Step by Step SSIS–Union ALL Tip # 119

 

Dear All,

In the series of  zero to hero SSIS series this is one of the simplest transformation control which known as UNION ALL. 

As you might aware UNION in general term  which means collective. In SSIS UNION all control is doing the same task.

It collect all the inputs may be of same type of sources or different type of sources and  union them all and provides single output for the same.

Lets understand this by below example.

Suppose, We have different text files which contain fruits &  vegetables name. Now our aim is to combine all the fruits and vegetables name which exists in these files.

if you see below image you will find 3 files which FruitA (Contains fruit names start with letter A) , FruitB (Contain fruit names start with  letter B), FruitP (contains fruit name start with letter P)

Now we need to combine this file using UNION ALL transformation. So follow below step by step

1) Step 1:- Step 1 is simplest step and now you all well versed in this. We need to add a new SSIS package file and drag drop  data flow task .

2) Step 2:- Now add different flat file source for all the 3 files and configure all the 3 files  fruitA.txt, fruitB.txt , fruitP.txt .

3) Once we configured all the 3 flat file sources, We have to drag drop UNION ALL transformation control.Once we drag drop UNION ALL we can provide the output of all the 3 files as a input in UNION ALL control as shown in below  figure.

Step 4:- Now, we have to configure the UNION ALL control. To do this right click on UNION ALL control and click on EDIT option. Here we have to configure all the columns which we need to union.

Step 5:- Once the UNION ALL is configured our next step is to get the output of UNION ALL in a resultant file. for this we have to drag drop destination flat file control as shown in below figure.

Step 6:- Now we have to configure the flat file destination and save it to specific location. A part from this we have to provide input to flat file destination which will be output of UNION ALL control. As shown in below figure I am saving the file on same location and giving name finaloutput.txt

Step 7:- Once all the above step is processed by us the final step is to run the package for this just click on RUN icon or hit F5. If everything is working fine the we will get following  result with all the green right check images.

If you see above image we did union of all the 3 files and saved output in a single file.

Now, for learning purpose and to make the post simplest I use only same type source you can use different type of source and destination as per your need.

A part from this UNION ALL doesn’t remove duplicate so if there are duplicates in the files it will not remove.

I hope this article will help you somewhere.  Please provide your inputs.

Enjoy !!!

RJ!!!

Step by Step SSIS - Conditional Split Transformation TIP #117

In the series of Zero to Hero in SSIS this is our next post. In this post we will see Conditional Split transformation.

I am pretty much sure that by the name you got some impression what it would be.

So, a Conditional Split Transformation is a way by which you can conditionally split an input into multiple output.

Suppose, You are a food supplier and you cook both veg & non veg food. Now according to orders by client you need to move those order requests to particular kitchen to prepare those orders.

Let’s understand it by following step by step execution example.

In this example , I am using AdventureWorks database as a source database connection. We are fetching products along with categories. We need Bikes products in different file and rest other product in different file. You can see products with categories shown below in this image Accessories , bikes are the categories.

Step 1:- Create a  new package and drag drop data flow task control and double click it. You will get a new screen which data flow task. Now drag drop Source Assistance. from SSIS controls tool bar.

Now as usual we have to configure the database connection string and set the database to adventureworks.

Step 2:- Once the database is configured right click on control and choose edit property. You will get below screen where you need to specify the query which we shown earlier in figure.

Once you done with above steps you need to configure columns as well so, click on Columns and configure it.

Step 3:- Now drag drop conditional split and connect input arrow to it as shown in figure

Step 4:- Now choose edit option by right clicking the conditional split and configure it.  When you click you will get screen like below. You will find different condition operator. One important point to remember here you need to drag drop column name to condition textbox.  As our aim is to have product with Bikes category in a different file and other categories in different file.So we use following condition as shown in below figure.

Step 5:-Now drag drop a flat file destination and assign the output of the above conditional split to File destination. You will get following screen. As you see we are assigning Bike condition output to this file which means all the products which belongs to bikes categories should be available in this.

Step 6: Now Configure the flat file destination by choosing the edit option.

 

Step 7:- In similar way we have to capture the output which not belongs to Bikes category as shown in below figure

Step 8: In nutshell we will get following screen

We almost done here. Now to check whether this conditional split is working or not. To check this hit F5 or run the package. So, if you see below everything working fine. We got 32 rows in bike category and 73 rows in other categories.

To cross check result we will see the file output as well

So , If you  go through all the above steps we have achieved Conditional split example.

I hope this post might help you to understand conditional split.

In next step we will go for next step in SSIS.

Enjoy !!!

RJ!!!

Step by Step SSIS learning What Data Conversion use in SSIS ? TIP#116

Dear Friends,

In the series of step by step learning of SSIS this is part #6 in which we are going to learn a new control Data Conversion.  I am sure by the name it clear that this control will be use when we require data type conversion of input columns then we need this control. This is exactly same like CONVERT  or CAST  in our programming.

Although, Here it would be important to share SSIS also have data type which are similar to other programming or database’s data types

Like DT_NUMERIC is equivalent to numeric data type, DT_I2 is equivalent to smallint, DT_str is equivalent to VARCHAR and so on.

I am sure you will find this control fairly simple so without wasting much time lets start step by step.

For a change I am using excel data source here.

Suppose, we have an excel of sales order which have columns like sales order, subtotal,Tax amount, and freight.

Here sales order is varchar, while SubTotal , Tax amount & Freight are numeric with decimal 4 places. We want to convert the numeric field in integer and want result in a flat file. so let’s start.

Step1 :- Drag drop a Data flow Task control and double click it. Now add an excel data source from SSIS tool bar as shown in below figure.

Step 2:- Now next step is to configure this excel source. so to do this just right click and use EDIT option. You will get a screen where you need to provide the file which we want to access.

Once the connection with excel is established the Next very important step is to configure sheet as highlighted in below figure. remember you need to configure this sheet because an excel may have number of sheets available so you need to assign proper sheet whose data you want to process.

Step 3: Once the sheet is configured you can choose the columns as well which you want to process or want in destination by click column’s option in as shown in below figure

Step 4:- Now drag drop the data conversion control from SSIS toolbar

Step 5:- Now , open context menu and click edit button to configure data conversion. Now remember here we have to change data from numeric to integer (As discussed earlier our aim). so just change the desire data type which is integer (DT_I4) of all the three numeric data type. As shown in below figure. Also , point to remember here if when you do data type conversion you need to careful about Aliasing also. You will see copy of as a prefix on column.

Step 6:- Now, we need this output in flat file so adding a file destination control from SSIS toolbox and configuring it by clicking Edit button as shown in below figure.

Step 7:- In next step we have to configure the file location and columns which we require in the flat file. And delete unnecessary columns which are not required.

Step 8 : Once the above step is done, we are good to go to run this package. So,hold your breath for few second and hit F5 .

You will get find below screen. Which shows that all the provided rows are inserted in file. 

Step 9 : To cross check whether file has integer columns or not lets open it.

So, if you see above screen we did it successfully. So we achieved our goal in this post and used DATA conversion control successfully.

I hope you feel this post useful.

Thanks for reading this post.

Enjoy !!!

RJ

How to use SORT control in SSIS ? TIP #115

Dear Friends,

In the series of Learn SSIS step by step this is the 5th post. Now from this post we are going to use each transformation control one by one.

So, lets start with simplest one transformation control which is “Sort”.

By the name it is clear data it will sort the data which is provided to it and give sorted output as a result. Lets understand this by below step by step example. (Here I am not writing step to start visual studio and create a new project, I am pretty much sure you are aware of this now.)

Before going further let me tell you want we are going to do  here. We will have a input result (which will be a text file) and then sort it and save in another file.

Step 1:-I renamed package to SortPackage if you want you can rename your package as well. Now drag drop a Data Flow task as shown below and double click DATA flow task

Step 2:- When you click it you will get a data flow screen where you can drag drop FLAT file source. You can choose source assistance as well. Now configure this flat file source. Means give the path of the file which you want to have as a input source. I am taking a text file which contain fruits name in different order. as shown in below figure

Right click flat file source click on EDIT option and follow the screens

Step 3:- Now once the file is configure. We have to drag drop SORT control from SSIS tool box as shown in below figure.

I also added the output of flat file source to sort control. As shown in above figure. Now configure it. Click on Sort control and you will get following screen. As show in below screen you can sort the data on any column and in any direction like Ascending or descending.

Right there is only one input column which is name so we are sorting name in Ascending order as shown below.

Step 4:- Now once this configuration is done we will save the data in new file with new name which will be sortedFruits. Now to achieve this drag drop the destination control. So I took same float file destination as shown in below figure

Step 5:- Now configure this file destination. Which means where we need to save this file and what are the columns which we required. so In current case there is only one column which is Name (Fruit name) and I am saving this file at same place with sortFruits name. so lets configure it by clicking right click on flat file destination and click on edit button

Step 6:- Once this is configured we need to run this package by pressing F5.When you run hit F5 and everything going right then in execution screen at each step you will find green right check image as shown in below screen

Step 7: Now to cross check we will first see whether that file is created or not. If created then whether we have sorted data or not. So lets open the flat files.

So, if you see at provided destination location a file is created and the data inside this file is sorted file.

I hope you like this first transformation control. till then Enjoy!!!

Thanks !!

RJ!!

How to create first basic package with SSIS ? tip #113

Dear friends,

In last post #112 we understood WWH (What ,Why & How ) of SSIS. Now , lets move now real quick in practical session where we will try to create a basic simple package.

The example which we are creating is well known Export data from SQL SERVER to a flat file.

Step 1:-  Open SQL SERVER Data Tool from start menu

Step 2:- Once it is open create a new project by clicking new project option. You have to select proper template as highlighted in below figure and give a name to project. As shown in below figure

Step 3:- Now drag drop data flow task control from SSIS toolbox. You can give customize message by click control’s text. I prefer this habit so down the line if  after few month or years if you need to do some maintenance or logic change you don’t need to think a lot for why this control is for.

Step 4:- Now double click on Data flow control or click on data flow tab. Now on this area you have to drag drop source assistance. When you drag drop it you will get a pop as shown below.

The screen source assistance is the way by which we can select the data source on which we need to perform operation.  As you are seeing in the image there are different data sources

Like SQL SERVER, Excel, Flat file, Oracle.

Although, you can select other sources also from SSIS toolbox as shown in below screen (As you are seeing there are various individual sources exists in toolbox itself so either use source assistance or drag drop individual source.It is worthless to explain here that excel source for excel file, flat file source for flat file and so on.

In this example we are selecting SQL SERVER. When you select Source Type then you have to configure connection Manager.For this we have to select “NEW” in connection manager panel and click OK button.

You will get below screen where you can give all the information related to  SQL SERVER by which our package can connect with that data source. below I am using my SQL SERVER installed on my machine and using AdventureWorks database as shown in below image.

 

Now once connection is setup. Now we have to export a particular table data in a flat file. but you are wondering which table or data which we are going to export.

Step 5:- Now to select data which whether it is entire table, or stored procedure output , or view output or just simple SQL query. for this we need to double click on OLEDB data source and then we will get following screen.

Now ,here we can choose data access mode either table or view, or SQL command ,SQL command with variable. To make this first example easy we are choosing table or view and selecting “Product table “ in below drop down for Name of the table or the view.

Step 6:- Now once you have selected table or view you can select specific columns which we need to export in flat file. For this we have to select columns option available on left side. when you click it you will get below screen.

As shown in above figure you can check uncheck the columns which you need to export in flat file. we can rename the column name as well (as I did standard Cost to MRP). If you see below image

Here I am not explaining errorout option in detail in general sense just think it is configuration step if something failed.

Step 8:-

Now, we have source which we need to export in flat file, for this we may require a destination file in which we can store the data. So, Now we drag drop destination control which will be a flat file destination control as shown in below figure.

Step 9:-  Now in above image you are seeing there are 2 arrows which is just flow direction means where the data needs to flow. Obviously in our case the data needs to flow from oledb source to flat file destination. So what we  need to do drag the blue arrow and release it on flat file destination as shown below.

 

Step 10 :- I don’t know whether you noticed or not but let me tell you here. If you see above figure data is flowing from oledb source to flat file destination which is good but on same time there is cross image in red color which means there is some error in the control. So guess what is the error ?

I think you picked right the destination is not configured. So to do this we need to double click the flat file destination.

Step 11: When you double click you will get below screen. In which you need to configure the file location and file format like whether you want a delimiter file, fixed length file and many other option as shown in below figure. In our example we are using delimiter file option.

Step 12:- When you hit OK you will get following screen where you need to configure as shown in below figure. You need to give file location with file path. if you want different delimiter the you can choose that also.

Step 12:- Now press OK you will get flat file destination editor in which you can select mapping option and just check it for your query whether all the selected columns from source are aligning or not.

Step 12:- Once we done with this you will see the cross image in red disappear. If you are still seeing this it means there is something going wrong with configuration.

Now if everything is good then we can run our first own created package by pressing F5 or with Start option in IDE.

Step 13:-  If everything is correct you will get right check in green apart from this you might be interested how many rows transfer from source to destination so that information also can be found. see below image for detail.

In our case we moved 504 rows. Now lets cross check at the destination location as well whether the file is created or not with these 504 rows.

WOW , we did it . We created our first simplest package which is export data from SQL to flat file.

I hope you enjoyed the learning. In next step we will do something more advance. mean while I request you all to do same practice and try to use excel instead of flat file.

Please do write your inputs. Let me know whether you are enjoying this series or not.

Enjoy !!!

RJ!!!