Ever since I started writing SSIS packages back in 2004 I have opted to store configurations in .dtsConfig (.i.e. XML) files rather than in a SQL Server table (aka SQL Server Configurations) however recently I inherited some packages that used SQL Server Configurations and thus had to immerse myself in their murky little world. To all the people ...

Just finished giving the SSIS High-Performance Dimensional Data Load presentation at SQLSaturday #59 NYC.  Here are the slides in PDF format.  I'll upload the Try-N-Save code and sample data later for attendees to play with. Thanks to everyone who attended my session and thanks to Melissa D. and NJSQL for putting this ...

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, click here: http://www.vconferenceonline.com/event/home.aspx?id=107 The second class is ...

New Jersey SQL Server User Group (NJSQL) is bringing SQLSaturday #39 to NYC on April 24, 2010!  The free all-day training event will be hosted by Microsoft at their Midtown Manhattan offices.  The speaker line-up is growing fast—if you'd like to present, visit the event's open call for speakers.  This is a free full-day ...

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 be as expected. The answer is to sort the data before it is fed into the transformation; the ...

I ran into an issue the other day and I needed a solution for automically configuring my SSIS packages from securely stored DBMS connection strings. Problem is that most DBMSs don’t support Integrated Authentication—they require a username and password. Storing the username/password combo in the connection string in plain text is a security risk, ...

According to numerous sources - most recently a SQL Server Magazine article entitled Too Soon for SQL Server 2008? Readers Say ''Yes!'' - a lot of SQL Server customers are holding off upgrading to SQL Server 2005, preferring to wait for the upcoming release of SQL Server 2008. While I understand the economics, I worry about the ...