Operating System Profiles for the PowerCenter Integration Service
By default, the PowerCenter Integration Service process runs all workflows using the permissions of the operating system user that starts Informatica Services. The PowerCenter Integration Service writes output files to a single shared location specified in the $PMRootDir service process variable.
When you configure the PowerCenter Integration Service to use operating system profiles, the PowerCenter Integration Service process runs workflows with the permission of the operating system user you define in the operating system profile. The operating system profile contains the operating system user name, service process variables, and environment variables. The operating system user must have access to the directories you configure in the profile and the directories the PowerCenter Integration Service accesses at run time. You can use operating system profiles for a PowerCenter Integration Service that runs on UNIX. When you configure operating system profiles on UNIX, you must enable setuid for the file system that contains the Informatica installation.
To use an operating system profile, assign the profile to a repository folder or assign the profile to a workflow when you start a workflow. You must have permission on the operating system profile to assign it to a folder or workflow. For example, you assign operating system profile Sales to workflow A. The user that runs workflow A must also have permissions to use operating system profile Sales. The PowerCenter Integration Service stores the output files for workflow A in a location specified in the $PMRootDir service process variable that the profile can access.
To manage permissions for operating system profiles, go to the Security page of the Administrator tool.
Operating System Profile Components
Configure the following components in an operating system profile:
- •Operating system user name. Configure the operating system user that the PowerCenter Integration Service uses to run workflows.
- •Service process variables. Configure service process variables in the operating system profile to specify different output file locations based on the profile assigned to the workflow.
- •Environment variables. Configure environment variables that the PowerCenter Integration Services uses at run time.
- •Permissions. Configure permissions for users to use operating system profiles.
Configuring Operating System Profiles
To use operating system profiles to run workflows, complete the following steps:
- 1. On UNIX, verify that setuid is enabled on the file system that contains the Informatica installation. If necessary, remount the file system with setuid enabled.
- 2. Enable operating system profiles in the advanced properties section of the PowerCenter Integration Service properties.
Note: You can use the default umask value 0022. Or, set the value to 0027 or 0077 for better security.
- 3. Configure pmimpprocess on every node where the PowerCenter Integration Service runs. pmimpprocess is a tool that the DTM process, command tasks, and parameter files use to switch between operating system users.
- 4. Create the operating system profiles on the Security page of the Administrator tool.
On the Security tab Actions menu, select Configure operating system profiles
- 5. Assign permissions on operating system profiles to users or groups.
- 6. You can assign operating system profiles to repository folders or to a workflow.
To configure pmimpprocess:
1. At the command prompt, switch to the following directory:
<Informatica installation directory>/server/bin
2. Enter the following information at the command line to log in as the administrator user:
su <administrator user name>
For example, if the administrator user name is root enter the following command:
su root
3. Enter the following commands to set the owner and group to the administrator user:
4. Enter the following commands to set the setuid bit:
chmod +g pmimpprocess
chmod +s pmimpprocess
Troubleshooting Operating System Profiles
- After I selected Use Operating System Profiles, the PowerCenter Integration Service failed to start.
The PowerCenter Integration Service will not start if operating system profiles is enabled on Windows or a grid that includes a Windows node. You can enable operating system profiles on PowerCenter Integration Services that run on UNIX.
Or, pmimpprocess was not configured. To use operating system profiles, you must set the owner and group of pmimpprocess to administrator and enable the setuid bit for pmimpprocess.