PowerCenter Connect for Email Server User Guide · The Informatica PowerCenter Connect for Email Server User Guide provides information about extracting data from an email source

User Guide

PowerCenter Connect for Email Server(Version 8.1.1.0.1)

Informatica PowerCenter Connect for Email Server User GuideVersion 8.1.1.0.1June 2007

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Table of Contents

List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ixNew Features and Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

About This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Other Informatica Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Visiting Informatica Customer Portal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Visiting the Informatica Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Visiting the Informatica Knowledge Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Obtaining Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Chapter 1: Understanding PowerCenter Connect for Email Server . . . 1Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

PowerCenter and Mail Server Integration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Designer and Mail Server Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Integration Service and Mail Server Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Understanding Mail Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Email Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Messaging Application Programming Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Microsoft Exchange Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 2: Installation and Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Installing and Configuring PowerCenter Connect for Email Server . . . . . . 8

Before You Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Upgrading PowerCenter Connect for Email Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Installing PowerCenter Connect for Email Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Installing the Client Component. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Installing the Repository Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Installing the Integration Service Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

iii

Registering the Plug-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Uninstalling PowerCenter Connect for Email Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Chapter 3: Working with Email Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Creating a DSN for an Email Source Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Importing an Email Source Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Viewing and Editing Source Definition Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Viewing and Editing Column Information for a Source Definition . . . . . 26

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Chapter 4: Working with Email Sessions and Workflows . . . . . . . . . 29Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Configuring an Email Server Application Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Configuring Session Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Appendix A: Datatypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Datatypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Appendix B: Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Client Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Integration Service Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

iv Table of Contents

List of Figures

Figure 1-1. Integration Service and Mail Server Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Figure 3-1. Field Information Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Figure 4-1. Session Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

List of Figures v

vi List of Figures

List of Tables

Table A-1. Email and Transformation Datatypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

List of Tables vii

viii List of Tables

Preface

Welcome to PowerCenter Connect, Informatica’s family of packaged software products that helps you extract data and metadata from ERP and other legacy applications that are difficult to access.

PowerCenter Connect for Email Server seamlessly integrates mail servers with PowerCenter. It extracts email data and contacts stored on mail servers and leverages it for further planning, analysis, and management.

ix

New Features and Enhancements

PowerCenter Connect for Email Server includes the following new features and enhancements:

♦ Retrieving emails from Outlook PST. If the Integration Service is running on Windows, you can retrieve emails from the Outlook PST files using Microsoft Messaging APIs.

♦ Retrieving emails using Microsoft Messaging APIs. If the Integration Service is running on Windows, you can retrieve emails from the Microsoft Exchange Server using Microsoft Messaging APIs.

♦ Retrieving contacts. To retrieve information about contacts, you can connect to the folders on Microsoft Exchange Server or the Outlook PST file using Microsoft Messaging APIs.

♦ Retrieving recent emails. You can configure a session to retrieve emails that arrived after the last time you accessed the mail folder.

x Preface

About This Book

The Informatica PowerCenter Connect for Email Server User Guide provides information about extracting data from an email source. It is written for database administrators and developers who are responsible for extracting data from email sources. This book assumes you have knowledge of mail servers and PowerCenter.

The material in this book is also available online.

Document ConventionsThis guide uses the following formatting conventions:

If you see… It means…

italicized text The word or set of words are especially emphasized.

boldfaced text Emphasized subjects.

italicized monospaced text This is the variable name for a value you enter as part of an operating system command. This is generic text that should be replaced with user-supplied values.

Note: The following paragraph provides additional facts.

Tip: The following paragraph provides suggested uses.

Warning: The following paragraph notes situations where you can overwrite or corrupt data, unless you follow the specified procedure.

monospaced text This is a code example.

bold monospaced text This is an operating system command you enter from a prompt to execute a task.

Preface xi

Other Informatica Resources

In addition to the product manuals, Informatica provides these other resources:

♦ Informatica Customer Portal

♦ Informatica web site

♦ Informatica Knowledge Base

♦ Informatica Global Customer Support

Visiting Informatica Customer PortalAs an Informatica customer, you can access the Informatica Customer Portal site at http://my.informatica.com. The site contains product information, user group information, newsletters, access to the Informatica customer support case management system (ATLAS), the Informatica Knowledge Base, Informatica Documentation Center, and access to the Informatica user community.

Visiting the Informatica Web SiteYou can access the Informatica corporate web site at http://www.informatica.com. The site contains information about Informatica, its background, upcoming events, and sales offices. You will also find product and partner information. The services area of the site includes important information about technical support, training and education, and implementation services.

Visiting the Informatica Knowledge BaseAs an Informatica customer, you can access the Informatica Knowledge Base at http://my.informatica.com. Use the Knowledge Base to search for documented solutions to known technical issues about Informatica products. You can also find answers to frequently asked questions, technical white papers, and technical tips.

Obtaining Customer SupportThere are many ways to access Informatica Global Customer Support. You can contact a Customer Support Center by using the telephone numbers listed the following table, you can send email, or you can use the WebSupport Service.

Use the following email addresses to contact Informatica Global Customer Support:

♦ [email protected] for technical inquiries

♦ [email protected] for general customer service requests

xii Preface

WebSupport requires a user name and password. You can request a user name and password at http://my.informatica.com.

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Preface xiii

xiv Preface

C h a p t e r 1

Understanding PowerCenter Connect for Email Server

This chapter includes the following topics:

♦ Overview, 2

♦ PowerCenter and Mail Server Integration, 3

♦ Understanding Mail Servers, 4

1

Overview

PowerCenter Connect for Email Server provides connectivity between PowerCenter and mail servers to extract email data. Email data includes customer comments and communications, internal research reports, intellectual property, and assets. You can use PowerCenter Connect for Email Server to extract email data from a mail server and load the data to a target. You can then use the data for data mining and analysis.

2 Chapter 1: Understanding PowerCenter Connect for Email Server

PowerCenter and Mail Server Integration

PowerCenter Connect for Email Server integrates mail servers with the Designer and the Integration Service. You can import email messages and contacts metadata into PowerCenter and use it in mappings.

Designer and Mail Server IntegrationThe Designer connects to the message store of a mail server to import email metadata as a source definition. After importing the source definition, you can create the corresponding email mappings.

Integration Service and Mail Server IntegrationThe Integration Service connects to a mail server or an Outlook PST file through the JavaMail APIs or Microsoft Messaging APIs (MAPI) to read the source data from the message store.

Figure 1-1 shows how the Integration Service connects to a mail server or an Outlook PST file to read email data:

When you configure a session to read email data from a mail server or an Outlook PST file, use an Email Server application connection to connect to the mail server or Outlook PST file. For more information about configuring an Email Server application connection, see “Configuring an Email Server Application Connection” on page 31.

Figure 1-1. Integration Service and Mail Server Integration

Integration Service

JavaMail APIs/MAPI

PowerCenter

The Integration Service connects to the mail server or Outlook PST through JavaMail APIs or MAPI

The connection is made through IMAP, POP3, or MAPI. IMAP and POP3 can be directed through an SSL layer.

IMAP/POP3IMAP/POP3

SSL

Mail Server

MAPI

Exchange Server/Outlook PST

Repository

PowerCenter and Mail Server Integration 3

Understanding Mail Servers

A mail server consists of the following components:

♦ A storage area where email data is stored for local users.

♦ A set of user definable rules that determine how the mail server should react to the destination of a specific message.

♦ A database of user accounts that the mail server recognizes and deals with locally.

♦ Communications modules, which are the components that actually handle the transfer of messages to and from other mail servers and email clients.

A mail server generally provides messaging, calendar, and scheduling capabilities.

You use various email protocols to access email messages stored in mail servers. You can also use MAPI to access data stored in Microsoft Exchange Server or an Outlook PST file.

Email ProtocolsA protocol is a standard method used at every end of a communication channel to transmit information correctly. An email client and a mail server can exchange information with each other using the following protocols:

♦ Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)

♦ IMAP over SSL

♦ Post Office Protocol Version 3 (POP3)

♦ POP3 over SSL

♦ Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)

♦ Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

Note: When the Integration Service is running on Windows or UNIX, you can retrieve emails from mail servers such as, Microsoft Exchange Server using IMAP, IMAP over SSL, POP3, or POP3 over SSL protocols.

IMAP IMAP accesses electronic mail messages stored on a mail server. It permits a client email program to access remote message stores as if they were local. Online and disconnected operations are the main features of IMAP, though it can process offline too.

IMAP over SSLIMAP over SSL is the IMAP protocol directed through the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). It is used for secure communication with the mail server.


POP3 POP3 supports offline mail processing. It has limited capabilities while accessing one mailbox. It is not as capable as IMAP. Emails are delivered to a shared server offline. Personal computer users periodically invoke a mail client program that connects to the server and downloads all the pending emails to their machine.

POP3 over SSLThe POP3 protocol directed through SSL is called POP3S. It is used for secure communication with the mail server.

SMTP SMTP is used by the Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) to deliver email to the recipient mail server. This protocol can only be used to send emails, not to receive them.

HTTP HTTP is used to access a mailbox to allow a user to compose or retrieve emails from an email account. It is also called web-based email. It is not dedicated to email communications.

Messaging Application Programming InterfaceMAPI is a mature mechanism to access information in Microsoft Exchange Server. It is used to access items and folders within public and private stores, as well as the properties stored with each item. Client applications use MAPI to access user mailbox and public folder information stored in Microsoft Exchange Server and user directory information stored in Active Directory. Client applications that use MAPI are typically email clients and applications that require complex email processing.

Note: You can retrieve emails and information about contacts from the Outlook PST files and Microsoft Exchange Server using MAPI only when the Integration Service is running on Windows.

Microsoft Exchange ServerMicrosoft Exchange Server is a messaging and collaborative software product developed by Microsoft. Its major features are electronic mail, shared calendars and tasks, support for mobile and web-based access to information, and support for very large amounts of data storage.

Understanding Mail Servers 5


C h a p t e r 2

Installation and Configuration


♦ Overview, 8

♦ Installing PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, 10

♦ Registering the Plug-in, 13

♦ Uninstalling PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, 14

7

Overview

This chapter provides information about upgrading, installing, and configuring PowerCenter Connect for Email Server.

PrerequisitesBefore you upgrade or install PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, complete the following tasks:

♦ Install or upgrade to the current version of PowerCenter.

♦ Verify that you have met the following minimum system requirements:

− Minimum 50 MB hard disk space

− 128 MB or higher RAM

♦ Ensure that you can access the mail server from the machines on which you install PowerCenter.

Installing and Configuring PowerCenter Connect for Email ServerTo install and configure PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, complete the following steps:

1. Install the components. Install Client, Repository, and Integration Service components to access the mail server. For more information, see “Installing PowerCenter Connect for Email Server” on page 10.

2. Register the plug-in. Register the plug-in with the repository. For more information, see “Registering the Plug-in” on page 13.

After you install and configure PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, you can create connections to access mail servers. Create a Data Source Name (DSN) on the PowerCenter Client machine to import Email definitions. Create connection objects in the Workflow Manager so the Integration Service can connect to the mail servers at run time.

Before You UpgradeBefore you upgrade PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, uninstall the previous version. When you uninstall PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, you do not need to unregister the plug-in.

Upgrading PowerCenter Connect for Email ServerWhen you upgrade PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, complete the following tasks:

8 Chapter 2: Installation and Configuration

1. Install PowerCenter Connect for Email Server. When you install PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, you install the PowerCenter Client and Services components. For more information, see “Installing PowerCenter Connect for Email Server” on page 10.

2. Upgrade the plug-in registration. Register the PowerCenter Connect for Email Server plug-in, to update the existing plug-in registration. For more information, see “Registering the Plug-in” on page 13.

Overview 9

Installing PowerCenter Connect for Email Server

When you install PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, you install components that allow PowerCenter to access mail servers. Install the following components:

♦ Client component. Allows you to import definitions, create mappings, and create connection objects using the PowerCenter Client.

♦ Repository component. Allows the Repository Service access to the PowerCenter Connect for Email Server metadata in the repository.

♦ Integration Service component. Allows the Integration Service to run PowerCenter Connect for Email sessions.

Install these components on the machines that you want to access mail servers.

Installing the Client ComponentInstall the Client component on each PowerCenter Client machine where you want to create or access mail server metadata.

To install the Client component:

1. Run setup.exe from the installation package.

2. Choose the Client component and click Next.

3. Enter your name and organization name.

4. Select the directory where the PowerCenter Client executables are located. By default, these are in the following location:

<PowerCenter Installation Directory>\client\bin

5. Click Next to begin the installation.

6. Click OK when the installation is complete.

Installing the Repository ComponentIf the Repository Service is configured to run on primary and backup nodes, install the Repository component on each node configured to run the Repository Service process.

To install the Repository component on Windows:


2. Choose the Repository component and click Next.


Step 1. InstallStep 1. Upgrade


4. Select the directory where you want to install the Repository component. By default, the installer uses the following location:

<PowerCenter Installation Directory>\server\bin\Plugin



To install the Repository component on UNIX:

1. Copy the installer to the machine.

2. Go to the Installer directory.

3. Enter ./install at the prompt.

4. Enter absolute path to the following location:

<PowerCenter Installation Directory>/server/bin/Plugin

The Repository component is installed.

Installing the Integration Service ComponentIf the Integration Service is configured to run on primary and backup nodes, install the Integration Service component on each node configured to run the Integration Service process.

If the Integration Service is configured to run on a grid, install the Integration Service component on each node configured to run on the grid. If you cannot install the Integration Service component on each node in the grid, create a resource in the domain and assign it to each node where you installed the Integration Service Component. When you create a session, configure the session to use the resource.

For example, create a custom resource called EmailServer. When you create a session, you can require the session to use resource EmailServer. The Load Balancer will only dispatch the session to nodes where the Integration Service component is installed.

For more information about resources, see the PowerCenter Administrator Guide.

To install the Integration Service component on Windows:


2. Choose the Server component and click Next.


4. Select the directory where you want to install the Integration Service component. By default, the installer uses the following location:

<PowerCenter Installation Directory>\server\bin



Installing PowerCenter Connect for Email Server 11

To install the Integration Service component on UNIX:

1. Copy the installer to the machine.

2. Go to the Installer directory.


4. Enter the absolute path to the following location:

<PowerCenter Installation Directory>/server/bin/

The Integration Service component is installed.


Registering the Plug-in

After installing PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, you need to register the plug-in with the repository. A plug-in is an XML file that defines the functionality of PowerCenter Connect for Email Server. To register the plug-in, the repository must be running in exclusive mode. You can register the plug-in using the Administration Console or the pmrep RegisterPlugin command.

The plug-in file for PowerCenter Connect for Email Server is EmailServer.xml. When you install the Repository component, the installer copies EmailServer.xml to the following directory:

<PowerCenter Installation Directory/server/bin/Plugin

For more information about registering a plug-in using the Administration Console, see the PowerCenter Administrator Guide.

For more information about the pmrep RegisterPlugin command, see the PowerCenter Command Line Reference.

Note: If you do not have the Administration Console privilege on the Repository Service or the Admin Repository privilege on the repository, you can ask the Repository Service administrator to register the plug-in.

Step 2. InstallStep 2. Upgrade

Registering the Plug-in 13

Uninstalling PowerCenter Connect for Email Server

If you want to uninstall PowerCenter Connect for Email Server, you can uninstall it from each machine where you installed the Client, Repository, or Integration Service components.

To uninstall PowerCenter Connect for Email Server from Windows, use the Windows Add/Remove Programs.

To uninstall the Integration Service component from UNIX:



<PowerCenter Installation Directory>/server/bin/

If PowerCenter Connect for Email Server is already installed, the installer prompts you to overwrite the existing installation or to uninstall the Integration Service component.

3. Use the uninstall option to uninstall the PowerCenter Connect for Email Server.

To uninstall the Repository component from UNIX:



<PowerCenter Installation Directory>/server/bin/Plugin

If PowerCenter Connect for Email Server is already installed, the installer prompts you to overwrite the existing installation or to uninstall the Integration Service component.

3. Use the uninstall option to uninstall PowerCenter Connect for Email Server.


C h a p t e r 3

Working with Email Sources


♦ Creating a DSN for an Email Source Definition, 16

♦ Importing an Email Source Definition, 18

♦ Troubleshooting, 27

15

Creating a DSN for an Email Source Definition

Email source definitions represent metadata for email messages or contacts stored on a mail server or Outlook PST file. To import an email source definition, you need to create a Data Source Name (DSN). A DSN contains information to connect to the mail server, such as the mail server name, protocol, user name, and password.

Create a DSN using the Import Email Source dialog box. You need to create a DSN for every connection to the mail server and provide information specific to the mail server. This information changes for every DSN. You cannot modify a DSN once it is created. You need to create a DSN to modify any information in the DSN.

You can configure the DSN to import source metadata over a secure protocol. You can use the POP3S and IMAPS secure protocols. POP3S and IMAPS connectivity require a security certificate signed by the Certification Authority. This certificate needs to be in the keystore named cacerts. You can obtain the security certificate from your mail server administrator. A certificate is generally stored as a .cer file. You enter the certificate filename when you configure the DSN import source metadata over a secure protocol.

To create a DSN:

1. In the Source Analyzer, click Sources > Import from Email Server.

The Import Email Source dialog box appears.

2. Click Browse.

The DSN Creation dialog box appears.

16 Chapter 3: Working with Email Sources

3. Enter the following information:

4. Select SSL Enabled to extract emails from a mail sever over the POP3S or IMAPS secure protocols.

5. Click Add Certificate to specify a certificate file.

The Designer adds the certificate to the keystore.

When you import the certificate from a file for the first time, you might get a failed authentication error, because the JVM may fail to reload the keystore. Restart the Import Email Source dialog box.

6. Select the protocol that the mail server supports.

7. Click Authenticate.

8. Click OK.

DSN Attribute Required/Optional Description

DSN Name Required Name of the data source.

UserName Required User name that precedes @ in the email ID.

Password Required Email account password.

Server Name Required Name of the server you want to connect to.

Creating a DSN for an Email Source Definition 17

Importing an Email Source Definition

To import an email source definition, you use the Import Email Source dialog box. You can import an email source definition by mapping the folders in the mail server.

To import an email source definition:

1. In the Source Analyzer, click Sources > Import from Email Server.

The Import Email Source dialog box appears.

2. Select a DSN name from the list.

3. Enter a password.

4. Click Connect.


A list of folders in the mail server appears.

The list of folders that appears in the Select to Import tree view contains all folders available in the mail server, such as Calendar and Tasks. These folders may contain non-email data. The Designer retrieves only email data from these folders.

Note: The Designer uses Exchange MAPI to retrieve Contacts data from Microsoft Exchange Server.

5. Select the folder you want to import.

Note: When you use POP3, you can access the folder named INBOX.

6. Click >>.

The Field Selection dialog box appears.

Importing an Email Source Definition 19

The Fields list displays fields specific to the folder. For example, when a folder named Contacts is mapped, the fields specific to Contacts appear in the Fields list.

7. In Folder Name, enter a unique name for the folder.

8. From the Fields list, select the fields to map and click >>.

The mapped fields appear in the right pane of the Field Selection dialog box.

9. To change the column name or precision of a column, double-click the field name in the Mapped Fields list.

The Field Information dialog box appears.


10. Enter a new name for the column.

11. Enter a numeric value for the precision required for this column.

12. Click OK to save the changes and close the Field Information dialog box. Or, click Cancel to discard the current changes.


13. To retrieve the attachments along with the email data, select Retrieve Attachments.

This adds the Attachment and AttachmentName columns to the Mapped Fields list. AttachmentName stores the attachment name with extension. Attachment stores the data in binary format.

14. Click Filter to retrieve the email data based on certain conditions.

You can define filter criteria only if the source definition is based on the Email folder and not the Contacts folder.

The Filter dialog box appears.

15. You can assign the filter criteria for different fields using the Filter dialog box.


The following table lists filter conditions for different field names:

Field Name Filter Condition Description

Msg_No less than Retrieves emails with message number less than a specified number.

greater than Retrieves emails with message number greater than a specified number.

equals Retrieves an email with a particular message number.

between Retrieves emails with message numbers within a specified range.

Size less than Retrieves emails of a size less than a specified number.

greater than Retrieves emails of a size greater than a specified number.

equals Retrieves emails of a size within a 1KB range of a specified number.

between Retrieves emails of a size within a specified range.

From contains Retrieves emails from a specified email ID.

To contains all of Retrieves emails containing all specified email IDs in the To field.

contains any of Retrieves emails containing any specified email ID in the To field.

CC contains all of Retrieves emails containing all specified email IDs in the CC field.

contains any of Retrieves emails containing any specified email ID in the CC field.

BCC contains all of Retrieves emails containing all specified email IDs in the BCC field.

contains any of Retrieves emails containing any specified email ID in the BCC field.

Sent_Date before Retrieves emails sent on or before a specified date.

after Retrieves emails sent on or after a specified date.

on Retrieves emails sent on a particular date.

between Retrieves emails sent within a specified date range.

Recv_Date before Retrieves emails received on or before a specified date.

after Retrieves emails received on or after a specified date.

on Retrieves emails received on a particular date.

between Retrieves emails received within a specified date range.

Subject contains phrase Retrieves emails with the exact phrase specified in the subject field.

contains all words Retrieves emails containing all words specified in the subject field.

contains any word Retrieves emails containing any word specified in the subject field.

Content contains phrase Retrieves emails with the exact phrase specified in the content field.

contains all words Retrieves emails containing all words specified in the content field.

contains any word Retrieves emails containing any word specified in the content field.


To filter emails based on the To, CC, and BCC fields, separate multiple email addresses with commas. For example:

[email protected],[email protected]

When you filter on the Sent_Date or Recv_Date fields, specify the date in MM/DD/YYYY format.

To filter email based on the Msg_No, Size, Sent_Date, Recv_Date fields, use the ‘Between’ condition as value1,value2. For example:

Size between 2000,3000

To filter emails based on the Subject or Content field, specify the ‘contains all words’, ‘contains any word’ conditions as value1,value2,value3... For example:

abc,def,xyz

To add or modify filter conditions for the source, modify the metadata extension for the field on which filter is to be applied. For example, to retrieve emails containing the exact phrase specified in the Subject field, modify the metadata extension named Subject as follows:

contains phrase:email server

You can define one condition for each field. All email messages are retrieved according to the matching condition.

16. Click Data Preview to preview the data for the mapped columns.

17. In the Data Preview dialog box, enter the number of rows you want to view and click Refresh.

The Data Preview dialog box shows the summary data for the selected columns.

Note: You can preview data if the source definition is based on the Email folder and not the Contacts folder.

18. Click Close.

19. In the Field Selection dialog box, click OK.


20. In the Import Email Source dialog box, click OK to import the email source definition. Or, Click Cancel to exit.

You can create multiple source definitions from folders on the mail server.


Viewing and Editing Source Definition Information

You can view and edit folder names and filter conditions for a source definition. You can add or remove fields from the source definition.

To view and edit the source definition information:

1. Open the Import Email Source dialog box.

2. In the DSN list, select the DSN you used to create the source definition.

3. Enter a password and click Connect.

4. In the Imported Folders list, double-click the folder you want to edit.


5. In Folder Name, optionally modify the name of the source definition.

Viewing and Editing Source Definition Information 25

If you modify the name of the source definition, the Designer creates a new source definition. Otherwise, it updates the existing source definition.

6. Click >> to add fields and << to remove fields.

7. Double-click a field to modify it.

You can edit only the field name and precision.

8. Click Add Filter to add or remove filter conditions.

9. To retrieve the attachments along with the email data, select Retrieve Attachments.

10. Click OK.

11. In the Import Email Source dialog box, click OK to confirm the changes.

Viewing and Editing Column Information for a Source DefinitionYou can view the name, datatype, and precision for columns in a source definition. You can edit the column name and precision. To view or edit the column information, double-click the field name in the right pane of the Field Selection dialog box. The Field Information dialog box appears.

Figure 3-1 shows the column information for a source definition:

Figure 3-1. Field Information Dialog Box


Troubleshooting

The Select to Import tree view shows only the INBOX folder when I connect to the mail server.

If you connect to the mail server using POP3, INBOX is the only accessible folder. To see all public folders, use the IMAP protocol to connect to the mail server.

The Import from Email Server menu option is disabled.

The Import from Email Server menu option may be disabled for the following reasons:

♦ PowerCenter license key does not contain a PowerCenter Connect for Email Server license.

♦ The license has expired.

♦ You may not have write permission on the PowerCenter folder.

If you do not have a PowerCenter Connect for Email Server license, or if the license is expired, contact Informatica Global Customer Support. If you do not have write permission on the PowerCenter folder, contact your system administrator.

Troubleshooting 27


C h a p t e r 4

Working with Email Sessions and Workflows


♦ Overview, 30

♦ Configuring an Email Server Application Connection, 31

♦ Configuring Session Conditions, 34

29

Overview

After you create mappings in the Designer, you can create a session and use the session in a workflow to extract, transform, and load the data. You can create sessions and workflows in the Workflow Manager.

You can run a session in the following modes:

♦ Real-time mode. When you run a session in real-time mode, the Integration Service extracts emails from the mail folder according to the filter specified in the session attributes and the emails that arrive in real time. To run a session in the real-time mode, set value of the Real-time Flush Latency session condition greater than 0. The Integration Service reads the unread, read, recent, or all mails from the mail folder and listens for new mails as they arrive in real time.

♦ Non-real time mode. When you do not run a session in real-time mode, the Integration Service extracts emails from the mail folder according to the filter specified in the session attributes.

Before the Integration Service can extract data from email sources, you must configure an application connection in the Workflow Manager.

30 Chapter 4: Working with Email Sessions and Workflows

Configuring an Email Server Application Connection

When you configure an Email Server application connection, you specify connection attributes the Integration Service uses to connect to an Email Server database or an Outlook PST file.

To configure an Email Server application connection:

1. In the Workflow Manager, connect to a PowerCenter repository.

2. Choose Connections > Application.

The Application Connection Browser dialog box appears.

3. Click New.

The Select Subtype dialog box appears.

4. Select Email Server Connection.

5. Click OK.

Configuring an Email Server Application Connection 31

The Connection Object Definition dialog box appears.

6. Enter the following information:

Connection Attribute

Required/Optional Description

Name Required Name for the application connection.

User Name Required Mailbox user name.

Password Required Mailbox password when connecting to a mail server.Password to encrypt the PST file (if it is password protected) when connecting to Outlook PST.

Server Name Optional Name of the mail server you want to connect to.

Protocol Required Protocol used to connect to the mail server. Select a protocol that the mail server supports.When you use POP3 or POP3 over SSL protocols, you cannot retrieve emails on the basis of read, unread, or recent flags and cannot mark retrieve emails as read or unread.When you use POP3, you cannot see the date on which you retrieved or received an email messages.When you use MAPI protocol, you cannot retrieve mails on the basis of the recent flag.You can retrieve email data in real time using IMAP or IMAP over SSL protocols.


7. Click OK.

The application connection appears in the Application Object Browser.

To establish secure connection with the mail server using IMAPS/POP3S, the mail server may require security certificate. This security certificate must be added to the system JRE.

If the PST Filename connection attribute value is provided, the connection is established with the PST file. Otherwise, the connection is established with the mail server specified in the ServerHost connection attribute.

A connection to the PST file is established using Exchange MAPI and is supported only when the Integration Service is running on Windows.

When connecting to Outlook PST file or Microsoft Exchange Server through Exchange MAPI, verify that Microsoft Outlook is installed on the machine on which the Integration Service is running.

When connecting to Microsoft Exchange Server through Exchange MAPI, verify that the machine on which the Integration Service is running is in the same domain as the Microsoft Exchange Server.

When connecting to Microsoft Exchange Server through Exchange MAPI, the Integration Service should be running under the account of a user who is a member of the local administrative group and has the “Act as a part of the operating system” user right on the machine on which the Integration Service is running. The user specified in the User Name connection attribute must have the Log on as a Service user right on the machine on which the Integration Service is running.

PST Filename Optional Name of the PST file with the complete path to which connection has to be established. For example, \\ps3464\\Outlook\\Outlook.pst if the PST file is on another machine or C:\\Outlook\\Outlook.pst if the PST file is on the machine on which Integration Service is running.The PST file must be accessible from the machine where the Integration Service is running.

Trust Certificate Filename

Conditional If you choose POP3S or IMAPS protocol, enter the trust certificate file name signed by the Certification Authority. For example, E:\\Mirapoint.cer.

Connection Attribute

Required/Optional Description

Configuring an Email Server Application Connection 33

Configuring Session Conditions

When you configure an email session, select an Email Server application connection. You can also configure the following session conditions for email sources on the Mapping tab:

♦ Idle Time. Time in seconds for which the Integration Service waits to receive new email messages before it ends the session. Default is -1 and indicates an infinite period of time.

♦ Message Count. Number of messages the Integration Service reads before stopping the session. Specify a Message Count value in the session properties. Default is -1 and indicates an infinite number of messages.

♦ Reader Time Limit. Time in seconds to read emails from the source for a stipulated period of time. When you use the Reader Time Limit session condition, the Integration Service reads messages from the source for the time period you specify. After that, the Integration Service stops reading from the email source and ends the session. Default is 0 and indicates an infinite period of time.

♦ Real-time Flush Latency. Configure the session in real time. When the Real-time Flush Latency session condition is greater than 0, the session runs in real time, and the Integration Service commits retrieved email data to the target at the end of a specified maximum latency period. Default is 0 and indicates that the Integration Service does not run the session in real-time mode.

♦ Poll Interval. Time in seconds to poll the mail server for new emails after the specified time interval. Default is 10 and indicates that the Integration Service polls the mail server for new emails after an interval of 10 seconds. When you specify 0, the Integration Service continuously polls the mail server for new emails.

♦ Retrieve. Retrieves the following types of emails:

− All. Retrieves all emails from the mail folder.

− Read. Retrieves read emails from the mail folder.

− Unread. Retrieves unread emails from the mail folder.

− Recent. Retrieves emails that have arrived since the last time you accessed the mail folder on a mail server using any email client or the Integration Service.

♦ Mark Retrieved Emails As. Configure how to mark retrieved emails:

− Don’t Mark. Does not mark the retrieved emails as unread, read, or deleted.

− Read. Marks retrieved emails as read.

− Unread. Marks retrieved emails as unread.

− Deleted. Marks retrieved emails as deleted.

Tip: To avoid reading the same emails each time a session runs, configure a real-time session to retrieve unread emails and mark them as Read.


Figure 4-1 shows the session conditions:

By default, the Integration Service runs the session in non-real time mode. In real-time mode, you can configure the Retrieve and Mark Retrieved Mails As session conditions. In addition, to run the session in the real-time mode, you need to configure the following session conditions:

♦ Idle Time

♦ Message Count

♦ Reader Time Limit

♦ Real Time Flush Latency

♦ Poll Interval

By default, all emails are retrieved and they are not marked upon retrieval as read, unread, or deleted. You cannot mark retrieved emails on mail server as Read, Unread, or Deleted when a folder is opened in read-only mode.

For information about rules and guidelines for running real-time sessions, see the PowerCenter Workflow Administration Guide.

Figure 4-1. Session Conditions

Session Conditions

Configuring Session Conditions 35


A p p e n d i x A

Datatypes

This appendix includes the following topic:

♦ Datatypes, 38

37

Datatypes

PowerCenter uses the following datatypes in Email mappings:

♦ Email datatypes. Email datatypes appear in email source definitions in a mapping.

♦ Transformation datatypes. The transformation datatypes are generic datatypes that PowerCenter uses during the transformation process. They appear in all transformations in a mapping.

When the Integration Service reads data from an email source, it converts data fields to the transformation datatypes used in the Application Source Qualifier transformation.

Table A-1 lists the email and transformation datatypes that PowerCenter supports:

Table A-1. Email and Transformation Datatypes

Note: PowerCenter Connect for Email Server supports the range that is supported by PowerCenter. If the precision of the data is larger than the transformation datatype range, then the data will get truncated.

Email Datatype Range and Description Transformation Datatype Range and Description

DBinary 1 to 104,857,600 bytes binary 1 to 104,857,600 bytes

Date/Time Jan 1, 1900 to Dec 31, 9999 AD. Combined date/time value with precision to the millisecond.

date/time Jan 1, 1970 to Dec 31, 9999 AD. Combined date/time value with precision to the second.

Numeric Precision of 31 digits and scale of 0. decimal Precision of 15 digits and scale of 0

String No limit string 1 to 104,857,600 characters. Fixed-length or varying-length string

38 Appendix A: Datatypes

A p p e n d i x B

Error Messages

This appendix includes the following topic:

♦ Client Messages, 40

♦ Integration Service Messages, 41

39

Client Messages

The Designer displays messages in boxes in the output window and in the status bar, depending on the task you perform. The following error messages may appear in the message box of the PowerCenter Client when you import an email source definition.

For more information about other error messages that appear in the Designer, see the PowerCenter Troubleshooting Guide.

Connection refused.Cause: The mail server you are trying to connect to may not support the protocol.

Action: Verify that the protocol over which connection is being established is supported by the mail server.

Unknown ServerCause: The mail server you are trying to connect to either does not exist or is not

accessible from your machine. Or, the mail server you are trying to connect to may not support the protocol.

Action: Verify that the name of the mail server you want to connect to is correct and the mail server is accessible from your machine.

Valid trust certificate not found.Cause: You may not have added a valid trust certificate for the mail server to the

keystore, and you are connecting to the mail server over a secure protocol such as IMAP over SSL or POP3S.

Action: Add a valid trust certificate for this mail server to the keystore.

40 Appendix B: Error Messages

Integration Service Messages

The following error messages may appear in the session logs for an Email session. The PowerCenter Server writes error and informational messages in the session log. For information about other error messages in the session log, see the PowerCenter Troubleshooting Guide.

1007 Failed to find the PowerCenter Connect for Email Server license key.Cause: The PowerCenter license key does not contain a PowerCenter Connect for

Email Server license, or the license has expired.

Action: Contact Informatica Global Customer Support to obtain a new PowerCenter Connect for Email Server license.

1008 Failed to find the PowerCenter Connect for Email Server license key for Real-time option.

Cause: You are running the session in the real-time mode, and the PowerCenter license key does not contain a PowerCenter Connect for Email Server license for the real-time option, or the license has expired.

Action: Contact Informatica Global Customer Support to obtain a new license for the real-time option.

1016 Failed to connect to server <servername>. Reason: <reason message>.Cause: The session failed because the mail server requires a secure connection.

Action: Verify that you are connecting to the mail server using IMAP over SSL or POP3S.

-or-

Cause: The session failed because the mail server does not support the protocol.

Action: Verify that the mail server supports the protocol specified in application connection attributes.

-or-

Cause: The session failed because of a network error.

Action: Contact the system administrator.

-or-

Cause: The session failed because the mail server does not support the protocol.

Action: Verify that the mail server supports the protocol specified in the application connection attributes.

Integration Service Messages 41

1019 Failed to connect to server <servername>. Reason: Incorrect Username/Password. Login incorrect.

Cause: You may not have specified a correct user name and password.

Action: Verify that you have specified a correct user name and password.

1020 Failed to connect to server <servername>. Reason: Unknown Server Hostname.

Cause: The session failed because the mail server name or IP address is not correct.

Action: Verify that the mail server name or IP address is valid. Also, verify that the mail server is running.

1021 Failed to connect to server <servername>. Reason: Trusted Certificate not added to keystore. sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: No trusted certificate found.

Cause: The session failed, because you are connecting to the mail server with IMAP over SSL or POP3S, and there is no valid trust certificate for the mail server on the Integration Service machine.

Action: Add a valid trust certificate for this mail server. Enter a trust filename in the application connection attributes.

1050 Failed to connect to server <servername>. Reason: Unable to logon. Failed in LogonUser. Logon failure: the user has not been granted the requested logon type at this computer.

Cause: You are connecting to Microsoft Exchange Server via the “Exchange MAPI” protocol. The session failed because the mailbox user does not have “Log on as a service” user right on the machine on which the Integration Service is running.

Action: Verify that the mailbox user has the “Log on as a service” user right on the machine on which the Integration Service is running.

1050 Failed to connect to server <servername>. Reason: Unable to logon. Failed in LogonUser. A required privilege is not held by the client.

Cause: You are connecting to Microsoft Exchange Server via the “Exchange MAPI” protocol. The session failed because the Integration Service is running under the account of a user who does not have the “Act as a part of the operating system” user right on the machine.

Action: Verify that the Integration Service is running under the account of a user who has the “Act as a part of the operating system” user right on the machine on which the Integration Service is running.


1080 Failed to connect to Outlook PST file <PST filename>. Reason: Error configuring message service. Invalid password for PST File.

Cause: The session failed because the Outlook PST file is password protected and you may not have specified a correct password.

Action: Verify that you have specified a correct password for the Outlook PST file.

Integration Service Messages 43


I n d e x

Aapplication connections (Email Server)

configuring 31

DDSN for source definitions (Email Server)

creating 16

Eemail mappings (Email Server)

datatypes 38email protocols (Email Server)

HTTP 5IMAP 4IMAPS 4POP3 5POP3S 5SMTP 5

email source definition (Email Server)importing 18

error messages (Email Server)client 40Integration Service 41

Iinstalling (Email Server)

PowerCenter Connect for Email Server 10Integration Service and Email Server (Email Server)

integrating 3

Mmail servers (Email Server)

email protocols 4Messaging Application Programming Interface 5Microsoft Exchange Server 5understanding 4

Pplug-ins (Email Server)

registering 13PowerCenter and Email Server (Email Server)

integrating 3prerequisites

PowerCenter Connect for Email Server 8

Ssource definition (Email Server)

viewing 25

45

Uuninstalling (Email Server)

PowerCenter Connect for Email Server 14upgrading (Email Server)

pre-upgrade tasks 8

46 Index

Documents

PowerCenter Connect for Email Server User Guide · The Informatica PowerCenter Connect for Email Server User Guide provides information about extracting data from an email source