It could be said that Informatica’s version 10.0 of their Multi-Domain MDM product is their first true X.0 release. Version 9.0.1 contained some new features but was really more of a rebranding release intended to replace the Siperian branding with Informatica’s and put the product’s version number in sync with the rest of their data integration and data quality product suite. Several years have passed and some major features have been added to the product in subsequent releases, such as timeline and support for SQL Server (not to mention improved support for DB2).
The release of MDM 10 was not the only important announcement made by Informatica at the end of 2014. Around the same time, Informatica released an updated End of Life schedule for previous versions of MDM. They will discontinue ongoing support of all MDM versions prior to 9.7.1 after December 2015, and version 9.7.1 will no longer be supported after June 2017 (since the time this article was originally posted the 9.7.1 EOL was extended from 2016 to 2017).
This means that customers who already have Informatica MDM in place need to start planning to upgrade, with those who are using pre-9.7.1 versions such as 9.5.1, 9.1 and 9.0.1 needing to do it sooner rather than later.
Running out of support for your existing version is certainly a strong reason to consider upgrading, but what about the new features? Can MDM 10 provide better value for your MDM stakeholders? Let us take a high level look at what is new in MDM 10:
- The Symphony Framework. The Informatica data stewardship UI IDD is now built on top of the same web interface as other Informatica products like IDQ Analyst.
- Entity 360 View. A new, more complete view of master data entities that offers customizability, with the possibility to display related data from other sources, such as social media.
- Smart Search. A Google-like search mechanism to enable users to find master data much easier.
- Financial Hierarchies. Provides for true top-down hierarchy management, with versioning of whole hierarchies, check-in/check-out and copy/paste of hierarchies.
- Composite Services. Integration will now take less effort, with real-time web services and publishing using out of the box composite data objects that reflect the defined domain.
- Embedded Data Integration. PowerCenter and IDQ can now be leveraged to move and cleanse data directly into MDM staging tables, with much improved integration between the platforms.
- Embedded BPM Workflow. ActiveVOS provides true workflow support for data stewardship and can manage complex business processes that span multiple systems.
Not all those that upgrade will elect to leverage all or even any of the new functionality. It is possible to upgrade to MDM 10 and keep everything the way it was, albeit with some important exceptions. At the same time, the new features can offer opportunities to get more out of your MDM program. There exists the potential to reduce IT costs through streamlined integration, improve business processes through leveraging BPM and improve the lives of those responsible for data stewardship and governance by giving them access to better, faster, and cheaper data.
In my next several blog posts I will go into more detail about what to expect from Informatica MDM 10 and what customers need to be aware of if they decide to upgrade:
- Upgrading to Informatica MDM 10, Part 2: Migrating Current Functionality. Most current configuration and customizations will migrate to version 10 without re-work but certain elements may require additional development effort in order to perform the upgrade. I will take a look at what will need special attention in the upgrade process, with a particular focus on database User Exits, SIF and executing MDM jobs using schedulers.
- Upgrading to Informatica MDM 10, Part 3: Streamlining Integration and Improving Workflow. I will go into more detail about the implications of tighter integration with other Informatica products such as PowerCenter, Data Quality (IDQ) and BPM (ActiveVOS).
- Upgrading to Informatica MDM 10, Part 4: New Tools and Capabilities for Data Governance. There are several new tools in the toolkit to enable data stewards to find, view and manage master data. In this final post I will talk about what they may offer your organization.
At Infoverity we offer comprehensive services to organizations looking to upgrade Informatica MDM to version 10. Contact us for more information and an upgrade questionnaire that will help us get you started in planning your path to MDM 10.
Brian Grant, Managing Consultant, EMEA
