Informatica PowerCenter Client Tools Review

The PowerCenter Client consists of applications that developers use to design mappings and mapplets, create sessions and workflows to load the data, and monitor workflow progress. In this article, you use the following applications and tools, which is used by developers during the development process. 

• PowerCenter Designer. 

• Workflow Manager. 

• Workflow Monitor. 

• Repository Manager.

PowerCenter Designer

The Designer has tools to help you build mappings and mapplets so you can specify how to move and transform data between sources and targets. The Designer helps you create source definitions, target definitions, and transformations to build the mappings. The Designer lets you work with multiple tools at one time and to work in multiple folders and repositories at the same time. It also includes windows so you can view folders, repository objects, and tasks. You can configure general Designer settings, such as background color and font. You can also configure specific tool settings for each Designer tool.

Designer Tools

The Designer provides the following tools:

1. Source Analyzer. Use to import or create source definitions for flat file, XML, COBOL, Application, and relational sources.
2. Target Designer. Use to import or create target definitions.
3. Transformation Developer. Use to create reusable transformations.
4. Mapplet Designer. Use to create mapplets.
5. Mapping Designer. Use to create mappings.

Designer Windows

The Designer consists of the following windows:

• Navigator. Use to connect to and work in multiple repositories and folders. You can also copy and delete objects and create shortcuts using the Navigator.
• Workspace. Use to view or edit sources, targets, mapplets, transformations, and mappings. You work with a single tool at a time in the workspace, which has two formats: default and workbook. You can view multiple versions of an object in the workspace.
• Status bar. Displays the status of the operation you perform.
• Output. Provides details when you perform certain tasks, such as saving work or validating a mapping.

    

Workflow Manager

In the Workflow Manager, you define a set of instructions called a workflow to execute mappings you build in the Designer. Generally, a workflow contains a session and any other task you may want to perform when you run a session. Tasks can include a session, email notification, or scheduling information. You connect each task with links in the workflow.

You can also create a worklet in the Workflow Manager. A worklet is an object that groups a set of tasks. A worklet is similar to a workflow, but without scheduling information. You can run a batch of worklets inside a workflow.

After you create a workflow, you run the workflow in the Workflow Manager and monitor it in the Workflow Monitor.

Workflow Manager Tools

To create a workflow, you first create tasks such as a session, which contains the mapping you build in the Designer. You then connect tasks with conditional links to specify the order of execution for the tasks you created. The Workflow Manager consists of three tools to help you develop a workflow:

1.  Task Developer. Use the Task Developer to create tasks you want to run in the workflow. 
2.  Workflow Designer. Use the Workflow Designer to create a workflow by connecting tasks with links. You can also create tasks in the Workflow Designer as you develop the workflow. 
3.  Worklet Designer. Use the Worklet Designer to create a worklet.

Workflow Manager Windows

The Workflow Manager displays the following windows to help you create and organize workflows:

• Navigator. You can connect to and work in multiple repositories and folders. In the Navigator, the Workflow Manager displays a red icon over invalid objects. 
• Workspace. You can create, edit, and view tasks, workflows, and worklets. 
• Output. Provides details when you perform certain tasks, such as saving work or validating a mapping.

    

Workflow Monitor

You can monitor workflows and tasks in the Workflow Monitor. With the Workflow Monitor, you can view details about a workflow or task in Gantt Chart view or Task view. The Workflow Monitor displays workflows that have run at least once. You can run, stop, abort, and resume workflows from the Workflow Monitor. The Workflow Monitor continuously receives information from the Integration Service and Repository Service. It also fetches information from the repository to display historic information. 

The Workflow Monitor consists of the following windows: 

• Navigator window. Displays monitored repositories, Integration Services, and repository objects. 
• Output window. Displays messages from the Integration Service and the Repository Service. 
• Properties window. Displays details about services, workflows, worklets, and tasks. 
• Time window. Displays progress of workflow runs. 
• Gantt Chart view. Displays details about workflow runs in chronological (Gantt Chart) format. 
• Task view. Displays details about workflow runs in a report format, organized by workflow run. 

You can Toggle between Gantt Chart view and Task view by clicking the tabs on the bottom of the Workflow Monitor. You can also view and hide the Output and Properties windows in the Workflow Monitor. 

    

Repository Manager

This is more of an object management or administrative tool, where the developers spent the least amount of time. You can navigate through multiple folders and repositories and perform basic repository tasks like moving mappings, sessions, workflows or any other objects between folders or repositories with the Repository Manager. Menu items in the Repository Manager are enabled or disabled according to the privileges and permissions you have.

The Repository Manager can display four main windows: the Navigator window, the Main window, the Dependency window, and the Output window.