Informatica ETL Tool Interview Questions

11/19/2004 by ITtoolbox Popular Q&A Team for ITtoolbox as adapted from Informatica-L discussion group Summary: What are some sample interview questions for Informatica, specifically using ETL tools? Full Article: Disclaimer: Contents are not reviewed for correctness and are not endorsed or recommended by ITtoolbox or any vendor. Popular Q&A contents include summarized information from Informatica-L discussion unless otherwise noted. Adapted from a response by Manoj On Thursday, November 04, 2004

Here are some possible interview questions. 1. What is source qualifier? 2. 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? 9. Explain reference cursor? 10. What are parallel querys and query hints? 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 PowerPlay 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? 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 th options for update strategy? 35. OLAP architecture? 36. What is subject area? 37. Why do we use DSS database for OLAP tools?

How can you recognise whether or not the newly added rows in the source are gets insert in the target? What are the basic needs to join two sources in a source qualifier? How do you configure mapping in informatica Where to store informatica rejected data? How to extract the informatica rejected data ? How many types of dimensions are available in Informatica? What r the joiner caches? When do u we use dynamic cache and when do we use static cache in an connected and unconnected lookup transformation What is the difference between filter and lookup transformation? What is the difference between Informatica 7.0 and 8.0 ? Which is better among connected lookup and unconnected lookup transformations in informatica or any other ETL tool? Which tasks can be performed on port level(using one specific port)? What are the real time problems generally come up while doing/running mapping/any transformation?can any body explain with example. Differences between Normalizer and Normalizer transformation. How do we do unit testing in informatica? How do we load data in informatica ? In a joiner transformation, you should specify the source with fewer rows as the master source. Why? How to read rejected data or bad data from bad file and reload it to target? How to import oracle sequence into Informatica. After draging the ports of three sources(sql server,oracle,informix) to a single source qualifier, can u map these three ports directly to target? How to get the first 100 rows from the flat file into the target? How to load time dimension?

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552. After draging the ports of three sources(sql server,oracle,informix) to a single source qualifier, can u map these three ports directly to target?

NO.Unless and until u join those three ports in source qualifier u cannot map them directly. 553. How the informatica server sorts the string values in Ranktransformation 554. What is the difference between summary filter and detail filter 555. How do you transfert the data from data warehouse to flatfile? 556. What r the tasks that Loadmanger process will do? 557. what is a time dimension? give an example. 558. What r the types of data that passes between informatica server and stored procedure? 559. Why we use partitioning the session in informatica? 560. What are 2 modes of data movement in Informatica Server? 561. Diff between informatica repositry server & informatica server 562. how can we partition a session in Informatica? 563. What is Load Manager? 564. What is Code Page Compatibility? 565. What is Code Page used for? 566. What r the rank caches? 567. What is the status code? 568. Describe two levels in which update strategy transformation sets? 569. What r the new features of the server manager in the informatica 5.0? 570. What is metadata reporter? 571. To achieve the session partition what r the necessary tasks u have to do? Configure the session to partition source data. Install the informatica server on a machine with multiple CPUs. 572. Why u use repository connectivity? When u edit,schedule the sesion each time,informatica server directly communicates the repository to check whether or not the session and users r valid.All the metadata of sessions and mappings will b 573. What is DTM process? 574. What r the data movement modes in informatcia? 576. In which circumstances that informatica server creates Reject files?

577. What is polling? 578. How many number of sessions that u can create in a batch? 579. When the informatica server marks that a batch is failed? If one of session is configured to "run if previous completes" and that previous session fails. 580. What is a command that used to run a batch? 581. In a sequential batch can u run the session if previous session fails? 582. Can u start a session inside a batch idividually? We can start our required session only in case of sequential batch.in case of concurrent batch we cant do like this. 583. What r the session parameters? 584. How can u access the remote source into Ur session? 585. what r the transformations that restricts the partitioning of sessions? 586. What r the new features in Informatica 5.0? U can Debug Ur maping in maping designer U can view the work space over the entire screen The designer displays a new icon for a invalid mapings in the navigator window U can use a dynamic lookup cac 587. what is incremantal aggregation? 588. What r the scheduling options to run a sesion? 589. What is difference between stored procedure transformation and external procedure transformation? 590. Explain about Recovering sessions? 591. Explain about perform recovery? 592. How to recover the standalone session? 593. How can u recover the session in sequential batches? If you configure a session in a sequential batch to stop on failure, you can run recovery starting with the failed session. The Informatica Server completes the session and then runs the rest of the b 594. How to recover sessions in concurrent batches? If multiple sessions in a concurrent batch fail, you might want to truncate all targets and run the batch again. However, if a session in a concurrent batch fails and the rest of the sessions complete 595. How can u complete unrcoverable sessions? Under certain circumstances, when a session does not complete, you need to truncate the target tables and run the session from the beginning. Run the session

from the beginning when the Informatica Se 596. What r the circumstances that infromatica server results an unreciverable session? Read more: http://www.placementpapers.us/informatica/291informatica_interview_questions_part_12_a.html#ixzz1eFLnDOFe Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

hp recent interview questions which i have faced

1.WHAT IS A DEGENARATIVE DIMENSION? ans:A degenerate dimension is data that is dimensional in nature but stored in a fact table. 2. WHAT IS CONFORMED DIMENSION? ans: a dimensional table which can be shared by multiple fact tables is known as conformed dimension 3.what is normalization?explain 3rd normalform the process of organizing data to minimize redundancy is called normalization. Normalization usually involves dividing large tables into smaller (and less redundant) tables and defining relationships between them. Third Normal Form (3NF): No duplicate information is permitted. So, for example, if two tables both require a birthdate field, the birthdate information would be separated into a separate table, and the two other tables would then access the birthdate information via an index field in the birthdate table. Any change to a birthdate would automatically be reflect in all tables that link to the birthdate table. 4.what is denormalization? Denormalization is the process of attempting to optimize the read performance of a database by adding redundant data or by grouping data.

5.how can you receive a mapping specification document in word or xl format? 6.how can you identify a index on a column in a table? 7.how often should you contact ur clinet?

source name sal aaaa 2000 bbbb 3000 abcd 5000 Target name sal aaaa 2000 bbbb 3000 abcd 5000 total 10000 how to get total as new row and sum as 10000 thanks Create a mapping which contains 2 target tables. When the session runs for the first time it shud load Target table 1 and when it runs for second time it shud load Target table 2. What is Java Transformation? what are the uses of it? Can we change Dynamic to Static or Persistent cache? If so what happens? Can we use Lookup instead of Joiner to join 2 tables? If yes which is faster and why? What are the challenges you have faced in your project? HOW TO DELETE A RECORD FROM FLAT FILE Hi I have a source (flat file) like ID Name Attachments 101 abc [07012005072902]_CMM27-11-01 Page106 (2).pdf 102 bcd "[19012005124259]_AnfrageVendors.doc [19012005124336]_Anfrage.xls" 103 def "[19012006092602]_IMG_0310.JPG 19012006092631]_IMG_0311.JPG [19012006092702]_IMG_0312.JPG [19012006092727]_IMG_0313.JPG" But I need to generate duplicate records based on attachments column. Target (Table) like ID Name Attachments 101 abc [07012005072902]_CMM27-11-01 Page106 (2).pdf 102 bcd 19012005124259]_Anfrage-Vendors.doc 102 bcd [19012005124336]_Anfrage.xls 103 def [19012006092602]_IMG_0310.JPG 103 def [19012006092631]_IMG_0311.JPG 103 def [19012006092702]_IMG_0312.JPG 103 def [19012006092727]_IMG_0313.JPG 103 def [19012006092750]_IMG_0314.JPG 103 def

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[19012006092814]_IMG_0315.JPG Here no. of Attachments we can't decide because it is dynamic. It will be great if somebody help me on this. Thanks in Advance. ganga Any one can tell me how to explain puss-down optimization ? explain me with example plz? how to sort date field in infomatica? how we can do session partition in informatica any one explain me clearly? thanks advance. yesterday my session run ten min.today its run 30min, wt is the reason? if any issues how to solve that? plz plz plz send client names and project names in informatica? What are the issues that you have faced while moving your project from the Test Environment to the Production Environment? How will restrict values in 0-9 and A-Z and a-z and special character.Only allowed these chars otherwise we will reject the records? what is the function we used to restrict...
Commenting of stored procedure
Asked By: suri.ravi | Asked On: May 29th, 2008 Last Updated: Nov 19th, 2011

1 1 iGate iGate 1 1 0 0

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Answer

Pass dummy argument and do not connect the output of the stored procedure to actual fields.. you this as pass through transformation if it is a connected one if it is unconnected t/f then you can simply ignore the output of the field in the expression 1 Reading flat files
Asked By: sohamasmi | Asked On: Oct 12th, 2010 Last Updated: Nov 19th, 2011

Answer

Yes, we can increase the line sequential buffer length in the session properties. There is no hard limit actually, but when the block size and the DTM buffer size also should be increased to be able to process the records 1

Transaction in joiner
Asked By: sreeniv | Asked On: Jun 19th, 2011 Last Updated: Nov 19th, 2011

Answer 1 Real time issues while doing project

Asked By: ram_infa | Asked On: Jul 8th, 2011 Last Updated: Nov 19th, 2011

Answer Actually it depends on the projects... Anyway you will see the below issues in general 1. some specific characters are not loading as in the source 2. Data truncation happened on few fields 3. Frequent changes are coming from the user 4. Performance issues when loading huge data 1 What is the new lookup port in look-up transformation?
Asked By: phanimv | Asked On: Oct 18th, 2006 Last Updated: Nov 18th, 2011

Answer I hope you're asking about the 'add a new port' button in the lookup transformation. If the answer is yes, this button creates a port where we can enter the name, datatype,...of a port. This is mainly used when using unconnected lookup this reflects the datatype of the input port. 5

Dimension table vs fact table

Last Updated: Nov 18th, 2011 |

Asked By: goutamhere2interact | Asked On: Jun 18th, 2008 Read Best Answer

Answer

Fact table contains numeric facts. i.e., key performence indicatiors. A dimention table is a primary key foregin key relation to fact tbale. 11 Hi, how we validate all the mappings in the repository at once
Asked By: surendrapoluparti | Asked On: Nov 6th, 2006 Last Updated: Nov 18th, 2011

U r not able to validate all mappings at a time, each time one mapping can be validated. Answer 9 Target details verification

Asked By: sarun5 | Asked On: Feb 24th, 2008 Last Updated: Nov 17th, 2011

Answer hi i think it is of 2 ways you can find. 1. a) find out how many number of rows are there in the source using basic sql query. e.g select * from source_table. b) execute the work flow. in that from ' properties ' we can find how many number of rows are loaded sucessfully. 2. a) repeat 1.(a) step. b) now find out how many number of rows are there in the target using basic sql query. e.g select * from target_table. please correct me if i am wrong

thanesh Index and data cache

Asked By: anilkumar.v | Asked On: Jun 30th, 2011 Last Updated: Nov 17th, 2011

Answer 4 What is the difference between source preload and source postload?
Asked By: prasad mallipeddi | Asked On: Apr 17th, 2011 Last Updated: Nov 15th, 2011

Answer It is a process of performing something before pulling the data from source and after loading the data into target... It is known as pre sql and post sql... 2 How can we load date type of data in month wise in Informatica?
Asked By: chary_vurimalla0246 | Asked On: Sep 21st, 2011 Last Updated: Nov 10th, 2011

Answer

You Can use expression transformation. Add an port as output, then use to_char(date_port, n) function.

2 How to connect in mapping from target to any other transformation in Informatica ?

Asked By: shaikiliyas | Asked On: Apr 15th, 2011 Last Updated: Nov 3rd, 2011

Answer It is not possible to keep transformation after target.. We need to create two mappings. In second mapping we need to take those two targets as sources for second mapping.. I think your question is how to merge the records from two targets after they got loaded? If this is your question then first import the two target tables as source tables. Complete the mapping to load the two targets. In the same mapping drag the two sources and connect to union transformation as you required. In the Menu bar click Mapping -> Target Load Plan... In the Target Load Group Order dialog box select the one to load the targets first. I think this answers your question. Aggregator
Asked By: veera | Asked On: Nov 13th, 2010 Last Updated: Oct 31st, 2011

Answer Suppose on 1st Nov 2010 you had created a mapping which includes huge aggregator calculations and it is under process for next two days. You will notice that even on 3rd day also its still calculating. So without changing a logic or changing a mapping How will you troubleshot or to run that mapping? Explain the steps You can use incremental aggrigation. First find out the problem whether it is due to aggregator transformation or not. Run debugging... 2

Kill workflows
Last Updated: Oct 26th, 2011

Asked By: varun.babu | Asked On: Sep 17th, 2011

how to kill 10 workflows at a a time ? It is not possible to kill multiple workflows at a time. You must Abort/Stop one at a time. I think starting with the version 8.6 you can run the same workflow multiple times at the same time.

Write 10 pmcmd commands with abortworkflow option in one bat/sh file and execute at once Answer 2

Separating single field to values

Last Updated: Oct 23rd, 2011

Asked By: Nishant garg | Asked On: Oct 18th, 2011

Answer

I have a table having column col1, col2. If for a col1 there is some data in col2. EX: Col1=0012 and Col2 = 12,13,14 then i need these three values 12, 13,14 separately not as a single string as it is in table. Or you can say in need to separate these three values after it is returned by query.There may be only one value or more than 3 as well. EX: 12,13,14,15......... I think u can achieve the above requirement by using transaction control transformation. Can be done by using java transformation with the below like code: StringTokenizer st = new StringTokenizer(col2, ","); while(st.hasMoreTokens()) { O_col2 = st.nextToken(); generateRow(); } 1 Can we convert exel file to XML file using Informatica ?
Asked By: sameer | Asked On: Oct 4th, 2011 Last Updated: Oct 22nd, 2011

There is no default driver available for reading from Excel files. You need to export the Excel file into a comma delimited or tab delimited file and then you should define a XML type Target and load it.

first we need to save the excel file in csv file and then we have xml transformation in informatica by using that we can convert csv file to xml file.

Excel source is possible through File DSN - Target XML also can be done - read the documentation or help for more information. Answer 2 Informatica number formatting
Asked By: suchipriya | Asked On: Sep 27th, 2011 Last Updated: Oct 14th, 2011

Answer how to format phone number 9999999999 into (999)999-9999 in informatica We can use REG_EXTRACT and concat fn or Substr and Concat fn.

Use the expression in Expression Transform. sample be 9999999999====== ' ( ' || SUBSTR(sample,1,3) || ')' ||SUBSTR(sample,4,3) || '-' || SUBSTR(sample,7,4) 3 Informatica batch processing
Asked By: Padmaja Vuppu | Asked On: Sep 27th, 2011 Last Updated: Oct 12th, 2011

Answer

The goal of performance tuning is optimize session performance so sessions run during the available load window for the Informatica Server.Increase the session performance by following. The performance of the Informatica Server is related to network connections. Data generally moves across a network at less than 1 MB per second, whereas a local disk moves data five to twenty times faster. Thus network connections ofteny affect on session performance.So aviod netwrok connections. Flat files: If ur flat files stored on a machine other than the informatca server, move those files to the machine that consists of informatica server. Relational datasources: Minimize the connections to sources ,targets and informatica server to improve session performance.Moving target database into server system may improve session performance. Staging areas: If u use staging areas u force informatica server to perform multiple datapasses. Removing of staging areas may improve session performance. U can run the multiple informatica servers againist the same repository.Distibuting the session load to multiple informatica servers may improve session performance. Run the informatica server in ASCII datamovement mode improves the session performance.Because ASCII datamovement mode stores a character value in one byte.Unicode mode takes 2 bytes to store a character. If a session joins multiple source tables in one Source Qualifier, optimizing the query may improve performance. Also, single table select statements with an ORDER BY or GROUP BY clause may benefit from optimization such as adding indexes. We can improve the session performance by configuring the network packet size,which allows

data to cross the network at one time.To do this go to server manger ,choose server configure database connections. If u r target consists key constraints and indexes u slow the loading of data.To improve the session performance in this case drop constraints and indexes before u run the session and rebuild them after completion of session. Running a parallel sessions by using concurrent batches will also reduce the time of loading the data.So concurent batches may also increase the session performance. Partittionig the session improves the session performance by creating multiple connections to sources and targets and loads data in paralel pipe lines. In some cases if a session contains a aggregator transformation ,u can use incremental aggregation to improve session performance. Aviod transformation errors to improve the session performance. If the sessioin containd lookup transformation u can improve the session performance by enabling the look up cache. If Ur session contains filter transformation ,create that filter transformation nearer to the sources or u can use filter condition in source qualifier. Aggreagator,Rank and joiner transformation may oftenly decrease the session performance .Because they must group data before processing it.To improve session performance in this case use sorted ports option. 1 Performance tuning in Informatica?
Asked By: Interview Candidate | Asked On: Sep 21st, 2004 Last Updated: Oct 4th, 2011

Answer 3 What is SCD type 3 and where do you use it in implementation ?

Asked By: amk742 | Asked On: Apr 20th, 2011 Last Updated: Sep 27th, 2011

Answer 4
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Informatica: if flat file name varies day by day ...

Asked by: Interview Candidate Asked on: Nov 16th, 2011

If we are using flat file in our loading, and flat file name change daily so how we handle this without changing file name manually daily? for example: like file name is changing depend on date so what should I do? pls help

How to write html report function in vb script

if Sr1="true" and sr2="true" then reporter.reportevent micpass ,'tc1','Verify the check functionality' else reporter.reportevent micfail ,'tc2','verify the check functionality, endif

How to extract job parameters from a file?

We can cal parameters from the file through user variables

what types of datasources are in informatica

what are homegeneous sorces and heterogeneous data sources ? Is flat file different from those two The dictionary meaning of Homogeneous is Uniform and Heterogeneous is Mixed. For example if a mapping is using only Oracle sources or Flat files or DB2 or XML or any other then they are called Homogeneous sources. Example of Heterogeneous is if a mapping is using Oracle source table, Flat file, DB2 source and XML Source then they are called as Heterogeneous sources. We simple cannot say that a flat file is different from those two.

can we convert exel file to XML file using informatica ?

There is no default driver available for reading from Excel files. You need to export the Excel file into a comma delimited or tab delimited file and then you should define a XML type Target and load it. first we need to save the excel file in csv file and then we have xml transformation in informatica by using that we can convert csv file to xml file. Excel source is possible through File DSN - Target XML also can be done - read the documentation or help for more information

Alternate Index

What is the use of Alternate Index? Is using alternate index in file processing fast ? Alternate index is used to access a vsam file by using alternate key.file processing is very fast.

skip alternate records

I have a seq file with 1000 records and I need to skip alternate records and write into a output file using cobol How can I do it very simple. Just define a boolean switch in your working storage and keep flipping the switch after every time you write the output record and make sure to verify the switch before you write the record. use 2 read and 1 write statements in the loop

Informatica Batch Processing

Explain how the batch processing works in informatica ? When would it be useful in real-time projects ? When we run multiple sessions in a single workflow sequentially that is called batch processing. This is useful when we create relational database for any company.

how can we load date type of data in month wise in informatica?

You Can use expression transformation. Add an port as output, then use to_char(date_port, n) function. to_char(date,mm)

What is a delete flag in Informatica and why is it used?

Flag are mostly use in Update Strategy Transformation. there are four flag which are manly used 1) INSERT (dd_insert or 0) 2) UPDATE (dd_update or 1) 3) DELETE (dd_delete or 2) 4) REJECT (dd_reject or 3) Delete Flag is used to delete record from the target schema when flag condition given in update strategy transformation is find true.

Explaining Informatica projects

Hi , when interviewer asks this question , it means he/she is asking about your current project work/task requirement. So u may tell from requirement gathering to the report generation. or u may probably define/ explain ur work or the task u were involved in : for example if u were involved with BE's taking requirements and understanding them (KT with Business engineers) then u were involved with the design/test/code migration for informatica , and u may also extend this explanation if u know about the reporting

Informatica Loop Scope how to find the loop in singly linked list
if we are having the singly linked list then last node of the list is linked with middle (or) any node in the list then it causes the loop then how to find the loop with less time complexity Take 2 pointers (say p & q) pointing to the start of the list. Increment p by one and q by 2 till p and q points to the same node (in case of loop) or one of them reaches the end (in case of no loop).

Method 1.check the node pointed to by the outer loop, with every node of the inner loop. Method2. Have a visited flag in each node of the linked list. Flag it as visited when you reach the node. When you reach a node and the flag is already flagged as visited, then you know there is a loop in the linked list. Method3. Have 2 pointers to start of the linked list. Increment one pointer by 1 node and the other by 2 nodes. If there's a loop, the 2nd pointer will meet the 1st pointer somewhere. If it does, then you know there's one. Code for method 3 is as follows:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. p=head; q=head->next; while(p!=NULL && q!=NULL) { if(p==q) { //Loop is there exit(0); } p=p->next; q=(q->next)?(q->next->next):q->next; } // there is no loop

What is SCD Type 3 and Where do you use it in implementation ?

Basically, scd type 3 maintains the current and the previous changed data or history.. i don't think so they use in real time projects never heard. If the requirement is to maintain current and previous address of a customer in the target, type 3 can be used. When the value of the dimension has to update (by the current value), the old value column of the table has to update by the most previous value of the dimension. Thus we have the CURRENT value and the MOST PREVIOUS value of the dimension. In this case we can use SCD Type 3.

scd type3 is used for loading the current & most previous data into target