Differences in Informatica versions

Here are new enchancements done in 8.6 ( i just copied from the help manual)
Administration Console
Generate and upload node diagnostics. You can use the Administration Console generate node diagnostics for a node and upload them to the Configuration Support Manager onhttp://my.informatica.com. In the Configuration Support Manager, you can diagnose issues in your Informatica environment and maintain details of your configuration. For more information, see the PowerCenter Administrator Guide.
Command Line Programs
New pmrep command. The pmrep command line program includes a new command, MassUpdate. Use MassUpdate to update a set of sessions based on specified conditions. For more information, see the PowerCenter Command Reference.
Deployment Groups
Non-versioned repository. You can create and edit deployment groups and copy deployment groups to non-versioned repositories. You can copy deployment groups between versioned and non-versioned repositories. When you copy a dynamic deployment group, the Repository Service converts it to a static deployment group. For a non-versioned repository, if the objects in the deployment group exist in the target repository, the deployment operation deletes the existing objects and creates new objects.
Execute Deployment Groups privilege. The Execute Deployment Groups privilege enables you to copy a deployment group without the write permission on target folders. You still need read permission on the source folders and execute permission on the deployment group to copy the deployment group.
Post-deployment validation. Validate the target repository after you copy a deployment group to verify that the objects and dependent objects are valid.
For more information, see the PowerCenter Repository Guide.
Domains
Mixed-version domain. You can run multiple application service versions in a mixed-version domain. Run a mixed-version domain to manage services of multiple versions or to upgrade services in a phased manner. In a mixed-version domain, you can create and run 8.6 and 8.6.1 versions of the Repository Service, Integration Service, and the Web Services Hub.
The application service version appears on the Properties tab of application services in the domain. If you run a mixed-version domain, you can filter the versions of services that you want to view in the Navigator.
License Management Report. Monitors the number of software options purchased for a license and the number of times a license exceeds usage limits. The License Management Report displays the license usage information such as CPU and repository usage and the node configuration details. For more information, see the PowerCenter Administrator Guide.
For more information, see the PowerCenter Administrator Guide.
Integration Service
External Loading
IBM DB2 EE external loader. The IBM DB2 EE external loader can invoke the db2load95 executable located in the Integration Service installation directory. If the IBM DB2 client version 9.5 is installed on the machine where the Integration Service process runs, specify the db2load95 executable when you create the external loader connection.
Partitioning
Oracle subpartition support. PowerCenter supports Oracle sources that use composite partitioning. If you use dynamic partitioning based on the number of source partitions in a session with a subpartitioned Oracle source, the Integration Service sets the number of partitions to the total number of subpartitions at the source.
Pushdown Optimization
Pushdown compatible connections. When a transformation processes data from multiple connections, the Integration Service can push the transformation logic to the source or target database if the connections are pushdown compatible. Two connections are pushdown compatible if they connect to databases on the same database management system and the Integration Service can unambiguously identify the database tables that the connections access.
Connection objects are always pushdown compatible with themselves. Additionally, some relational connections are pushdown compatible if they are of the same database type and have certain identical connection properties.
Subquery support. The Integration Service can produce SQL statements that contain subqueries. This allows it to push transformations in certain sequences in a mapping to the source or target when the session is configured for source-side or full pushdown optimization.
Netezza support. You can push transformation logic to Netezza sources and targets that use ODBC connections.
Real-time
JMS resiliency. Sessions that fail with JMS connection errors are now resilient if recovery is enabled. You can update the pmjmsconnerr.properties file which contains a list of messages that define JMS connection errors.
Streaming XML. You can configure the Integration Service to stream XML data between a JMS or WebSphere MQ source and the XML Parser transformation. When the Integration Service streams XML data, it splits the data into multiple segments. You can configure a smaller input port in the XML Parser transformation and reduce the amount of memory that the XML Parser transformation requires to process large XML files.
Synchronized dynamic cache. You can configure multiple real-time sessions to access the same lookup source table. Each session has a Lookup transformation that shares the lookup source with the other sessions. When one session generates data and updates the lookup source, then each session can update its own cache with the same information.
Metadata Manager
Business glossary. You can create business terms organized by category in a business glossary and add the business terms to metadata objects in the Metadata Manager metadata catalog. Use a business glossary to add business terms to the technical metadata in the metadata catalog. You can import and export business glossaries using Microsoft Excel. For more information, see the Metadata Manager Business Glossary Guide.
User interface. The Browse page in Metadata Manager contains the Catalog, Business Glossary, and Shortcuts views. Use the views to browse and view details about metadata objects, categories and business terms, and shortcuts in Metadata Manager. In addition, the Details section contains a single view of all properties for metadata objects and business terms. For more information, see the Metadata Manager User Guide.
Resources. Metadata Manager added the following resources:
- ERwin. Extract logical models from ERwin.
- Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition. Extract metadata from OBIEE.
For more information, see the Metadata Manager Administrator Guide.
Metadata Manager Service. You can configure an associated Reference Table Manager Service to view reference tables from the Metadata Manager business glossary. For more information, see the PowerCenter Administrator Guide.
Load Monitor. The Load Monitor updates the current status and load events and contains summary information for objects, links, and errors as you load a resource. It also displays session statistics for PowerCenter workflows.
Error messages. Metadata Manager includes improved error messages to display the cause of errors when you create and configure resources.
Data lineage. You can publish a complete data lineage diagram to a Microsoft Excel file. For more information, see the Metadata Manager User Guide.
Migrate custom resource templates. You can migrate custom resource templates between Metadata Manager instances. For more information, see the Metadata Manager Custom Metadata Integration Guide.
Object Relationships Wizard. Use the Object Relationships Wizard to create relationships by matching metadata objects by any property. You can also use the Object Relationships Wizard to create relationships between categories and business terms to technical metadata in the metadata catalog. For more information, see the Metadata Manager User Guide.
PowerExchange (PowerCenter Connect)
PowerExchange for Netezza
Parameters and variables. You can use parameters and variables for the Null Value, Escape Character, and Delimiter session properties.
PowerExchange for SAP NetWeaver
Row-level processing. The Integration Service can process each row of an outbound IDoc according to the IDoc metadata and pass it to a downstream transformation. Row-level processing can increase session performance.
Viewing ABAP program information. You can view ABAP program information for all mappings in the repository folder.
PowerExchange for Web Services
Importing WSDLs with orchestration. You can import a WSDL file generated by orchestration as a web service source, target, or transformation.
Reference Table Manager
Support for default schema for Microsoft SQL Server 2005. When you create a connection to a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 database, the Reference Table Manager connects to the default schema of the user account provided for the connection.
Code page for import and export file. When you import data from external reference files into Reference Table Manager, you can set the code page for the external file. When you export data from Reference Table Manager, you can set the code page for the export file.
Repository and Repository Services
Upgrade Services
Upgrade services to the latest version. You can use the Upgrade Services tab to upgrade the Repository Service and its dependent services to the latest version. For more information, see the PowerCenter Administrator Guide.
Transformations
Data Masking
Expression masking. You can create an expression in the Data Masking transformation to mask a column.
Key masking. You can configure key masking for datetime values. When you configure key masking for a datetime column, the Data Masking transformation returns deterministic data.
Parameterizing seed values. You can use a mapping parameter to define a seed value when you configure key masking. If the parameter is not valid, the Integration Service uses a default seed value from the defaultValue.xml file.
Masking Social Security numbers. You can mask a Social Security number in any format that includes nine digits. You can configure repeatable masking for Social Security numbers.
Company Names Sample Data. The Data Masking installation includes a flat file that contains company names. You can configure a Lookup transformation to retrieve random company names from the file.
Web Services Hub
Web service security. The Web Services Hub security for protected web services is based on the OASIS web service security standards. By default, WSDLs generated by the Web Services Hub for protected web services contain a security header with the UsernameToken element. The web service client request can use plain text, hashed password, or digested password security. For more information, see the PowerCenter Web Services Provider Guide.