Index of Notes

Contents

• Basics
• Design Document
• Transformations
• Lookups
• Joiners
• Flat Files
• Database Connections
• Functions
• Change Management
• Workflows
• Repository Manager
• Profiling
• XML Sources and Targets
• Problems and Solutions
• Tips
• Informatica Data Quality
• Administration

All areas to be formatted, or have other work done, are marked with todo.

Basics

connect to the repository

• Open designer
• menu "add repository": add repository name and user id
• then right click on the repository
• enter userid, pw, server and port

to view: drag into the workspace

When exiting: close all tools (menu repository > close all tools) otherwise some objects will be locked

Open the folder with right-click then "open" (even if the contents are visible)
Choose tool with little icons above the grey area

• source analyzer
• warehouse designer (designs targets)
• transformation developer
• maplet designer
• mapping designer

Use session start time for time stamps and not the sysdate. 

Stored procedure:
bug in SQL server: remove the "I" checks for output parameters.
The "R" column indicates the returned value. A check should show in the "O" column too
Remember to set the "connection information" in the next tab ($source or $target).
Then, this variable must be set in the task properties, under mapping > connection $source/$target connection value.
Status codes are also sent back by the stored procedure (success, failure), but these are not visible and are acted upon by PowerCenter.
Use unconnected stored procedure transformation for running a stored procedure before or after a session, pre- or post-load of the source, pre- or post-load of the target, handle null values, or run nested stored procudures.
Call an unconnected procedure: :sp.the_procedure(PROC_RESULT) PROC_RESULT does not correspond to anything

mapping variable:
menu mapping > parameters and variables

Shared folder:
Copy object to the shared folder. Save. Then copy back to original folder.
Note that with the ctrl key down, it copies instead of creating a shortcut.

Copy mapping:
open the mapping, then use the menu > mappings > copy as .
use small INT for boolean

Debugger:
in menu > mapping: start debugger
Choose "use an existing session".
Use "discard.." so as not to write to the database
Step through. See results in the "session log" tab
When done, stop the debugger.

source qualifier:
sort: add "number of sorted ports": this will sort the first n ports.
or use SQL override.
If the source has only a few tables, put the join in the "User-Defined Join" field instead of doing a SQL override.

DECODE (TRUE, DATATYPE != REPLACESTR(0,DATATYPE, 'char', 'text', 'lob', 'string', ''), 'C', DATATYPE != REPLACESTR(0,DATATYPE, 'int', 'decimal', 'long', 'float', 'money', 'numeric', 'number', 'real', 'double', ''), 'N', DATATYPE != REPLACESTR(0,DATATYPE, 'datetime', 'date', 'timestamp', ''), 'D', '?')

Precision (see Designer Guide)

• Integer in Informatica is 4 bytes in size and handles -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647 (precision of 10, scale of 0)
• Small integer: 4 bytes (!), precision of 5, scale of 0
• Bigint: 8 bytes, precision of 19, scale of 0
• Decimal: 8 to 20 bytes, up to 28 digits. Precision of 1 to 28 and scale 0 to 28.

When dragging from one folder to another

Error management

functions that can be used in expression to handle errors:

• ERROR('the message')
• ABORT('the message')

Propagate the error status CA7 --> script on Win --> pmcmd .... -paramfile ...

Propagate failure: Must put the check in "fail parent" Then check the status in each link between the sessions.

tip: default session load type: tools > options > misc > target load type

tasks: sequential buffer length: the buffor for just one line.

paths for server, sessions, values for $variables: menu server > server configuration > choose config > button edit > button advanced

Mapping Parameters and Variables

Mapping parameters do not change. Set them at the beginning. The parameter file is generally used for this. Otherwise set the value as a default value in menu mappings > parameters and variables > Initial value. To pass workflow value into the mapping, in the task properties, choose components tab > "Pre-session variable assignment."

Keep the column "IsExprVar" as false. Set to true if the variable contains an expression to be evaluated, such as a condition or an expression that varies.

To return a value up to the workflow level, use a mapping variable (not parameter). Set the value with SETVARIABLE($$RETURN_VALUE, 'something') in a place where the value is actually used, not in a port with no input and no output. In the "Post-session on success variable assignment," assign the value to a workflow parameter. The mapping variables change in the mapping and the value is kept from session to session, if not overridden by a parameter file. Use these functions to change the value: SetMaxVariable, SetMinVariable, SetCountVariable, and SetVariable.
SetVariable($$VARIABLE_NAME, new_value) (the corresponding port will take on the value).

I can't assign variables to a reusable task. Need to look into this more.

The string values do not need quotes around them

Workflow variables are created in menu workflows > edit > variables tab. They get initial values and can be defined as persistent. Values can also be assigned in an "Assignment" task.

A workflow variable can be used as the name of a target file: $$WKFL_THE_FILE_NAME. Then put it in an email (below are the attachement and the simple display of the variable's value): %a<$PMTargetFileDir/$$WKFL_THE_FILE_NAME> The value of the variable is $$WKFL_THE_FILE_NAME

The parameter files are defined in the session properties, first tab, in "Parameter filename".

Design Document

The design document will typically contain the following elements:

• High Level Data Flow describes where the data comes from and where it is going, which files are used for sources and targets, where the files are located.
• Type of load, i.e. full, partial, deltas. Time interval.
• Change Data Capture method
• Frequency and Timing
• Overall dependencies
• Error Handling

For each mapping, provide the following in addition to the mapping spreadsheet:

• Import and output formats: flat file, database connection.
• Dependencies on other mappings or processes.
• Transformations for each mapping: data cleanup, lookups, transformation logic. The details of this appear in the mapping spreadsheet.
• Source and target layouts if they do not show clearly in the mapping document
• Details of error handling

As a developer, ask these questions (as a designer, make sure the answers are defined):

• what is source data (table...)
• what is the target data (database, table, ..)
• requirements for target table: fields
• transformation logic
  • sorting needs
  • group by...
• workflow:
  • times, schedule
  • pre / post SQL statements or stored procedures

Include the information described in the Change Management section below.

Transformations

Active or passive tranformations: active change the number of rows, passive transformations keep the existing number of rows.

Connected transformations are connected to the dataflow and to other transformations. Unconnected transformations are called from within another transformation.

	name	Active	Passive	descr
	For all (or most) transformations			Most are connected transformations, some can be unconnected too. Most have two groups of ports: input and output.
	Aggregator	Active		Performs aggregate calculations. Define expression for the aggregate. Can use local variables (see below). Try to use pre-sorted data if possible. Aggregators do not sort, but use a clustering algorithm that appears to sort the output.
	Application Source Qualifier	Active		Represents the rows that the Integration Service reads from an application, such as an ERP source, when it runs a session.
	Custom	Active	Passive	Calls a procedure in a shared library or DLL.
	Expression		Passive	Calculates a value. Define the row-level calculation. Can use local variables (see below).
	External Procedure		Passive	Calls a procedure in a shared library or in the COM layer of Windows. Can be unconnected.
	Filter	Active		Filters data. Define the expression that returns true or false, with true indicating that the data can go through.
	HTTP Transformation		Passive	Connects to an HTTP server to read or update data. Contains input, output and header groups
	Mapplet Input		Passive	Defines mapplet input rows. Available in the Mapplet Designer.
	Java	Active	Passive	Executes user logic coded in Java. The byte code for the user logic is stored in the repository.
	Joiner	Active		Joins data from different databases or flat file systems. See more below.
	Lookup		Passive	Looks up values. See more below.
	Normalizer	Active		Source qualifier for COBOL sources. Can also use in the pipeline to normalize data from relational or flat file sources. For bringing in n columns into one, define one column as occurring n times. Link the n columns to the n input occurrences of the one column. This goes into one output column. The GCID_col goes from 1 to n and identifies which column was the source. The GK_col outputs a unique identifier, which is probably redundant with a primary key used for the target.
	Mapplet Output		Passive	Defines mapplet output rows. Available in the Mapplet Designer.
	Rank	Active		Limits records to a top or bottom range. Define expression for the ranking. Can use local variables (see below).
	Router	Active		Routes data into multiple transformations based on group conditions. One input group, multiple output groups, with one default group. Expressions returning true or false define the groups. A row for which all expression results are false goes to the default group. When linking, drag the input fields to get the names right, then drag the appropriate output fields to make the links.
	Sequence Generator		Passive	Generates primary keys. Normally, "start value" = 0, "Increase by" = 1, "current value" = 1, "reset" = no. To start at 1 at each execution, set "current value" to 1 and put check in "reset". Best practice is to make sequence generators reusable. Connect only the NEXTVAL port in mappings.
	Sorter	Active		Sorts data based on a sort key.
	Source Qualifier	Active		Represents the rows that the Integration Service reads from a relational or flat file source when it runs a session. Only ports that are linked to the next transformation are generated in the select statement. If fields do not show, it is because a link should be made with the next transformation. It is best to first generate the SQL before changing the "from" and "where" clauses so that the ports will line up with the fields of the SQL statement.
	SQL	Active	Passive	Executes SQL queries against a database.
	Stored Procedure		Passive	Calls a stored procedure. Can be unconnected. Best practice is to make stored procedure transformations reusable. See more information in the "basics" section.
	Transaction Control	Active		Defines commit and rollback transactions. An expression determines what type of transaction is performed (commit before or after, rollback before or after, or no change).
	Union	Active		Merges data from different databases or flat file systems. Multiple input groups, one output group.
	Update Strategy	Active		Determines whether to insert, delete, update, or reject rows. An expression returns a numerical value that determines which of the four strategies to use. Select "forward rejected rows" to pass the rejects to another transformation. Use variables in the "update strategy expression": DD_INSERT (0), DD_UPDATE (1), DD_DELETE (2), DD_REJECT (3). For updates, key is determined by the definition of the target, i.e. define the primary key in the target definition. Session level update strategy is defined by the session's "treat source rows as" property. The options insert, update, or delete act on all rows. The data driven option uses an update strategy transformation within the mapping. Only inserts or deletes or updates (mutually exclusive): "Treat Source Rows As" = insert or delete or update. Make sure to select insert/delete/update option for all target instances in the session. Different operations on rows: add an update strategy transformation. Make sure that the insert, delete, and one of the update options is selected for each target instance in the session. Select "data driven" for the "treat source rows as" property.
	XML Generator	Active		Reads data from one or more input ports and outputs XML through a single output port. Multiple input groups and one output group.
	XML Parser	Active		Reads XML from one input port and outputs data to one or more output ports. One input group and multiple output groups.
	XML Source Qualifier	Active		Represents the rows that the Integration Service reads from an XML source when it runs a session. Multiple input and output groups.
	XML Target Definition			Multiple input groups.

What you do in a transformation:

• Name/rename (tab transformation)
• Describe the transformation (tab transformation)
• Make reusable (tab transformation)
• Define the ports: see below
• Add ports either by dragging from another transformation (see layout > copy columns if this is not enabled) or by clicking button "add port"
• Add groups
• Enter SQL-like expressions
• Define local variables
• Override default variables (strings need single quote)
• Note that input/output ports do not transform the data
• Configure the tracing
• Define the properties
• Add metadata extensions

When renaming ports, the ports are automatically renamed in the expressions.

Add comments with "--" or "//", or with the comments button.

Expressions are linked to the output port.

Ports are evaluated in the following order: input ports, variable ports and output ports.

Equivalence between numeric and boolean: true is non-zero, false is zero.

Initial values: 0 for numeric, '' for string, a low date for date/time. Input ports are null by default.
A blank default value means NULL.

Local variables:

• When the same expression shows several times, put in a local variable then use the local variable.
• Keep values from previous rows (when counting or summing)

Lookups

Lookup:
Define the lookup table.
Then bring in an outside field (or fields) for comparison. Call them "IN_"
Create the condition (see separate tab)
For unconnected lookups, the column that you want back must be checked with the "R". It must be unique.
Lookups should be made reusable.

Unconnected Lookup:
Inport the definition
Define the input ports
Define one of the ports as the return port by clicking in the "R" column
Only one column can be returned for unconnected lookups
Write the following expression: :LKP.the_transf_name(input_ports)

Dynamic lookup:
turn on "dynamic lookup chache" and "insert else update"
Bring in the key and the type 2 fields. Then assoicate the lookup fields with the type 2 fields.
Put a selection on current data in the sql override (end_effective_date is null or end_effetive_date = 31/12/9999)
Only equality is allowed in the condition.

Lookup Tips:

Must have at least one input port.
Properties: SQL override, table name, caching (flat files always cached), cache directory, cache persistence, cache size,
policy on multiple matches, connection information, and many others.
Best practice is to make lookups reusable.

• Minimize the amount of rows returned by the lookup by adding filters in the where clause
• Enter a sufficient cache size so as to prevent paging: (#rows * size of rows) + overhead
• Use an unconnected lookup if the lookup is not used for every row (only on some rows)
• If the input can potentially contain two lines for the same account/ID, then
  • either commit interval = 1 and no cache on lookup
  • or commit interval > max # rows (to use rollback in caes of error) and use a dynamic lookup.
• It is best to make lookups reusable. In this way, they appear in the list of transformations.
• Note that it is also very important to keep track of the tables used by the lookups as changes to the underlying tables can only be introduced manually to the lookup transformations. Make the change to the lookup transformation and then test the change by generating and validating a SQL statement (an unknown field will be generated in a SQL statement without any problem, but the statement will not pass the validation).
• To keep a port but to not select it in the generated SQL statement, remove the check for "O" (output port). This also works on files: the unselected fields are not brought into memory.
• Case insensitive lookups do not work on flat files and are DBMS dependent for databases.
• Lookup on a file: use options "strip trailing blanks" otherwise the keys will not match. Though this takes care of trailing blanks, it does not take care of leading blanks.
• In the conditions, put the "=" first, then the conditions based on less than, greater than, and finally the conditions based on not equals to.
• Integration Service matches null values
• If the source and the lookup are on the same database and caching is not possible, then join the lookup table to the source.
• In uncached lookups, when the condition is false, Integration Service returns the default value for connected transformations and NULL for unconnected transformations. User defined default values only work with connected lookups.

Joiners

Join Type	Normal	Master Outer	Detail Outer	Full Outer
Master Lower cardinality			Keep records only in master	Keep both
Detail Higher cardinality		Keep records only in detail		Keep both
Performance	Faster	Faster

MASTER Outer Join, better performance Master Lower cardinality Drop Detail Higher cardinality Keep records	DETAIL Outer Join Master Lower cardinality Keep records Detail Higher cardinality Drop
MASTER Outer Join, better performance Detail Higher cardinality Keep records Master Lower cardinality Drop	DETAIL Outer Join Detail Higher cardinality Drop Master Lower cardinality Keep records

Flat Files

Create a flat file definition from a table:

• Create the table in the database;
• Import the definition into the source;
• In the target designer, pull in the source definition: it now becomes a target too;
• Change the database type to "Flat File";
• Change the name of the object; for sources, set the "database name" to "FlatFile" as appropriate;
• Define the details in the advanced tab;
• Create a simple mapping with just source and target;
• Best practice is to define all flat file fields as strings and use appropriate expression transformations to convert data types;
• Indirect files: the file name is in another file (in a list file).
• When using fixed width, select the option "Strip Trailing Blanks" in the source file properties of the session. This seemed to be the problem with one large file, but not sure.
• The option "Line Sequential File Format" indicates that the carriage return is the end of the record. This can help handle rows that are too short.
• For comma separated value files (csv), see functions.

Database Connections

To renew the definition of a source or a target, simply re-import the table and choose the "replace" option. Remember to renew the definition of the primary key.

The difficulty is in updating the lookups. This has to be done manually. See lookups below.

Functions

substr(a_string, start_pos, length)

Return a substring. Start_pos=0..1: first character. Start_pos=2: second character.
Start_pos<0: count from the left.
If length<=0, then empty string. If length is omitted, then from start_pos to end.

instr(a_string, b_string [, start [, occ_num]])

Searches in a_string for an occurrence of b_string.
Starts at start (1=beginning of string, negative counts from the end)
If occ_num > 1, then take the 2nd, 3rd... occurrence. Must be 1 or more.
instr('whatever', chr(39), 1, 1)
Result: 0 --> not found; 1 or more --> position of b_string in a_string

is_date(a_date, 'MM/DD/YYYY')

The date format is compulsary. You must put in a format! Be exact: if hours exist, put 'MM/DD/YYYY HH24:MI'. Note that 0:00 is a 24-hour format and does not exist in the 12-hour format. If the month or day has just one digit, MM or DD works too. In fact, just M or just D will not work.

iif(isnull(THE_DATE), '', iif(IS_DATE(THE_DATE, 'MM/DD/YYYY HH12:MI AM'), TO_CHAR(TO_DATE(THE_DATE, 'MM/DD/YYYY HH12:MI AM'), 'MM/DD/YYYY'), ''))

Conversion functions. To prevent transformation errors, test the validity of the string as a date before converting. Notice the 12-hour format with the AM/PM indicator

in(in_port, 'A', 'B', 'C', case_flag)

Returns 1 (true) if the input value is in the enumeration.
case_flag=0 ==> case INsensitive;
case_flag=1 ==> case sensitive (actually, case_flag != 0)

decode(value, first_equiv, first_result, second_equiv, second_result [, default])

Returns the first matching result

variable port: iif(instr(ltrim(in_port), ' ', 1, 1)>0, instr(ltrim(in_port), ' ', 1, 1), length(ltrim(in_port)))
out port: iif(IS_NUMBER(substr(ltrim(in_port), 1, v_the_var_port)),
        rtrim(substr(ltrim(in_port), v_the_var_port + 1, length(in_port))),
        ltrim(rtrim(in_port)) )

Remove the first word only if it is a number. The variable is the length of the first word

lpad(string, up_to_length, 'x')

Pad the string on the left with a maximum of up_to_length occurrences of 'x'.

REPLACECHR(caseFlag, input_string, old_char_set, new_char_set)

Replace a character with another
caseFlag: 0 --> case INsensitive; not 0 --> case sensitive
Example: REPLACECHR(0, field_name, chr(10) || chr(13), '  ')

REPLACESTR(caseFlag, input_string, old_string1, [old_string2, ... old_stringn,] new_char_set)

Replace one of several strings with another
caseFlag: 0 (or null) --> case INsensitive; not 0 --> case sensitive
Example: REPLACESTR(0, field_name, '"', '""')

'My family' || CHR(39) || 's house' --> My family's house

Insert a single quote in a string with CHR(39)

MAKE_DATE_TIME(y, m, d [, h, m, s])

Create a date. Hours, minutes and seconds are optional

the_key    I O .   the_key
v_the_test . . V   iif(the_key=v_prev_key, 'same', 'new')    <-- this is a variable!
v_prev_key . . V   the_key
o_the_test . O .   v_the_test

Compare a value to that of previous row: remember that output ports are evaluated after variables. You may want to test for a null value of v_prev_key too.

Comma-separated values (csv)

First option is with no text delimiter in the file properties. Selectively surround fields containing commas and end-of-line characters with double quotes, and repeat any existing double quotes:
'"' || REPLACESTR(0, descr, '"', '""') || '"'
Handle any fields with leading zeros or spaces by making is a formula (only works with Excel target)
'="' || field_with_leading_zeros || '"'

Another option is to set the text delimiter to double quotes in the file properties. Repeat any existing double quotes in both the descriptions and the formula, but don't explicitely surround fields with double quotes:
REPLACESTR(0, descr, '"', '""')
Handle any fields with leading zeros or spaces by making is a formula (only works with Excel target). Use repeated double quotes:
'=""' || field_with_leading_zeros || '""'

See also notes on Excel

Aggregate functions:

• AVG
• COUNT
• FIRST
• LAST
• MAX/MIN (date, number and string)
• MEDIAN
• PERCENTILE (value, percentile [, filter])
• STDDEV
• SUM
• VARIANCE

Nest up to two aggregator functions, e.g. SUM(AVG(a_field))
Nulls are treated as either null or 0 depending on the setting of the Integration Service.
All of the aggregate functions take a second argument that is a filter (percentile takes up to three arguments): FCTN(value [, filter condition]). The Integration Service selects the row if the filter evaluates to true, and not if the filter evaluates to false or null.

Change Management

There is no convenient functionality to detect changes to the underlying sources and to determine the impacts of the changes. (Vive Genio!). A certain amount of discipline is needed to document the mappings in such a way as to determine impacts of changes: these are ideas for documentation.

Ideally, add these to the Design Document Section.

• Sources used: all tables, even if the SQL is overriden, should show in the list of source tables. The name of the object should reflect the name of the table, preceeded with the database and/or schema if necessary.
• Define the sources first, then drag them into the Target Designer. You can't go backwards.
• Targets used: idem.
• Keep note of the keys of the targets, especially if the keys were modified after the target was imported.
• Lookups: make re-usable so that the lookups show in the list of transformations. The name of the lookup transformation should reflect the name of the underlying table (preceeded with the database and/or schema if necessary).
• Note where source qualifiers have SQL overrides.
• Note where target updates have SQL overrides, in particular for type 1 updates (based on a natural key for a table where the key is a surrogate key).
• Note where lookups have SQL overrides.
• Sequences: make re-usable. Note which tables have a related sequence.

Some common problems:

• The target was re-imported and the definition of the keys was lost.
• New columns were removed then added again to the source: the links have to be redone between the update strategy and the target.
• Not all targets are linked the same way, for example when there are several branches for the same target.

Workflows

In the workflow manager:
create a workflow, then inside that create a task.
There is always a "start" task
In the "mapping" tab of the task, define the source and the target.
In the target, define the "target load type" as normal (not bulk)
Use "truncate target table option" to reload from start each time
There is also a "delete" option, but what does this do?
Do not override in the session
Generally make reusable sessions.

Define source and target in "connections". Define source file location and name in "files, directories and commands.
Use variables $Source and $Target and define the target in the "$Target Connection Value" (put $Target in places where Infa put the actual value).

Schedule a workflow

In workflow designer, drag the workflow into the "workflow designer" panel menu workflows > edit > scheduler tab > click on button next to scheduler box Remember to save

Workflow monitor:
execute: connect to the repository then to the scheduler

to find the session log in workflow monitor,
right-click on the session(not the workflow, not the green bar)
partition points in th the second "tab" of :
workflow manager, task, task propoerties, tab "mapping", button "partitions" below left corner.

Error Detection

• Add a filter to the links between tasks: $s_m_session_name.Status=Succeeded or $s_m_session_name.Status=Failed
• Use option "Fail parent if this task fails"

Attachement in an email:

See attached file.
%a</u01/usr/target/e_file.txt>

Other codes:

• %a --> attachment
• %b --> Session start time
• %c --> Session completion time
• %e --> Session status
• %g --> Attach session log
• %l --> Total records loaded
• %r --> Total records rejected
• %s --> Session name

Extras in Tasks

Generally, all of this happens in the "Components" tab of the tasks editor.

Rename a file before running the task

Non re-usable pre-session command:
cp /u01/after_cdc/export_file.out /u01/arch/export_file`date '+%Y_%m_%d_%H_%M_%S'`.out
Or copy the current file to the previous file before doing a Change Data Capture
cp /u01/curr/export_file.out /u01/prev/export_file.out

Send email on failure

Configure an on-error email in "components"

command task

In the commands, call a script: /u01/shell_scripts/check_import.sh

Send an email with an attachment

Create a dummy mapping. In the success email or the failure email, define the body as:
See attachment: %a</u01/the_file>

Repository Manager

Create a folder:
In repository manager, menu folder > create

Profiling

For group-by in auto-profile:

• Create the auto-profile
• Edit the profile and put in group-by functions on all the fields for which it is worth it
• Note that instead of scrolling down the list of fields, just press the down arrow
• Modify the name of the profiling function by adding the column name to it (press "next" to get the name of the column, then press "back" to modify the name

If field is too long, the auto-profile does not do the min/max and distinct/duplicate analysis. Under some conditions, the domain analysis is not done. Is it when the profile runs inside a workflow with other profiles?

This function (oops, which function?) can infer domains for columns with a numeric datatype with a precision of 28 digits or less or a string datatype with a precision of 200 characters or less. This function can also infer domains for columns of the Date/Time datatype.

XML Sources and Targets

• Add a filename to the XML output: edit the target, right-click on the root view and choose the option "Create a Filename Column".
• The generated keys in XML are numbers by default. Explicitely change to string if needed.
• In XML source, options when linking data from two hierarchical levels:
  • Create two XML sources and join the two related source qualifiers with a joiner. Be careful with the generated keys: choose one of two options (I haven't tested them): reset or restart.
  • Join two levels from one source qualifier coming from one XML source. The joiner must have the sorted input option set. I tried this and it seems to work. It sounds too easy so I will have to continue to monitor it.
  • Modify the XML view so that the fields are denormalized.
• In XML target, the check in "format output" put every new element on a new line. Otherwise, everything is on one line.
• Invalid XML defintion. Solution: validate in XML editor: menu XML Views > validate XML definition
• "This XML definition is too large. The total length of all columns must not exceed 500MB." This may be because some strings are defined with length "infinite". Solution: define a length for these strings.
• What to do with empty or null values? If the desired result is to output the attribute name with with an empty string for the value, then use these settings:
  • Null content representation = tag with empty content
  • Empty string content representation = tag with empty content
  • Null attribute representation = Attribute Name with Empty String
  • Empty string attribute representation = Attribute Name with Empty

Creating an XML View

• Create the view
• Enter the name (the column properties should be visible at the bottom of the window)
• Select the node in the Schema Navigator from which the view will be created
• Menu Components > XPath Navigator
• In the upper right of the little window, select view row mode
• Select the view in the navigator on the left and drag into the newly-created view
• Create a primary key

Problems and Solutions

• error "cannot connect to server ...": start the service
• the workflow fails and there is no log: is the source file format correct?
• The workflow is invalid when trying to execute. Close the folder, reopen the folder, use menu > workflow > validate. Or try saving the workflow again.
• Debug with debugger, or with verbose data (define in the session properties) or look at session properties in the workflow manager and look for "first error".
• Data being truncated? Data types have changes? Right-click on the port (in layout) and choose "propagate".
• Look at the links between the last transformation and the target, just in case a change to the fields removed a link.
• When updating, the changes do not get put in the database. The log says rejected rows, with error about no keys in target table. Define the keys in the target table definition.
• Fields from lookup do not line up correctly: the fields may not be in the original order, so restore the original order.
• The number of rows to be skipped at the beginning of a file is defined in the advanced properties of the source. See the source analyzer. But once it is in a session, look at properties for the source, then click on the hyperlink "Set File Properties" on the title bar of the properties section.
  "0" --> no rows skipped; "1" --> header row skipped.
• The session execution terminates unexpectedly, no error log is produced:
  • Generally comes from a file-related issue, in particular because one of the input files is not available
  • Start with the lookup files
  • Informatica does NOT like removing the option for "case sensitive string comparison" on file-based lookups
  • For an XML target, some of the fields were null that should not have been null.
  • For an XML target, it does not like outputing no data to an XML target.
  • The toughest is targets. If a file does not get written, even with 0 length, maybe that is the file that is causing Informatica to stop.
  • Invalid date formats can make a mapping stop without warning, even in debugger mode.
• The error "Joiner Transformation has invalid join condition: not all of the ports could be found":  tweak the join types were; try master outer join instead of full join.
• A lookup cannot find a value, and this value just happens to be in the first row. Check the number of rows skipped.
• The variable values do not change. I created a variable with value A. I modified the value to B. When running in debugger, the correct value B showed. When running in normal mode, the old value A showed. Solution: created a new variable with value B and removed the old variable.
• "ERROR: Partitioning option license required to run sessions with user-defined partition points" --> Remove the option "Sorted Input" in the aggregator
• "Concatenation error: Please check the Normalizer concatenation rule": only one transformation can follow a normalizer. Output ports from a noramlizer should go to only one transfromation.
• Add 1 to the offset field in the xml source definitions created from exporting the source definition.
• Datetime fields in a target flat file acually only occupy 10 characters instead of the 19 characters as shown in the target definition.
• Given two fields A and B, sort on both A and B then feed into an ∑: it runs and produces results but task shows as failed. Remove the sort on B then add it again????
• By the way, if you cannot find the reason for an error, try checking that what you are working on is what is producing the error!
• A mapping that contains a mapplet will not validate: check that all output ports of the mapplet are linked to another transformation. If needed, just pull and output port to an expression transformation even if nothing is done with it.
• A trigger on the target table prevents "bulk" target load type. Change to normal target load type.
• Normalizer, then filter, then incoming key from sequence, to e-Business Suite target: fails because a row still exists virtually despite the filter.
  Put the sequence before the filter: normalizer, then incoming key from sequence, then filter.
• Error "ORA-26002: Table ETL_MISC.PROCESSED_FILES has index defined upon it...Function Name : Execute Multiple" on a target table with bulk load type. This is because there is an index on a field and the bulk load type cannot handle it. Set the "Target Load Type" in the session target configuration to "Normal."
• When validating an overridden query, an error on the number of returned rows can also be because of an invalid syntax. By the way, keep the from and where statements and re-generate the SQL.
• E-Business Suite Sources: Application Source Qualifiers go with Application Sources, not the "regular" source qualifiers
• E-Business Suite Targets: to see the rows that are inserted, look for the message code "EBWRT..." and the message "inserted rows in Partition #1 Group ... "
• E-business Suite Connections (menu connections > application > OracleEBusinessSuiteConnection: Set the name to the "apps" database user (schema name), connect string is the TNSNAMES identifier, the apps schema name is same as the user.
• No rows in the target, the debugger terminates on an error. Cause: aggregation on a field with a null result from a lookup. solution: if the lookup does not find the value, give a default value, not a null value.
• Break logic, assuming a variable is null some cases. Count lines instead.

Tips

• Rename a group of ports in a transformation: for example adding "..._lkp": key down, key "end", Ctrl+V.
• Build the expression for comparing the incoming fields to the lookup fields: go down the list of incoming fields, double_click the field, paste "_lkp != " double_click again then click "OR"
  (of course, when the source and target fields names do not match then the validate button will complain --> correct manually).
• Put indexes and caches in memory for aggregators, lookups and sorters.
  Monitor the $XXXX_CACHE while the mapping is running to determine if the default size is too small. This is the case when the cache size increases beyond the default as the transformation runs. Increase the default size in this case.
• It may be a good idea to drop or disable indexes during the load.
• Remember to put tracing back to normal when moving to QA.
• Check the correctness of the Buffer Block Size and Buffer Pool sizes.
• Session commit interval: set this to the largest possible, i.e. so that it covers the full loading. But do not go beyond 1 million.
• An alternative to dynamic lookups: have one fully cached lookup. If the row is not found, then use another non-cached lookup that executes a query each time. Then if this fails, a new row can be added.
• When evaluating a boolean expression in the debugger, 0 is false, 1 is true
• Bring in all the ports up to the first "cleanup" function. Try to keep the same order.
• Remove duplicate records with an aggregator. The source must be sorted. Be sure to check the "sorted input" option.
• Check the session log for:
  • Errors during read indicated by "Read [n] rows, read [e] error rows for source table..." where n is the number of rows in the source and e is the number of errors. If e>0, then an error occurred when reading.
  • Errors in transformations, usually indicatd by a multiline description and "Transformation evaluation error"
  • Number of rows skipped indicatd by "Skipped [1] lines."
  • The actual input file from which the data was read
• The performance degrades exponentially with the number of targets
• Update strategies do not perform well
• Break down mappings with more than 50 objects into smaller mappings
• Denormalize with an aggregator. Group by the table's key field. For each output field, use the expression FIRST(amount, REC_TYPE='A') so as to create different amount fields depending on the record type. Amount and rec_type are both ports (to be verified).
• Strip off the path from a full file name: SUBSTR(full_file_name, INSTR(full_file_name, '/', -1, 1)+1)
  Keep the path: SUBSTR(full_file_name, 1, INSTR(full_file_name, '/', -1, 1))
  In windows, replace / with \
• Transform number to string without trailing zeros: to_char(to_integer(the_number))

Reset a sequence generator:

Dependencies in a mapping:

It is possible to see dependancies between widgets. However, it is not easy to see the link between input ports and output ports inside the widgets. The challenge is with the expressions. The expressions are stored by not parsed. A possible option: select the expressions and manually parse them to create links between input ports and output ports. Another option is to look for where the "analyze" functionality is located in the repository?

A widget is a transformation. An instance is a widget inside a mapping. Here are some of the views:

• rep_mapping_conn_ports: shows the connections between ports. Objects refer to widgets. Instances refer to widgets, but as numbered within a mapping. Object type is one of the dozen object types. This view does not have the field_id so use rep_widget_dep to get the field id.
• rep_widget_dep: instance from and instance to, with field ids. Returns the same number of rows as rep_mapping_conn_ports.
• rep_mapping_unconn_ports: unconnected ports.
• rep_widget_inst: list of instances (widgets).
• rep_widget_field: lists the output fields in each of the widgets and the expressions. To get the input fields, the expression has to be parsed. Note too that only the first line of the expression is shown, which may be incomplete.
• rep_widget_attr: was empty in studied repository.

Export Target and Import as Source

• Remove UUID in the folder tag
• Remove the attributes in the powermart, but keep the attributes in repository.
• Remove the TABLEATTRIBUTE tags
• Global replace "TARGET" to "SOURCE"
• Remove CONSTRAINT in the SOURCE tag
• Add DBDNAME ="FlatFile" (the sub-folder in sources) to the SOURCE tag
• Remove TABLEOPTIONS ="" and add OWNERNAME ="" to the SOURCE tag
• Add SHIFTSENSITIVEDATA ="NO" to the flat file tag
• It is possible to group several sources into one folder
• Names should not start with a number nor contain a dash "-".

Some auditing values in mapping

• Insert indicator (new logical key) and/or update indicator (modified attributes)
• Current timestamp (take current session time stamp)
• $$parent_process_run_id
• Session name

Informatica Data Quality

Six dimensions of data quality. Compare to notes on data quality

• Completeness: fields with "real"values, i.e. values other than null, blank or a default value
• Conformity: data is legible and has a determined data type
• Consistency: the data types are similar and the data is stored in the correct fields; columns are independent
• Accuracy: data is correct, in comparison to a reference source
• Duplication: information is unique and it is not showing elsewhere in a different form
• Integrity: all relevant information for a data record is present in a usable form; links join related data

Scorecarding: measures data quality for one field
Grading: measures data quality for records

A plan consists of

• File-based or database data inputs
• Tools to analyze and enhance data, such as numeric field analysis, code field analysis, free text analysis, business rule applicatin for consistency analysis, missing values counter, rule based analyzer, character labeller, token labeller
• File-based or report-based sinks
• Independent data resources or dictionaries

Administration

Modify the configuration:
infasetup command_name arguments
echo %errorlevel%     (if error level > 0 then failure)

To define a domain:

Create an environment variable called INFA_DOMAINS_FILE and set it to C:\informatica\PowerCenter8.1.0\domains.infa
/u01/informatica/powercenter/domains.infa

To see session logs in a file format, choose the option for backward compatible session logs. The default location for session logs is /u01/informatica/powercenter/server/infa_shared/sessLogs.

The node configuration, including database connection details, is in /u01/informatica/powercenter/server/config/nodemeta.xml

Informatica security: permissions of a folder:

• owner
• owner's group
• repository=all other users

A folder is linked to one group and users are linked to several groups.