You can configure system parameters or user-defined parameters.

System parameters.

Built-in parameters for a Data Integration Service. System parameters define the directories where the Data Integration Service stores log files, cache files, reject files, source files, target files, and temporary files. An administrator defines the system parameter default values for a Data Integration Service in the Administrator tool.

User-defined parameters.

Parameters that you define in transformations, logical data objects, mappings, and workflows.

Create user-defined parameters to rerun a mapping with different connection, flat file, cache file, temporary file, expression, ports, or reference table values.

You can use parameters to determine which generated ports to use in a dynamic mapping at run time. You can configure parameters to indicate which ports to link at run time. You can assign a parameter to change the data object in a Read, a Write, or a Lookup transformation.

You can override parameter values by assigning a parameter set or a parameter file to a mapping. A parameter set is a repository object that contains mapping parameter values. A parameter file is an XML file that contains parameter values. When you run a mapping with a parameter set or a parameter file, the Data Integration Service uses the parameter values defined in the parameter set or parameter file. These values override the default parameter values you configured in the transformation, the mapping, the mapplet, or the workflow.

For more information about workflow parameters, see the

Informatica Developer Workflow Guide

.