Informatica Transformations – Part 5

XML Source Qualifier Transformation:

XML Source Qualifier is a Passive and Connected transformation. XML Source Qualifier is used only with an XML source definition. It represents the data elements that the Informatica Server reads when it executes a session with XML sources.

Advanced External Procedure Transformation:

Advanced External Procedure transformation is an Active and Connected transformation. It operates in conjunction with procedures, which are created outside of the Designer interface to extend PowerCenter/PowerMart functionality. It is useful in creating external transformation applications, such as sorting and aggregation, which require all input rows to be processed before emitting any output rows.

External Procedure Transformation:

External Procedure transformation is an Active and Connected / UnConnected transformations. Sometimes, the standard transformations such as Expression transformation may not provide the functionality that you want. In such cases External procedure is useful to develop complex functions within a dynamic link library (DLL) or UNIX shared library, instead of creating the necessary Expression transformations in a mapping.

Differences between Advanced External Procedure and External Procedure Transformations:

• External Procedure returns single value, whereas Advanced External Procedure returns multiple values.
• External Procedure supports COM and Informatica procedures whereas AEP supports only Informatica Procedures.

[Thanks to Radhika for submitting this useful article on Informatica Transformations!]