Configurations in SSIS are a lovely tool that when implemented correctly can greatly reduce package maintenance. It is very possible to over configure a package, so be sure that you only do what you need to in order to make life easier. Sometimes too much configuration can equal confusion. So the big questions, what is a configuration, when should I use it and how do I use it. Let’s...
I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended the webinar from Pragmatic Works (website) that I did on Tuesday. If you missed it the topic was Dynamic SSIS: Configurations, Expressions and Variables. I got a lot of good feedback from people who attended saying it was helpful. It’s always nice to know that someone got something out of a session. I know I said I was going to be...
If you were able to make it out to SQL Saturday in Pensacola this past weekend I want to say a big thank you! We had a great time at a very successful event. I was able to help out a little and take on an extra session from Julie (Twitter | Website) who wasn’t feeling well and was unable to make it down from Atlanta. One of the three sessions that I presented on was Dynamic SSIS where we...
Checkpoints in SSIS are a great tool and they definitely have their place. The downside to them is that they are not so good when you start talking about parallel processes or containers. What follows is a little bit of information and words of caution toward some situations where you may want to use this handy feature. Let’s begin with parallel processes. A while back Devin Knight wrote...
There is an issue with script tasks in SSIS 2005 that could come up occasionally. It is generally an issue that shows up in a 64-bit environment where the script can’t be pre-compiled. The error that will show up states that “The task is configured to pre-compile the script, but binary code is not found.” There is not a fix for this inside SSIS as you can’t set the script to Pre-compile false...
SSIS packages need to have the ability to be dynamic. To an extent we are able to accomplish this through the use of Configuration Files, Execute SQL tasks with results written to variables and even the use of the script task. One great way to make an SSIS connection manager dynamic is through the use of Expressions. Kyle Walker recently posted a blog here on BIDN about setting the location of...
Executing an SSIS package from within a stored procedure is not an uncommon request. People sometimes scratch their head when it comes to figuring out if that package ran successfully or not though. There may be a process that runs a stored procedure and kicks off a certain SSIS package depending on the situation. Maybe there are parameters that were used in the stored procedure that need to...
When running packages that contain executable and batch files you may sometimes come across an issue where you need to confirm that you want to open the file. This can cause an issue if you run the package unattended. Obviously, this is a security precaution that is built into the many of the newer versions of windows.You have to authenticate sessions, run as administrator, and confirm that you...
This past week I ran into an issue where I needed to use a .dbf destination in my SSIS package. All was going well; I set up the destination and pressed the preview button to make sure everything was great, and BOOM! Blew up in my face. Not cool. So if you happen to be having issues setting up a connection for a .DBF here is what you need to do. Use the Native OLE DBMicrosoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB...
The first step in setting up a report server is getting Reporting Services installed. There are a few differences between the process for 2005 and 2008. On the installation side, if you do not have the IIS setting configured before running the SQL install process you will not even be given the option to install reporting services in 2005. You still have the option even without setting up IIS...
Bradley Schacht is a Principal Program Manager on the Microsoft Fabric product team based in Jacksonville, FL. Bradley is a former consultant, trainer, and has authored 5 SQL Server and Power BI books, most recently the Microsoft Power BI Quick Start Guide. As a member of the Microsoft Fabric product team, Bradley works directly with customers to solve some of their most complex data problems and helps shape the future of Microsoft Fabric. He frequently presents at community events around the country, is a contributor to sites such as SQLServerCentral.com, and is a member of the Jacksonville SQL Server User Group (JSSUG).