1.

While importing the relational source definition from database, what are the
Meta data of source U import?
Source name
Database location
Column names
Data types
Key constraints

2. How many ways U can update a relational source definition and what r they?
Two ways
1. Edit the definition
2. Reimport the definition

3. Where should U place the flat file to import the flat file definition to the designer?
Place it in local folder

4. To provide support for Mainframes source data, which files r used as a source definitions?
COBOL files

5. Which transformation should u need while using the COBOL sources as source definitions?
Normalizer transformation is used to normalize the data. Since COBOL sources r often
consists of Denormalized data.

6. How can U create or import flat file definition in to the warehouse designer?
U cannot create or import flat file definition in to warehouse designer directly. Instead U
must analyze the file in source analyzer, and then drag it into the warehouse designer. When U
drags the flat file source definition into warehouse designer workspace, the warehouse
designer creates a relational target definition not a file definition. If u wants to load to a file,
configure the session to write to a flat file. When the informatica server runs the session, it
creates and loads the flat file.

7. What is the Mapplet?
Mapplet is a set of transformations that you build in the Mapplet designer and U can
use in multiple mappings.

8. What is a transformation?
It is a repository object that generates, modifies or passes data.

9. What r the designer tools for creating transformations?
Mapping designer
Transformation developer
Mapplet designer


10. What r the active and passive transformations?
An active transformation can change the number of rows that pass through it. A passive
transformation does not change the number of rows that pass through it.

11. What r the connected or unconnected transformations?
An unconnected transformation is not connected to other transformations in the
mapping. Connected transformation is connected to other transformations in the mapping.

12. How many ways u create ports?
Two ways
1. Drag the port from another transformation
2. Click the add button on the ports tab.

14. What r the reusable transformations?

Reusable transformations can be used in multiple mappings. When u need to incorporate
this transformation into mapping add an instance of it to maping.Later if U change the
definition of the transformation, all instances of it inherit the changes. Since the instance of
reusable transformation is a pointer to that transformation, U can change the transformation in
the transformation developer; its instances automatically reflect these changes. This feature
can save U great deal of work.

15. What r the methods for creating reusable transformations?
Two methods
1. Design it in the transformation developer.
2. Promote a standard transformation from the mapping designer. After U add a
transformation to the mapping , U can promote it to the status of reusable
transformation.
Once U promotes a standard transformation to reusable status can demote it to a
standard transformation at any time.
If u change the properties of a reusable transformation in mapping can revert it to
the original reusable transformation properties by clicking the revert button.

16. What r the unsupported repository objects for a Mapplet?
COBOL source definition
Joiner transformations
Normalizer transformations
Non reusable sequence generator transformation.
Pre or post session stored procedures
Target definitions
Power mart 3.5 styles Look Up functions
XML source definitions
IBM MQ source definitions

17. What r the mapping parameters and mapping variables?
Mapping parameter represents a constant value that U can define before running a
session. A mapping parameter retains the same value throughout the entire session.
When u uses the mapping parameter, U declares and use the parameter in a mapping or
Mapplet. Then define the value of parameter in a parameter file for the session.
Unlike a mapping parameter, a mapping variable represents a value that can change
throughout the session. The informatica server saves the value of mapping variable to the
repository at the end of session run and uses that value next time U run the session.

18. Can U use the mapping parameters or variables created in one mapping into another
mapping?
NO, we can use mapping parameters or variables in any transformation of the same
mapping or Mapplet in which U have created mapping parameters or variables.

19. Can u use the mapping parameters or variables created in one mapping into any other
reusable transformation?
Yes, because reusable transformation is not contained with any maple or mapping.

20. How can U improve session performance in aggregator transformation?
Use sorted input.

21. What is aggregate cache in aggregator transformation?
The aggregator stores data in the aggregate cache until it completes aggregate
calculations. When u run a session that uses an aggregator transformation, the informatica
server creates index and data caches in memory to process the transformation. If the
informatica server requires more space, it stores overflow values in cache files.

22. What r the difference between joiner transformation and source qualifier
transformation?
U can join heterogeneous data sources in joiner transformation which we cannot
achieve in source qualifier transformation.
U needs matching keys to join two relational sources in source qualifier transformation.
Whereas u doesn't need matching keys to join two sources.
Two relational sources should come from same data source in sourcequalifier.U can join
relational sources which r coming from different sources also.

23. In which conditions we cannot use joiner transformation (Limitations of joiner
transformation)?
Both pipelines begin with the same original data source.
Both input pipelines originate from the same Source Qualifier transformation.
Both input pipelines originate from the same Normalizer transformation.
Both input pipelines originate from the same Joiner transformation.
Either input pipelines contains an Update Strategy transformation.
Either input pipelines contains a connected or unconnected Sequence Generator
transformation.
24. What r the settings that u use to configure the joiner transformation?
Master and detail source
Type of join
Condition of the join

25. What r the join types in joiner transformation?
Normal (Default)
Master outer
Detail outer
Full outer

26. What r the joiner caches?
When a Joiner transformation occurs in a session, the Informatica Server reads all the
records from the master source and builds index and data caches based on the master rows.
After building the caches, the Joiner transformation reads records from the detail source and
performs joins.

27. What is the look up transformation?
Use lookup transformation in u r mapping to lookup data in a relational table, view, and
synonym.
Informatica server queries the look up table based on the lookup ports in the
transformation. It compares the lookup transformation port values to lookup table column
values based on the look up condition.

28. Why use the lookup transformation?
To perform the following tasks.
Get a related value. For example, if your source table includes employee ID, but you want to
include the employee name in your target table to make your summary data easier to read.
Perform a calculation. Many normalized tables include values used in a calculation, such as
gross sales per invoice or sales tax, but not the calculated value (such as net sales).
Update slowly changing dimension tables. You can use a Lookup transformation to determine
whether records already exist in the target.

29. What r the types of lookup?
Connected and unconnected









30. Differences between connected and unconnected lookup?

Connected lookup Unconnected lookup

Receives input values directly from Receives input values from the result of a
The pipe line. Lkp expression in a transformation.

U can use a dynamic or static cache U can use a static cache.

Cache includes all lookup columns Cache includes all lookup output ports in the
Used in the mapping lookup condition and the lookup/return port.

Support user defined default values does not support user defined default values


Difference between Informatica7.1 & informatica 8.1


Q. What is the difference between Informatica7.1 & informatica 8.1?
Answer-1:
1)power center connect for SAP Net Weaver BW Option
2)SQL Transformation is added
3)Service Oriented Architecture
4)Grid concept is additional feature
5) Random file name can generate in target
6) Command line programs: Infacmd and infasetup new
commands were added.
7) Java Transformation is added feature
8)concurrent cache creation and faster index building are
additional feature in lookup transformation

Answer-2:
caches or automatic u dont need to allocate at
transformation level,
push down optimization techniques, some new java
transformations, changes in parameter file
and integration services rather than power Centre server







DW Basics

What is data warehouse?
A data warehouse is an electronical storage of an Organization's historical data for the purpose
of analysis and reporting. According to Kimpball, a datawarehouse should be subject-oriented,
non-volatile, integrated and time-variant.
Explanatory Note
Non-volatile means that the data once loaded in the warehouse will not get deleted later. Time-
variant means the data will change with respect to time.

What are the benefits of data warehouse?
Historical data stored in data warehouse helps to analyze different aspects of business
including, performance analysis, trend analysis, trend prediction etc. which ultimately increases
efficiency of business processes.

Why Data Warehouse is used?
Data warehouse facilitates reporting on different key business processes known as KPI. Data
warehouse can be further used for data mining which helps trend prediction, forecasts, pattern
recognition etc.

What is the difference between OLTP and OLAP?
OLTP is the transaction system that collects business data. Whereas OLAP is the reporting and
analysis system on that data.
OLTP systems are optimized for INSERT, UPDATE operations and therefore highly normalized.
On the other hand, OLAP systems are deliberately denormalized for fast data retrieval through
SELECT operations.
Explanatory Note:
In a departmental shop, when we pay the prices at the check-out counter, the sales person at
the counter keys-in all the data into a "Point-Of-Sales" machine. That data is transaction data
and the related system is an OLTP system. On the other hand, the manager of the store might
want to view a report on out-of-stock materials, so that he can place purchase order for them.
Such report will come out from OLAP system
What is data mart?
Data marts are generally designed for a single subject area. An organization may have data
pertaining to different departments like Finance, HR, Marketing etc. stored in data warehouse
and each department may have separate data marts. These data marts can be built on top of
the data warehouse.

What is ER model?
ER model is entity-relationship model which is designed with a goal of normalizing the data.


Transformations

What can we do to improve the performance of Informatica Aggregator Transformation?
Aggregator performance improves dramatically if records are sorted before passing to the
aggregator and "sorted input" option under aggregator properties is checked. The record set
should be sorted on those columns that are used in Group By operation.
It is often a good idea to sort the record set in database level (why?) e.g. inside a source
qualifier transformation, unless there is a chance that already sorted records from source
qualifier can again become unsorted before reaching aggregator
What is the different lookup cache?
Lookups can be cached or uncached (No cache). Cached lookup can be either static or dynamic.
A static cache is one which does not modify the cache once it is built and it remains same
during the session run. On the other hand, a dynamic cache is refreshed during the session run
by inserting or updating the records in cache based on the incoming source data.
A lookup cache can also be divided as persistent or non-persistent based on whether
Informatica retains the cache even after session run is complete or not respectively
How can we update a record in target table without using Update strategy?
A target table can be updated without using 'Update Strategy'. For this, we need to define the
key in the target table in Informatica level and then we need to connect the key and the field
we want to update in the mapping Target. In the session level, we should set the target
property as "Update as Update" and check the "Update" check-box.
Let's assume we have a target table "Customer" with fields as "Customer ID", "Customer Name"
and "Customer Address". Suppose we want to update "Customer Address" without an Update
Strategy. Then we have to define "Customer ID" as primary key in Informatica level and we will
have to connect Customer ID and Customer Address fields in the mapping. If the session
properties are set correctly as described above, then the mapping will only update the
customer address field for all matching customer IDs.