As a professional in the field of data management, it is crucial to stay abreast of the latest advancements in technologies and tools to ensure the effective execution of your responsibilities. SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) stands out as Microsoft’s comprehensive solution for enterprise data integration, transformation, and migration. The recent release, SQL Server Integration Services 2016 (SSIS 2016), introduced numerous features enhancing scalability, performance, and user-friendliness. Building upon these capabilities, the latest iteration, SSIS 2019, brings forth additional enhancements that further elevate its utility.
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This article delves into some of the key features introduced in SSIS 2019 and elucidates how they can positively impact your data integration projects. Whether you are a newcomer to SSIS or have accumulated years of experience with the tool, grasping the latest functionalities is pivotal for harnessing its full potential. SSIS 2019 boasts improvements in package management, an expanded toolbox, enhanced workload scaling, and proficient handling of Hadoop data. Continue reading to gain comprehensive insights into the latest updates of this indispensable data integration tool.
What Is SSIS 816?
SSIS 2016, denoted as SQL Server Integration Services 816, represents the latest iteration of Microsoft’s enterprise data integration platform, released in late 2016. It enhances and builds upon its predecessors by focusing on performance, scalability, and user-friendly features.
Notable additions in SSIS 2016 encompass:
1. Azure Project Deployment: Direct deployment of SSIS projects to Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, and Azure SQL Managed Instance facilitates the migration of on-premises SSIS workloads to the cloud.
2. Incremental Package Deployment: The capability to redeploy only modified packages expedites the deployment process.
3. Data Tap: Introduction of the data tap task enables effortless data extraction from diverse sources, offering over 70 built-in connectors for platforms such as social media, marketing, and productivity tools.
4. Row Sampling Transformation: The ability to take random data samples during the data flow aids in testing and profiling.
5. Azure Feature Pack: Additional components are incorporated to seamlessly integrate with Azure services like Data Lake Store, Blob Storage, and HDInsight.
In summary, SSIS 2016 broadens integration capabilities, harnesses the potential of cloud computing, enhances developer efficiency, and augments scalability and performance. It stands as a compelling choice for any organization seeking to establish robust data integration solutions.
Key Features and Capabilities of SSIS 816
Scalability and Performance
SSIS 816 introduces advanced scalability and performance features, empowering users to scale up to 64 cores for a single package execution. This results in significantly enhanced performance for data integration processes.
Furthermore, the option to execute packages in-memory without the need to write logs to disk is provided, offering a potential boost in performance. The inclusion of the Scale Out feature enables the distribution of package execution across multiple machines, further enhancing scalability for improved efficiency.
Advanced Data Flow Capabilities
SSIS 816 boasts numerous improvements to data flow components and transformations. It introduces novel data flow components such as the OData Source and Destination, along with the ODBC Flow Destination.
The package encompasses notable performance enhancements for operations like lookups, aggregations, and pivots. Enhanced error handling features, including redirection and row-level error isolation, contribute to improved error management. Additionally, SSIS 816 expands its support for new data types, incorporating DATE, TIME, DATETIME2, and DATETIMEOFFSET.
Deployment and Management Improvements
SSIS 816 introduces several features aimed at enhancing deployment and management. With Project deployment, the ability to deploy entire projects to the SSIS catalog is now available, extending beyond individual packages. The inclusion of parameters facilitates the runtime passing of values for configuration updates.
The SSIS catalog incorporates views for effective monitoring of execution and validations, while new T-SQL stored procedures are introduced to streamline catalog management.
By leveraging the array of capabilities and improvements in SSIS 816, ETL and data integration processes can be executed more swiftly, scaled effectively, and managed with greater ease. These enhancements empower users to construct robust and high-performance data integration solutions.
Benefits of Upgrading to SSIS 816
Benefits of Upgrading to SSIS 816
Upgrading your SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) environment to version 816 brings about several noteworthy advantages.
Firstly, SSIS 816 introduces advanced security features, such as Always Encrypted, safeguarding sensitive data both in motion and at rest. This encryption method ensures data remains encrypted in the database and is only decrypted within the application layer. Role-based security is also available, offering control over access to packages and their components.
Secondly, SSIS 816 offers a modernized development experience through Visual Studio Code integration. The SSIS extension pack in Visual Studio Code provides IntelliSense, debugging, and deployment capabilities for SSIS without the requirement of SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT). This integration allows for the direct development of SSIS packages in Visual Studio Code, streamlining the workflow.
Additionally, SSIS 816 introduces new connectors, enhancing data integration capabilities. Connectors for SAP BW, Hadoop, and Spark facilitate seamless data transfer to and from these platforms. The OData connector supports data consumption from any OData v3/v4 service, while the Web connector enables data extraction from web pages using XPath queries.
Furthermore, performance improvements are achieved through scale-out functionality, enabling the distribution of package execution across multiple nodes. In-memory execution is facilitated by loading packages into the Scale Out Master, eliminating the performance overhead associated with loading/unloading packages from the file system or SQL Server database.
Lastly, SSIS 816 ensures extended maintenance for 10 years, providing long-term support for data integration solutions. Regular updates and patches contribute to maximizing uptime and addressing any potential issues.
In summary, the upgrade to SSIS 816 delivers enhanced security, a streamlined development experience, expanded connectivity, improved performance, and long-term support. These benefits make the transition to SSIS 816 a valuable investment for any organization relying on robust data integration solutions.
Changes and Enhancements in SSIS 816
SSIS 2016, the most recent iteration of SQL Server Integration Services, brought forth numerous modifications and enhancements aimed at elevating performance, scalability, and user-friendliness. Key improvements in SSIS 2016 encompass:
Performance and Scalability
SSIS 2016 implements modifications to enhance both performance and scalability. The introduction of a novel scale-out feature empowers the distribution of packages across multiple servers, enabling the attainment of high throughput. Additionally, performance enhancements are evident in data flow, logging, and checkpoint functionalities.
R Integration and Advanced Analytics
In SSIS 2016, various new data mining algorithms are incorporated, accompanied by seamless integration with R scripts. This integration facilitates the infusion of advanced analytics and predictive modeling into ETL processes. The capability to execute R scripts directly from within SSIS packages and transmit data to R for analysis is now available.
Deployment Enhancements
Streamlining project deployment is simplified in SSIS 2016 through the introduction of new features such as incremental package deployment, environment cloning, and project versioning. These advancements enable the efficient deployment of updates to existing projects. With the ability to deploy only the packages that have undergone changes, clone environments, and revert to previous package versions as necessary, the deployment process becomes more flexible and user-friendly.
Other Improvements
SSIS 2016 introduces a range of additional enhancements, including:
1. Connectivity to expanded data sources such as SAP HANA, Hadoop, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, and OData.
2. Support for the latest versions of existing data sources, including Oracle 12c.
3. An updated OLE DB provider for SQL Server.
4. Improved logging capabilities, featuring custom log providers.
5. Closer integration with Power BI, enabling the initiation of a Power BI report directly from an SSIS package.
These enhancements contribute to the overall performance, scalability, and usability improvements of your ETL solutions in SSIS 2016. The increased variety of data sources, the incorporation of data mining features, and the expanded deployment options provide greater flexibility and empower users to build sophisticated data integration projects. In summary, SSIS 2016 stands as a substantial improvement, facilitating the creation of higher-performing and more robust ETL systems.
How to Get Started With SSIS 816
To get started with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) 2016, follow these steps:
Download and Install SSIS
To utilize SSIS, download SQL Server 2016, which comes bundled with the integration services. The SQL Server Developer Edition, available for free, encompasses SSIS. During the installation of SQL Server 2016, ensure to select Integration Services as one of the featured components.
Launch and Explore SSIS
After installing SQL Server 2016, you can launch SSIS from the Microsoft SQL Server program group. The first time you launch SSIS, you will see the SSIS catalog, a repository for your SSIS projects. The SSIS catalog organizes your SSIS projects, environments, parameters, and logging.
Create a New SSIS Project
To begin creating your first SSIS package, start by right-clicking on the SSIS catalog and choose “New Folder,” then “Project.” Next, select “Integration Services Project” as the type of project. Provide a name for your new project and click “OK” to proceed. Your newly created SSIS project will now be visible within the SSIS catalog.
Design an SSIS Package
To begin working on your new SSIS project, double-click on it to launch SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT), the development environment for SSIS. Once inside SSDT, right-click on the “Packages” folder and choose “New SSIS Package” to initiate the creation of a new package. You can then use drag-and-drop functionality to add data flow components such as sources, transformations, and destinations onto the design surface, allowing you to construct your ETL data flow.
Configure and Execute the Package
Customize the components within your SSIS package by adjusting their properties and incorporating scripts or expressions as needed. Once configured, execute your package either by clicking the “Start” button or pressing the F5 key. This will initiate the execution of your package, allowing data to flow through the designated data flow components.
Deploy and Schedule the Package
To make your SSIS project and its packages available for scheduling and execution, begin by right-clicking on your project within the SSIS catalog. From the context menu, choose “Deploy Project” to commence the deployment process. This action will deploy both your project and its associated packages. Subsequently, you can schedule the execution of these packages using SQL Server Agent or any other scheduling tool of your preference.
Following these outlined steps will initiate your journey in building, executing, and deploying SSIS packages. Feel free to reach out if you have any further inquiries!
Conclusion
By now, you should have developed a strong understanding of SSIS 816. With consistent practice, you’ll gradually enhance your ability to implement data integration solutions and manage intricate ETL processes. It’s crucial to start with simple tasks, grasp the fundamentals, and progressively expand your expertise through hands-on experience with real-world projects. SSIS offers a comprehensive toolkit to empower data professionals like yourself.
Keep yourself informed about the latest updates and features to leverage the full potential of this platform. With dedication and perseverance, you’ll soon excel in automating data workflows and optimizing data processing. The opportunities for data integration are limitless. Now, go ahead and apply your newfound SSIS 816 skills confidently!
