SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) : An Overview

·        SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is a tool that you can use to high performance ETL operations.

·        ETL stands for Extract, Transform and Load data.

·        It provides a graphical tools and wizards to build,debug and deploy.

·        The first version of SSIS was released with SQL Server 2005. SSIS is a replacement for Data Transformation Services (DTS) which was available with previous versions of SQL Server 7.0 and SQL Server 2000.

You can use SSIS in following scenarios:

Ø  When you have to retrieve data from any source.

               Ø  When you have to Load data into any source.

Ø  When you have to perform various transformations on the data; e.g. convert from one type to another, convert to uppercase or lowercase, perform calculations, etc.

Ø  When you have to define a workflow functions like FTP operations, executing SQL Statements, sending e-mail messages etc.

As I will move forward I will write in my blog for successfully build an SSIS package? Initially I will cover following topics.

§  Creating SSIS packages with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

§  Creating a simple SSIS package in Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS)

§  Deploying SSIS packages

§  Executing SSIS packages