Informatica Metadata Exchange Questions by Quontra

1. Informatica Metadata Exchange Frequently Asked QuestionsByInformatica Training Classes Email : info@informaticatrainingclasses.com Call us : 404-900-9988 WebSite:www.informaticatrainingclasses.com

2. Q: What is Informatica Metadata Exchange? A: Informatica Metadata Exchange is a family of metadata exchange products for the Informatica Data Integration platform. The Informatica Metadata Exchange Software Development Kit (MX SDK) provides an open, bi-directional application programming interface (API) for metadata integration between the Informatica Metadata Repository and other metadata stores. Informatica Metadata Exchange tools leverage the MX SDK to provide metadata integration with data models, relational database catalogs, ERP systems and other metadata Sources. Q: How is Informatica Metadata Exchange different from MX SDK? A: Metadata Exchange is the umbrella term applied to all of Informatica’s metadata exchange Products. MX SDK is the Metadata Exchange Software Development Kit, the enabling Technology that the other Metadata Exchange products are built on.

3. Q: Who should use Informatica Metadata Exchange? A: Metadata Exchange provides tools for Informatica administrators and developers. Administrators can use the Metadata Exchange products to help them manage their metadata in a more timely, accurate, and efficient manner. Developers can build applications that use the MX SDK to deliver metadata to business users. Q: Can I use MX SDK to update sources and targets? A: Yes. The MX SDK source and target objects are fully updateable. You can rename the Object, change business names and descriptions, add, modify or remove columns, update Indexes (targets only) and foreign key relationships and update metadata extensions. The only Limitation is that MX SDK does not allow you to change the database platform for an existing Source or target – in this case you must delete the object and recreate it.

4. Q: How comprehensive is the MX SDK? A: The MX SDK supports most metadata objects in the Informatica repository including Repositories, Folders, Sources, Targets, Transformations, Mappings, Mapplets, Schedules, Workflows, Workflow logs, Worklets, Sessions, Database Connections, Metadata Extensions and many others. Q: Can I use MX SDK to update transformations? A: Not all transformations can be updated using the MX SDK. MX SDK support for Transformations allow developers to update the properties of their external procedure transformations and advanced external procedure transformations. Standard transformations are read-only in MX SDK and have to be updated using Designer. Q: Can I use MX SDK to update mappings? A: No. Because of the potential complexity of an Informatica mapping, the MX SDK mapping Objects are read only. Mappings must be created using Informatica Designer.

5. Q: Can I use MX SDK to find out when a workflow was run and if it succeeded? A: Yes. The MX SDK provides a rich object model for querying workflow, session task and transformation logs. Q: Can I use MX SDK to determine data lineage? A: MX SDK can determine data lineage at a source or target level, but not at a field/column level. The source and target objects have methods for determining shortcut, source, target and mapping dependencies. The dependency information returned by these methods is the same as the dependency information that is visible in the Informatica Repository Manager. More detailed information about dependencies within a mapping is available when you use MX SDK or Designer to export the mapping as an XML file.

6. Q: Can I use Informatica Metadata Exchange to manage my own custom metadata? A: Informatica metadata extensions were introduced as a new feature in Informatica PowerCenter 6.0. You can add your own custom metadata extensions to sources, targets,Mappings, transformations, workflows and other objects using the Informatica Repository Manager. These metadata extensions then become part of the repository metamodel and can be maintained using the Informatica Designer and viewed by end-users in the Informatica Metadata Reporter. These metadata extensions can also be read and updated by other applications that use the MX SDK. This means that Metadata Exchange for Data Models can be used to populate source and target metadata extensions from data models, database catalogs and other Informatica repositories.

7. Q: I am an Informatica Developer. Which Informatica Metadata Exchange tool is right for me? A: You need Metadata Exchange for Data Models. You can design and document your database schema using a data modelling tool, then use Metadata Exchange for Data Models to replicate your data model in the Informatica repository, creating either source or target definitions. As you refine your data models, your database schemas and your mappings, Metadata Exchange for Data Models helps you to detect and resolve metadata discrepancies that may cause your mappings to fail. The tool’s validation, change and dependency reports can help to identify the impact of schema changes. Used in conjunction with Informatica metadata extensions, you can document your design with rich metadata, including business and technical definitions, metadata and data lineage, update timestamps, volumetric data and extended metadata from your data models.

8. Q: I am responsible for administering a data warehouse. Which Informatica Metadata Exchange tool is right for me? A: Metadata Exchange for Data Models will help to ensure that your source and target definitions are always consistent with the databases that they represent. If the database schema changes, validation, change and dependency reports will identify the impact of the change. Metadata Exchange for Data Models will also help to ensure that business and technical metadata is always current. If your data warehouse contains data that originates in a SAP or Peoplesoft ERP system, PowerConnect Metadata Exchange gives you tools for automated preventative maintenance and will ease the pain of managing an ERP upgrade or customization. This product dramatically reduces the work required to keep the Informatica repository current with changes in an ERP system by providing tools to manage ERP metadata. You can quickly and selectively identify metadata differences between the ERP system and the Informatica repository, determine the impact of the discrepancy and optionally update the Informatica repository to resolve the problem.

9. Q: I need to deliver business metadata to my business users. Which Informatica Metadata Exchange tool is right for me? A: Informatica provides the Informatica Metadata Reporter, a simple web-based reporting solution. If this does not fit your needs, many Business Intelligence tool vendors have pre-built integration tools for delivering Informatica metadata to end-users (for more information see the Informatica Developer’s Network web site). These metadata integration components use either the MX SDK or MX Views, an earlier and simpler metadata integration technology based on database views in the Informatica repository. If your BI tool vendor does not have an integration offering, then you can use the MX SDK to build your own. The MX SDK comes complete with sample code to show you how. Of course, delivering metadata to end-users only has value if the metadata is complete and is current. Metadata Exchange for Data Models and PowerConnect Metadata Exchange provide you with tools for capturing the metadata from data models, database catalogs and ERP systems.

10. Q: What is PowerPlug? A: PowerPlug is an earlier name for Metadata Exchange for Data Models (formerly PowerPlug for Data Models) and PowerConnect Metadata Exchange (formerly PowerPlug for ERP). Some third-party vendors have also used the term PowerPlug for their own metadata integration offerings. Q: What is PowerConnect Metadata Exchange? A: PowerConnect Metadata Exchange is a proactive metadata management tool for use with PowerConnect for SAP and PowerConnect for Peoplesoft. Data derived from ERP systems often underpins a data warehouse implementation but ERP systems are large and complex, containing thousands of tables and data structures and a change in any one can potentially cause the data warehouse load to fail. PowerConnect Metadata Exchange is used for preventative maintenance, to ensure that your Informatica ERP sources are always consistent with the ERP system that they represent. It quickly and selectively identifies metadata differences between the ERP system and the Informatica repository, determines the impact of the discrepancy and can optionally update the Informatica repository to resolve the problem.

11. Q: Can I use PowerConnect Metadata Exchange with my PowerConnect for Siebel? A: YES Q: I already use a Metadata Exchange tool. Should I upgrade? A: New versions of Metadata Exchange tools are usually released simultaneously with new versions of PowerCenter. If you plan to upgrade PowerCenter then you should also plan to upgrade your Metadata Exchange tools to ensure connectivity and compatibility. This is particularly important with major releases. If you are not planning to upgrade PowerCenter there may still be good reasons for upgrading Metadata Exchange for Data Models to a newer version. For instance, Metadata Exchange for Data Models 7.1 supports PowerCenter 7.1, is backwards compatible with PowerCenter 6.x and offers new interfaces for Embarcadero ER/Studio and CA ERwin ModelMart, finer grained control of comparison reports and a number of bug fixes and minor enhancements. If you use PowerCenter 6.x then the upgrade is recommended.

12. Q: What is Metadata Exchange for Data Models? A: Simply put, Metadata Exchange for Data Models is a tool for capturing the metadata that describes relational databases, then replicating that metadata in the Informatica repository as either sources or targets. Metadata Exchange for Data Models can capture metadata from the market-leading database design tools as well as from database catalogs, Informatica repositories and from XML files that conform to the relational package of the OMG Common Warehouse Metamodel standard. An interactive and intuitive GUI provides fine-grained control of metadata replication as well as model validation, reporting and impact analysis. Metadata Exchange for Data Models saves much time and effort in the development stages of an Informatica implementation. You design and document your database schema using a data modelling tool (such as CA ERwin and ModelMart, Embarcadero ER/Studio, Sybase Power Designer or Oracle Designer), then use Metadata Exchange for Data Models to replicate your data model in the Informatica repository, creating either source or target definitions. As you refine your data models, database schemas and mappings, Metadata Exchange for Data Models helps you to detect and resolve metadata discrepancies that may cause your mappings to fail. Used in conjunction with Informatica business names, descriptions and metadata extensions, you can document your design with rich metadata, including business and technical definitions, metadata and data lineage, volumetric data and extended metadata from your data models. For on-going preventative maintenance and troubleshooting, built-in validation, change and dependency reports can help to detect and determine the impact of database schema changes.

13. Q: I don’t use a data-modelling tool. Do I need Metadata Exchange for Data Models? A: Apart from data models, Metadata Exchange for Data Models can also extract metadata from database catalogs, Informatica repositories and CWM files. The database catalog interface provides a powerful tool for detecting discrepancies between Informatica sources and targets and the corresponding database schema. If you detect changes, you can update the Informatica repository from the database schema, guaranteeing consistency. If your database platform supports schema comments (e.g. DB2, Oracle), then you can also capture these in the Informatica repository. Using the Informatica repository interface, you can connect to two different Informatica repositories and compare sources and targets, transfer business metadata data and migrate sources and targets between repositories. The XMI: Common Warehouse Metamodel interface provides a standards-based mechanism for metadata exchange, using the relational package of the OMG Common Warehouse Metamodel standard.

14. Q: What data modelling tools are supported by Metadata Exchange for Data Models? A: Metadata Exchange for Data Models 7.0 supports CA ERwin 4.1, 4.0 and 3.5.2; CA Model Manager (ModelMart) 4.1 SP3; Embarcadero ER/Studio 6.0 and 5.5.x; Sybase Power Designer 9.5, 9.0, 8.0, 7.5 and 6.1; Oracle Designer 9i, 6i and 6.0 and Oracle Designer 2000 2.1.x. Support for Embarcadero ER/Studio and CA Model Manager (ModelMart) is new in this release. Q: Why would I use Metadata Exchange for Data Models to move metadata between Informatica repository folders when I can do this with Informatica client tools? A: Informatica Designer allows object definitions to be exported as XML files and allows the XML files to be imported. Repository Manager provides tools for copying folders between repositories. Metadata Exchange for Data Models complements these tools by allowing conversion of sources to targets and targets to sources (useful for staging tables and Operational Data Stores) and also allows migration between versions. Metadata Exchange for Data Models also allows selective migration of business names, descriptions and metadata extensions and mapping between them – this provides a very useful tool for managing business metadata and for moving business metadata between development, test and production environments.

15. Q: Informatica Designer can import database schemas. Why do I need the database catalog interface in Metadata Exchange for Data Models? A: Informatica Designer can use ODBC to create source and target definitions from a database catalog. However, if you already have the source or target in the Informatica repository, Designer has to delete the existing object, before creating a new one – this invalidates your mappings. Metadata Exchange for Data Models can compare the database catalog with the sources and targets, report on differences and selectively create or update the corresponding Informatica repository objects. Metadata Exchange for Data Models also gives you far more control over the business metadata. It can capture database comments (if the database supports them), can generate business names from table and column names, and can selectively update just the physical metadata while leaving existing business metadata and mappings intact. If you define suitable extended metadata properties, you can also capture auditing information including the source database catalog and an update timestamp.

16. Q: Can I update my data models from my Informatica repository? A: No. Data model interfaces are currently read-only and metadata exchange occurs from the data model into the Informatica repository. The reasons for this are primarily technical: until recently, data modelling tools did not provide an API that allowed the data model to be updated. Another significant reason is the need to define a metadata system of record: generally this is the data model. However, you can select two different data models at one time; all of the reporting features of Metadata Exchange for Data Models are available. This means that you can compare two different data models, even if the data models were created with different modelling tools. You can also select a data model and a database catalog and compare the data model with the database schema that it represents. Q: What repository database platforms does Metadata Exchange support? A: Metadata Exchange works with all of the repository database platforms that are supported by the Informatica Data Integration platform. Since version 6, the Metadata Exchange SDK uses TCP/IP to interact with the Informatica Repository Server, providing complete database platform independence, enhanced security and better performance.

17. Q: Do any interfaces support bi-directional metadata exchange? A: Yes. The Informatica repository interface is bi-directional and it can be used as both a metadata source and a target. The Common Warehouse Metamodel interface is also bi-directional and can be used for metadata exchange with any tool that supports the standard and the relational package. Q: What Informatica repository objects do the Metadata Exchange tools support? A: Metadata Exchange for Data Models can selectively update both Informatica source and target definitions. It can update all of the object’s properties, including table, column and index names, physical properties (e.g. column data types), business names, descriptions and metadata extensions. PowerConnect Metadata Exchange works specifically with Informatica source definitions for ERP sources (SAP and Peoplesoft). It can update the physical metadata, ERP specific properties, business names and descriptions.

18. Q: What is the CWM standard, and how do the Metadata Exchange tools support it? A: The Common Warehouse Metamodel is a vendor-independent metadata standard defined by the Object Management Group OMG). The CWM standard defines the key metadata required for data integration and defines a file format and mechanism for exchanging it. This standard supersedes the earlier Metadata Coalition MDIS standard and is supported by many key players in the industry. Informatica and Yale town Technology Group are both OMG members. Informatica Metadata Exchange for Data Models provides an interface that can read and write XML files that conform to the CWM relational package. This means that metadata can be exchanged with any other product that implements the standard and contains relational database metadata. Q: How much does Metadata Exchange cost? A: The Metadata Exchange SDK is available to all Informatica customers from the Informatica Developer’s Network. For the latest pricing and more information on Metadata Exchange products, please contact your Informatica sales representative.

19. Q: Can I run the Metadata Exchange products in batch mode? A: Because of the large number of objects in an ERP system, PowerConnect Metadata Exchange was designed specifically to support batch operation. A command file controls batch operation. The command file is configured using an interactive tool and specifies the ERP and repository connection parameters, the ERP sources in the Informatica repository that will be included in reports and updates, and the operation that will be performed. The name of the command file is specified as a parameter when the batch operation is started. Metadata Exchange for Data Models cannot be run in batch mode but customers have asked for this feature, so it may be offered in the future. Q: How is Metadata Exchange for Data Models packaged? A: Metadata Exchange products can be downloaded from the Informatica Developer’s Network web site. The Metadata Exchange for Data Models download is a trial version that permits a single use per interface. A license key must be purchased to unlock the full product functionality.

20. Q: How is Metadata Exchange for Data Models licensed? A: Separate licenses are available for ERwin, ModelMart, ER/Studio, Power Designer and Oracle Designer. These licenses cover all versions of the modelling tool, even where different integration technologies are used. Special licensing packages are available for the CWM, database catalog and Informatica repository interfaces. Enterprise licensing for single or multiple sources is also available. Q: How are the Metadata Exchange tools supported? A: Metadata Exchange tools are Informatica products. To obtain support and product updates, you need to purchase support from Informatica. Additional resources are available on the Informatica Developer Network web site. Q: What operating systems does Metadata Exchange run on? A: Metadata Exchange products all use the MX SDK. The MX SDK is built using Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM) standard and requires 32bit Windows operating systems including Windows 98, Windows NT 4, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

21. Q: Does Metadata Exchange for Data Models support all the database platforms that my data modelling tools do? A: ERwin ER/Studio and Power Designer are designed to support almost all relational database platforms. Metadata Exchange for Data Models supports almost all of the database platforms that these products support, including all of the popular ones. Informatica PowerCenter has native support for Oracle, Sybase ASE, Informix, DB2, Microsoft SQL Server and Teradata. Metadata Exchange for Data Models maps data models defined for these database platforms to the corresponding Informatica native database type and all others to ODBC (e.g. Microsoft Access 2000, Red Brick, Centura SQLBase, Sybase SQL Anywhere). Oracle Designer provides an Oracle centric modelling solution. Oracle Designer Server Model Diagrams do not explicitly specify a database platform, so Metadata Exchange for Data Models allows the user to choose the database platform and maps Oracle Designer data types to the corresponding database platform specific data type.

22. Q: Does Metadata Exchange support XML? A: Metadata Exchange products use XML for metadata exchange, reporting and control. Metadata Exchange for Data Models can read and write XML files that conform to the relational package of the OMG Common Warehouse Metamodel standard, allowing metadata exchange with other tools that support the standard. The MX SDK can be used to export and import XML files that conform to the Informatica repository DTD. This feature utilizes functionality that is built into the Informatica Repository Manager, Designer and PowerConnect, producing files that can be exchanged between Informatica tools. PowerConnect Metadata Exchange uses the export functionality to generate XML files from both the ERP system and the Informatica repository and uses the import functionality to update the repository. Metadata Exchange for Data Models and PowerConnect Metadata Exchange use proprietary XML file formats to store report data and XSL style sheets to transform the data for presentation. PowerConnect Metadata Exchange command files are also XML files.

23. Data Warehousing questions: What is source qualifier? Difference between DSS & OLTP? 3) Explain grouped cross tab? 4) Hierarchy of DWH? 5) How many repositories can we create in Informatica? 6) What is surrogate key? 7) What is difference between Mapplet and reusable transformation? 8) What is aggregate awareness? Explain reference cursor? What are parallel query's and query hints?

24. 11) DWH architecture? 12) What are cursors? 13) Advantages of de normalized data? 14) What is operational data source (ODS)? 15) What is meta data and system catalog? 16) What is factless fact schema? 17) What is confirmed dimension? 18) What is the capacity of power cube? 19) Difference between Power Play transformer and power play reports? 20) What is IQD file? 21) What is Cognos script editor? 22) What is difference macros and prompts? 23) What is power play plug in? 24) Which kind of index is preferred in DWH? 25) What is hash partition?

25. 26) What is DTM session? 27) How can you define a transformation? What are different types of transformations in Informatica? 28) What is mapplet? 29) What is query panel? 30) What is a look up function? What is default transformation for the look up function? 31) What is difference between a connected look up and unconnected look up? 32) What is staging area? 33) What is data merging, data cleansing and sampling? 34) What is up date strategy and what are the options for update strategy? 35) OLAP architecture? 36) What is subject area? 37) Why do we use DSS database for OLAP tools?

26. Thank You!