Step by Step SSIS Multicast Transformation TIP #121

Dear Friends,

This is another post in the series of step by step SSIS ,Zero to hero series. In this post we will discuss another transformation control which is Multicast transformation.

Multicast is a way which help us to provide multiple copy of same source data for different transformation. Or in other words we can say multicast transformation create multiple pipelines for the same data.

Lets understand this by an example. Suppose, we are product developer and selling product in different state in India. Now ,the problem is same product may have different selling price due to different tax system. So, we have to use same data of product but there will be different discount according to sate tax.

Now, here we go step by step. for your information in this example we are going to use similar example which we did in last post of Derived column Transformation tip #120

Step 1:- Add a package and drag drop data flow task and configure source database. I am taking Adventurework2012 database and using product &  productCategory tables for source data query below is simple snap of data

Step 2:- Once the data is configured. Drag drop Multicast control  as shown in below figure and give output of source object to Multicast and try to configure it.

Step 3:- Now, when we have configured Multicast we can get multiple output from Multicast control. Suppose , One state is taking 10% WAT tax, another state taking 20% WAT tax and last one is taking no tax (wow that’s great). So we can drag drop derived column and configure then according to 10% ,20% WAT tax for reference you can take a look of tip #120 

I configured the the 3 different output in same way and adding the respective flat files. As shown in below figure you will see we added 3 files

1) with 10% ,with 20 % and without and tax

After configuration you will get structure something like as shown in below image. As a result we will get 3 flat files with 10% ,20% and without any change.

Step 4:- If you face any difficulty in Derived column configuration and moving the data to file please follow earlier post. Now once everything is configured run the package by pressing F5 or hitting run button you will get following screen. So , if you see Multicast providing similar row count to different output which is 295 rows.

We , can use this Multicast where we need multiple copy of same source data.

I hope this article might help you somewhere.

Enjoy !!!

RJ !!

Step by Step SSIS–Aggregate Transformation TIP #118

 

Dear Friends,

In the series of step by step SSIS tutorial this is another post. In this post we will see Aggregate Transformation. I am pretty much sure you are aware of aggregation. Although , Just wanted to share that aggregation operation in generally memory expensive operation.

So, whenever you want aggregation & want to use group by function then in such situation you can use Aggregation transformation.

There are different group by option available like MIN, MAX , COUNT, SUM, AVERAGE etc.

Let’s understand how to use Aggregate transformation step by step.

For current example we are using Adventureworks database and we are using below query. Here we are fetching the product data with line total,unit price  & other details.

if you see the records in the table you will find that there are multiple records for same product with different line total.

Our objective is to aggregate or do sum of Line total according to Line Number and export the result in a csv.

Step 1:- So , Now start with package creation add a new package in solution and drag drop source Assistant and configure the database connection as we did earlier in the tutorials

Step 1.1 – Drag drop  Data flow task

Step 1.2 – double click data flow task  and drag drop source assistance control

Step 1.3 – Configure source assistance

Step 2: Once the source assistance is configured with SQL SERVER connection string and specific query we will drag drop Aggregate Transformation control as shown in below figure

Step 3:- Now configure this aggregate control. So Just right click aggregate control and select Edit option. Now as we require Sum of LineTotal so we have selected SUM in operation column’s drop down and rest other has drop down option group by.

 

Step 4:-

Now, drag drop flat file destination and configure it.

Now configure flat file  with mapping as shown in below figures

Step 5: Now run it you will get desire result as shown in below figure

If you see in the result we got 757 rows after processing 121,317

Now see the result in actual as shown in below file

I hope this example might help you to understand Aggregate transformation. Please provide your inputs.

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 deploy SSIS Package ? Step by Step SSIS TIP #114

Dear Friends,
In last post we have successfully created our fist basic package. So, Now the next thing is how to deploy this package.

We have created this package for someone else or our client so we need to run this package on his /her machine.

For this we need to know how to deploy. Lets start this step by step 

Step 1:- Open the existing solution and right click on the solution you will get following options as shown in figure. You need to click on “Convert to Package Deployment Model”   as highlighted below

Step 2:- Once you click it you might get popup for confirmation just click OK.

Step 3: Now click on Properties you will get following screen in which you need to select the deployment option. And need to select true value for CreateDeploymentUtility as highlighted below in figure. Once You make this option true  press OK or Apply Button.

 

Step 4:- Once you done with this again right click on the solution and again click on Covert to Package deployment model.  Now this time you will get Wizard screen as shown below. Click on Next button

Step 5:- You will get below screen which is package selection screen. (Suppose you have multiple packages in a solution so for which package you want to create deployment you need to check / Uncheck according to your need.) Once you selected the Package click on Next button.

Step 6:- When you click next button you will get next option which is specific project properties as shown below in screen. In this we have an important option which is Protection level. It is use to set the level of showing sensitive data in package. for example a package may contain sql server connection string in which we have username and password and username and password are very important and sensitive information. Here ,with protection level we have option to encrypt this sensitive data or make package password protected. This will be an interesting topic which we will discuss separately in near future in separate post. for current time being just leave the default option as is and click on next button.

Step 7:- When you click on next button you will get following screen. This is the screen where you can call another package which this deployment. We will discuss it later for current deployment process we don’t want to call any other package.  Just click on next button.

Step 8:- When you click on next button you will get following screen which says about configurations. We can create a configuration file which is just a simple XML file. If you are a .NET developer just assume it web.config file where we can keep connection string or other configurable item.

Step 9:- We can create parameters which can be use to pass the values in packages. In current solution we have not configured even parameters so don’t think to much about this currently. We will discuss it separately in coming post.

Step 10:- Now directly jump to Perform Conversion and skip review step. and click next you will get following screen of popup. Press OK and then try to rebuild the solution.

Step 11:- We did  a build/rebuild to cross check package is correct. Now open the deployment folder in bin folder (You can find the address in step 3’s screen) . When you open the folder you will get two files one is Your package file with DTSX extension and another one which is called manifest file as shown in the figure below. Below ExportSQLToFlatFile is our manifest file  and Package is our actual DTSX package file. (if we have config file then you will find config file as well)

Step 12:- Now, we successfully completed our first part of deployment which is basically creating a package deployment file which is a manifest file. We can copy these files on any server where we need to deploy the package. When you click on Manifest file which is ExportSQLToFlatFile you will get following screen

Step 13: Click on Next button when you get above screen you will get following screen which shows 2 options of package deployment

1) File System deployment 2)  SQL Server deployment

Now for current demo we are using file system deployment and clicking next button.

Step 14:- When we click next button we get the screen which ask for folder where package will be deploy by default it is SQL SERVER’s DTS package folder so let it be currently and click Next button

Step 15:- After clicking next button , we will get following screen. Which is a confirmation screen for deployment.

Step 16:- Now the last step click the finish button and we are good to go.

So all the above steps are for creating a deployment for package and then deploy in SQL SERVER. Now , I am sure your next question will be what now ?

So, now we call this Package in SQL SERVER Job and configure job which execute this package time to time.

We, will discuss it more in detail coming post.

I hope you will like this post. please do post your inputs.

Thanks

Raj