Q) How to create or implement slowly changing dimension (SCD) Type 2 Effective Date mapping in informatica?

SCD type 2 will store the entire history in the dimension table. In SCD type 2 effective date, the dimension table will have Start_Date (Begin_Date) and End_Date as the fields. If the End_Date is Null, then it indicates the current row. Know more about SCDs at Slowly Changing Dimensions Concepts. We will see how to implement the SCD Type 2 Effective Date in informatica. As an example consider the customer dimension. The source and target table structures are shown below:
--Source Table

Create Table Customers ( Customer_Id Number Primary Key, Location ); Varchar2(30)

--Target Dimension Table

Create Table Customers_Dim ( Cust_Key Number Primary Key, Customer_Id Location Begin_Date End_Date ); Number, Varchar2(30), Date, Date

The basic steps involved in creating a SCD Type 2 Effective Date mapping are

Identifying the new records and inserting into the dimension table with Begin_Date as the Current date (SYSDATE) and End_Date as NULL. Identifying the changed record and inserting into the dimension table with Begin_Date as the Current date (SYSDATE) and End_Date as NULL. Identify the changed record and update the existing record in dimension table with End_Date as Curren date.

We will divide the steps to implement the SCD type 2 Effective Date mapping into four parts. SCD Type 2 Effective Date implementation - Part 1 Here we will see the basic set up and mapping flow require for SCD type 2 Effective Date. The steps involved are:

Create the source and dimension tables in the database. Open the mapping designer tool, source analyzer and either create or import the source definition. Go to the Warehouse designer or Target designer and import the target definition. Go to the mapping designer tab and create new mapping. Drag the source into the mapping. Go to the toolbar, Transformation and then Create. Select the lookup Transformation, enter a name and click on create. You will get a window as shown in the below image.

Select the customer dimension table and click on OK. Edit the lookup transformation, go to the ports tab and remove unnecessary ports. Just keep only Cust_key, customer_id and location ports in the lookup transformation. Create a new port (IN_Customer_Id) in the lookup transformation. This new port needs to be connected to the customer_id port of the source qualifier transformation.

Go to the conditions tab of the lookup transformation and enter the condition as Customer_Id = IN_Customer_Id Go to the properties tab of the LKP transformation and enter the below query in Lookup SQL Override. Alternatively you can generate the SQL query by connecting the database in the Lookup SQL Override expression editor and then add the WHERE clause.

SELECT

Customers_Dim.Cust_Key as Cust_Key, Customers_Dim.Location as Location, Customers_Dim.Customer_Id as Customer_Id

FROM WHERE

Customers_Dim Customers_Dim.End_Date IS NULL

Click on Ok in the lookup transformation. Connect the customer_id port of source qualifier transformation to the In_Customer_Id port of the LKP transformation. Create an expression transformation with input/output ports as Cust_Key, LKP_Location, Src_Location and output ports as New_Flag, Changed_Flag. Enter the below expressions for output ports.

New_Flag = IIF(ISNULL(Cust_Key), 1,0) Changed_Flag = IIF( NOT ISNULL(Cust_Key) AND

LKP_Location != SRC_Location, 1, 0)

The part of the mapping flow is shown below.

SCD Type 2 Effective Date implementation - Part 2 In this part, we will identify the new records and insert them into the target with Begin Date as the current date. The steps involved are:

Now create a filter transformation to identify and insert new record in to the dimension table. Drag the ports of expression transformation (New_Flag) and source qualifier transformation (Customer_Id, Location) into the filter transformation. Go the properties tab of filter transformation and enter the filter condition as New_Flag=1 Now create a update strategy transformation and connect the ports of filter transformation (Customer_Id, Location). Go to the properties tab and enter the update strategy expression as DD_INSERT. Now drag the target definition into the mapping and connect the appropriate ports of update strategy transformation to the target definition. Create a sequence generator and an expression transformation. Call this expression transformation as "Expr_Date". Drag and connect the NextVal port of sequence generator to the Expression transformation. In the expression transformation create a new output port (Begin_Date with date/time data type) and assign value SYSDATE to it. Now connect the ports of expression transformation (Nextval, Begin_Date) to the Target definition ports (Cust_Key, Begin_Date). The part of the mapping flow is shown in the below image.

SCD Type 2 Effective Date implementation - Part 3 In this part, we will identify the changed records and insert them into the target with Begin Date as the current date. The steps involved are:

Create a filter transformation. Call this filter transformation as FIL_Changed. This is used to find the changed records. Now drag the ports from expression transformation (changed_flag), source qualifier transformation (customer_id, location), LKP transformation (Cust_Key) into the filter transformation. Go to the filter transformation properties and enter the filter condition as changed_flag =1. Now create an update strategy transformation and drag the ports of Filter transformation (customer_id, location) into the update strategy transformation. Go to the properties tab and enter the update strategy expression as DD_INSERT. Now drag the target definition into the mapping and connect the appropriate ports of update strategy transformation to the target definition. Now connect the Next_Val, Begin_Date ports of expression transformation (Expr_Date created in part 2) to the cust_key, Begin_Date ports of the target definition respectively. The part of the mapping diagram is shown below.

SCD Type 2 Effective Date implementation - Part 4 In this part, we will update the changed records in the dimension table with End Date as current date.

Create an expression transformation and drag the Cust_Key port of filter transformation (FIL_Changed created in part 3) into the expression transformation. Go to the ports tab of expression transformation and create a new output port (End_Date with date/time data type). Assign a value SYSDATE to this port. Now create an update strategy transformation and drag the ports of the expression transformation into it. Go to the properties tab and enter the update strategy expression as DD_UPDATE. Drag the target definition into the mapping and connect the appropriate ports of update strategy to it. The complete mapping image is shown

below.

Q) How to create or implement slowly changing dimension (SCD) Type 2 Flagging mapping in informatica? SCD type 2 will store the entire history in the dimension table. Know more about SCDs at Slowly Changing Dimensions Concepts. We will see how to implement the SCD Type 2 Flag in informatica. As an example consider the customer dimension. The source and target table structures are shown below:
--Source Table

Create Table Customers ( Customer_Id Number Primary Key, Location ); Varchar2(30)

--Target Dimension Table

Create Table Customers_Dim ( Cust_Key Number Primary Key, Customer_Id Location Flag ); Number, Varchar2(30), Number

The basic steps involved in creating a SCD Type 2 Flagging mapping are

Identifying the new records and inserting into the dimension table with flag column value as one. Identifying the changed record and inserting into the dimension table with flag value as one. Identify the changed record and update the existing record in dimension table with flag value as zero.

We will divide the steps to implement the SCD type 2 flagging mapping into four parts. SCD Type 2 Flag implementation - Part 1 Here we will see the basic set up and mapping flow require for SCD type 2 Flagging. The steps involved are:

Create the source and dimension tables in the database. Open the mapping designer tool, source analyzer and either create or import the source definition. Go to the Warehouse designer or Target designer and import the target definition. Go to the mapping designer tab and create new mapping. Drag the source into the mapping. Go to the toolbar, Transformation and then Create. Select the lookup Transformation, enter a name and click on create. You will get a window as shown in the below image.

Select the customer dimension table and click on OK. Edit the lookup transformation, go to the ports tab and remove unnecessary ports. Just keep only Cust_key, customer_id and location ports in the lookup transformation. Create a new port (IN_Customer_Id) in the lookup transformation. This new port needs to be connected to the customer_id port of the source qualifier transformation.

Go to the conditions tab of the lookup transformation and enter the condition as Customer_Id = IN_Customer_Id Go to the properties tab of the LKP transformation and enter the below query in Lookup SQL Override. Alternatively you can generate the SQL query by connecting the database in the Lookup SQL Override expression editor and then add the WHERE clause.

SELECT

Customers_Dim.Cust_Key as Cust_Key, Customers_Dim.Location as Location, Customers_Dim.Customer_Id as Customer_Id

FROM WHERE

Customers_Dim Customers_Dim.Flag = 1

Click on Ok in the lookup transformation. Connect the customer_id port of source qualifier transformation to the In_Customer_Id port of the LKP transformation. Create an expression transformation with input/output ports as Cust_Key, LKP_Location, Src_Location and output ports as New_Flag, Changed_Flag. Enter the below expressions for output ports.

New_Flag = IIF(ISNULL(Cust_Key), 1,0) Changed_Flag = IIF( NOT ISNULL(Cust_Key) AND LKP_Location != SRC_Location, 1, 0)

The part of the mapping flow is shown below.

SCD Type 2 Flag implementation - Part 2 In this part, we will identify the new records and insert them into the target with flag value as 1. The steps involved are:

Now create a filter transformation to identify and insert new record in to the dimension table. Drag the ports of expression transformation (New_Flag) and source qualifier transformation (Customer_Id, Location) into the filter transformation. Go the properties tab of filter transformation and enter the filter condition as New_Flag=1 Now create a update strategy transformation and connect the ports of filter transformation (Customer_Id, Location). Go to the properties tab and enter the update strategy expression as DD_INSERT. Now drag the target definition into the mapping and connect the appropriate ports of update strategy transformation to the target definition. Create a sequence generator and an expression transformation. Call this expression transformation as "Expr_Flag". Drag and connect the NextVal port of sequence generator to the Expression transformation. In the expression transformation create a new output port (Flag) and assign value 1 to it. Now connect the ports of expression transformation (Nextval, Flag) to the Target definition ports (Cust_Key, Flag). The part of the mapping flow is shown in the below image.

SCD Type 2 Flag implementation - Part 3 In this part, we will identify the changed records and insert them into the target with flag value as 1. The steps involved are:

Create a filter transformation. Call this filter transformation as FIL_Changed. This is used to find the changed records. Now drag the ports from expression transformation (changed_flag), source qualifier transformation (customer_id, location), LKP transformation (Cust_Key) into the filter transformation. Go to the filter transformation properties and enter the filter condition as changed_flag =1. Now create an update strategy transformation and drag the ports of Filter transformation (customer_id, location) into the update strategy transformation. Go to the properties tab and enter the update strategy expression as DD_INSERT. Now drag the target definition into the mapping and connect the appropriate ports of update strategy transformation to the target definition.

Now connect the Next_Val, Flag ports of expression transformation (Expr_Flag created in part 2) to the cust_key, Flag ports of the target definition respectively. The part of the mapping diagram is shown below.

SCD Type 2 Flag implementation - Part 4 In this part, we will update the changed records in the dimension table with flag value as 0.

Create an expression transformation and drag the Cust_Key port of filter transformation (FIL_Changed created in part 3) into the expression transformation. Go to the ports tab of expression transformation and create a new output port (Flag). Assign a value "0" to this Flag port. Now create an update strategy transformation and drag the ports of the expression transformation into it. Go to the properties tab and enter the update strategy expression as DD_UPDATE. Drag the target definition into the mapping and connect the appropriate ports of update strategy to it. The complete mapping image is show

n below.

Scd implementation