When you create a reference table from a database table, you create a metadata object in the Model repository. You optionally import the table data to the reference data warehouse.
When you create a managed reference table, you import the column data to the reference data warehouse. When you create an unmanaged reference table, you identify the database table that stores the column data.
Before you create the reference table, verify that the Informatica domain contains a connection to the database that contains the reference data. If the domain does not contain a connection to the database, you can define one in the Analyst tool.