SimonS' SQL Server Stuff

Debuging and Messaging in SSIS Script Tasks and Components

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If you've used SSIS and created script tasks or components you may have wondered how to get information out of them into the debug window or the progress status.

To achieve these we need to fire events. Both the script task and script component have the ability to fire events. Slightly different location for the methods, in the Script Task you use,

... To read the complete version of this post go here, http://sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/simons/Debuging and Messaging in SSIS Script Tasks and Components

XML in SSIS Script components

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Just a little note that if you want to use XML documents in SSIS custom components i.e.load XML data into a DOM to process it you need to add a reference to System.Xml.

Add reference is available in the Project drop down.

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SQL Server and VS 2005 UK Launch

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So the launch events have been planned in the UK. They are as follows

Tuesday 8th November 2005 - International Conference Centre, (ICC) Birmingham

Followed by regional launches ;

November 15th - Novotel London West - One Shortlands, London, W6 8DR
November 22nd - Harrogate International Centre, Kings Road, Harrogate, HG1 5LA
December 7th - Edinburgh Corn Exchange, 11 Newmarket Road, Edinburgh EH14 1RJ

... To read the complete version of this post go here, http://sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/simons/SQL Server and VS 2005 UK Launch

SSIS Enhanced Error Component

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As I mentioned before I am working on a custom component to add the name of the column that caused a row in a flow to fail.

I need to package this up and make it available somehow.

Probably going to setup a simple site to hold these files, can anyone recommend a good hosting company.

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Intellisense in SQL Server 2005

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Looking back it was a long time ago that Euan G and Patrick Conlan came to the UK and showed us Yukon for the first time. On thing I remember was Euan showing us intellisense.

Well you will I am sure know by now that SQL Server 2005 doesn't have intellisense any more. It was pulled.

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Whats next for SQL Server?

It was clear talking to the MS guys at the PDC that the focus has been on shipping Yukon and not the next version, to the extent that work on the next version was stopped to focus on Yukon. As we are getting nearer the ship data requests for the new features in the next version are starting.

The SQL Server Engine team have asked for requests on their blog http://blogs.msdn.com/sqltips/archive/2005/09/22/473101.aspx, whilst Kirk has asked for requests for the next version of SSIS on the forums http://forums.microsoft.com/msdn/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=89737.

So if there is something you don't like or something you want ask now whilst the next version is on the drawing board.

How much is your blog worth

My blog has moved to sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/simons
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Andrew Conrad  has highlighted how his blog has been floated and Bryant Likes has bought most of the shares.

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My SSIS Custom components

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The following are the custom components I am working on

Sources

• SQL profiler log file Source
  • Reads SQL Profiler files
• Log parser source (In progress)
  • Reads IIS log files and copes with restarts that repeat the column names in the files

Transforms

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SSIS Feature wish list

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Kirk recently asked for feedback on what would be good in future versions of SSIS

Here is my current list.

1. Advanced Editor support for >1 input. (This should enable the script component with > 1 input)
2. Read only access to the whole package from componentmetadata, not just that related to the component.
3. Parallel For each loops. Performance.
4. Option on Raw file to create once per package. This allows the same raw destination to be used in a loop
5. Debug support for script component (not just the task)
6. Parallel multicast. Says it all really performance (I know the memory issue but it should be an option. Allows for the creation of a new execution tree. It would be great if the compiler (process that produces execution tree) could figure this out. This would probably need to now the distribution of data being processed.
7. Suggest Types for flat files to provide the option of reading a whole file. This is to avoid encountering bugs during run time, which is very time consuming.
8. Suggest types for flat files to all for data to be just strings, rather than convert data to proper types. This is for performance
9. IIS Log file connection both source and destination would be good. But would settle for source.
10. Multiple data readers out of package. This would enable a package to produce multiple summaries and have them consumed by a report or other application.
11. Be able to drag a connection from one component to another. Its a real pain to delete one connection to be recreate it to the other component. This looses any data viewers
12. UNDO, the ability to undo actions. many currently can't be undone.

For list of all users request go to the forum post http://forums.microsoft.com/msdn/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=92699&strela=1&to_pid=0x00037FFE:0x80DF10EC¬ification_id=212223&message_id=212223&agent=messenger

... To read the complete version of this post go here, http://sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/simons/SSIS Feature wish list

PDC Bits, WinFX, VS Beta2, VS RC etc

PDC BI Power Hour, v cool

I went to the BI Power hour this lunch time which covered BI end to end,

Intergration, Analysis and Reporting. Shame it wasn't a slightly different order resulting in AIR.

I was especially, as always, impressed with the SSIS demos. Sergei did one that used a web service to get the location of postal codes in PST from a web service and then displayed the co-ordinates using a x,y scatter visualiser. Very cool.

Ash then talked through his demo for processing images, reszing, zipping, storing and emailing them. Initially this sounds really odd for SSIS actually processing files. However when he did the demo it seemed just the right fit for SSIS. The key is the use of the import and export column transforms that load data in and out of the pipeline.

As a means of flattery to Sergei here is my version of his US scatter graph using UK data.