1. SSIS Templates, Configurations & Variables
Daniel Bowlin MCITP
SSIS Templates, Configurations & Variables

2. A little about me SQL data warehouse developer with Time Warner Cable
Founder of the Capital Area SQL Server User Group in Albany NY
Certified in the MS SQL Server BI stack
About 15 years working with SQL Server and 4 years specialized in the BI Stack
I blog on

3. Opening Credits
I first learned about management frameworks and templates from two sources:
SQL Server 2008 Integration Services, Problem-Design-Solution
Most code presented is from this book
Andy Leonard

4. What is a Management Framework?
Standardized development methods
Metadata (configuration) change management
VERY useful for moving through environments
Package management and auditing
Reusability
Package template
Helps reduce development time

5. Management Framework Components
Logging mechanism
Package start & finish
Individual task start & finish
Package/task errors
Variable value changes
Optional ETL components
Source vs. Target row count comparisons
Standard deviation comparisons over time
Additional ETL logging components

6. Logging Mechanisms
A task that will log the start of a package using Execute SQL Task, a stored procedure, and some package values
A task to log the completion of the package, same as start.
Event handlers to log events in your packages execution

7. Logging Mechanisms Event handlers OnError logging for the package
OnPreExecute for tasks
OnPostExecute for tasks
OnVariableValueChanged

8. Management Framework Components
Common connections
Database
Mail
Configuration management of
Connectors
Configurable variables
Package template to pull it all together

9. Package Template
A Package Template is the component that puts all the other components in one spot.
Stored in (2008)
Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE\PrivateAssemblies\ProjectItems\DataTransformationProject\DataTransformationItems
Accessed from an SSIS Project
Right click Project>>Add>>New Item

10. Template Demo
Review the components of template.

11. Package Configurations
Package configurations are like any config file.
They help define the parameters used to run a program/package.
Typically Name – Value pairs
Can be different in different environments
Can be manipulated during package execution
Parent Package configurations

12. Package Configurations
Framework configurations contain 3 components
An environment variable
An XML File
A SQL Server database table.

13. Package Configurations
The environment variable is pretty simple it is just a name value pair pointing to your XML file.
System Applet in Control Panel Advanced Settings >> Environment Variables >> System Variables >> New
Name: SSIS_Config_File
Value: Path to XML File

14. Package Configurations
XML File contains the connection information to the database

15. Package Configurations
Database contains a table with all the configuration values the package will need.
Dbo. SSIS Configurations

16. Package Configurations
The configuration table can contain property settings for:
Variables
Event Handlers
Connection Managers
Package properties
Executable components

17. Package Configurations

18. Package Configurations
A few notes
The configuration entry pointing to the Environment variable should be at the top of your configurations.
The environment is read from the computer that calls the task.
Tests using a local copy of SSMS may produce misleading results

19. Package Configurations
Parent Package Configurations
Allow a parent package to control the any configuration value of a child package.
Can direct the child package to behave differently depending on the value of the configuration variables passed from the parent.

20. Configurations Demo Demo configurations Add a new connection
Make the new connection a configuration
Run a sample package
Change configuration
Rerun sample package

21. Development Standards
Every shop should have development standards and stick to them
Naming conventions
ProjectName_PackageName
ProjectName_PackageName_VariableName
Parent_VariableName
Conn_DatabaseName (no server name)
Deployment standards
Promote to production standards
Templates and configurations help keep things consistent.
Annotate

22. Variable development & use
Along with configurations, variables can build a lot of flexibility into your packages
Any value that you think might change at any time in the future should be put in a variable and given a configuration.
Date ranges (in days ago)
Distribution lists

23. Variable development & use
Variables are useful for
Full queries
Open query development
Storing values retrieved from a db for use elsewhere in your package.
In ETL processes I consider variables for row counts a necessity.
Error handling management
Error counters
Max error count.

24. Variable development & use
Variables can be used to manage program flow in precedence constraints.
Variables are limited in their use only by your imagination, time for development, and flexibility needs.
A cool thing about variables is that they can have configurations as well

25. Variable development & use
Show a few samples of variable use

26. Review Management Framework & framework components
Logging and Auditing
Template packages
Package Configurations
Development standards
Variable use

27. Questions
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