Eric Johnson

Calling Child Packages in SSIS

ejohnson2010 — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:48:00 GMT

Calling an SSIS package from another SSIS package is, on the surface, a simple task. You just use the Execute Package Task and point it to a package on a SQL Server or somewhere in the file system, as shown below. It is pretty simply right? But what if...(read more)

Virtual Classes

ejohnson2010 — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 20:50:18 GMT

I have two online classes starting on November 1st that I recorded on the SSWUG.org vClass platform. The first is “Introduction to SQL Server Replication” and is a 12 session class on all things replication. Cost is $199……for more information or to register,...(read more)

The SSIS Pivot Transformation

ejohnson2010 — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:47:00 GMT

The Pivot transformation is one of the most useful transformations in SSIS, and also the biggest pain to configure. It comes with one editor, the Advanced Editor, so no pretty GUI here. Let’s walk though an example and hopefully it will help you learn...(read more)

TSQL TRY…CATCH

ejohnson2010 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:46:00 GMT

Transact-SQL is a great language for data manipulation, but it has its weaknesses. Unlike “real programming languages” T-SQL is confined to procedural code. Sure, you can build “modules” by using stored procedures and functions, but for the most part,...(read more)

Working with Text Data Sources

ejohnson2010 — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT

A common source for SSIS packages is the flat file. These are just plain text files that are delimited by some character such as a comma, pipe, or tab. The problem is when you connect SSIS to a flat file it assumes a few things about the file, specifically...(read more)

Data Conversion in SSIS

ejohnson2010 — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:43:17 GMT

When it comes to converting data from one type to another in SSIS, you have a few choices of methods. We are going to look at a few options and discuss the differences. With all of these, we are assuming that the input data type is compatible with the...(read more)

SSIS Virtual Class

ejohnson2010 — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:54:39 GMT

I recorded a Virtual SSIS Class with the good folks over at SSWUG and the first airing of the class will by May 15th. This is 100% online so you can do it on your own time and from anywhere. The class will run monthly and I will be available for questions...(read more)

Getting Dynamic in SSIS Queries

ejohnson2010 — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:00:00 GMT

When you start working with SQL Server and SSIS, it isn’t long before you find yourself wishing you could change bits of SQL queries dynamically. Most commonly, I see people that want to change the date portion of a query so that you can limit your query...(read more)

New T-SQL Functionality in SQL Server 2008

ejohnson2010 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:00:00 GMT

In my most recent posts I have looked at a few of the new features offered in T-SQL in SQL Server 2008. In this post, I want to take a closer look at some of the smaller additions, but additions that are likely to pack a big punch in terms of efficiency....(read more)

Script Data in SQL Server 2008

ejohnson2010 — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Here is a feature that I have been waiting for since I started working with SQL Server 6.5; the ability to script the data from a table. When you deploy a SQL Server database, you often need to include data in several tables. This can be for lookup values,...(read more)

SQL Server 2008's MERGE Statement

ejohnson2010 — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:00:00 GMT

SQL Server 2008 provided us with some new T-SQL syntax; one of those that I am most excited about is the new MERGE statement. Gone are the days of IF....THEN logic to decide whether a row needs to be inserted, updated, or deleted. The MERGE allows you...(read more)

Using SQL Server 2008's EXCEPT and INTERSECT Statements

ejohnson2010 — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:29:06 GMT

SQL Server 2008 shipped with several enhancements to the T-SQL language. In a recent blog, we looked at the new MERGE syntax; today we are going to look at the new EXCEPT and INTERSECT syntax. Both of these operators allow you to compare results of two...(read more)

The Trouble with SSIS Sorting

ejohnson2010 — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Many SSIS transformations, such as the Pivot and the Data Profiling Tasks, require that the data being fed into them be sorted. Without first sorting, some transformations will throw an error and not run, while others will run but the results will not...(read more)

Understanding the SSIS Package Protection Level

ejohnson2010 — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:46:05 GMT

One property of all SSIS packages that you must understand is the ProtectionLevel. This property tells SSIS how to handle sensitive information stored within your packages. Most commonly this is a password stored in a connection string. Why is this information...(read more)

Troubleshooting a Failed Maintenance Plan

ejohnson2010 — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:20:40 GMT

I recently ran into an odd little problem with a Maintenance Plan that I wanted to share. I had a plan that was running the Check Database Integrity Task that suddenly started failing. Nothing about the databases had changed and if you ran a manually...(read more)