business requirement details will be provided so that the
  student can design and build their own workflow necessary to
  load all staging tables in a single workflow. The workshop will
  provide Velocity Best Practices documents that can be used to
  determine the correct logic for the workflow.