Tools Evolution

[shiva459]

Hello,

I want convince the client in choosing DataStage Vs Informatica. The way they want is evolution of DataStage and Informatica from their earlier versions ( in past 6-7 years). We all know how DataStage evolved rapidly in past 3-4 years adding new features,adding parallel engine and all the new tranformations (Stages) we have today. I have experience of working with Informatica as well and see that there has been no drastic changes compared to DataStage in past few years. Did any one do any such analysis in terms of evolution, bench marking, ease of use etc?.
I am looking for a document which I can use as a base and add onto it.

Thanks

[chulett]

Probably worth your time to check out Vincent McBurney's blogs over at ITToolbox. This link should get you started. I recall a series of posts there on the past, present and future of DataStage, plus other goodness including much insight into the latest release...

[vmcburney]

There have been some big changes in Informatica:
- Buying Similarity Systems and getting a data quality tool and profiling tool.
- Adding Push-Down optimisation.
- Adding parallel processing capability (but is it as good as DataStages?)
- Big move into Saas, eg. the Salesforce.com connector.
- Superglue metadata gets rebranded as a Powercenter reporting product.
- OEM arrangement on EII.
- Acquires an unstructured text integration and analysis vendor.

It's hard to keep track of all of it. I compared the two vendor suites in this post:
Informatica v IBM Information Server - the sweet suite comparison.

The big issue for Informatica is they are not as well integrated as IBM on the Information Server, they will take time to fully integrate products they bought in the last two years. Then again IBM is not as well integrated as they would like, they still need to "join the dots" on some products.

Forget benchmarking - you will never get an accurate test. Whoever sets up the test inevitably tilts it in favour of one vendor. Just look at the never ending Oracle v SQL Server evals and benchmarks.

I suspect - without having any benchmark results - that the fastest ETL tools on the market are Ab Initio followed by DataStage EE followed by Informatica. Ab was the first parallel tool, DataStage wisely bought a tool built to be parallel from the ground up, Informatica had to convert Powercenter to a parallel tool.

For ease of use I would pick DataStage first but then I'm baised!

[sanjay]

Hi

Datastage doesn't have Push-Down optimisation feature .


Sanjay

There have been some big changes in Informatica:
- Buying Similarity Systems and getting a data quality tool and profiling tool.
- Adding Push-Down optimisation.
- Adding parallel processing capability (but is it as good as DataStages?)
- Big move into Saas, eg. the Salesforce.com connector.
- Superglue metadata gets rebranded as a Powercenter reporting product.
- OEM arrangement on EII.
- Acquires an unstructured text integration and analysis vendor.

It's hard to keep track of all of it. I compared the two vendor suites in this post:
Informatica v IBM Information Server - the sweet suite comparison.

The big issue for Informatica is they are not as well integrated as IBM on the Information Server, they will take time to fully integrate products they bought in the last two years. Then again IBM is not as well integrated as they would like, they still need to "join the dots" on some products.

Forget benchmarking - you will never get an accurate test. Whoever sets up the test inevitably tilts it in favour of one vendor. Just look at the never ending Oracle v SQL Server evals and benchmarks.

I suspect - without having any benchmark results - that the fastest ETL tools on the market are Ab Initio followed by DataStage EE followed by Informatica. Ab was the first parallel tool, DataStage wisely bought a tool built to be parallel from the ground up, Informatica had to convert Powercenter to a parallel tool.

For ease of use I would pick DataStage first but then I'm baised!