In PowerCenter (PC) to cloud migration, PC workflows are migrated to taskflows. PowerCenter supports parameter files that enable you to pass values for workflow variables and session parameters through an externalized file-based registry. However, taskflows accept inputs only through JSON or XML payload at run time. Therefore, to support PC workflow to taskflow migration, the concept of parameterization has been introduced in taskflows.

You can assign a parameter file to provide values for taskflow input parameters and run a taskflow. A parameter file is a list of user-defined parameters and their associated values. You can use a parameter file to define values that you want to update without having to edit the taskflow. The taskflow reads parameters from the parameter file, and when the taskflow runs, the values are applied.

Depending on the sections and parameters defined in the parameter file, you can configure parameterization in the following ways:

Parameter file: If the parameter file contains sections and parameters for taskflows and mapping tasks, you can save the parameter file in the location where the Data Integration job runs. For more information about parameter files, see the community article and the Parameter files documentation.
Parameter set: If the parameter file contains sections and parameters at the taskflow level, you can upload the parameter file to the Informatica managed cloud-hosted repository using the ParamSetCli utility and use them in taskflows. This uploaded parameter file is known as a parameter set. You can also define parameters for Subtaskflow steps in a parameter set.
To convert PC parameter files to parameter sets, you must install the ParamSetCli utility. This article describes parameter sets.

Consider you have a taskflow where you want to orchestrate two mapping tasks, and you want to specify inputs for the taskflow and parameters for the mapping tasks in the parameter file. In this case, you can create a parameter file with sections for each asset and save the parameter file to the location where the Data Integration tasks run. For the taskflow to use this parameter file, you must upload the parameter file to the cloud-hosted repository using ParamSetCli. The uploaded parameter file becomes a parameter set for the taskflow. You can then specify the parameter set name in the taskflow.

Additionally, if you have Data Integration tasks such as mapping tasks with a parameterized connection password, it is recommended that you create a separate parameter file with the sensitive information. You can create a separate parameter set with taskflow-related information.