Having had a look at data flows and the roles that KMs play within them, let's now dig a bit deeper into the make-up of the primary data flow component—an interface.
The interface component in ODI defines the following data flow properties:
The destination datastore for the data (the target). This will be chosen from an ODI model.
The datastores that supply the input data (the sources). These too will be chosen from ODI models.
The transformations that are applied to the data during the transition from sources to target (the mappings). These are expressed in SQL.
The physical transfer mechanisms that are used between sources and target (the flow). We have already seen that this role is performed by the Knowledge Modules.
The first two of these properties specify what we want to achieve in the interface. The flow specifies how it will be achieved.
