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Lineage

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Answers to common questions about how Atlan builds lineage from Informatica PowerCenter repository exports.

Does this connector connect directly to on-premises PowerCenter servers or repository databases?​

No. The connector is file-export based. You export your PowerCenter repository objects to XML and upload them to Atlan. Atlan never connects to your PowerCenter Repository Service, Integration Service, or repository database directly.

How does Atlan calculate lineage from PowerCenter?​

Atlan statically analyzes the repository XML exports you upload. It traces each target back through the mapping's transformations, source qualifiers, and lookups to the originating sources, then publishes table-level and column-level lineage between the corresponding assets already cataloged in Atlan. There is no live connection to your PowerCenter repository or database.

Does Atlan support column-level lineage from PowerCenter?​

Yes. Atlan resolves field-to-field mappings within each data flow, including pass-through columns, transformation expressions, and columns derived through SQL overrides.

Which source and target databases are supported?​

Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2, Sybase, Teradata, Netezza, Greenplum, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, and Amazon Redshift are resolved automatically. Flat file, XML, and VSAM sources appear as file-type endpoints in lineage. ODBC and other non-relational connections may not resolve to a specific database in the current release. Contact your Atlan representative if they're missing from lineage.

How are PowerCenter parameters handled?​

Parameter tokens such as $$Param and $Param are resolved to real connection, schema, and table names using the parameter files you upload during setup. If a token can't be resolved, Atlan flags it as low-confidence rather than guessing at the runtime value.

How do I keep lineage metadata up to date?​

Refresh the uploaded files and re-run the workflow. Because extraction is file-based, you update lineage by replacing the exports: export the changed PowerCenter objects again, remove the previous archive from the Repository XML export field, upload the new one, and run the workflow.

note

Support for cloud storage-based file sources, in addition to manual upload, is planned shortly. This lets the connector read exports from object storage instead of requiring a manual re-upload for each refresh.

What isn't supported in current release?​

The connector currently extracts lineage only. It doesn't catalog PowerCenter folders, mappings, sessions, or workflows as assets in Atlan, and it doesn't connect to a live PowerCenter repository. Extraction is based entirely on the repository XML exports you upload.

See also​

Need help​

If you can't find the answer you're looking for, contact Atlan support by submitting a request.