Top 30 Informatica Administrator Interview Questions and Answers

As an Informatica Administrator, you play a crucial role in managing and maintaining the Informatica platform, ensuring smooth data integration processes within an organization. During an interview, employers will assess your knowledge, expertise, and ability to handle various administrative tasks and challenges. In this article, we’ll explore 30 common Informatica Administrator interview questions and provide sample answers to help you prepare.

1. What is a Repository, and what is the difference between a Repository Database and a Repository Service?

A Repository in Informatica is a metadata store that contains information about all the Informatica objects, such as folders, mappings, workflows, and configurations. It is the central place where all the data integration metadata is stored.

The Repository Database is the actual database that stores the metadata tables and information about the Informatica objects. It can be hosted on various database management systems like Oracle, SQL Server, or DB2.

On the other hand, the Repository Service is a server component that runs on top of the Repository Database and provides services to access, manage, and manipulate the metadata stored in the Repository Database. It acts as an interface between the Informatica clients (like Designer, Workflow Manager) and the Repository Database.

2. What is a code page?

A code page is a collection of character encodings used to represent characters in a specific language or set of languages. It defines how characters are mapped to their corresponding numerical values, allowing Informatica to interpret and process non-ASCII characters correctly.

For example, if your source data contains Chinese or Arabic characters, you need to select the appropriate code page for those languages. Otherwise, Informatica will display square boxes or incorrect characters during data processing.

3. What is resilience time?

Resilience time is a configuration setting in Informatica that determines the time period during which Informatica will attempt to re-establish a connection after a network failure or disruption. It specifies the duration Informatica will wait before terminating a session or losing unsaved data if the connection cannot be restored within that time frame.

For instance, if the resilience time is set to 180 seconds and a network failure occurs, Informatica will try to reconnect for 180 seconds. If the connection is not re-established within that time, the session will be terminated, and any unsaved data will be lost.

4. What is a node in Informatica?

In Informatica, a node is a logical representation of a machine or server within the Informatica architecture. It is a fundamental component that hosts various Informatica services, such as the Integration Service, Repository Service, or Domain Service.

Nodes can be physical servers or virtual machines, and they are responsible for executing Informatica workflows, transformations, and other data integration tasks. Multiple nodes can be combined into a grid for load balancing and high availability.

5. What is the data movement mode in Informatica, and what is the difference between them?

Informatica supports two data movement modes: ASCII and Unicode.

1. ASCII mode: In this mode, Informatica processes data as single-byte character sets. It is suitable for handling data that contains only ASCII characters (English alphabet, numbers, and basic punctuation marks).

2. Unicode mode: This mode allows Informatica to process multi-byte character sets, enabling it to handle data that contains characters from various languages, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic. In Unicode mode, Informatica allocates two bytes for each character, using the additional byte to represent non-ASCII characters.

The primary difference between these modes is their ability to handle different character sets. Unicode mode is more versatile and should be used when working with data that contains non-ASCII characters, while ASCII mode can be used for data containing only basic English characters, improving performance in some cases.

6. How do you migrate data from one environment to another?

There are several methods to migrate data from one Informatica environment to another:

1. Copy and Paste: This method involves copying the desired objects (e.g., folders, mappings, workflows) from one Repository and pasting them into the target Repository.

2. Import and Export: In this approach, you export the object definitions as XML files from the source Repository and then import those XML files into the target Repository.

3. Deployment Groups: Deployment Groups are Informatica objects that allow you to bundle multiple versioned objects from different folders into a single package. You can then migrate the entire Deployment Group to the target environment.

Regardless of the method used, it’s essential to ensure that connections, parameters, and other environment-specific configurations are updated appropriately in the target environment. Additionally, you may need to consider migrating user accounts, groups, and permissions to maintain proper access control.

7. What is an Integration Service in Informatica?

The Integration Service is a critical component in the Informatica architecture responsible for executing workflows and sessions. It acts as the engine that reads data from sources, performs transformations defined in mappings, and loads the processed data into targets.

The Integration Service manages the flow of data during the ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) process, ensuring that data is moved efficiently and according to the defined rules and configurations. It interacts with other Informatica services, such as the Repository Service, to access metadata and execute the necessary tasks.

8. What are the pmrep and pmcmd commands in Informatica?

pmrep and pmcmd are command-line interfaces in Informatica that allow you to perform various administrative tasks and operations.

• pmrep: This command is used for Repository-related operations, such as connecting to a Repository, creating or managing folders, importing or exporting objects, and performing backups or restores.

• pmcmd: This command is used for managing and monitoring Integration Services, workflows, and sessions. It allows you to start, stop, or recover workflows, as well as monitor and control individual sessions or tasks.

These commands are particularly useful for scripting and automating administrative tasks, as well as for troubleshooting and maintenance purposes.

9. How do you start a workflow using the pmcmd command?

To start a workflow using the pmcmd command, you can use the following syntax:

pmcmd startworkflow -d domain_name -r repo_name -f folder_name -w workflow_name -fs "subject_parameter=value" -fl "log_file_name" -c configuration_name

Here’s a breakdown of the parameters:

• -d domain_name: Specifies the Informatica Domain.
• -r repo_name: Specifies the Repository name.
• -f folder_name: Specifies the folder containing the workflow.
• -w workflow_name: Specifies the name of the workflow to start.
• -fs "subject_parameter=value": Allows you to pass a subject parameter value to the workflow.
• -fl "log_file_name": Specifies the log file name and location for the workflow run.
• -c configuration_name: Specifies the configuration name to use for the workflow run.

You can customize the parameters based on your specific requirements and environment settings.

10. How do you go to an older version of a mapping in Informatica?

To go to an older version of a mapping in Informatica, you can follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the mapping in the Repository Navigator and select “Versioning” > “View History”.
2. In the “Version History” dialog, you’ll see a list of all the versions of the mapping, along with details like the version number, last modified date, and the user who modified it.
3. Select the version you want to view or revert to, and click the “Tools” menu.
4. Choose the “Open in Workspace” option to open the selected version of the mapping in the Mapping Designer.

Note that an older version of a mapping will be read-only in the workspace, and the version number will be prefixed to the mapping name. You can simultaneously view multiple versions of a non-composite mapping in the workspace for comparison or reference purposes.

11. What are native users in Informatica?

Native users in Informatica refer to user accounts created and managed directly within the Informatica environment, typically through the Informatica Administrator console or Repository Manager.

These users are distinct from external users, such as those authenticated through an LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) server or Active Directory. Native users are stored within the Informatica Repository and are granted specific roles and privileges to access and perform various operations within the Informatica environment.

Native users are often used for administrative purposes or when external authentication mechanisms are not available or desired. They provide a way to manage user access and permissions directly within the Informatica platform.

12. What is meant by LDAP users in Informatica?

In Informatica, LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) users refer to user accounts that are authenticated and managed through an external LDAP server or Active Directory service.

LDAP is a widely used protocol for accessing and maintaining directory information services, including user accounts and their associated data. By integrating Informatica with an LDAP server, administrators can leverage existing user accounts and authentication mechanisms instead of creating and managing separate user accounts within Informatica.

When an LDAP user attempts to access Informatica, their credentials are validated against the LDAP server, and if successful, they are granted access to Informatica based on the defined roles and permissions. This approach streamlines user management and ensures consistency across multiple systems within an organization.

LDAP integration in Informatica is often used in larger enterprises with centralized user management systems, providing a single point of control for user authentication and authorization.