User Guide > Plans and Workflows > Plan Settings
  

Plan Settings

Configure plan settings that apply to all data sources in the plan.
The plan settings include PowerCenter options, connection information, test data warehouse settings, test tool integration information, recovery strategies, and source and target properties.

Connection Options

Enter source and target connections.
The following table describes connection options:
Connection Options
Description
Treat the subset criteria as a variable
Appears if you select at least one subset component in a plan. Use the subset criteria as a variable only when there is an entity with a parameter value instead of a specific value in the entity criteria. When you select this option, you must enter the parameter file name and parameter file path.
Use Source Connection as Target Connection
Use the same connection for source and targets. Use with inplace masking.
Source Connection
A connection to the source database. Select a source connection from the list. For Hadoop sources, you can select a Hive or an HDFS connection.
Source Connection Directory Path
Displays if flat file sources are present. Enter the path to the flat file source directory.
Target Connection
Choose variable, relational, test data warehouse, or flat file connection from the list. Select a target connection from the list. For Hadoop targets, you can select a Hive or an HDFS connection.
Note: If you enter the target connection as a variable, ensure that you define the scope of the variable as Global or Integration Service in the parameter file.
Target JDBC Connection
Appears if you select an ODBC target connection type. The connection that contains the JDBC connection string of the ODBC target database.
Required if the target connection type is ODBC and either of the following statements is true:
  • - You want to disable and enable constraints in the plan.
  • - The source connection type is ODBC and you want to generate mappings with the source data type.
Optional if the target is ODBC and you want to perform simple data movement operations.
Source File Directory
Appears if the project includes XML sources. Location of the source XML file. Enter the path to the XML source file directory. The source file must reside on the machine on which the PowerCenter Integration Service runs.
Default is the PowerCenter Integration Service process variable directory $PMSourceFileDir.
Target File Directory
Appears if the project includes XML sources. Enter the path to the XML target file directory. The path must be on the machine on which the PowerCenter Integration Service runs.
Default is the PowerCenter Integration Service process variable directory $PMTargetFileDir.
Parameter File Name
Appears if one or more of the following conditions are true:
  • - You select variable source and target connections.
  • - You choose to treat the subset criteria as a variable.
  • - You enter the seed value as a parameter or variable in a masking rule that you use in the plan.
The name of the parameter file that contains the entity parameter values and the variable names for source and target connections. Enter the name of the parameter file.
Parameter File Path
Appears if one or more of the following conditions are true:
  • - You select variable source and target connections.
  • - You choose to treat the subset criteria as a variable.
  • - You enter the seed value as a parameter or variable in a masking rule that you use in the plan.
The path to the file that contains the entity parameter values and the variable names for source and target connections. Enter the path to the parameter file.
Source File Name
The name of the IMS source file or VSAM source file. If the source is a Hierarchical IMS file, enter the name of the source unload file. If the source is a Hierarchical VSAM/SEQ file, enter the name of the source file. Required if the source connection is PXW_NRDB Batch.
Target File Name
The name of the IMS target file or VSAM target file. If the target is a Hierarchical IMS file, enter the name of the target unload file. If the target is a Hierarchical VSAM/SEQ file, enter the name of the target file. The target file name must be different from the source file name. Required if the target connection is PXW_NRDB Batch.
Teradata ODBC Connection
Name of the Teradata ODBC connection. Required if the target connection is Teradata PT. Select a connection from the list.
Dictionary Lookup Connection
Connection to a database that contains lookup tables. Required if the plan has a dictionary generation rule assignment or a mapplet rule that includes a transformation. Choose relational or flat file from the list. Select a dictionary lookup connection from the list.
Dictionary Connection
A connection to the database that contains the dictionary table. The dictionary connection option does not appear unless the project contains a rule that requires a relational dictionary.
Email Dictionary Connection
A connection to the database that contains the email dictionary table. The email dictionary connection option does not appear unless the project contains a masking rule that requires a relational email dictionary.
Number of Records to Generate
Required. The number of records that you want to generate in the target table when you create a generation plan.
Reference Lookup Connection
A connection to the database that contains parent tables. Required if the generation plan has reference lookup rule assignment. Choose relational or flat file from the list. Select a dictionary lookup connection from the list.

Dictionary Connections

A dictionary is a flat file or relational table that contains substitute data. When you define a relational dictionary, you can define the connection to the dictionary in the project plan and workflow.
The Dictionary Connection field appears in the Plan Settings if the plan requires a connection.
When you define a substitution masking rule with a flat file dictionary, you can browse to a dictionary from Test Data Manager. Test Data Manager imports the structure of the dictionary file to enable you to define the serial number column and the lookup column.
By default, when you run a workflow, the PowerCenter Integration Service finds flat file dictionaries in the following location: <Informatica installation directory>\server\infa_shared\lkpfiles
You cannot change this location. The TDM installation installs the built-in dictionaries in the lkpfiles location. When you create a custom dictionary file, Test Data Manager copies the file to the lkpfiles directory.
Note: To access a dictionary on Microsoft SQL Server, create an ODBC connection using the DataDirect SQL Server Wire Protocol driver.

Data Set Properties

Configure the data set properties to use the test data mart as the target connection in a plan.
The data set properties appear when you select the test data mart from the list of target connections.
The following table describes the test data warehouse settings:
Property
Description
Name
Required. Name of the data set.
Description
Enter a description for the data set.
Data Set Version
The data set version. You cannot edit the version.
Application
The application name.
Application Version
The application version.
Tags
Tags for the data set. Enter the required tags separated by commas.

Test Tool Integration Options

Configure test tool integration in a plan to copy the flat file target results to a specific location in an HP ALM server. The administrator must first enable test tool integration for the TDM setup. You must run the workflow from Test Data Manager. The test tool integration job does not run when you run the workflow from the PowerCenter client.
The following table describes the test tool integration properties that you can configure:
Test Tool Integration Options
Description
Attach to Test Tool
Select this option to copy the flat file target results to a location in the HP ALM server integrated with TDM.
Project
Required. Browse to select the project in the HP ALM server where you want to store the flat file results.

Target Options

Configure properties for committing data and error recovery in the Target fields.
The following table describes target options:
Other Property Options
Description
Truncate Table
Truncates the table before loading it. By default, this is not selected.
Disable Indexes
Disables indexes for faster loading.
Disable Constraints
Disables physical constraints in the database before loading the data to the target and enables the constraints after the data loads.
If TDM fails to enable the constraints after loading the data, the workflow fails. You must then manually enable the constraints in the database and run the workflow again.
Note: When the target connection is DB2 for zOS and if you select disable constraints, TDM drops and recreates the constraints and moves the data. But the database tablespace goes into Check Pending state and you cannot perform operations on any of the tablespace. You must run the Check Data utility in the current database tablespace.
Optimize Relationship Type for Entities
Optimizes relations in an entity at the plan level. Optimizes relations to ensure a minimal number of major relations such that the operation includes all tables in the entity.
Note: You must have provided criteria at the plan level when you select this option.

Update Strategy Options

Configure how the PowerCenter Integration Service updates the target in the plan update strategy options. Configure whether the source rows are insert or update rows. Determine how the PowerCenter Integration Service updates the target based on whether the rows exist in the target.
The following table describes the options for update strategy:
Update Strategy Option
Description
Treat source rows as
Indicates how the PowerCenter Integration Service treats source rows. Choose Insert or Update. If an imported PowerCenter mapplet contains a transformation that is configured to set the update strategy, the default option is Insert.
Update as
Determines whether the PowerCenter Integration Service updates or inserts rows.
Choose one of the following options:
  • - Update. The PowerCenter Integration Service updates all rows flagged for update.
  • - Insert. The PowerCenter Integration Service inserts all rows flagged for update.
  • - Update else Insert. The PowerCenter Integration Service updates rows flagged for update if they exist in the target, and inserts remaining rows marked for insert.

Data Generation Properties

Before you create a plan to generate data, you can define default settings in the Administrator | Preferences view. You can update the default settings when you create a data generation plan.
The default rules are not populated if the rules are not part of a particular project. If the default rules are blank, then you need to select the default rules that are applicable to the plan.
The following table describes the properties to update default settings for data generation:
Property
Description
Default Numeric Generation Rule
The default rule you have set to generate data for numeric datatype. You can select a separate default rule for numeric datatype.
Default String Generation Rule
The default rule you have set to generate data for string datatype. You can select a separate default rule for string datatype.
Default Date Generation Rule
The default rule you have set to generate data for date datatype. You can select a separate default rule for date datatype.
Default Binary Generation Rule
The default rule you have set to generate data for binary datatype. You can select a separate default rule for date datatype.
Apply Default Rule to
The default rule you have set for all the columns without generation rules. You can also apply the default rule to the columns that do not have null values.
Minimum
The minimum number of child records for a parent record. Default is 1. You can enter a minimum numeric value.
Maximum
The maximum number of child record for a parent record. Default is 1. You can enter a maximum numeric value.
Parent Records Without Children
The number of parent records that have no child. Enter the percent value for self-cyclic tables or reference lookup generation rules.
Child Records Without Parent
The number of child records that have no parent. Enter the percent value for self-cyclic tables or reference lookup generation rules.

Error and Recovery Options

Configure properties for committing data and error recovery in the Error and Recovery fields. The section is minimized by default. The options are populated with default data if available.
The following table describes the error and recovery options:
Error and Recovery Options
Description
Stop on Error
Indicates how many non fatal errors the PowerCenter Integration Service encounters before it stops the session. If you enter zero, the session does not stop for non fatal errors. Default is zero.
Suspend on Error
Suspend workflow processing when an error occurs. You can fix errors and then restart the workflow. The default is No.
Rollback Transactions on Error
Rolls back the transaction at the next commit point when it encounters a non fatal write error. The default is Yes.
Recover Strategy
Strategy for recovering a workflow when errors occur.
Choose one of the following recovery strategies:
  • - Resume from last checkpoint. The PowerCenter Integration Service saves the session state of operation and maintains target recovery tables.
  • - Restart task. The PowerCenter Integration Service runs the task again when it recovers the workflow.
  • - Fail task and continue workflow. Default. The PowerCenter Integration Service cannot recover the task, but it continues the workflow.
Enable High Availability Recovery
Select Yes to enable workflow recovery. High availability recovery is not available for web service workflows. The default is No.
Commit Type
Choose a source-based or target-based commit. By default, the PowerCenter Data Integration Service performs a target-based commit.
Commit Interval
The number of rows to process before a commit. Default is 10,000.
Error Log Type
Specifies the type of error log to create. You can specify flat file or none. Default is None.
Error Log File Directory
Required if you enable flat file logging. Specifies the directory where the log file is stored. Default is $PMBadFileDir\.

Advanced Options

The Advanced Options include options to set the locale, change the staging connection and storage connection, and set the number of tables to process in a workflow. You can also configure an email address to send notifications to. This section is minimized by default. The options are populated with default data if available.
The following table describes advanced options:
Advanced Options
Description
Staging Connection
A connection to a database for creating temporary staging tables. The default set in the Workflow Generation section appears. You can change the connection used in a plan. Use this connection for scenarios that involve Cyclic Subset, Tending to Cyclic subset, Inplace Batch Updates, Non Relational Shuffle, and Hierarchical PWX.
It is recommended that you use the source connection as the staging connection.
Storage Connection
A connection to a database that contains storage tables. The Data Masking transformation maintains the storage tables for repeatable substitution and expression masking between sessions. A storage table row contains the source column and a masked value pair. The storage tables for substitution and expression masking are separate tables, IDM_SUBSTITUTION_STORAGE and IDM_EXPRESSION_STORAGE.
XML date-time format
Appears if the source is an XML file. Date-time format defined in the session properties. Choose one of the following values:
  • - Local Time. The time zone on the machine on which the PowerCenter Integration Service runs.
  • - Local Time with Time Zone. The difference in hours between the PowerCenter Integration Service time zone and Greenwich Mean Time.
  • - UTC. Greenwich Mean Time.
Default is Local Time.
Datetime Format String
Date-time format defined in the session properties. You can enter seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, or nanoseconds.
  • - Seconds. MM/DD/YYYY HH24:MI:SS
  • - Milliseconds. MM/DD/YYYY HH24:MI:SS.MS
  • - Microseconds. MM/DD/YYYY HH24:MI:SS.US
  • - Nanoseconds. MM/DD/YYYY HH24:MI:SS.NS
Default is microseconds.
Enable High Precision
Processes the Decimal datatype to a precision of 28. Default is No.
Tables Per Workflow
Sets the number of tables to process in a workflow. Default is 10.
Mapplet
Use to Reuse or Replace the mapplets in PowerCenter.
Max Parallel Sessions
The maximum number of sessions that can run at the same time. Applicable if you disable indexes and constraints in the target by selecting the options under Target options.
Locale
Sets the locale.
A locale properties file corresponding to the locale you select must exist in the <Informatica installation directory>/TDM/lang location.
Data Integrity for Subset
Sets the integrity level for major constraints in the source data. Choose one of the following options:
  • - Referential Integrity only. Ensures that the subset operation maintains referential integrity. This might fetch minimal data but might break transactional integrity.
  • - Transactional Integrity for Major Relation Type. Ensures that the subset operation maintains referential and transactional integrity. This might fetch additional data, but honors referential and transactional integrity.
Default is Transactional Integrity for Major Relation Type.
Email
An email address to send notifications to when the plan execution completes. Click settings to configure the email address, subject, and text of the email.
Target Load Type
Choose Normal or Bulk.
If you select Normal, the PowerCenter Integration Service loads targets normally. Choose Normal mode if the mapping contains an Update Strategy transformation.
Choose Bulk to improve session performance. Bulk load limits the ability to recover because no database logging occurs.
Default is Normal.
Target Schema Name
Table name prefix. Specify the target schema name if the target is in a different schema.
Source Schema Name
Table owner name. Specify the source schema name if the source is in a different schema. Enter the schema name in uppercase unless the schema name is case sensitive in the database. If the schema name is case sensitive in the database, enter the name as in the database.
Batch Update
Enables batch update to update target rows in a batch mode. Improves performance. Use with inplace masking. When you use connection variables, ensure that the staging connection is same as the source connection.
Batch Size
The number of target rows that you want to move at a time. This option is available when you select the Batch Update as Yes. Use with inplace masking.
Note: The batch size must be greater than the total number of records.
Use Oracle ROWID in Source
Determines whether to use the ROWID from Oracle sources as a column. The ROWID indicates the physical location of a row in the database. Enabled when the Oracle source and target connections are the same.
Join parent and child tables using
Choose how to join the parent and the child tables in the SQL. Choose one of the following options:
  • - IN clause. At least one value in the parent table must match a value in the child table.
  • - EXISTS clause. The join must return at least one row.
Enable special characters in metadata
Select whether to allow special characters in plan metadata. Choose one of the following options:
  • - Yes. Select yes to allow special characters in metadata.
  • - No. Select no to disable special characters in metadata.
Default is No.
Reset Recovery prefix
Required if you are running the plan to recover records deleted during a failed reset operation. The backup recovery prefix that you entered during the reset operation.
Generate Mappings With Source Data type
Select Yes if the data source was created with the ODBC connection type and if the source table or column names contain special characters. Select Yes when you want to generate a mapping with the actual source data type if ODBC does not support a data type. Applicable for databases that do not have native drivers support on Linux.
Pre 85 Timestamp Compatibility
Trims subseconds to maintain compatibility with versions prior to 8.5. The Integration Service converts the Oracle Timestamp data type to the Oracle Date data type. The Integration Service trims subsecond data for the following sources and targets:
  • - Relational sources and targets
  • - XML sources and targets

Log Settings

Configure the log properties in the Log Settings fields. The section is minimized by default. The options are populated with default data if available.
The following table describes the log settings:
Log Settings
Description
Save Workflow Logs
You can create workflow logs according to the following options:
  • - By Runs. The PowerCenter Integration Service creates a designated number of workflow logs. Configure the number of workflow logs in the Save Workflow Log for These Runs option. The PowerCenter Integration Service does not archive binary logs.
  • - By Time Stamp. The PowerCenter Integration Service creates a log for all workflows, appending a time stamp to each log. When you save workflow logs by time stamp, the PowerCenter Integration Service archives binary logs and workflow log files.
Save Workflow Logs For These Runs
Number of historical workflow logs you want the PowerCenter Integration Service to create. The PowerCenter Integration Service creates the number of historical logs you specify, plus the most recent workflow log.
Write Backward Compatible Workflow Log
Writes workflow logs to a text log file. Select this option if you want to create a log file in addition to the binary log for the log events.
Save Session Log By
You can create session logs according to the following options:
  • - Session Runs. The PowerCenter Integration Service creates a designated number of session logs. Configure the number of session logs in the Save Session Logs for These Runs option. The PowerCenter Integration Service does not archive binary logs.
  • - Session Time Stamp. The PowerCenter Integration Service creates a log for all sessions, appending a time stamp to each log. When you save session logs by time stamp, the PowerCenter Integration Service archives binary logs and workflow log files.
Save Session Log For These Runs
Number of historical session logs you want the PowerCenter Integration Service to save. The PowerCenter Integration Service creates the number of historical logs you specify, plus the most recent session log.
Session Log file Maximum Size
The maximum number of megabytes for a log file. Configure a maximum size to enable log file rollover by file size. When the log file reaches the maximum size, the PowerCenter Integration Service creates a new log file. If you set the size to zero the session log file size has no limit.
Configure this option for real-time sessions that generate large session logs. The PowerCenter Integration Service writes the session logs to multiple files. Each file is a partial log file. Default is zero.
Session Log file Maximum Time Period
The maximum number of hours that the PowerCenter Integration Service writes to a session log. Configure the maximum time period to enable log file rollover by time. When the period is over, the PowerCenter Integration service creates another log file.
Configure this option for real-time sessions that generate large session logs. The PowerCenter Integration Service writes the session logs to multiple files. Each file is a partial log file. Default is zero.
Maximum Partial Session Log Files
Maximum number of partial session log files to save. The PowerCenter Integration Service overwrites the oldest partial log file if the number of log files has reached the limit.
Configure this option in conjunction with the maximum time period or maximum file size option. You must configure one of these options to enable session log rollover.
If you configure a maximum of zero, the number of session log files is unlimited. Default is one.
Write Backward Compatible Session Log
Writes session logs to a text log file. Select this option if you want to create a log file in addition to the binary log for the log events.