MDM - Informatica Master Data Management Data Staging and Loading Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An MDM developer is configuring a batch job to load customer data from a source system. The source provides a full data file every night, but the developer needs to ensure that only records that are new or have changed since the last run are processed to improve efficiency. Which staging table property must be enabled?
- Audit Trail
- Enable Distinct
- Force Update
- Delta Detection (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Delta Detection
Delta Detection is the specific feature in Informatica MDM designed for this purpose. When enabled, the Stage job compares the records in the landing table with a snapshot of the previous landing table's data to identify and process only new or modified records. [1, 5]
Question 2: What is the primary function of the Stage process in the Informatica MDM batch data flow?
- To consolidate matched records into a single golden record.
- To move cleansed and standardized data from a landing table to a corresponding staging table. (Correct answer)
- To hold the final, trusted master data records for consumption by downstream systems.
- To initially receive raw, unprocessed batch data from various source systems.
Correct answer: To move cleansed and standardized data from a landing table to a corresponding staging table.
The Stage process is the second step in the three-layered batch architecture. Its main role is to transfer data from the landing tables to the staging tables. During this transfer, it applies mappings and cleanse functions to standardize and prepare the data for the Load process. [2, 6]
Question 3: A compliance requirement mandates that a complete, unaltered history of all data received from a specific source system must be retained for auditing purposes, exactly as it appeared in the landing table at the time of each stage job run. How can this be achieved in Informatica MDM?
- Enable History for the Base Object.
- Configure Delta Detection with a long retention period.
- Enable the Audit Trail (RAW) property on the staging table. (Correct answer)
- Use a post-load user exit to copy data to a separate archive.
Correct answer: Enable the Audit Trail (RAW) property on the staging table.
The Audit Trail property, when enabled on a staging table, creates an associated _RAW table. This table stores a copy of the raw, unclean data from the landing table for each stage job run, serving as a historical audit log. [1, 3, 5]
Question 4: During the Load process in Informatica MDM, which of the following actions is performed?
- Applying cleanse functions to standardize source data.
- Generating match tokens for identifying duplicate records.
- Calculating trust scores and running validation rules before inserting/updating a Base Object. (Correct answer)
- Moving data from a source file into a Landing table.
Correct answer: Calculating trust scores and running validation rules before inserting/updating a Base Object.
The Load process moves data from a staging table to the target Base Object. Key steps in this process include calculating trust scores for columns where trust is enabled, performing lookups, running validation rules, and then inserting or updating records in the Base Object and its associated XREF table. [4]
Question 5: In the context of an Informatica MDM Stage job, what is the purpose of Mappings?
- To define the rules for consolidating records into a golden copy.
- To specify which records from the landing table should be rejected.
- To define the movement and transformation of data from landing table columns to staging table columns. (Correct answer)
- To configure the physical relationship between a Base Object and its XREF table.
Correct answer: To define the movement and transformation of data from landing table columns to staging table columns.
Mappings are a core component of the Stage process. They define how data flows from a source column in a landing table to a target column in a staging table. Mappings are also where cleanse functions are applied to standardize or transform the data during this movement. [5, 6]
Question 6: Which statement correctly describes the roles of Landing, Staging, and Base Object tables in the Informatica MDM Hub architecture?
- Landing tables hold cleansed data, Staging tables hold raw data, and Base Objects hold duplicates.
- Landing tables hold master data, Staging tables hold historical data, and Base Objects hold transactional data.
- Landing tables are for initial data reception, Staging tables are for cleansing and standardizing source-specific data, and Base Objects hold the consolidated master records. (Correct answer)
- Landing tables store rejected records, Staging tables are for source-to-target mappings, and Base Objects are temporary work tables.
Correct answer: Landing tables are for initial data reception, Staging tables are for cleansing and standardizing source-specific data, and Base Objects hold the consolidated master records.
Informatica MDM follows a three-layered approach: Landing tables are a pre-staging layer to receive data from source systems. Staging tables hold cleansed and standardized data from a specific source before loading. Base Objects are the target tables that contain the final, consolidated master data, often called golden records. [2]
MDM - Informatica Master Data Management Data Staging and Loading Questions and Answers
An MDM developer is configuring a batch job to load customer data from a source system.
The source provides a full data file every night, but the developer needs to ensure that only records that are new or have changed since the last run are processed to improve efficiency.
Which staging table property must be enabled?