This document provides an overview of Informatica PowerCenter 8.x architecture and framework. It describes PowerCenter's service-oriented architecture and key components like domains, nodes, services, repositories, and client tools. PowerCenter uses a services framework where processes run as services that can be installed and configured on nodes. Core services like the Integration Service, Repository Service, and Service Manager support the domain and application functions. The centralized repository is used to store and manage metadata used by the server and client tools.

1. Informatica PowerCenter 8.x Architecture and FrameWork
The contents are collected from
different sources available online
and compiled specially to cater
the interview needs, not an
exhaustive material.
Informatica PowerCenter 8.x has a Service Oriented Architecture(SOA). It is an application architecture
in which all functions, or services, invoke software interfaces that perform business processes.
A service is a task performed by a service provider to achieve desired end results for a service consumer.
Both provider and consumer are roles played by software agents on behalf of their owners.
• For example, in PowerCenter:
• PowerCenter Server has become a service, the Integration Service
• No more Repository Server, but PowerCenter includes a Repository Service
• Client applications work on top of the services framework
The goal of service-oriented architecture is to achieve as few dependencies between software agents
as possible.
Another definition for service: For example, database services provide for the storage and retrieval of
data in a database.
(Ideally) a self-contained, stateless business function which accepts one or more requests and returns
one or more responses through a well-defined, standard interface.
Service provider: The function which performs a service in response to a request from a consumer.

2. Service consumer: The function which consumes the result of a service supplied by a provider.
SOA is in contrast to object oriented programming which strongly suggests to bind data and its
processing together.
Non-software example:
A CD player offers a CD-playing service. This is handy because you can replace one CD player with
another, such as a portable CD player with your car CD player.
The musical CD is the data you want to process.
In an objected oriented style, every CD would come with its own player and they are not supposed to be
separated.
8
Same Clients, New Framework
Sources Targets
Repository
Integration
Service
Repository
Service Process
Repository
Service
Domain
Administration
Console
PowerCenter Client
Domains
A domain is a collection of nodes and services, it is the primary unit of administration. A PwoerCenter
Domain can be a single PowerCenter installation e.g. single Integration Service, Repository Service. Or it
can be multiple PowerCenter installations. Domains and the components of domain are configured and
managed in the Administration Console which Centralizes configuration and administration

3. Nodes
A node is the logical representation of a machine in a domain. Each node runs a Service
Manager. One node in a domain is a gateway node. A gateway node
• Routes service requests from PowerCenter Client to available nodes
• serves as a gateway for domain
• runs all the core services
• If gateway node is unavailable, domain cannot accept service requests
A subset of core services run on nodes other than the gateway node.With the High Availability
option, multiple nodes can serve as a gateway, but only one node is the gateway at a time.
Informatica PowerCenter Services
All PowerCenter processes run as services on a node, all services are installed by default. But
we can define which services can be run by configuring the node and services. There are two
types of services in Informatica PoweCenter:
1. Core Services
2. Application Services
1. Core Services
Core Services are built in to the domain, they Support the domain and application services. For
example Service Manager ( it is a core service) manages services
Service Manager
It is the Primary point of control for PowerCenter services. Service Manager
• Controls PowerCenter services running on the node
• Service on Windows, daemon on UNIX
• If Service Manager is not running, node is unavailable
On Windows, We start and stop the Service Manager from Windows Services.On Unix, We start
and stop the Service Manager using the infaservice command.

4. Other examples of core services are :
Configuration Service: Manages service and node configuration metadata.
Domain Service: Manages other services on the current node or in the domain.
Service Process Controller: Controls application services on behalf of the Domain Service.
Gateway Service: Directs service requests to the appropriate service and node.
Log Service: Accumulates log events from the domain, core and application services, workflows,
and sessions.
Licensing Service: Manages licensing for the domain.
Authentication Service: Authenticates domain users who log in to the Administration Console.
Admin Service: Provide services to the Administration Console.
2. Application Services
Application services represent server-based functionality in PowerCenter. They are as
follows:
a. Repository Service
b. Integration Service
c. SAP BW Service
d. Web Services Hub
We can designate a node on which we can run the service process. With the high
availability option, we can configure a service to run on multiple nodes.
a. Repository Service
Ø The Repository Service manages the metadata in the repository database.
Ø The Repository Service manages connections to the repository from client
applications.

5. Ø The Repository Service is a separate, multi-threaded process that retrieves,
inserts, and updates metadata in the repository database tables. The Repository
Service ensures the consistency of metadata in the repository.
b. Integration Service
Ø The Integration Service reads mapping and session information from the
repository. It extracts data from the mapping sources and stores the data in
memory while it applies the transformation rules that you configure in the
mapping. The Integration Service loads the transformed data into the mapping
targets.
Ø Manages the scheduling and execution of workflows
Ø The Integration Service can start and run multiple workflows concurrently.
It can also concurrently process partitions within a single session.
Informatica Repository
The informatica repository is at the center of the informatica suite.
· The Informatica repository is a relational database that stores information, or
metadata, used by the Informatica Server and Client tools.
· Metadata is data about data which include information such as source definitions ,
target definitions, mappings describing how to transform source data, sessions
indicating when you want the Informatica Server to perform the transformations, and
connect strings for sources and targets.
· The repository also stores administrative information such as usernames and
passwords, permissions and privileges, and product version.
· Use repository manager to create the repository. The Repository Manager connects
to the repository database and runs the code needed to create the repository tables.
These tables stores metadata in specific format the informatica server, client tools use.

6. Client Components/tools/applications
1. Repository Manager 2. Admin Console 3. Designer 4. Workflow Manager 5.Workflow
Monitor
,mapplet and
other
mapping
components
etc
,staks
etc
,tasks etc