Or SSIS 2012? SSRS 2012? SSAS 2012? There’s no substitute for getting your hands on the product, in my opinion. I can hear you thinking, “But Andy, I can’t afford to purchase a copy of SQL Server 2012.” Are you sure? What if I told you that you can get a full-feature version of SQL Server 2012 Enterprise Edition for $50? Well, you cannot… it’s ...

This is a heads-up for anyone doing development on SSIS. On my current project where we are implementing a SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) 2012 solution we recently encountered a situation where we were unable to deploy any of our projects even though we had successfully deployed in the past. Any attempt to use the deployment wizard ...

I am honored to present Using BIML as an SSIS Design Patterns Engine to the Ohio North SQL Server User Group 1 May 2012! This presentation is based on one of my favorite chapters in the upcoming book: SSIS Design Patterns scheduled for release this summer. If you find yourself in the Cleveland area on the evening of 1 May, please drop by and ...

I am installing SQL Server 2012 Evaluation Edition on a virtual machine as I type. You can do this. Here’s one way: Grab some virtual machine software. I like Oracle VirtualBox. It’s cool. It’s free. Install VirtualBox. Download the 180-day free trial of Windows Server 2008 R2. Also cool. Also free. Once Windows ...

I have been poking around idly in the RC0 release of SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) 2012 and noticed a few nice enhancements that hadn’t really hit the newsstands as yet (well, I didn’t know about them anyway). Here is a quick rundown: Expression is viewable in the Variables window Fairly self-explanatory this one. If a variable ...

Over the past year or so I have written at length about the SSIS Catalog that will be provided in the upcoming version of SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS 2012) and the capabilities that it will bring; one of the biggest benefits (in my opinion) is that logging is now something that is taken care of on your behalf. Many SSIS developers have ...

I am honored to present “Building Your First SSIS Package in SQL Server 2012” at the NJ SQL Server User Group Tuesday, 21 Feb 2012 starting at 6:00 PM! If you read this blog and will be in the area, please stop by and introduce yourself! I’m the fat guy with a fu. :{>

My mind was wandering today after reading Andy Leonard's excellent post Name Those Connections and it occurred to me that due to SQL Server 2012 including an SSIS Server there may be an opportunity to leverage Policy-Based Management (PBM) for ensuring adherance to an organisation's best practises around SSIS development. I have absolutely no idea ...

I am honored to present Building Your First SSIS 2012 Package to the Madison Professional Association for SQL Server (MADPass) Wednesday, 25 Jan 2012! If you read this blog and will be in the Madison, Wisconsin area Wednesday, stop by and introduce yourself! I’m the fat guy with a fu. :{>

One of the biggest complaints I see developers raising about SSIS since it was released in 2005 is that the only way to debug Script Components is the distinctly simplistic and old fashioned method of sticking up message boxes - there is no way to step through the code as it executes (something that Microsoft developers have ...