Most Common Informatica Interview Questions (With Example Answers)
If you’re applying to be a data scientist, data architect, or developer, you can be questioned during an interview about Informatical Powercenter ETL/Data Integration. Businesses that depend on data to be competitive may find that Informatica software is an essential part of their whole infrastructure. If you want to remain competitive in the dynamic technology professional ecosystem, it could be a good idea to brush up on your knowledge of Informatica and comparable platforms. In this post, we cover typical Informatica interview questions and provide sample answers. Most Common Informatica
Describe Informatica.
Informatica is a company that sells software with a strong emphasis on data management and analysis. They offer solutions for many problems, including data virtualization, replication, data quality, data masking, and ETL. The most well-known collection of Informatica’s products is the Powercenter ETL/Data Integration toolkit. When individuals say “Informatica,” they frequently mean this specific tool rather than the company.
What to expect during an Informatica interview?
Informatica interview questions are frequently asked when Informatica is a vital part of a company’s IT infrastructure. Both more generic positions like systems administrator or software developer and data-specific positions like data analyst or data architect may be the subject of inquiries about Informatica. If you’re looking for a job that requires you to have knowledge of the program, there’s a strong chance you’ll be asked some of these usual Informatica interview questions.
Examples of informatica interview questions
The interview process won’t be heavily influenced by the likely highly technical Informatica interview questions. During a job interview for a position as a data architect, you can expect a variety of questions, such as those that gauge your behavior and test your knowledge of different software applications like Informatica. Even if Informatica only makes up a small section of the interview, you should expect questions about the tool to focus on your usage and expertise with the entire product.
As a result, you might consider using the STAR method whenever you can to answer interview questions. STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result. Below are five sample interview questions and sample answers to show how the STAR technique is used:
- What distinguishes a filter transformation from a source qualifier?
- What is a lookup transformation and how do I utilize one?
- What is an ETL process?
- How well does Informatica Powercenter ETL merge data?
- What kinds of caches are supported by the Lookup feature?
What distinguishes a filter transformation from a source qualifier?
This appears to be a technical question that tests your understanding of Informatica’s core functions. On the other hand, when asked to distinguish between two things, you can show that you have a complete understanding of more than one function when you compare and contrast the two. You have two chances to impress the interviewer in only one question.
One must provide a well-thought-out, extensive response that addresses the unique qualities of both roles in order to react to it sensibly. There are numerous opportunities for the interviewer to ask you to identify discrepancies during the interview. You can be requested to contrast and compare the following things:
- Powercenter vs. Powermart
- ETL comparison of connected and disconnected
- The difference between a joiner and a lookup
For instance, the source qualifier chooses the data rows it reads from a single source. There are certain general limitations on filtering row data from relational sources. Using source qualifier has the benefit of enhancing performance because it limits the quantity of data rows that may be mapped. There are no restrictions on the source system from which the Filter Transformation tool can filter data rows. Unneeded data is taken out to enhance performance.
Describe how a lookup transitions. How might you use it?
For this question, a response must consist of two parts. First, a quick explanation of how to use a lookup transfer. One strategy to consider when trying to communicate technical subjects is to stay away from jargon and use simple, basic language. When you respond to a technical question like this, you have the potential to show that you can explain the subject in a way that is clear to a large audience.
Once you’ve outlined a Lookup change, consider your personal experiences with it. Every time someone asks you how you do anything, you have the chance to talk about your experience. The example below shows how to answer interview questions using the STAR method.
A lookup transformation can find and return data from a file, relational table, or other sources using Informatica. These four types of lookup transformations include pipeline, linked or disconnected, relational or flat file, and cached or uncached.
Throughout my time with Lookup transformation, I was tasked with learning the dates of all the most recent order numbers for active clients. Using a linked Lookup transformation, which is one that is already tied to a data source and required some mapping on my part, I quickly imported the dates I needed to import. The results allowed stakeholders to decide which customers should be included in a subsequent email campaign.
What is an ETL process?
This short quiz measures your comprehension of the essential concept of ETL in data processing. In your response, define ETL using specific language, making care to mention both the acronym’s definition and the term’s primary objectives.
For instance, “ETL stands for Extract, Transform, and Load.” It entails taking data from a certain source, translating it into a format that the organization’s data architecture can utilize, and then loading the data into the data warehouse so that data analysts and scientists may use it there.
How do you like Informatica Powercenter’s ETL/Data Integration features?
You can answer this question by stating your level of experience. If you are asked to briefly summarize the range of your experience, do so. Include details like how frequently and in what capacities you’ve utilized the product. Give a specific illustration of how you applied the software to a circumstance.
Example: “From my previous experience as a data scientist, I was familiar with Powercenter ETL/Data Integration. I used a variety of features during my five years there. My team had to extract data from tens of thousands of flat files for one project. I got to the conclusion that a bulk-processing session in real-time would be the most effective method to satisfy the company’s needs. Powercenter was configured to operate continuously until all pertinent data had been extracted from all files. As a result, we didn’t have to spend as much time on data extractions and could instead present a thorough analysis.
What kinds of caches are supported by the Lookup feature?
In the event that a certain Informatica feature is crucial to the position you will be filling, you may be asked one or more questions that are specific to that feature. In this case, you are being asked to list caches, however an Informatica interview may also contain inquiries like these:
- What actions constitute an ETL process?
- What are OLTP and OLAP stand for?
- Which data modeling schemas are there?
The two different types of caches available in the Lookup feature, for example, are cached and uncached lookups. When a lookup is cached, the first lookup is configured to create a cache, and any subsequent looksups return to the cache for data instead of the source, saving time and resources. Lookups that are not cached use more resources and go back to the original file.
