Informatica PowerCenter Connector

Overview

The Informatica PowerCenter Connector ingests workflow and mapping metadata to build end-to-end lineage across your ETL ecosystem. It supports:

• Extraction from PowerCenter XML exports (via pmrep or admin-provided files)
• Optional read-only lookups to the PowerCenter Repository DB and Domain DB to enrich connections, parameters, and folder selection
• Parsing of parameter files and domain values to materialize runtime values (connections, schema/table names, SQL/file variables)

Supported PowerCenter versions: 7, 8, 9, 10

Setup

There are two supported approaches for configuring the connector. Choose one:

• Approach A (Recommended): Connect directly to PowerCenter with pmrep to automate XML export.
• Approach B: Have a PowerCenter admin generate XML files and provide them to Lineage Plus.

Approach A — Automated Export (pmrep)

This method runs pmrep utilities from the Lineage Plus host to extract XML definitions automatically.

Steps:

1. Install prerequisites

   • Install PowerCenter Client and ensure pmrep utilities are present.
   • Copy domains.infa to the pmrep root directory.
   • Ensure powrmart.dtd is present in the export directory.

2. Configure environment variables (if needed)

   • INFA_DOMAINS_FILE = path to domains.infa.
   • LD_LIBRARY_PATH = UNIX library paths.

3. Validate pmrep

   1. bash

      pmrep connect -r "repository_name" -d "domain_name" -n "user" -x "password"

4. Run snapshot exports

   1. bash

      # Connect
      pmrep connect -r "edward-infa_95_unit_test" -d "Domain_vm-pwrctr95" -n "Administrator" -x "xxxxx"
      
      # Export a folder
      pmrep objectexport -f "TestProject" \
        -u "E:\apps\Powercenter_utils\PC95\unittest95\TestProject.xml" \
        -l "E:\apps\Powercenter_utils\PC95\unittest95\TestProject.log"

Approach B --- Manual Export (Admin-Provided Files)

This method requires a PowerCenter admin to export XML files and provide them to the Lineage Plus host.

Steps:

1. PowerCenter admin exports each FolderName.xml manually.

2. Place exported XMLs into the snapshot landing directory defined by powercenter.file.url.1.

3. Ensure filenames match their corresponding folders (e.g., TestProject.xml).

4. Confirm powrmart.dtd is present in that directory.

Configurable Parameters

Sample Properties

# ===== Repository DB (enable for connection & folder discovery) =====
powercenter.connect.to.db.1=yes
db.type.1=Oracle
hibernate.connection.url.1=jdbc:oracle:thin:@atlas:1521:atlas
hibernate.connection.username.1=powercenter_db_user
hibernate.connection.password.1=${PC_DB_PASSWORD}
# hibernate.default_schema.1=POWERCENTER_SCHEMA   # Only if needed

# ===== PowerCenter repo/version =====
powercenter.version.1=8
powercenter.domain.name.1=Domain_vm-pwrctr-86
powercenter.repository.name.1=atlas-infa_86_test
powercenter.repo.username.1=repo_user
powercenter.repo.password.1=${PC_REPO_PASSWORD}

# ===== pmrep (automated export) =====
powercenter.pmrep.location.1=C:\\PowerCenter86\\server\\bin
powercenter.command.1=cmd.exe
powercenter.terminate.command.1=/C
powercenter.script.1=dagrun86.bat
powercenter.user.security.domain.1=DomainName
powercenter.delete.extract.file.1=Yes
powercenter.file.extract.1=Yes
powercenter.file.url.1=C:\\PowerCenter86\\exports\\Project1.xml

# ===== Folders/Workflows =====
# If connect.to.db=no, set explicit folder names (no wildcards)
powercenter.folder.name.1=Project1,Fin*
powercenter.exclude.string.1=/,DAG
powercenter.exclude.workflows.1=folder*,w_*;*,w_s*
# powercenter.exclude.workflows.file.1=E:\\apps\\resources\\PowerCenter\\demo102\\wlist.csv
# powercenter.include.workflows.1=EDW_VER2,wf_EDW_ver2

# ===== Parameters =====
powercenter.parse.params.1=Yes
powercenter.parse.param.data.from.1=db_and_file
powercenter.param.folder.names.1=C:\\Parameter_files\\prod\\Parameters\\
powercenter.param.include.files.1=*.prm
powercenter.param.exclude.files.1=*_old.prm
powercenter.param.use.param.file.name.1=No
powercenter.parameter.db.type.1=oracle
powercenter.parameter.db.hibernate.connection.url.1=jdbc:oracle:thin:@atlas:1521:atlas
powercenter.parameter.db.username.1=powercenter_param_db_user
powercenter.parameter.db.password.1=${PC_PARAM_DB_PASSWORD}
powercenter.parse.parameter.sql.1=SELECT GLOBAL_STR, FOLDER_NAME, WORKFLOW_NAME, null as WORKLET_NAME, null as SESSION_NAME, null as MAPPLET_NAME, PARAMETER_NAME, PARAMETER_VALUE FROM PARAMS

# ===== Domain (optional) =====
powercenter.read.domain.info.1=Yes
powercenter.extract.domain.info.from.db.1=Yes
powercenter.domain.db.type.1=oracle
powercenter.domain.hibernate.connection.url.1=jdbc:oracle:thin:@atlas:1521:atlas
powercenter.domain.db.username.1=powercenter_domain_db_user
powercenter.domain.db.password.1=${PC_DOMAIN_DB_PASSWORD}
# powercenter.domain.xml.1=C:\\Parameter_files\\prod\\domain_cvs.xml

# ===== Output & strategy =====
snapshot.output.1=metacenter.jcr#Snapshots/<metacenter-instance-id>/PowerCenter/<prefix><repositoryname>
snapshot.filtering.mode.1=multiplewithexclude
environment.name.1=DW_production

# ===== Optional tuning =====
powercenter.ignore.lkp.fields.for.data.flow.1=Yes
powercenter.calculate.expression.summary.1=Yes
powercenter.filter.on.isenabled.isvalid.1=Yes
powercenter.replace.segment.with.fields.1=Yes
powercenter.replace.segment.name.1=Data_Segment,NK_Segment
powercenter.replace.segment.ignore.fields.1=Source_System_Code

Operating Notes

• Automated export (recommended): the connector runs pmrep connect followed by pmrep objectexport for each target folder, writing XML files to powercenter.file.url.1.
• Manual export: admins can export <Folder>.xml and place them in the landing directory; set powercenter.file.extract.1=No.
• Case sensitivity: folder/workflow filters are case-sensitive. Wildcards: ? (single char), * (multi), escape with .
• SQL Server Windows Auth: use IntegratedSecurity=true in the JDBC URL and leave DB username/password blank.
• Multiple domain configurations (domains.infa) The domains.infa file can define multiple domain gateways. This allows pmrep to connect to different PowerCenter domains from the same snapshot host. Example:
  XML

  <Portals xmlns:common="http://www.informatica.com/pcsf/common" 
           xmlns:usermanagement="http://www.informatica.com/pcsf/usermanagement" 
           xmlns:domainservice="http://www.informatica.com/pcsf/domainservice" 
           xmlns:logservice="http://www.informatica.com/pcsf/logservice" 
           xmlns:domainbackup="http://www.informatica.com/pcsf/domainbackup" 
           xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" 
           xmlns:metadata="http://www.informatica.com/pcsf/metadata" 
           xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" 
           xmlns:domainconfigservice="http://www.informatica.com/pcsf/domainconfigservice" 
           xmlns:alertservice="http://www.informatica.com/pcsf/alertservice" 
           xmlns:licenseusage="http://www.informatica.com/pcsf/licenseusage" 
           xmlns:webserviceshub="http://www.informatica.com/pcsf/webserviceshub" 
           xsi:type="common:PCSFVector" objVersion="1.1.18">
  
    <vector xsi:type="domainservice:Portals" objVersion="1.1.18">
      <domainName>Domain_vm-pwrctr-86</domainName>
      <address xsi:type="metadata:NodeRef" objVersion="1.1.18">
        <host>vm-pwrctr-86</host>
        <port>6001</port>
      </address>
    </vector>
  
    <vector xsi:type="domainservice:Portals" objVersion="1.1.19">
      <domainName>Domain_vm-pwrctr-86-sq</domainName>
      <address xsi:type="metadata:NodeRef" objVersion="1.1.19">
        <host>vm-pwrctr-86-sq</host>
        <port>6001</port>
      </address>
    </vector>
  </Portals>

Troubleshooting

• pmrep cannot connect (domain not found)
  • Ensure domains.infa exists in the pmrep root and includes the target domain name, host, and port.
  • For LDAP, include the security domain (powercenter.user.security.domain.1).
• XML exports are invalid / parse errors
  • Known Informatica issues: reserved characters (for example, & in folder descriptions) and non-Unicode characters in transformation names. Fix by editing the XML to escape/clean characters, or correct in PowerCenter and re-export.
• Security/permission errors
  • Repository user must have Use/Access Repository Manager.
  • DB users must have SELECT on the listed tables/schemas.