In today’s fast-evolving digital landscape, businesses are rapidly transitioning from on-premise data solutions to cloud-based platforms. This shift brings numerous advantages, including greater flexibility, cost savings, and effortless scalability.

As a leader in enterprise data management, Informatica offers a robust MDM Cloud SaaS platform to meet this growing demand. Migrating from Informatica MDM on-premises to Informatica MDM Cloud SaaS unlocks new possibilities, but a smooth transition requires careful planning and execution.

In this article, we’ll explore two key aspects of Informatica MDM Cloud SaaS: the role of Trust in determining the most reliable data and the importance of Validation in ensuring data accuracy and quality.

Explain Trust and Validation in Detail

In Informatica Master Data Management (MDM) Cloud SaaS, Trust and Validation are core components used for data survivorship and data quality. These mechanisms help determine which values should be retained in the master record when multiple source records contribute to the Golden Record.

1. Trust Framework in Informatica MDM Cloud SaaS

The Trust Framework is a scoring mechanism that determines which source system's data should be trusted more when consolidating records into a Golden Record. Each source system has an assigned Trust Score, which dictates how reliable its data is compared to other sources.

Key Aspects of Trust in Informatica MDM Cloud:

• Trust Scores (Trust Levels):

Each source system is assigned a trust level (0 to 100) for different attributes (e.g., name, address, phone).

The higher the trust score, the more preference Informatica MDM gives to that source for the given attribute.

• Decay Mechanism:

1. When a more trusted source updates an attribute, the system adjusts the trust scores accordingly.
2. If a lower-trust source updates the same attribute, it may not override the Golden Record unless its trust score surpasses the existing value.

• Configuration at the Attribute Level:

1. Trust is applied at the attribute level, meaning different attributes (e.g., email, phone, address) can have different trust scores.

•Example:

• CRM system may have higher trust for customer contact details.
• ERP system may have higher trust for billing information.

Trust Overrides:

• If a high-trust source provides new data, it can override the Golden Record.

• If a lower-trust source provides new data, it will only override the Golden Record if the existing value is decayed or marked as outdated.

• If the CRM system provides an address, it will be used in the Golden Record because it has the highest Trust Score (90).

• If the Web Form updates the phone number, and its trust score (90) is higher than ERP’s (70), then MDM will update the Golden Record with the Web Form value.

2. Validation in Informatica MDM Cloud SaaS

The Validation Framework ensures that data entering the system meets quality and consistency rules before being considered for consolidation into the Golden Record.

Key Aspects of Validation in Informatica MDM Cloud:

1. Data Completeness: Ensures required fields are populated (e.g., customer

name, email, phone).

2. Data Accuracy: Uses pattern matching, reference data, or external validation

services (e.g., postal address validation).

3. Business Rules: Custom validation rules can be configured (e.g., phone

numbers must follow a certain format).

4. Duplicate Checks: Ensures that duplicate records are identified and processed

correctly.

5. Data Enrichment: Uses external data sources (e.g., Dun & Bradstreet,

Experian) to validate and enrich the data.

Validation Process:

• When a new record is ingested, it goes through Validation Rules before it is considered for the Golden Record.

• If validation fails, the record may be flagged for review, rejected, or corrected automatically.

• Once validated, the record enters the Trust Framework to determine which attributes contribute to the Golden Record.

Explain the steps and implementation of  Trust and Validation in MDM Cloud SaaS.

Trust and Validation Definition:

To implement trust and validation in Informatica Business 360, you need to configure trust settings at the column level, define validation rules based on conditions to manage data quality and reliability.

Key Steps:

1.  Understand Trust and Validation:

2.  Configure Trust Settings:

3.  Define Validation Rules:

4. Configure Trust and Validation in Business 360:

1. Understand Trust and Validation:

Trust:

Measures the relative reliability of data from different source systems, considering factors like source system, change history, and business rules.

Validation:

Checks the accuracy and completeness of data, downgrading trust for values that don't meet defined conditions.

2. Configure Trust Settings:

Enable Trust: Enable trust at the column level to measure the reliability of data.

Define Trust Levels: Specify higher trust levels for columns from more reliable source systems.

Consider Data Quality and Age: Factor in the quality and age of the data when determining trust levels.

Decay: Implement trust decay to account for how reliability decreases over time.

3. Define Validation Rules:

Identify Validation Conditions: Determine the conditions that indicate invalid data (e.g., incorrect format, missing values, inconsistent data).

Create Validation Rules: Define validation rules that downgrade trust for values that don't meet the defined conditions.

Specify Severity: Determine the severity of validation failures (e.g., error, warning).

Configure Error Messages: Define clear error messages to inform users about validation failures.

4. Configure Trust and Validation in Business 360:

Log in to Business 360 and follow the steps below to configure Trust values for the required entity and attributes.

1) Create Source System:

To create a source system, click on the New button from the Business 360, then follow the steps below

•Go to the source system

•Enter the name of the source system.

•Choose location ( Project name )

•Choose an entity.

•Click on Save.

2) Define Trust Values:

Click on business entity ( e.g. customer, product etc.)

Open the Attribute.

Click on Data Quality.

Add Trust and Validation rules.

Save and Test.

Conclusion

In Informatica MDM Cloud SaaS, Trust determines which source system's data should be used in the Golden Record, while Validation ensures that incoming data meets quality and business rules. Together, they improve data reliability, accuracy, and governance within the MDM ecosystem.

By using Informatica’s tools and following these steps, you can easily manage data indexing, verify data loads, and ensure accurate and high-performance data in the cloud.

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