For an instructor lead, in-depth look at learning SQL click below.
SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is an integral part of Microsoft SQL Server, designed to perform a wide range of integration, migration and data transformation tasks. If you’re new to SSIS, this post will introduce you to its basic concepts and capabilities, and show you how to use this powerful tool with examples of SQL code.
What is SSIS?
SSIS, or SQL Server Integration Services, is a Microsoft SQL Server DBMS component that can be used for a variety of data migration tasks. It is a platform for data integration and workflow applications. Think of it as a tool that you can use to automate the maintenance of SQL Server databases and update multidimensional cube data.
Understanding Basic SSIS Concepts
SSIS includes a rich set of built-in tasks that you can use to develop comprehensive ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) procedures. These tasks can be used to manage SQL Server objects, execute SQL statements, download files, send emails, and perform a variety of other functions. A SSIS package, the primary unit of work that SSIS performs, can combine any number of these tasks to accomplish complex data migration and transformation processes.
Example of a basic SQL statement
|
1 2 3 |
SELECT * FROM Customers |
Key Components of SSIS
At its most basic, an SSIS package consists of one or more tasks and containers, organized into a control flow. For complex operations, tasks can be grouped into a sequence container, which will run all the tasks it contains as a group.
Example of a task in SQL
|
1 2 3 4 5 |
UPDATE Customers SET ContactName = 'Alfred Schmidt', City= 'Frankfurt' WHERE CustomerID = 1; |
Most Common Uses of SSIS
The power of SSIS comes from its versatility. It can be used for simple data import and export tasks, or complex transformations involving multiple data sources and destinations. It can also be used to automate many database management tasks, like updating data in a database based on a set of criteria, or cleaning a database of outdated or redundant data.
SQL Code for Deleting Old Data
|
1 2 3 4 |
DELETE FROM Orders WHERE OrderDate < '2000-01-01'; |
Summary
SSIS is a powerful tool that can simplify your SQL Server data integration, migration and transformation tasks. By using SSIS tasks and containers combined into packages, you can automate complex data operations with ease.
Hopefully, this post has provided a useful introduction to SSIS. Remember that SSIS is a rich platform with a wide range of capabilities, so don’t be afraid to dig deeper into its features and capabilities. The more you get to know SSIS, the more you’ll be able to do with it.