Performance Tuning in Informatica


Joiner Transformation -
  • Always prefer to perform joins in the database if possible, as database joins are faster than joins created in Informatica joiner transformation.
  • Sort the data before joining if possible, as it decreases the disk I/O performed during joining.
  • Make the table with less no of rows as master table.
Lookup Transformation –
  • Create an index for the column in a lookup table which is used in lookup condition. Since the lookup table will be queried for looking up the matching data, adding an index would increase the performance.
  • If possible, instead of using lookup transformation use join in the database. As database joins are faster, performance will be increased.
  • Delete unnecessary columns from the lookup table and keep only the required columns. This will bring down the overhead of fetching the extra columns from the database.
Filter Transformation –
  • Use filter transformation as early as possible inside the mapping. If the unwanted data can be discarded early in the mapping, it would increase the throughput.'
  • Use source qualifier to filter the data. You can also use source qualifier SQL override to filter the records, instead of using filter transformation.
Aggregator Transformation
  • Filter the data before aggregating it. If you are using filter transformation in the mapping, then filter the data before using aggregator as it will reduce the unnecessary aggregation operation.
  • Limit the no of ports used in the aggregator transformation. This will reduce the volume of data that aggregator transformation stores inside the cache.
Source Qualifier Transformation
  • Bring only the required columns from the source. Most of the times not all the columns of the source table are required, so bring only the required fields by deleting the unnecessary columns.
  • Avoid using order by clause inside the source qualifier SQL override. The order by clause requires additional processing and performance can be increased by avoiding it.

How to Download & Install Informatica PowerCenter -Chapter 2

Information is a powerful ETL tool for Data integration for small as well as big market business.
To download and install Informatica, you must visit the link given here.
NOTE: Informatica has recently stopped distribution of PowerCenter. You can register for 30 Day trial of Informatica Cloud here
PowerCenter Express ETL
PowerCenter Express is an Informatica’ s market-leading data integration (ETL Tool) and in-line data profiling right-sized for smaller projects.

How to register for Informatica Cloud PowerExpress

Step 1) Open Link and click on FREE 30-DAY TRIAL
How to Download & Install Informatica PowerCenter
Step 2) Fill in the requested details and Click on Start Up 30 Days free trail
How to Download & Install Informatica PowerCenter
Step 3) You will get a confirmation page as below. Open your Email account and click the confirmation link.
How to Download & Install Informatica PowerCenter
Step 4) On clicking the confirmation URL, you are asked to set your Password and One Security Question. Click OK once you enter the data.
How to Download & Install Informatica PowerCenter
Step 5) You are now in Informatica Cloud which you can use for further exercises.
How to Download & Install Informatica PowerCenter
Informatica Versions History
  • Informatica Powercenter 4.1
  • Informatica Powercenter 5.1
  • Powercenter Informatica 6.1.2
  • Informatica Powercenter 7.1.2
  • Informatica Powercenter 8.1
  • Informatica Powercenter 8.5
  • Informatica Powercenter 8.6
  • Informatica Powercenter 9.1
  • Informatica Powercenter 10
With the new cloud version of Powercenter all the above versions have become obsolete.

What is Informatica- Chapter 1


What is Informatica?
Informatica is a Software development company, which offers data integration products. It offers products for ETL, data masking, data Quality, data replica, data virtualization, master data management, etc.
Informatica Powercenter ETL/Data Integration tool is a most widely used tool and in the common term when we say Informatica, it refers to the Informatica PowerCenter tool for ETL.
Informatica Powercenter is used for Data integration. It offers the capability to connect & fetch data from different heterogeneous source and processing of data.
For example, you can connect to an SQL Server Database and Oracle Database both and can integrate the data into a third system.
The latest version of Informatica PowerCenter available is 9.6.0. The different editions for the PowerCenter are
  • Standard edition
  • Advanced edition
  • Premium edition
The popular clients using Informatica Powercenter as a data integration tool are U.S Air Force, Allianz, Fannie Mae, ING, Samsung, etc. The popular tools available in the market in competition to Informatica are IBM Datastage, Oracle OWB, Microsoft SSIS and Ab Initio.
  • An organization migrating from existing legacy system like mainframe to a new database system. So the migration of its existing data into a system can be performed.
  • Enterprises setting up their Data Warehouse would require an ETL tool to move data from the Production system to Warehouse.
  • Integration of data from various heterogeneous systems like multiple databases and file-based systems can be done using Informatica.
  • Informatica can be used as a data cleansing tool.
Informatica is better than its competitors as it offers a wide range of product editions. So the user can opt for a specific edition based upon the requirement. Informatica is constantly featured as Data Integration product leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant listing.
Informatica is available for all the popular platforms. It offers cloud-based services so that with minimal setup an industry can use this tool. Informatica offers real-time data integration, Web services integration, Business to business data integration (B2B), Big data edition, Master Data Management and connectors for social media and Salesforce. Forbes has quoted Informatica as the next Microsoft, this itself reflects the market share Informatica is having over its competitors.

Why do we need Informatica?

Informatica comes to the picture wherever we have a data system available and at the backend we want to perform certain operations on the data. It can be like cleaning up of data, modifying the data, etc. based on certain set of rules or simply loading of bulk data from one system to another.
Informatica offers a rich set of features like operations at row level on data, integration of data from multiple structured, semi-structured or unstructured systems, scheduling of data operation. It also has the feature of metadata, so the information about the process and data operations are also preserved.