Version 9.6.1
This section describes new features and enhancements in version 9.6.1.
Informatica Installer
This section describes new features and enhancements to the Informatica platform installer.
Informatica Kerberos SPN Format Generator
You can run Informatica Kerberos SPN Format Generator independent of the Informatica installer. You can start the utility from the command line or start it from the Informatica installer. The Informatica Kerberos SPN Format Generator is installed with the Informatica services. After installation you can start the utility from the Informatica directory.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Installation and Configuration Guide.
Service Principal Level
When you install the Informatica services with Kerberos authentication, you can set the Service Principal Level option to specify whether nodes and services can share service principal names and keytab files. If the domain does not require a high level of security, you can use one SPN and keytab file for the node and all the service processes on the node. If the domain requires a high level of security, create a unique SPN and keytab file for each node and each process on the node.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Installation and Configuration Guide.
Big Data Edition
This section describes new features and enhancements to Informatica Big Data Edition.
ANY Function
You can use the ANY function in an Aggregator transformation to get any row in a mapping that runs in the Hive environment or native environment.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Big Data Edition User Guide.
Data Types in a Hive Environment
You can push high precision Decimal data types to a Hive environment that uses Hive 0.11 and above.
If the mapping is not enabled for high precision, the Data Integration Service converts all decimal values to double values.
If the mapping is enabled for high precision, the Data Integration Service converts decimal values with a precision greater than 28 to double values.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Big Data Edition User Guide.
Hive Connection Property
In the Hive connection, you can configure or override Hive or Hadoop cluster properties in hive-site.xml on the machine on which the Data Integration Service runs. For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Big Data Edition User Guide.
IBM DB2 Partitioning
The Data Integration Service can use multiple partitions to write to an IBM DB2 target.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Big Data Edition User Guide.
Informatica Data Transformation
This section describes new features and enhancements to Informatica Data Transformation.
File Input for Streamer
A Data Processor transformation Streamer can use a file as input. Previously, the streamer only used a buffer as input.
For more information, see the Informatica Data Transformation 9.6.1 User Guide.
Generate Data Transformation with AVRO or XML
You can auto-generate a Data Processor transformation with AVRO input and any format output, or Avro output and any format input, with the New Transformation wizard. Use an Avro schema file or sample file to define the AVRO file specification. You can also generate a transformation with both Avro input format and output format. In this case, use separate Avro schema files or sample files to define both the input and the output.
When you add Data Processor transformation that reads Avro input to a mapping, you also add a complex file reader to pass the Avro input to the transformation. For a mapping with a Data Processor transformation that generates Avro output, you pass the output to a complex file writer.
You can also auto-generate a Data Processor transformation with XML input, output, or both, with the New Transformation wizard. Use an .xsd schema file or a sample file to define the expected XML hierarchy.
For more information, see the Informatica Data Transformation 9.6.1 User Guide.
Generate Schema from Sample File
When you add a sample file to define a hierarchy with the New Transformation wizard or the Schema wizard, the wizard creates an .xsd schema file to define the hierarchy. The wizard creates the schema in the Model repository. You can use the schema with other transformations.
For more information, see the Informatica Data Transformation 9.6.1 User Guide.
Relational Mapping Keys
Keys in a relational mapping can be of type xs:string and xs:integer.
For more information, see the Informatica Data Transformation 9.6.1 User Guide.
Unread XMap Elements
You can select to track XMap input elements that you do not map to output elements. The transformation reports unmapped elements to the Default Handler output port named XMap_Unread_Input_Values .
For more information, see the Informatica Data Transformation 9.6.1 User Guide.
Command Line Programs
This section describes new and changed commands and options for the Informatica command line programs.
Environment Variables
The following table describes new environment variables that you can use with command line programs:
Command | Description |
|---|
INFA_DEFAULT_DB_TRUSTSTORE_PASSWORD | Stores the database truststore password for infasetup commands. |
INFA_NODE_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD | Stores the password for the infa_keystore.jks file for infasetup commands. |
INFA_NODE_TRUSTSTORE_PASSWORD | Stores the password for the infa_truststore.jks file for infasetup commands. |
infacmd dis Commands
The following table describes new infacmd dis commands:
Command | Description |
|---|
ListSequenceObjectProperties | Lists the properties for a sequence data object. |
ListSequenceObjects | Lists the sequence data objects deployed to an application. |
SetSequenceState | Updates the current value of a sequence data object. |
infacmd isp Commands
The following table describes a new infacmd isp command:
Command | Description |
|---|
printSPNAndKeytabNames | Generates the list of SPN and keytab file names for the nodes and services in the domain. |
The following table describes an updated infacmd isp command:
Command | Description |
|---|
switchToGatewayNode | The command contains an option for the database truststore (-dbtl). Enter the path and file name of the truststore file for the secure domain repository database. The option is required if you configured a secure domain repository database for the domain. |
infacmd mrs Commands
The following table describes a new infacmd mrs command:
Command | Description |
|---|
rebuildDependencyGraph | Rebuilds the object dependency graph so that you can view object dependencies after an upgrade. |
infacmd pwx Commands
The following table describes a new infacmd pwx command:
Command | Description |
|---|
displayStatsListener | Displays monitoring statistics for the PowerExchange Listener. |
infacmd rds Commands
The following table describes the obsolete infacmd rds commands:
Command | Description |
|---|
CreateService | Creates a Reporting and Dashboards Service in a domain. |
ListServiceProcessOptions | Lists the Reporting and Dashboards Service process options. |
infasetup Command
The following table describes a new infasetup command:
Command | Description |
|---|
updateKerberosConfig | Changes the realm name that the Informatica domain users belong to or changes the service realm name that the Informatica domain services belong to. This command does not change the Kerberos configuration. |
The following table describes updated infasetup commands:
Command | Description |
|---|
- - BackupDomain
- - DefineDomain
- - DefineGatewayNode
- - DeleteDomain
- - RestoreDomain
- - updateGatewayNode
- - upgradeDomainMetadata
| The command contains an option for the database truststore (-dbtl). Enter the path and file name of the truststore file for the secure domain repository database. The option is required if you configured a secure domain repository database for the domain. |
pmprep Command
The following table describes an updated pmrep command:
Command | Description |
|---|
createConnection | The command contains the kerberized_connection (-K) option. Indicates that the database you are connecting to runs on a network that uses Kerberos authentication. |
Informatica Data Services
This section describes new features and enhancements to Informatica Data Services.
SQL Transformation
You can use the SQL transformation to invoke stored procedures from a Sybase database.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Developer Transformation Guide.
HAWQ Connectivity
You can use ODBC to read data from and write data to a HAWQ database.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Developer Tool Guide.
Informatica Data Quality
This section describes new features and enhancements to Informatica Data Quality.
Address Validator Transformation
You can configure the Address Validator transformation to run in the following modes:
- Address Code Lookup Mode
- When you select address code lookup mode, the Data Integration Service can read an identification code and return the corresponding address elements from the reference data. The identification code can refer to a locality, street, or mailbox. For example, you can enter the choumei aza code for a Japanese address and retrieve the complete address as output.
- Interactive Mode
- When you select interactive mode, address validation reads a partial address and returns all addresses from the reference data that match the input elements. Select interactive mode to add data to an incomplete address. You can enter the partial address on a single input port.
You also can enter a partial address on a single input port when you configure the transformation to run in suggestion list mode.
You can configure the following advanced properties on the Address Validator transformation:
- Alias Locality
- The property determines whether address validation replaces a valid location alias with the official location name.
- Matching Extended Archive
- The property determines whether address validation returns a unique delivery point code for an out-of-date Japanese address.
You can select the following ports on the Address Validator transformation:
- Count
- Output port that indicates the number of addresses in the address reference data sets that match the data in the input address.
- Count Overflow
- Output port that indicates whether the reference data contains addresses that address validation does not return to the transformation.
- Gmina Code PL
- Output port returns the identification code for the municipality or commune to which a Polish address belongs.
- Institute of Geography and Statistics Code
- Output port that contains a seven-digit identification code for the city or state to which a Brazilian address belongs.
- Locality Identifier DE
- Input and output ports that contain the identification code for a German locality.
- National Address Database Identifier ZA
- Input and output port that contains a seven-digit identification code for the street in a South African address.
- National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies Code
- Input and output port that identifies the administrative regions to which a French address belongs. The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies code is also called the INSEE code.
- New Choumei Aza Code JP
- Output port that returns a unique delivery point code for a Japanese mailbox.
- Official Municipality Key DE
- Input and output ports that contain an identification code for a German municipality.
- Postal Address Code AT
- Output port that contains building-level post code data for an Austrian address.
- Postal Address Code RS
- Output port that returns a street-level post code for a Serbian address.
- Postal Code Extension
- Output port that contains a two-digit suffix for the post code of a Swiss address.
- Street Identifier DE
- Input and output ports that contain a street-level identification code for a German address.
- Supplementary status ports
- Output ports that indicate if address validation can return supplementary data for an address.
- The transformation includes supplementary status ports for Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Poland, South Africa, and Switzerland.
- TERYT Locality Identifier PL
- Output port that contains the identification code for the locality to which a Polish address belongs.
- TERYT Street Identifier PL
- Output port that contains the identification code for the street in a Polish address.
- Unique Delivery Point Reference Number GB
- Output port that returns a unique delivery point code for a United Kingdom mailbox.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Address Validator Port Reference and the Informatica 9.6.1 Developer Transformation Guide.
Business Glossary
This section describes new features and enhancements in Business Glossary.
- Business Initiatives
A business initiative is a container of Glossary assets that you want to collectively approve and publish in business glossary. Use a business initiative to publish multiple business terms, categories, and policies at the same time. The business initiative goes through the same approval process as any other Glossary asset.
- Customize Category and Business Initiative Templates
- You can customize templates for categories and business initiatives.
- Default Values for Custom Properties
- You can add default values for custom properties that you create when you customize a Glossary asset template.
- Relationship View
You can see a visual representation of the relationships that business terms and policies have with other assets in business glossary. The relationship view diagram is dynamic and interactive. You can rearrange the context of the view, filter the assets that are displayed in the diagram, and change the number of levels.
- Synonym Retirement
You can set a retirement date for synonyms in business glossary. The state of the synonym changes after the retirement date. Business glossary consumers view the state to identify the validity of the synonym.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Business Glossary Guide.
Match Transformation
You can specify whether the transformation updates a current identity index data store with index data from a mapping data source. Use the Persistence Method option to set the update policy. Set a policy to update the data store with any index data from the data source that the data store does not contain. Alternatively, set a policy that does not update the data store with index data. By default, the transformation updates the data store.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Developer Transformation Guide.
Probabilistic Models
You can perform the following tasks when you create or edit a probabilistic model in the Developer tool:
- •You can assign a color to each label that you add to a probabilistic model.
- •You can view the total number of labels that you assign to the data values in a row.
- •You can view the total number of data values that the probabilistic model associates with a label.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Reference Data Guide.
Profiling
This section describes new features and enhancements in profiling.
- Column Profile Results
- When you run a column profile in the Analyst tool, you can view the following visual charts in the column profile results:
- - Pie charts that represent the value frequencies and column patterns for a column.
- - A bar chart that represents the percentage of rows with null values, unique values, and non-unique values in a column.
- Drill-down Filters
- In the Analyst tool, you can right-click a column value in the drill-down results and add the column value as a filter condition.
- Value of Data Quality
- You can measure the value of data quality using scorecards in the Analyst tool. Define a cost unit for a scorecard metric, assign a variable or fixed cost, and view the cost trend chart along with the score trend chart. You can then monitor the value of data that you selected at the metric and scorecard levels.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Profile Guide.
Rule Specifications
You can perform the following tasks when you work with rule specifications in the Analyst tool:
- •You can change the order of the rule statements in a rule set.
- •You can test the operations of a single rule set.
- •You can save the data that you use to test a rule set or a rule specification, and you can delete the data.
- •You can specify a null value in a condition or an action in a rule statement.
- •You can use data that you copy from Microsoft Excel to test a rule set or a rule specification.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Rule Specification Guide.
Informatica Developer
This section describes new features and enhancements to Informatica Developer.
ANY Function
You can use the ANY function to return any row in the selected port.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Transformation Language Reference.
Microsoft SQL Server Uniqueidentifier Data Type
Informatica Developer supports the Microsoft SQL Server Uniqueidentifier data type. The Uniqueidentifier data type has a precision of 38 and a scale of 0.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Developer Tool Guide.
Oracle Float Data Type
Informatica Developer supports the Oracle float data type. The float data type has a precision of 1 to 15 and a scale of 0.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Developer Tool Guide.
Informatica Development Platform
This section describes new features and enhancements to Informatica Development Platform.
Informatica Connector Toolkit
After you define the run-time components of the adapter, you can use the Test Read and Test Write wizards to test the read capability and write capability of the adapter. The test wizards display the test statistics, error messages, and log files. You can debug and fix issues before you deploy the adapter to the Informatica domain.
For more information, see the Informatica Development Platform 9.6.1 Informatica Connector Toolkit Developer Guide.
Informatica Domain
This section describes new features and enhancements to the Informatica domain.
Content Management Service
The Content Management Service determines the preload behavior for address code lookup reference data and interactive reference data. Use the Address Validation process properties to set the preload behavior.
The following table describes the preload properties for address code lookup data:
Property | Description |
|---|
Full Pre-Load Address Code Countries | Lists the countries for which the Data Integration Service loads all reference data into memory before address validation begins. |
Partial Pre-Load Address Code Countries | Lists the countries for which the Data Integration Service loads address reference metadata and indexing structures into memory before address validation begins. |
No Pre-Load Address Code Countries | Lists the countries for which the Data Integration Service loads no address reference data into memory before address validation begins. |
The following table describes the preload properties for interactive reference data in addition to batch and certified reference data:
Property | Description |
|---|
Full Pre-Load Countries | Lists the countries for which the Data Integration Service loads all batch, certified, and interactive reference data into memory before address validation begins. |
Partial Pre-Load Countries | Lists the countries for which the Data Integration Service loads batch, certified, and interactive metadata and indexing structures into memory before address validation begins. |
No Pre-Load Countries | Lists the countries for which the Data Integration Service does not load batch, certified, or interactive reference data into memory before address validation begins. |
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Application Service Guide.
PowerExchange Listener Service
When you configure the domain to use Kerberos authentication, you can configure Informatica clients, the Data Integration Service, and the PowerCenter Integration Service to locate a PowerExchange Listener Service in the domain.
To do so, include the optional service_name parameter in the NODE statement in the DBMOVER configuration file on the client, Data Integration Service, or PowerCenter Integration Service machine.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Application Service Guide.
Informatica Cloud Administration
You can use the Administrator tool to view Informatica Cloud organizations. You can monitor the status of Secure Agents and view cloud connections used in an organization.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Administrator Guide.
Metadata Manager
This section describes new features and enhancements to Metadata Manager.
Security Enhancements
Metadata Manager contains the following security enhancements:
- Encryption Key Support
Metadata Manager uses the encryption key for the Informatica domain to encrypt sensitive data, such as passwords, in the Metadata Manager repository.
For more information about the encryption key for the Informatica domain, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Security Guide.
- Secure JDBC Parameters
You can prevent the Administrator tool from displaying secure JDBC parameters that are part of the Metadata Manager repository database URL. You can also prevent Metadata Manager from displaying secure JDBC parameters that are part of the database connection URL for some database management resources.
You can prevent Metadata Manager from displaying secure JDBC parameters for the following database management resources:
- - IBM DB2 for LUW
- - IBM Informix
- - Microsoft SQL Server
- - Netezza
- - Oracle
- - Sybase ASE
- - Teradata
For information about specifying secure JDBC parameters in the Metadata Manager repository database URL, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Application Service Guide. For information about specifying secure JDBC parameters in the database connection URL for database management resources, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Metadata Manager Administrator Guide.
- Custom Metadata Configurator
To increase security for the PowerCenter repository, the Custom Metadata Configurator prompts you for the PowerCenter repository user name and password when you generate the mappings that extract metadata from custom metadata files.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Metadata Manager Custom Metadata Integration Guide.
Resource Versions
You can create resources of the following versions:
- •Business Objects 14.1 (XI R4.1). Previously, you could create Business Objects resources up to version 14 (XI R4) SP6.
- •Microstrategy 9.4.1. Previously, you could create Microstrategy resources up to version 9.3.1.
For information about creating resources, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Metadata Manager Administrator Guide.
Search Enhancements
You can create a custom list of words and phrases to ignore in keyword and advanced searches.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Metadata Manager Administrator Guide.
Resource Properties
Effective in version 9.6.1, database management, JDBC, and Microstrategy resources have new resource configuration properties.
- Database Management Resources
The following table describes the new resource configuration property for database management resources:
Property | Description |
|---|
Secure JDBC Parameters | Secure JDBC parameters that you want to append to the JDBC connection URL. |
- JDBC Resources
The following table describes the new resource configuration property for JDBC resources:
Property | Description |
|---|
Case sensitivity | Specifies the case sensitivity setting for the metadata source database. By default, the Metadata Manager Agent uses the JDBC driver to determine whether the database is case sensitive. |
- Microstrategy Resources
The following table describes the new resource configuration property for Microstrategy 7.0 - 9.x resources:
Property | Description |
|---|
Import schema only | Imports the schemas for the selected projects without the reports and documents. By default, Metadata Manager imports the schemas, reports, and documents. |
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Metadata Manager Administrator Guide.
Glossary View Enhancements
When you view a category or business term in the Glossary view, you can open the category or term in the Analyst tool by clicking the View in Informatica Analyst toolbar icon.
For more information, see the Informatica 9.6.1 Metadata Manager User Guide.
PowerCenter
This section describes new features and enhancements to PowerCenter.
Oracle Sources and Targets
You can import Oracle sources and targets that use basic compression and OLTP compression. You can also manually create source and target definitions for Oracle tables that use basic compression and OLTP compression.
PowerExchange Adapters for PowerCenter
This section describes new features and enhancements to PowerExchange adapters for PowerCenter.
- PowerExchange for LDAP
- In the session properties, you can specify the path and name of the file that contains multiple filter conditions to query the LDAP entries.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for LDAP 9.6.1 User Guide for PowerCenter.
- PowerExchange for MongoDB
- You can use the Schema Editor to modify the schema of MongoDB collections. You can also use virtual tables for MongoDB collections that have nested columns.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for MongoDB 9.6.1 User Guide for PowerCenter.
- PowerExchange for Netezza
- When you use bulk mode to read data from or write data to Netezza, you can override the table name and schema name in the session properties.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for Netezza 9.6.1 User Guide for PowerCenter.
- PowerExchange for SAP NetWeaver
- - When you run a file mode session to read data from SAP through ABAP, you can configure the FileCompressEnable custom property to enable compressed data transfer. When you compress data, you can increase the session performance and decrease the disk storage that the staging file needs.
- - The Source_For_BCI relational target in the BCI listener mapping that Informatica ships contains a new column called DataSourceName. You can use this field to partition the data that the Source_For_BCI relational target receives from SAP.
- - Informatica ships an activation mapping along with the BCI_Mappings.xml file. You can use the activation mapping to activate multiple DataSources in SAP simultaneously.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for SAP NetWeaver 9.6.1 User Guide for PowerCenter.
PowerExchange Adapters for Informatica
This section describes new features and enhancements to PowerExchange adapters for Informatica.
- PowerExchange for DataSift
- You can extract historical data from DataSift for Twitter sources.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for DataSift 9.6.1 User Guide.
- PowerExchange for Greenplum
You can use PowerExchange for Greenplum to load large volumes of data into Greenplum tables. You can run mappings developed in the Developer tool. You can run the mappings in native or Hive run-time environments.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for Greenplum 9.6.1 User Guide.
- PowerExchange for HDFS
When you read complex files, you can use the com.informatica.adapter.hdfs.hadoop.io.InfaBatchTextInputFormat input format to read text files in batches and increase performance.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for HDFS 9.6.1 User Guide.
- PowerExchange for LinkedIn
- You can extract information about a group, information about posts of a group, comments about a group post, and comments about specific posts from LinkedIn. You can also extract a list of groups suggested for the user and a list of groups in which the user is a member from LinkedIn.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for LinkedIn 9.6.1 User Guide.
- PowerExchange for HBase
- You can use PowerExchange for HBase to read data in parallel from HBase. The Data Integration Service creates multiple Map jobs to read data in parallel.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for HBase 9.6.1 User Guide.
- PowerExchange for Hive
- You can create a Hive connection that connects to HiveServer or HiveServer2. Previously, you could create a Hive connection that connects to HiveServer. HiveServer2 supports Kerberos authentication and concurrent connections.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for Hive 9.6.1 User Guide.
- PowerExchange for MongoDB
- You can use the Schema Editor to modify the schema of MongoDB collections. You can also use virtual tables for MongoDB collections that have nested columns.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for MongoDB 9.6.1 User Guide.
- PowerExchange for Teradata Parallel Transporter API
- When you load data to a Teradata table in a Hive run-time environment, you can use the Teradata Connector for Hadoop (TDCH) to increase performance. To use TDCH to load data, add the EnableTdch custom property at the Data Integration Service level and set its value to true.
- For more information, see the Informatica PowerExchange for Teradata Parallel Transporter API 9.6.1 User Guide.
Informatica Documentation
This section describes new guides included with the Informatica documentation. Some new guides are organized based on shared functionality among multiple products and replace previous guides.
The Informatica documentation contains the following new guides:
- Informatica Installation and Configuration Guide
- Contains information about planning the domain, preparing databases, installing Informatica services and clients, and creating application services for all Informatica platform products. Previously, installation was documented in guides specific to the Data Quality, Data Services, and PowerCenter products.
- Informatica Upgrading from Version 9.6.0
- Contains information about upgrading all Informatica platform products from version 9.6.0 to version 9.6.1. Previously, upgrade was documented in guides specific to the Data Quality, Data Services, and PowerCenter products.
- Informatica Upgrading from Version 9.5.1
- Contains information about upgrading all Informatica platform products from version 9.5.1 to version 9.6.1. Previously, upgrade was documented in guides specific to the Data Quality, Data Services, and PowerCenter products.
- Informatica Upgrading from Version 9.5.0
- Contains information about upgrading all Informatica platform products from version 9.5.0 to version 9.6.1. Previously, upgrade was documented in guides specific to the Data Quality, Data Services, and PowerCenter products.
- Informatica Upgrading from Version 9.1.0
- Contains information about upgrading all Informatica platform products from version 9.1.0 to version 9.6.1. Previously, upgrade was documented in guides specific to the Data Quality, Data Services, and PowerCenter products.
- Informatica PowerExchange Adapters for Informatica Release Notes
- Contains important information about installation, closed enhancements, fixed limitations, and known limitations for PowerExchange adapters for Informatica. Previously, this information was documented in the Informatica Release Notes.
- Informatica PowerExchange Adapters for PowerCenter Release Notes
- Contains important information about installation, closed enhancements, fixed limitations, and known limitations for PowerExchange adapters for Powercenter. Previously, this information was documented in the Informatica Release Notes.