Informatica ETL programs

Informatica ETL programs designed in one of the client applications (Designer or Workflow Manager) and are responsible for the whole ETL process execution.
In Informatica there are a few important objects definitions:

  • Mapping - developed in Designer, it logically defines the ETL process. Mappings read data from the sources, apply transformation logic to the data and write transformed data to targets.
  • Transformations are elements of a mapping which generate, modify or pass the data. Transformations are linked together with links through ports (input and output) within a mapping.
    There are two groups of transformations: Passive - where the number of rows entering and exiting the transformation are the same (f.ex. Expression, Source Qualifier); Active - number of output rows may not be the same as input rows (f.ex. Aggregator).
    Examples of transformations: Source qualifier, expression, filter, sorter, aggregator, joiner, lookup, update strategy, router, transaction control, union.
  • Task - designed in Workflow Manager, is an executable set of actions, functions or commands. A sequence of tasks defines the runtime behavior of an ETL process.
    Example: Session task runs a mapping, Command tasks executes a shell script, Email task sends an email.
  • Workflow - designed in Workflow Manager, it is a collection of tasks that descibe runtime ETL processes. Tasks can be linked sequentially or concurrently and can also depend on the completion status of previous tasks.
    Each linked icon represents a task.


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