SQL Server Integration Service 2008

What is SSIS?

SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)- Microsoft Platform for developers to Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) packages along with other automation tasks.
SSIS contains graphical tools and wizards for building and debugging packages( consistent with Visual Studio IDE). SSIS is a replaces of Data Transformation Services (DTS).

SSIS Tools

Wizards SQL Server Import and Export Wizard Package Migration Wizard SSIS Designer built into the BI Development Studio and is the main surface for package development. Command-prompt utilities Dtexec (run an existing package at the command prompt ) Dtutil (manage existing packages at the command prompt)

SSIS Development Environment

SSIS Projects:

Data Sources Data Source Views SSIS Packages:

Control flow

Tasks Loops, sequences and events Variables and scoping Precedence constraints

Connections Manager Data flow

Source and destination adapters Transformations Multiple sources with joins and unions Multiple destinations with splits and multicast

Packages

Collection of tasks which are executed in an orderly fashion by the run time engine. It is a unit of work which is Retrieved, executed and saved. Its an XML file , which can be either saved in Sql Server or in an file system. Can be executed by SQL Server Agent DTEXEC Or DTEXECUTil (Command line utility bundled with SSIS to execute a package, another similar one is DTEXECUI which has the GUI).

Control Flow and Tasks

Main Workflow of the package.

Dictates the sequence of execution of the package.

SSIS provides three types of control flow elements: Task is a processing unit responsible for performing a designated step, such as running T-SQL Command, launching an external process, handling a file system operation and so on. Containers groups and organize tasks logically. Precedence constraints connect containers or tasks into one control flow depending on the outcome of an upstream task.

Containers

Precedence Constraints
Success
Complete

Failure

Connection Managers

SSIS uses connection managers to integrate different data sources into packages.

Data Flow

The most important task for moving the data from source to destination.
It is a buffer oriented Architecture.

Created by using different types of data flow elements including: Sources that extract data. Transformations that modify data. Destinations that load data. Data Paths that connect the outputs and inputs of data flow components into a data flow.

Event Handling and Logging

During runtime, events are raised by the containers and tasks. Event Handlers perform following tasks: Clean up temporary data storage when a package or task finishes. Refresh data in a table when a lookup reference table fails. Send an email when an error or warning occurs.

Logging

SQL Server Integration Services includes log providers that you can use to implement logging in packages, containers, and tasks. Logging captures runtime information about the package. Log Providers Text File Log Provider. SQL Server Profiler Log Provider. SQL Server Log Provider. XML File log Provider. Windows Event Log Provider.

Contd..

Elements in the log Schema:

Computer- The name of the computer on which the log event occurred. Operator - The identity of the user who launched the package SourceName -The name of the container or task in which the log event occurred SourceID - The unique identifier of the package; the For Loop, Foreach Loop, or Sequence container; or the task in which the log event occurred. ExecutionID - The GUID of the package execution instance. MessageText - A message associated with the log entry. Data Bytes- A byte array specific to the log entry. The meaning of this field varies by log entry.

Transactions

SSIS Container types can be configured to use transaction. Three Options for configuring transactions:

Supported joins any transaction started by the parent container. Not Supported does not join or start a transaction. Required Starts a transaction, unless one is already started by the parent. If transaction exists, it joins the existing one.

Checkpoints

SSIS can restart failed packages from the point where it stopped, instead of running the whole package.
The information about the package execution is written in a checkpoint file. Checkpoint file restarts the package from the point of failure. A package can be restarted only at the Control Flow Level. A package cannot be restarted in the middle of the data flow.

Configuring a package to restart

The following table lists the package properties that you set to implement checkpoints.

The CheckpointUsage property can be set to the following values: Never Always IfExists

Variables

SSIS supports two types of variables: system and user-defined.

User-defined variables can be used in many ways in SSIS: in scripts; in the expressions used by precedence constraints, the For Loop container, the Derived Column transformation, and the Conditional Split transformation; and in the property expressions that update property values.

Usage Scenarios

Property Expressions Data Flow expressions Precedence constraint Expressions Parameters and Return codes For Loop Package Configuration Script tasks

Package Debugging

Control flow Breakpoints Debug window Watch window

Data flow Data viewer Row counts

Deploying the packages

SSIS contains a feature called Package Deployment Utility which allows to assemble the SSIS packages, configurations and supporting files to deployment folder and builds an executable file.

Package Installer Wizard