Difference between Informatica version 6 and version 5:

1. Sorter transformation is a new feature introduced in version 6.

2. Server Manager is replaced by Workflow Manager and Workflow Monitor
3. Dynamic caching is possible in Version 6
4. Repository Manager Console and Workflow Monitor were added.
5. Repository increase in size.
6. Heterogeneous target.
7. Flat file target creation
8. Batches replaced by workflows
9. Event wait, Event raise, email, command etc
10. Multiple SQ in Mapplets
11. Abort task
12. Workflow log
13. DB2 external loader, teradata Tpump utility

Difference between Informatica version 7 and version 6:

1. Versioning
2. Data profiling
3. Support for 64 bit processor (UNIX)
4. PowerCenter Grid
5. Lookup on flat file, Union, Custom transformation
6. Sorted input for transformations
7. Joiner on heterogeneous sources
8. Join same source using different pipelines
9. Revert to saved, view dependencies, validate multiple objects

Difference between Informatica version 8 and version 7:

1. PowerCenter Connect for IBM MQ Series, JMS, SAP NetWeaver mySAP, SAP
BW, PowerCenter Metadata Manager(SuperGlue) for connections to Cognos, BO
reporting, PowerCenter Data Analyzer
2. WebServices Hub
3. Installation and configuration in graphical and online administration console
mode.
4. Pushdown optimization. You can use an SQL override when you configure a
session for source-side or full pushdown optimization. The Integration Service
creates a view in the source database to perform the SQL override. It runs an
SQL query against this view to process transformation logic that can be pushed to
the source database.
5. Viewing check out-time in repository objects as far as versioning objects is
concerned.
6. PowerCenter 8.1 adds support for the following application servers: JBoss 4.0.2
and IBM WebSphere Network Deployment Edition 5.1.1.5
7. You can install Data Analyzer or Metadata Manager on the IBM WebSphere or
BEA WebLogic application servers.
8. You can use the infaupgrade command line program to upgrade PowerCenter
8.0 to PowerCenter 8.1.
9. If you have high availability, the Integration Service can recover terminated tasks
while a workflow is running. Configure the number of recovery attempts before
the Integration Service terminates the workflow.
10. The infacmd and infasetup command line programs contain new commands to
support grids, nodes, and multiple domains, plus new command options to
support the domain configuration database. On UNIX, you no longer need to
escape non-alphanumeric characters with a backslash.
11. The infacmd and infasetup command line programs contain new commands to
support grids, nodes, and multiple domains, plus new command options to
support the domain configuration database. On UNIX, you no longer need to
escape non-alphanumeric characters with a backslash.
12. New Java transformation in version 8