Getting Started

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Introduction

PowerCenter provides an environment that allows you to load data into a centralized location, such as a data warehouse or operational data store (ODS). You can extract data from multiple sources, transform the data according to business logic you build in the client application, and load the transformed data into file and relational targets.

PowerCenter also provides the ability to view and analyze business information and browse and analyze metadata from disparate metadata repositories.

PowerCenter includes the following components:

Informatica domain.
The Informatica domain is the primary unit for management and administration within PowerCenter. The Service Manager runs on an Informatica domain. The Service Manager supports the domain and the application services. Application services represent server-based functionality. The domain supports PowerCenter and Informatica application services. PowerCenter application services include the PowerCenter Repository Service, PowerCenter Integration Service, Web Services Hub, and SAP BW Service. Informatica Services include the Data Integration Service, Model Repository Service, and the Analyst Service.

PowerCenter repository.
The PowerCenter repository resides in a relational database. The repository database tables contain the instructions required to extract, transform, and load data.

Informatica Administrator.
Informatica Administrator is a web application that you use to administer the Informatica domain and PowerCenter security.

Domain configuration.
The domain configuration is a set of relational database tables that stores the configuration information for the domain. The Service Manager on the master gateway node manages the domain configuration. The domain configuration is accessible to all gateway nodes in the domain.

PowerCenter Client.
The PowerCenter Client is an application used to define sources and targets, build mappings and mapplets with the transformation logic, and create workflows to run the mapping logic. The PowerCenter Client connects to the repository through the PowerCenter Repository Service to modify repository metadata. It connects to the Integration Service to start workflows.

PowerCenter Repository Service.
The PowerCenter Repository Service accepts requests from the PowerCenter Client to create and modify repository metadata and accepts requests from the Integration Service for metadata when a workflow runs.

PowerCenter Integration Service.
The PowerCenter Integration Service extracts data from sources and loads data to targets.

Web Services Hub.
Web Services Hub is a gateway that exposes PowerCenter functionality to external clients through web services.

SAP BW Service
. The SAP BW Service extracts data from and loads data to SAP NetWeaver BI. If you use PowerExchange® for SAP NetWeaver BI, you must create and enable an SAP BW Service in the Informatica domain.

Metadata Manager Service.
The Metadata Manager Service runs the Metadata Manager web application. You can use Metadata Manager to browse and analyze metadata from disparate metadata repositories. Metadata Manager helps you understand and manage how information and processes are derived, how they are related, and how they are used. Metadata Manager stores information about the metadata to be analyzed in the Metadata Manager repository.

The following illustration shows PowerCenter components: