Informatica Cloud Designer for Advanced Data Integration On the Cloud
Informatica Cloud is an on-demand subscription service that provides cloud applications. It uses functionality from Informatica PowerCenter to provide easy to use, web-based applications. Cloud Designer is one of the applications provided by Informatica Cloud. Lets see the features of Informatica Cloud Designer in this article.
What is Informatica Cloud Designer
Informatica Cloud Designer is the counterpart of PowerCenter Designer on the cloud. Use Cloud Mapping Designer to configure mappings similar to PowerCenter mappings. When you configure a mapping, you describe the flow of data from source and target.
As it is in PowerCenter Designer you can add transformations to transform data, such as an Expression transformation for row-level calculations, or Filter transformation to remove data from the data flow. It additionally support Joiner transformation and LookUp transformation. A transformation includes field rules to define incoming fields. Links visually represent how data moves through the data flow.
Cloud Designer Interface
Cloud Designer provides a web based user interface similar to what we have for PowerCenter Designer. This interface can be accessed from your Informatica Cloud Portal.
Below is a screenshot of Cloud Designer with different mapping designer areas.
- Mapping Canvas :- The canvas for configuring a mapping, which is similar the workspace what we have for PowerCenter Designer.
- Transformation Palette :- Lists the transformations that you can use in the mapping. You can add a transformation by clicking the transformation name. Or, drag the transformation to the mapping canvas.
- Properties Panel :- Displays configuration options for the mapping or selected transformation. Different options display based on the transformation type. This is similar to different tabs available in PowerCenter Transformations.
- Toolbar :- Provides different options such as Save, Cancel, Validate, Arrange All icon, Zoom In/Out.
- Status Area :- Displays the status of the mapping and related tasks. It indicates if the mapping includes unsaved changes. When all changes are saved, indicates if the mapping is valid or invalid.
Transformations On Cloud Designer
Transformations are a part of a mapping that represent the operations that you want to perform on data. Transformations also define how data enters each transformation.
The Mapping Designer provides a set of Active and Passive transformations. 'Joiner' and 'Filter' are the two active transformations available. 'Expression' is passive transformation and 'LookUp' transformation act as passive when returning one row and active when returning more than one row.
Additionally designer supports 'Source' and 'Target' transformations to read and write data from different sources and targets.
Transformation
|
Type
|
Description
|
|---|---|---|
Source
|
N/A
|
Reads data from a source.
|
Target
|
N/A
|
Writes data to a target.
|
Joiner
|
Active
|
Joins two sources.
|
Filter
|
Active
|
Filters data from the data flow.
|
Expression
|
Passive
|
Modifies data based on passive expressions.
|
Lookup
|
Passive when returning one row. Active when returning more than one row.
|
Looks up data from a lookup object. Defines the lookup object and connection, as well as the lookup condition and return values.
|
Mapping Configuration Task
Mapping Configuration Task is similar to a session task in PowerCenter. The Mapping Configuration Task allows you to process data based on the data flow logic defined in a mapping.
When you create a mapping configuration task, you select the mapping for the task to use, just like you choose a mapping while you create a session task in PowerCenter. You also define the parameter value associated with the mapping.
Below shown is the different options you need to set for the Mapping Configuration.
Task Flows
Task Flows are similar to a workflows in PowerCenter. You can create a task flow to group multiple tasks and run them in a specific order. You can run the task flow immediately or on a schedule. The task flow runs tasks serially, in the specified order.
Below shown is the different options you need to set for the Mapping Configuration.
How Cloud Designer is Different
Cloud Designer is not a replacement for PowerCenter Designer, but to provide more advanced data integration capability on the cloud. There are few interesting features available with Cloud Designer, which is not available in PowerCenter Designer.
1. Dynamic Field Propagation
Unlike PowerCenter Designer, you do not have to connect all the ports manually between transformations. It uses logical rules to propagate fields or ports from one transformation to other transformation.
Possible options for logical field mapping.
- Include All Fields.
- Include/Exclude Field by specific names.
- Include/Exclude Fields by Data Types.
- Include/Exclude Fields by name patterns.
It helps the mapping to self-adapts to source or target structure changes. For example if you use “All Fields” brings in newly added fields dynamically into the mapping.
2. Parameterized Templates
A parameter is placeholder for a value or values in a mapping. The Cloud Designer can be used to build reusable mappings that include parameterized values. This can be configured to create an integration workflow with specific business parameters entered at runtime.
You define the value of the parameter when you configure the mapping configuration task. as mentioned above paragraph. Parameterization along with dynamic field propagation, makes the mapping build on cloud extremely reusable templates.