Informatica Developer Tips for Troubleshooting Common Issues PowerCenter 8 Standard Edition. Eugene Gonzalez Support Enablement Manager, Informatica

Transcription

1 Informatica Developer Tips for Troubleshooting Common Issues PowerCenter 8 Standard Edition Eugene Gonzalez Support Enablement Manager, Informatica 1

2 Agenda Troubleshooting PowerCenter issues require a combination of basic PowerCenter knowledge and techniques Knowledge Understand the PowerCenter architecture and components Learn the other building blocks in the system Database Operating system Techniques Identify exact error message and search Knowledgebase Isolate the issue to a component, scenario or data element 2

3 Agenda Troubleshooting Installation and configuration Upgrading to PowerCenter 8 Running Workflows and Sessions Performance issues 3

4 Troubleshooting : PowerCenter 8 - Installation and configuration 4

5 Installation Resources Documentation Installation and Configuration Guide Administrator Guide Release notes my.informatica.com Support tab Documentation download Knowledge Base Support user tools SupportFlash Velocity 5

6 Before you Install Review Minimum system and OS patches requirements Database requirements Code page requirements Consistent 32 bit or 64 bit environment Open necessary network ports Remove old or any PowerCenter Environment variables Don t install all components at once 6

7 PowerCenter 8 Architecture Sources Node Service Manager (Logging, Licensing, Domain config) Domain config Metadata database Targets Application Services Integration Service Repository Service Domain Repository Repository Metadata database 7

8 PowerCenter 8 New concepts Default domain gateway node port http protocol 6001 https protocol 8443 Default services ports are dynamic with in default range : New Configuration files Domains.infa (Install Directory) nodemeta.xml (..\server\config) New admin console To assist in Administration, Configuration and Upgrades Service pack releases Integrated patch process 8

9 Server side Installer steps Extract files to temp directory and Copy the Install files Get Domain, node and service information from user Create a node Create services Start Node 9

10 Where exactly to look for errors? If domain creation/startup fails Installation logs (debug, install logs) exceptions.log (..\server\tomcat\logs) node.log (..\server\tomcat\logs) catalina.out (..\server\tomcat\logs) If Domain is up, for service level failures Domain and service log (Admin console) 10

11 Collecting log information InfaLogs (for PowerCenter 8x) InfaLogs aids the user to extract meaningful and necessary PowerCenter log files (session Logs, repository server and agent logs, pmserver logs, tomcat logs). catalina. Out node.log services.log exceptions.log WebServices_Hub.log Logs are collected and automatically placed in a zip file. The zip file can also be submitted to support Use of this tool allows the user to quickly get the logs without needing the knowledge of where the logs are located. Download from my.informatica support tools. 11

12 Common Installation Problems Review the Installation steps using the log The installation log is located in the PowerCenter installation directory. Identify specific error messages and search the Support Knowledgebase my.informatica.com Support tab Firewall settings Domain console hangs. Domain services begin to start but shuts down right away. Firewall port setting should not block PowerCenter ports. 12

13 Common Installation Problems Environmental variables settings will prevent a domain service to start path or library path service may not start because a command or library may not be found. Wrong 32/64 bit-type of database library Repository service can fail to start because the database client (oracle) pointing to the incorrect 64 bit library instead of the 32 bit library. 13

14 Common Installation Problems LANG setting in UNIX or Database LANG, LC_CTYPE, or LC_ALL to set the UNIX code page If the local setting is not compatible with an existing repository code page you can not create a Repository Service. local a returns the languages installed on the UNIX system. Windows mode command returns the windows console codepage. If all else fails start over again 14

15 Support Scan Utility (SSCAN) Collects all the system, environment and the product details on the machine hosting Informatica PowerCenter. System Information - OS, Memory, CPU, OS patches, etc. PowerCenter Information - environment variables, configuration, etc. Database information environment settings, library, database version, etc. The output produced by the utility needs to be sent to Informatica Customer Support for more detailed analysis Download from my.informatica support tools. 15

16 Tips and Techniques Restart server After installing drivers on Windows After installing patches Make sure the installation folder name does not contain spaces Server host name resolution DNS server information may not be up-to-date Host file entry may need to be modified to a fully qualified entry. Example: server123 is used instead of server123.europe.informatica.com 16

17 What info to send to support? InfaLogs Collects relevant logs catalina. Out node.log services.log exceptions.log SSCAN Collects system environmental information. Creates and xml file as an output Collects system, memory, path, and patch level information What to look for the tools output LANG settings System and library path Database client library path OS Patch information Error messages Download tools from my.informatica support tools. 17

18 Upgrading to PowerCenter 8 Using the Upgrade Planner 18

19 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Planning upgrade use the PowerCenter 8.5 multimedia tutorial. Available at the my.informatica Online Support page. 19

20 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Topics Covered e-learning module 30 min duration Architectural overview Upgrade Paths Upgrade Process Architecture Upgrading from PC7.X or from PC8.1.1 Functional Changes Upgrade Resources 20

21 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Multimedia Presentation Use button to mover forward or backward 21

22 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner The Planner will ask questions about your environment 22

23 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Multimedia Architectural Overview 23

24 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Presentation showing a PC7.X objects relate to PC8.5 24

25 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Explaining New Domain Security 25

26 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Explaining System Requirements 26

27 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner In this example: Step by step upgrade process from PC7.X to PC8.5 27

28 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Explaining 32 bit and 64 bit drivers 28

29 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Walking through the installation process 29

30 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Explaining upgrade options: Upgrade Wizard or manually 30

31 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Explaining Post Upgrade Steps 31

32 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Explaining functionality changes between release levels 32

33 PowerCenter Upgrade Planner Explaining available resources 33

34 PowerCenter Upgrade Resources Post-Upgrade Reference Documentation Post-Upgrade Summary e.g. FAQ: Global Customer Support PowerCenter 8.5 Installation and Upgrade FAQs 34

35 Tips and Techniques Review the installation process through the use of the Informatica Support Center Upgrade Planner. 30 minuets of your time well spent. Take Backup! Upgrade is not reversible. If you are upgrading an existing a live repository make sure no agent is running against that repository. 35

36 Tips and Techniques Compare Utility (New) Compare Utility - test tool to validate upgrades or simply compare between 2 instances of PowerCenter. Some of the things you may do with the tool include: Compare the relational and flat file outputs of any workflows pre and post upgrade for differences. See how your repository objects have been affected by the upgrade. Generate reports detailing any differences that were found. Download from my.informatica support tools. 36

37 What info to send to support? SSCAN Collects system environmental information. Creates and xml file as an output Collects system, memory, path, and patch level information Repository service log Domain log Old repository backup (if necessary) 37

38 Troubleshooting PowerCenter 38

39 Troubleshooting Notes First, always verify domain is running The domain will not run unless it can access the domain tables Reasons you can t connect to the repository: Domain is running, but Repository Service failed to start Domain is not running Reasons the Integration Service might not start: Its associated repository is not running Domain is running, but Integration Service failed to start Domain is not running 39

40 Verify Domain is Running Try to log in to the Administration Console If you do not see a login screen, start Informatica Services If you still do not see a login screen, use the domain check, enter this URL: E.g. URL is case sensitive Returns domain status 40

41 Domain Check Domain is running fine in this example. 41

42 If Domain is Not Running Service Manager Log File If domain is not running, read node.log for gateway node /server/tomcat/logs directory Stores log events generated during the startup of the Service Manager on a node Use to learn why any Service Manager for a node failed to start E.g., if the Service Manager cannot connect to the domain configuration database after 30 seconds, the Service Manager fails to start 42

43 If Domain is Running Verify if application service started If application service did not start, check Logs tab Tip: Click the Logs tab for the application service to quickly search for related log events Read ERROR messages for cause of error Fix error, then disable and enable application service 43

44 Understanding Log Events The Service Manager and application services send log events to the LogManager. The Log Manager generates log events for each service type. To view the log events in the Log Viewer, you must configure the type of log events you want to search for in the Log Viewer. You can view the following log event types in the Log Viewer: Domain log events. Repository Service log events.. Integration Service log events. Metadata Manager Service log events. SAP BW Service log events. Web Services Hub log events. 44

45 Understanding Log Events The Log Viewer categorizes events by service type or domain category based on the type of service you view. Severity - The severity level for the log event. Time stamp - Date and time the log event occurred. Node - Node reporting the event. Thread - Identification number or name of a thread started by a Repository Service process or name of a thread started by an Integration Service process ProcessID - The process identification number for the Windows or UNIX service process that generated the log event. Message code - Troubleshooting Guide Message Message text for logged event. 45

46 Log Events Example: Integration Service logged event 46

47 Application Service Log Events Use to search for any log event from domain or any service. Returns log events for this service only. 47

48 Application Service Log Events 48

49 Application Service Log Events Display Settings select columns to be displayed 49

50 Managing Application Service Logs Default log directory Log Management 50

51 Domain Audit Reports 51

52 Integration Service Changes 52

53 Integration Service Process(es) Manages workflow scheduling. Locks and reads the workflow. Reads the parameter file. Creates the workflow log. Runs workflow tasks and evaluates the conditional links connecting tasks. Starts the DTM process or processes to run the session. Writes historical run information to the repository. Sends post-session in the event of a DTM failure. 53

54 Integration Service Load Balancer Component of the Integration Service that dispatches tasks to achieve optimal performance and scalability. Dispatches the Session, Command, and predefined Event- Wait tasks within the workflow. The Load Balancer matches task requirements with resource availability to identify the best node to run a task. On GRID uses dispatch mode, Round-robin, Metric-based, Adaptive 54

55 Integration Service DTM Data Transformation Manager (DTM) Retrieves and validates session information from the repository. Performs pushdown optimization Manages dynamic partitioning. Manages partition groups on a grid. Expands the service process variables, session parameters, and mapping variables and parameters. Creates the session log. Validates source and target code pages. Verifies connection object permissions. Runs pre-session shell commands, stored procedures, and SQL. Sends a request to start worker DTM processes on other nodes when the session is configured to run on a grid. Creates and runs mapping, reader, writer, and transformation threads to extract, transform, and load data. Runs post-session stored procedures, SQL, and shell commands. Sends post-session . 55

56 Integration Service DTM The Master thread spawns five different thread types: Mapping Pre/Post Processing Reader Transformation Writer Mapping Thread DTM Master Thread Pre-Session Thread Reader Thread Transformation Thread Writer Thread Post-Session Thread 56

57 Troubleshooting : workflow and session issues 57

58 Important session settings Integration service code page Debug settings (Test load, verbose log) Error tolerance (Stop on error) Memory settings 58

59 Finding Workflow and Session Information Using MetaQuery 1.0 Metaquery is the tool to query against Informatica PowerCenter repository for some of the key properties in session, workflow and mapping objects. Saves time to gather information regarding properties set in any of these session or workflow properties across a repository GUI based tool. Report can be exported into a readable excel sheet or notepad file. Download the tool from my.informatica support page. 59

60 Using MetaQuery 1.0 Question: What sessions have the DTM buffer set to AUTO? Database Type (Currently oracle and db2) Repository Database User ID and Password Database Connect String form //hostname:port;sid=sid 60

61 Using MetaQuery 1.0 DTM Buffer Size Record selection or all records 61

62 Using MetaQuery 1.0 Excel Notepad 62

63 Log files Check log files for other problems Session log Workflow log Integration service log 63

64 Tips and Techniques Isolate Is it the reader, writer or the transformation? Has the session ever worked before? If yes, has anything changed since then to cause the problem? Is it the only one session failing? Is it due to a specific data row/feature? Is the issue consistent? Change settings one at a time. 64

65 Tips and Techniques Most reader/writer errors are database errors Search knowledgebase (my.informatica.com) Search the web ( Google, yahoo ) Use debugger to verify transformation issues Try session operation outside of PowerCenter Try Export and re-import 65

66 What info to send to support? Session log, workflow log Workflow export from repository manager SSCAN output Stack trace from core file using pmstack tool The pmstack utility is a Unix script file that retrieves the stack trace from a core file or hanging process and creates an output file that can be sent to Informatica support for analysis of the problem. Download the tool from my.informatica support page. 66

67 Troubleshooting : Session performance 67

68 Session environment Node Service Manager Session 1 DTM Master Thread Mapping Thread Pre-Session Thread Post-Session Thread Reader Thread Transformation Thread Writer Thread Session 2 DTM Master Thread Mapping Thread Pre-Session Thread Reader Thread Transformation Thread Writer Thread Post-Session Thread Repository 68

69 Understanding Session Thread Statistics Many factors affect session performance Hardware configuration (Network, CPUs, Memory, Disk I/O, etc,) Source and Target data types and configuration (database, flat file, message que, etc.) Session configuration (mapping strategy, transformations, session parameters, pre/post session processing). 69

70 Thread Types Mapping Pre/Post Processing Reader (Provider) Transformation Writer (Consumer) One thread for each session. Fetches session and mapping information. Compiles the mapping. Cleans up after session execution. One thread each to perform pre- and post-session operations. One thread for each partition for each source pipeline. Reads from sources. Relational sources use relational reader threads, and file sources use file reader threads. One or more transformation threads for each partition. Processes data according to the transformation logic in the mapping. One thread for each partition, if a target exists in the source pipeline. Writes to targets. Relational targets use relational writer threads, and file targets use file writer threads. 70

71 Session architecture Reader Transformation Transformation Writer ***** RUN INFO FOR TGT LOAD ORDER GROUP [1], CONCURRENT SET [1] ***** Thread [READER_1_1_1] created for [the read stage] of partition point [SQ_ods_invoice_summary_ff] has completed: Total Run Time = [ ] secs, Total Idle Time = [ ] secs, Busy Percentage = [ ]. Thread [TRANSF_1_1_1] created for [the transformation stage] of partition point [SQ_ods_invoice_summary_ff] has completed: Total Run Time = [ ] secs, Total Idle Time = [ ] secs, Busy Percentage = [ ]. Thread [TRANSF_1_2_1] created for [the transformation stage] of partition point [AGGTRANS] has completed: Total Run Time = [ ] secs, Total Idle Time = [ ] secs, Busy Percentage = [ ]. Thread [WRITER_1_*_1] created for [the write stage] of partition point [EDW_INVOICE_SUM] has completed. The total run time was insufficient for any meaningful statistics. 71

72 PowerCenter Performance Features Pipelined transformation-read/write/transform in parallel Parallelism at data level by partitioning Bulk load support/native drivers support High speed, memory-based binary search for Lookup transformations Aggregations, sorting done fully in memory 72

73 PowerCenter 8 New concepts Pushdown optimization Concurrent lookup caching Auto memory settings Lookup any row matching, lookup override Session on grid Repagent caching Concurrent workflows Bigint Precision of 19 73

74 Performance Tuning Iterative process Set realistic goals on Performance Tuning Establish a baseline before starting Performance Tuning Tuning requires a simple, iterative approach 1) Find the biggest performance bottleneck 2) Eliminate or reduce it 3) Go back to step 1 74

75 Performance Tuning Areas PowerCenter Performance and Tuning Guide Covers the following areas: Identify Bottlenecks Optimizing: Mappings Sources / Targets Transformations Sessions Grid Deployment Partitioning Use of performance counters 75

76 #1: Reduce Network traffic and Disk I/O Network traffic Move target database to ETL server Local disk is faster than network Disk I/O Reduce paging Reduce I/O contention (spread source, target and cache) 76

77 #2: Optimizing Mappings Extract only what you need Filter as soon as possible Minimize Error rows Use flat files for staging temporary data Reducing Disk I/O (Aggregate, Joiner) Use Update strategy instead of Update else Insert Avoid using Sequence Generators with no. of cached value as 1 77

78 #3: Optimizing Sessions Analyze session to log look for transformation cache memory usage Cache Memory Settings Try Auto first KB article : HOW TO: Improve session performance using Automatic Memory Settings in PowerCenter 8.1 Bulk loading For Insert with no constraints Reduce Error Tracing Run concurrent sessions 78

79 #3: Optimizing Sessions - Session Logs Statistics Thread [READER_1_1_1] created for [the read stage] of partition point [SQ_ods_invoice_summary_ff] has completed: Total Run Time = [ ] secs, Total Idle Time = [ ] secs, Busy Percentage = [ ]. Thread [TRANSF_1_1_1] created for [the transformation stage] of partition point [SQ_ods_invoice_summary_ff] has completed: Total Run Time = [ ] secs, Total Idle Time = [ ] secs, Busy Percentage = [ ]. Thread [TRANSF_1_2_1] created for [the transformation stage] of partition point [AGGTRANS] has completed: Total Run Time = [ ] secs, Total Idle Time = [ ] secs, Busy Percentage = [ ]. Thread [WRITER_1_*_1] created for [the write stage] of partition point [EDW_INVOICE_SUM] has completed. The total run time was insufficient for any meaningful statistics. Busy Percentages can identify potential bottlenecks Adjust your mappings to level out the bottlenecks Here the transformation is of bottleneck consider partitioning Don t need 100% utilization but should be high and close together 79

80 #4: Optimizing Sources/Targets Review the database constraints and indexes Eliminate database (transaction) logging Update database statistics regularly and use cost based optimizer Align DB partitioning with session partitions Create tables with optimal storage parameters 80

81 Performance Analyzer 1.0 The purpose of the Performance Analyzer is: To Read the mapping XML To Calculate the required cache and DTM size To Analyze the amount of memory allocated To generate a XML, based on which the performance is analyzed. The analysis is done at two levels Mapping and Session level. Mapping level calculates cache sizes Session level calculates DTM buffer 81

82 Performance Analyzer 1.0 Export mapping in xml Specify precision Enter the number of row to be processed Enter the nubmer of partitions Select the Analyze Mapping button 82

83 Performance Analyzer

84 Summary Q & A 84

85 85