In Informatica Cloud, which element can limit the flow of rows through a mapping?

The Filter Transformation is utilized within Informatica Cloud to limit the flow of rows through a mapping based on specified conditions. It operates by evaluating each row against the defined filter expression and only passing those rows that meet the criteria forward in the data flow. This capability is crucial for data quality and efficiency, allowing users to narrow down data sets before they undergo further processing or analysis.

When you employ a Filter Transformation, you can significantly reduce the volume of data that needs to be processed downstream, which can enhance performance and focus on relevant data. The ability to set specific conditions ensures that only the necessary data is retained for subsequent transformations or loading into targets, making the overall workflow more efficient.

In contrast, the other transformations serve different purposes. The Joiner Transformation merges data from multiple sources; the Aggregator Transformation is used to perform calculations on groups of data, such as summing values or counting records; and the Lookup Transformation retrieves data from a reference dataset based on a key value. While these transformations are vital for various data manipulation tasks, they do not inherently limit the flow of rows in the same way that the Filter Transformation does.