Workflow is a graphical representation of a set of events, tasks, and decisions that define a business process. The Data Integration Service uses the instructions configured in the workflow to run the objects.
Workflow Objects
A workflow object is
an event, task, or gateway. You add objects as you develop a worklow in the
editor. Workflow objects are non-reusable.
Event Starts or ends the workflow. An event
represents something that happens when the workflow runs. The editor displays
events as circles.
Start Represents the beginning of the workflow. A workflow must contain one Start event.
Start Represents the beginning of the workflow. A workflow must contain one Start event.
End
Represents the end of the workflow. A workflow must contain one End
event.
Task
runs a single unit of work in the workflow, such as running a mapping,
sending an email, or running a shell command. A task represents something that
is performed during the workflow. The editor displays tasks as squares.
Assignment
Assigns a value to a user-defined workflow variable.
Command
Runs a single shell command or starts an external executable
program.
Mapping
Runs a mapping.
Notification
Sends an email notification to specified recipients.
Exclusive gateway splits and merges paths in
the workflow based on how the Data Integration Service evaluates expressions in
conditional sequence flows. An Exclusive gateway represents a decision made in
the workflow. The editor displays Exclusive gateways as diamonds.
Workflow Deployment
When you develop a
workflow in the Developer tool, you create a workflow definition. To run an
instance of the workflow, you add the workflow definition to an application. When
you deploy a workflow, the Data Integration Service creates a separate set of
run-time metadata in the Model repository for the workflow. If you make changes
to a workflow definition in the Developer tool after you deploy it, you must
redeploy the application that contains the workflow definition for the changes
to take effect.
Steps to create a workflow
Create a workflow by
clicking File > New > Workflow.
Add objects to the
workflow and configure the object properties. Workflow object is an event,
task, or gateway.
Connect objects with
sequence flows to specify the order that the Data Integration Service runs the
objects.
Define variables for
the workflow to capture run-time information.
Validate the
workflow to identify errors
Add the workflow to
an application and deploy the application to the Data Integration Service.
Run an instance of
the workflow from the deployed application using the infacmd wfs command line
program.
infacmd wfs
startWorkflow -dn MyDomain -sn MyDataIntSvs -un MyUser -pd MyPassword -a MyApplication -wf
MyWorkflow -pf MyParameterFile.xml
We can also run the
instance of the workflow from the deployed application from the Administrator
tool.
Monitor the workflow
instance run in the Monitoring tool in Informatica Administrator.
Mapping Task
Mapping task runs a
mapping during a workflow. When you add a Mapping task to a workflow, you
select a single mapping for the task to run.
When you change the mapping, the Model Repository Service tracks the
effects of these changes on all Mapping tasks that include the mapping.
Mapping Task Input
Mapping task input
is the data that passes into a Mapping task from workflow parameters and
variables. On the Mapping task Input tab, you can assign the following
information to workflow parameters or variables:
User-defined mapping parameters Assign a
user-defined mapping parameter to task input to define the user-defined mapping
parameter value in a workflow parameter value, workflow variable value, or
literal value. The Input tab lists all parameters created for the mapping and
for objects included in the mapping.
Mapping task configuration properties Assign a
Mapping task configuration property to task input to define the value of the
property in a workflow parameter or variable. The Advanced tab lists the
Mapping task configuration properties.
Mapping Task Output
Mapping task output
is the data that passes from a Mapping task into workflow variables. When you
configure a Mapping task, you specify the task output values that you want to
assign to workflow variables on the Output tab. The Data Integration Service copies
the Mapping task output values to workflow variables when the Mapping task
completes.
General Outputs include output data produced by
all tasks such as the task start time, end time, and whether the task
successfully ran.
Mapping Task Outputs include number of target
rows processed, number of source rows processed and number of error rows.
Mapping Task Advanced Properties
The Advanced tab for
a Mapping task includes properties that the task uses to run the mapping. You
can also assign a configuration property to task input. Then in the Mapping
task Input tab, you can assign the property to a workflow parameter or variable.
Default Date Time Format Date/time format the
Data Integration Services uses when the mapping converts strings to dates.
Select one of the predefined formats, or type a valid date format string.
Optimizer Level Controls the optimization
methods that the Data Integration Service applies to a mapping as follows:
0 (None). The Data
Integration Service does not optimize the mapping.
1 (Minimal). The
Data Integration Service applies the early projection optimization method to
the mapping.
2 (Normal). The Data
Integration Service applies the early projection, early selection, pushdown,
and predicate optimization methods to the mapping.
3 (Full). The Data
Integration Service applies the early projection, early selection, pushdown,
predicate, cost-based, and semi-join optimization methods to the mapping.
The property has an
integer datatype. Default is 2 (Normal).
High Precision Runs the mapping with high
precision. The property has a boolean datatype. Default is true.
Sort Order Order in which the Data Integration
Service sorts character data in the mapping. The property has a string
datatype. Default is Binary.
Override Tracing Level Overrides the tracing
level for each transformation in the mapping. The tracing level determines the
amount of information the Data Integration Service sends to the mapping log
files. The property has a string datatype. Default is normal.
