New Features of Informatica-9

1. Informatica 9 supports data integration for the cloud as well as on premise. You can
integrate the data in cloud applications, as well as run Informatica 9 on cloud
infrastructure.
2. Informatica analyst is a new tool available in Informatica 9.
3. There is architectural difference in Informatica 9 compared to previous version.
4. Browser based tool for business analyst is a new feature.
5. Data steward is a new feature.
6. Allows unified administration with a new admin console that enables you to
manage power centre and power exchange from the same console.
7. Powerful new capabilities for data quality.
8. Single admin console for data quality, power centre, power exchange and data
services.
9. In Informatica 9, Informatica data quality (IDQ) has been further integrated with
the Informatica Platform and performance, manageability and reusability have all
been significantly enhanced.
10. The mappings rules are shared between the browser based tool for analysts and
the eclipse based development leveraging unified metadata underneath.
11. The data services capabilities in Informatica 9 , both over sql and web services
,can be used for real time dash boarding.
12. Informatica data quality provides world wide address validation support with
integrated geocoding.
13. The ability to define rules and view and run profiles is available in both the
Informatica developer (Thick client) and Informatica analyst (browser based tool-Thin
client).these tools sit on a unified metadata infrastructure. Both tools incorporate
security features like authentication and authorization ensuring..
14. The developer tool is now eclipse based and supports both data integration and
data quality for enhanced productivity. It provides browser based tool for analysts to
support the types of tasks they engage in, such as profiling data, specifying and
validating rules & monitoring data quality.
15. There will a velocity methodology. Soon its going to introduce on I9.

16. Informatica has the capability to pull data from IMS, DB2 on series and series and
from other several other legacy systems (Mainframe) environment like VSAM,
Datacom, and IDMS etc.
17. There are separate tools available for different roles. The Mapping architect for
Vision tool is designed for architects and developers to create templates for common
data integration patterns saving developers tremendous amount of time.
18. Informatica 9 does not include ESB infrastructure.
19. Informatica supports open interfaces such as web services and can integrate with
other tools that support these as well including BPM tool.
20. Informatica 9 complements existing BI architectures by providing immediate
access to data through data virtualization, which can supplement the data in existing
data warehouse and operational data store.
21. Informatica 9 supports profiling of Mainframe data. Leveraging the Informatica
platforms connectivity to Mainframe sources.
22. Informatica 9 will continue support feature of running the same workflow
simultaneously.
23. Eclipse based environment is build for developers.
24. Browser based tool is a fully functional interface for business analysts.
25. Dashboards are designed for business executives.
26. There are 3 interfaces through which these capabilities can be accessed. Analyst
tool is a browsed tool for analyst and stewards. Developers can use the eclipse based
developer tool. Line of business managers can view data quality scorecards.

New Features of Informatica-9

1. Informatica 9 supports data integration for the cloud as well as on premise. You can
integrate the data in cloud applications, as well as run Informatica 9 on cloud
infrastructure.
2. Informatica analyst is a new tool available in Informatica 9.
3. There is architectural difference in Informatica 9 compared to previous version.
4. Browser based tool for business analyst is a new feature.

5. Data steward is a new feature.

6. Allows unified administration with a new admin console that enables you to
manage power centre and power exchange from the same console.
7. Powerful new capabilities for data quality.
8. Single admin console for data quality, power centre, power exchange and data
services.
9. In Informatica 9, Informatica data quality (IDQ) has been further integrated with
the Informatica Platform and performance, manageability and reusability have all
been significantly enhanced.
10. The mappings rules are shared between the browser based tool for analysts and
the eclipse based development leveraging unified metadata underneath.
11. The data services capabilities in Informatica 9 , both over sql and web services
,can be used for real time dash boarding.
12. Informatica data quality provides world wide address validation support with
integrated geocoding.
13. The ability to define rules and view and run profiles is available in both the
Informatica developer (Thick client) and Informatica analyst (browser based tool-Thin
client).these tools sit on a unified metadata infrastructure. Both tools incorporate
security features like authentication and authorization ensuring..
14. The developer tool is now eclipse based and supports both data integration and
data quality for enhanced productivity. It provides browser based tool for analysts to
support the types of tasks they engage in, such as profiling data, specifying and
validating rules & monitoring data quality.
15. There will a velocity methodology. Soon its going to introduce on I9.
16. Informatica has the capability to pull data from IMS, DB2 on series and series and
from other several other legacy systems (Mainframe) environment like VSAM,
Datacom, and IDMS etc.
17. There are separate tools available for different roles. The Mapping architect for
Vision tool is designed for architects and developers to create templates for common
data integration patterns saving developers tremendous amount of time.
18. Informatica 9 does not include ESB infrastructure.
19. Informatica supports open interfaces such as web services and can integrate with
other tools that support these as well including BPM tool.

20. Informatica 9 complements existing BI architectures by providing immediate

access to data through data virtualization, which can supplement the data in existing
data warehouse and operational data store.
21. Informatica 9 supports profiling of Mainframe data. Leveraging the Informatica
platforms connectivity to Mainframe sources.
22. Informatica 9 will continue support feature of running the same workflow
simultaneously.
23. Eclipse based environment is build for developers.
24. Browser based tool is a fully functional interface for business analysts.
25. Dashboards are designed for business executives.
26. There are 3 interfaces through which these capabilities can be accessed. Analyst
tool is a browsed tool for analyst and stewards. Developers can use the eclipse based
developer tool. Line of business managers can view data quality scorecards.

Informatica PowerCenter 8 Architecture

Informatica Repository:
The informatica repository is at the center of the informatica suite.

The Informatica repository is a relational database that stores information, or

metadata, used by the Informatica Server and Client tools.

Metadata is data about data which include information such as source

definitions , target definitions, mappings describing how to transform source data,
sessions indicating when you want the Informatica Server to perform the
transformations, and connect strings for sources and targets.

The repository also stores administrative information such as usernames and

passwords, permissions and privileges, and product version.

Use repository manager to create the repository. The Repository Manager

connects to the repository database and runs the code needed to create the
repository tables. These tables stores metadata in specific format the informatica
server, client tools use.

Informatica Components:
Server Components:
1. Repository Service
2. Integration Service

Client Components:
1. Repository Manager
2. Designer
3. Workflow Manager
4. Workflow Monitor

Server Components
1. Repository Server:
The Repository Server manages the metadata in the repository database.
The Repository Server manages connections to the repository from client
applications.
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.
2. Integration Service:
The Integration Server reads mapping and session information from the
repository. It 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 Server loads the transformed data into the mapping targets.
Manages the scheduling and execution of workflows
The Integration Server can start and run multiple workflows concurrently. It can
also concurrently process partitions within a single session.

Version 8 Architecture
Informatica Version 8 architecture
Domain :- A collection of nodes and services
- Primary unit of administration
+ Service Manager
It stores domain users and groups in the domain configuration database and periodically
synchronizes them to the PowerCenter repository.
+ Alerts
Subscribe to alerts - notification abt node events such as failure
Administration Console :- It is a web based application.
Security Page
- You can manage all Domain users and groups along with roles and privileges at the Domain

level
Users Domain users with the appropriate privileges can log into the following PowerCenter
applications: Administration Console, PowerCenter Client tools.
Repository Object level permissions are administered using the Repository Manager and
are stored in the PowerCenter repository
High Availability :+ Resilience for sources and lookup transforamtion
Resilience for Network failures or database unavailability. it attempts to reconnect for the
amount of time configured for retry period in the connection object
+ Operating mode
Normal mode
Safe mode - to limit access to IntegServ during deployment or maintenance
You can also configure safe mode on failover
Integration Service :+ Resource Thershold - resource thershold for each node to consider or eliminate a node for
the dispatch of task. Maximum CPU run queue length, Max memory % thersholds, Max
processes
+ Dispatch mode - the way load balancer dispatches tasks - round robin, metric based or
adaptive dispatch mode
+ Service Levels - the order in which to dispatch tasks from dispatch queue. you have to
create services levels in the Admin console
Transformations
+ SQL Transformation
+ HTTP Transformation
pmcmd
- massupdate
NonVersioned repository - deploymnet groups, dynamic deployment groups
Execute permiison on deploymnet group privelage to deploy without having write permission
u still need read on the source
can have mixed version service in domain
oracle supartition support - use dynamic partitioning based on NUMBER of source partition in
a session -> the infa service sets the number of partitions to the total number of supartitions
at he source
PUSHDOWN Optimization :Subquery support

data masking
Performance Improvements
- Sorter uses less cache/ temp space
- Aggregator and Joiner are faster
- Flat file source and targets
- Repository Agent Caching
Caches the objects. By default 10000

EnableRepAgentCaching :
RACacheCapacity

Yes
50000

Use it in production, where there is minimal repository changes. Otherwise it will recache
everytime an object changes and might impact performance
Concurrent workflow - multiple instances of workflow
Pipeline Lookup - can lookup relational, flat, sap, jms, msmq
Get runtime information - mapping variables, session variables and workflow variables e.g
mapping name, folder name
Incremental Aggregation updates the Btree when u run for the firsttime after the upgrade.
if the upgrade is from 7 run the session without data to update the btree
Domain

Parameters and Variables :Can have different sections for Service Variables, service process variables, workflow
variables, session parameters, mapping parameters, and mapping variables
1) you can use workflow variables in sessions. it treats as parameter and the value does not
change
2) you can use the parameters and variables in the following places
Table owner name for relational sources, table prefix for targets
Ftp file name and directory
Lookup cache file name and directory
Email task(address, subject and body)
Target pre and post session sql
pre and post session commands
call text for unconnected stored procedure
target update override
command tasks
workflow log file names
table name prefix for error logs

Performance Improvement in v8.1.1:+ Sorter - sorter uses more compact format which reduces the temp disk space . Sort
alogorithm is also improved to reduce sort time.
+ Pushdown Optimization
Generate flat file targets by transaction. You can
transaction, you add a FileName port to the flat file target definition. When you connect the
FileName port in the mapping, the Integration Service writes a target file at each commit.
Version 8.6.1
Deployment Groups
+ Non versioned repository
+ Execute Deployment Groups privelage - to deploy without having write permission
u still need read on the source
+ Post deployment validation
Partitioning
+ Oracle subpartition support
Transformations
+ Data Masking.
From PowerCenter 8, you can manage all users and groups information along with roles and
privileges at the Domain level on the Security page of the Administration Console
The Service Manager stores domain users and groups in the domain configuration
database and periodically synchronizes them to the PowerCenter repository.
Domain users with the appropriate privileges can log into the following PowerCenter
applications: Administration Console, PowerCenter Client tools.
Repository Object level permissions are administered using the Repository Manager and
are stored in the PowerCenter repository
1. Move the files to server/infa_shared directory under the PowerCenter Services installation
directory.
2. Update $PMRootDir for the Integration Service process in the Administration Console. For
more information about configuring $PMRootDir, see Creating and Configuring the
Integration Service in the PowerCenter Administrator Guide.

Informatica Architecture --Integration Service vs Power

center Server
The differences between 7.x and 8.x is on architecture as well as The architecture of
PowerCenter 8.x primarily differs from that of PowerCenter 7.x in the administration of the
product. PowerCenter has now adopted a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA).The SOA
architecture has replaced several servers that were used within the PowerCenter 7.x

installer. A Tomcat web server is used to run an Informatica 'domain' comprising of several
repositories or integration 'services'. An integration service is responsible for data
movement.
SOA allows a single console tool to be used to administer the PowerCenter installer. This tool
is web based and can be accessed from anywhere in your network. SOA supports several
integration or repository services to run concurrently. This allows high availability to be
implemented (if a server hosting an integration service fails these tasks can be 'failed over'
onto another node in the domain).
Additionally PowerCenter 8.x supports the use of Java in mappings, the ability to 'push down'
processing into the database and other similar improvements. There is nosignificant change
in the client interface.
Additional Information: Several terms have acquired a new meaning with the change in
product architecture.
PowerCenter 7.x PowerCenter 8.x R epository server and repository R epository service
PowerCenter Server I ntegration service Some other enchancements like push down
processing, more flexible java transformations, SQL transformations, string parsing functions
are newly added to 8.x. Only change we can see in it is a single place where we do all
administration stuff. Repository server is renamed as repository service and informatica pc
server renamed as integration service. Not much change in client interface as we still have
Repository Manager,Designer,Workflow Manager and Workflow Monitor.
Also on 8.5 and 8.6, security, user and group administration has been moved to the
administration console.
When comparing to the architecture 7.1 n 8.1,DOMAIN,NODE,INTEGRATION SERVICES added
to the 8.1 architectutre.DOMAIN is a web based admin console.NODE is like INF server or
power centre server.INTEGRATION SERVICES is like repository
server.DOMAIN,NODE,INTEGRATION SERVICES are at one place that is DOMAIN DATABASE.In
8.1 we don't have admin console n repository agent.and also you can install multiple NODES
in a single machine.and you can intiate multiple processes simultaneously.In INF 8.1 has
more security you can not create repository with out previliges.you no need to start the
services in control panel every time.and also some of the transformations added in 8.1.They
are SQL,JAVA transformations.It supports unstructured data like emails,word,pdfs.concept of
flatfile updation is introduced.

Effective in PowerCenter 8.0, you might notice an increase in memory and CPU resource
usage on machines running PowerCenter Services. The following factors can increase
memory and CPU resource usage:
Updates to Integration Service and Repository Service processes. The pmserver and pmdtm
process for the Integration Service and the pmrepagent process for the Repository Service
include updated functionality that requires more memory and CPU resource usage.
High availability. You configure a domain for high availability, service restart, failover, and
recovery operations.
Java Runtime Environment (JRE). The PowerCenter service-oriented architecture uses JRE to
run the PowerCenter domains and nodes. Domains and nodes require more memory and
CPU resources than when you run a PowerCenter Server or Repository Server in PowerCenter
7.x.

Log Manager. The Log Manager requires additional memory and CPU resources when it
collects and processes a large number of log events.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The differences between 7.x and 8.x is on architecture as well as some part of
administration. 7.x is client-server based and 8.x is Service Oriented Architecture. A tomcat
webserver used to run repositories and integration services. One advantage of SOA is single
console tool can be used to administer the PowerCenter. Another advantage is it is a web
based administration and can be accessed on network. Mulitple repository service and
integration services can run concurrently, hence high availability is implemented. Some
other enchancements like push down processing, more flexible java transformations, SQL
transformations, string parsing functions are newly added to 8.x. Only change we can see in
it is a single place where we do all administration stuff. Repository server is renamed as
repository service and informatica pc server renamed as integration service. Not much
change in client interface as we still have Repository Manager,Designer,Workflow Manager
and Workflow Monitor.