Which ETL tools do you have experience utilizing? Do you prefer one over the others? If so, why?
"Through my college coursework, I have been exposed to a variety of ETL tools and have experience with some of them including SAP Data Services, IBM Infosphere and SAS Data Management. Based on this experience and various industry articles I have read, I found Informatica's PowerCenter to be the most effective ETL tool because it provides a high level of flexibility when it comes to changes in the business and has also been known for its high performance rate. Flexibility and high performance rates are important attributes of an ETL tool as it guarantees that, despite changes in the business or its structure, its data operations will continue to run smoothly with the data remaining accessible."
"While working with several different ETL tools in prior jobs, I have learned that there are usually pro's and con's to each. I have experience using Microsoft SSIS, Oracle Data Integrator and Informatica PowerCenter. If I had to select one ETL tool over another, based on my experience, I would select Oracle Data Integrator. My preference is based on its higher level of performance from using a EL-T architecture. This allows the transformation stage to occur after data has been loaded on the target server thereby reducing network traffic and ultimately cost. I also find its ability to detect data issues automatically before data is loaded to be an important feature as it prevents data quality issues and maintains a higher level of efficiency in the process."
In the process of answering this question, the interviewer should be reassured that you are familiar and have experience with the ETL process. Therefore, after you list the ETL tools with which you have experience and declare your preferred one, be sure your reasons for your preference reflect your knowledge of the ETL process.
"I have experience using both PowerCenter and Oracle Warehouse Builder, but based on my experiences, prefer PowerCenter. I have found that, relative to other ETL tools, the advantages to using PowerCenter include: a single point of control which strengthened security, universal connectivity that allowed for data access and integration from several different sources and scalability that kept us ready for future increases in data needs."