Everything You Need To Know about ssis 816

As a professional in the field of data management, it is imperative to remain abreast of the latest technologies and tools to proficiently execute responsibilities. SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) stands out as Microsoft’s premier tool for enterprise data integration, transformation, and migration. The recent iteration, SQL Server Integration Services 2016 (SSIS 2016), introduced a host of features enhancing scale, performance, and usability. 

Building on these advancements, the latest release, SSIS 2019, brings additional improvements to package management, toolbox extension, workload scalability, and Hadoop data handling. Whether you are a newcomer to SSIS or a seasoned user, comprehending the tool’s latest capabilities is crucial for optimizing its potential. This article delves into key features of SSIS 2019 and how they can positively impact your data integration projects.

What Is SSIS 816?

SSIS 2016, denoting SQL Server Integration Services 2016, represents the latest iteration of Microsoft’s enterprise data integration platform. Unveiled in late 2016, this version builds upon its predecessors by enhancing performance, scalability, and user-friendliness.

Key features of SSIS 2016 encompass:

1. Project Deployment to Azure: 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: Streamlining the deployment process, only modified packages are re-deployed.

3. Data Tap: Introduction of the data tap task allows easy extraction of data from diverse sources, with over 70 built-in connectors, including social media, marketing, and productivity tools.

4. Row Sampling Transformation: Facilitating testing and profiling, the row sampling transformation enables the extraction of random data samples during the data flow.

5. Azure Feature Pack: Additional components enhance integration with Azure services such as Data Lake Store, Blob Storage, and HDInsight.

In summary, SSIS 2016 extends integration capabilities, harnesses cloud capabilities, boosts developer productivity, and enhances scalability and performance. It stands as a compelling choice for organizations aiming to construct robust data integration solutions.

Key Features and Capabilities of SSIS 816

Scalability and Performance

SSIS 816 introduces advanced scalability and performance enhancements, offering the ability to scale up to 64 cores for a singular package execution. This empowers significant performance enhancements in data integration processes. 

Additionally, users have the flexibility to run packages in-memory without the need to write logs to disk, thereby optimizing performance. The Scale Out feature further facilitates the distribution of package execution across multiple machines, contributing to improved scalability.

Advanced Data Flow Capabilities

Within SSIS 816, numerous enhancements are integrated into data flow components and transformations. Novel additions include data flow components such as the OData Source and Destination, along with the ODBC Flow Destination.

This package encompasses performance refinements for key operations like lookups, aggregations, and pivots. Notable improvements in error handling are introduced through redirection and row-level error isolation. Additionally, support for new data types, including DATE, TIME, DATETIME2, and DATETIMEOFFSET, enhances the versatility of data processing within SSIS 816.

Deployment and Management Improvements

SSIS 816 introduces several features aimed at enhancing deployment and management. The inclusion of project deployment enables the deployment of entire projects to the SSIS catalog, going beyond individual packages. The introduction of parameters facilitates the dynamic passing of values during runtime for configuration updates.

Within the catalog, new views offer monitoring capabilities for execution and validations. Additionally, T-SQL stored procedures have been introduced to aid in the effective management of the catalog.

With a plethora of capabilities and improvements, SSIS 816 accelerates ETL and data integration processes, making them more scalable and manageable. Leveraging these features empowers users to construct robust and high-performing data integration solutions.

Benefits of Upgrading to SSIS 816

Benefits of Upgrading to SSIS 816

Elevating your SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) environment to version 816 brings forth numerous advantages.

Firstly, SSIS 816 enhances security with features like Always Encrypted, safeguarding sensitive data during transmission and storage through database encryption and application layer decryption. Role-based security options enable precise control over access to packages and their components.

Secondly, SSIS 816 introduces a modernized development experience by integrating with Visual Studio Code. The SSIS extension pack in Visual Studio Code provides IntelliSense, debugging, and deployment capabilities for SSIS without relying on SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT). This integration allows direct SSIS package development within Visual Studio Code, streamlining workflows.

Furthermore, SSIS 816 expands data integration capabilities with new connectors. The SAP BW, Hadoop, and Spark connectors facilitate seamless data transfer to/from these platforms. The OData connector supports data consumption from any OData v3/v4 service, while the Web connector extracts data from web pages using XPath queries.

Additionally, SSIS 816 enhances performance through scale-out capabilities, distributing 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.

Finally, SSIS 816 extends maintenance support for 10 years, ensuring long-term support for data integration solutions. Regular updates and patches contribute to maximum uptime and issue resolution.

In summary, upgrading to SSIS 816 delivers enhanced security, a streamlined development experience, expanded connectivity, improved performance, and long-term support. These benefits make the investment in upgrading to SSIS 816 highly valuable for any organization relying on robust data integration.

Changes and Enhancements in SSIS 816

SSIS 2016, the most recent iteration of SQL Server Integration Services, brought forth numerous alterations and enhancements aimed at enhancing performance, scalability, and user-friendliness. Several key improvements were introduced in SSIS 2016, contributing to a more robust and efficient data integration platform.

Performance and Scalability

SSIS 2016 has implemented modifications focused on enhancing both performance and scalability. The introduction of a new scale-out feature enables the distribution of packages across multiple servers, facilitating high throughput. Additionally, performance enhancements have been made in areas such as data flow, logging, and checkpoints.

R Integration and Advanced Analytics

In SSIS 2016, various new data mining algorithms are introduced alongside seamless integration with R scripts. This integration facilitates the infusion of advanced analytics and predictive modeling directly into ETL processes. With the capability to execute R scripts within SSIS packages, you can seamlessly send data to R for in-depth analysis.

Deployment Enhancements

SSIS 2016 simplifies project deployment through the introduction of features such as incremental package deployment, environment cloning, and project versioning. These enhancements streamline the process of deploying updates to existing projects. Notably, you have the flexibility to deploy only the packages that underwent changes, clone environments, and revert to previous versions of packages when necessary.

Other Improvements

SSIS 2016 introduces several additional enhancements, including expanded connectivity to diverse data sources such as SAP HANA, Hadoop, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, and OData. It also offers support for newer versions of existing data sources, such as Oracle 12c, along with an updated OLE DB provider for SQL Server. The logging capabilities are improved, featuring custom log providers, and there’s a tighter integration with Power BI, allowing the initiation of a Power BI report directly from an SSIS package.

With these advancements, SSIS 2016 delivers notable improvements in performance, scalability, and usability for ETL solutions. The inclusion of additional data sources, data mining features, and enhanced deployment options provides users with increased flexibility and power to construct sophisticated data integration projects. In essence, SSIS 2016 represents a significant improvement, enabling 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 access SSIS, you should download SQL Server 2016, as it includes the integrated SSIS. The SQL Server Developer Edition, available for free, encompasses SSIS functionality. During the installation process of SQL Server 2016, ensure that you select Integration Services as one of the featured components.

Launch and Explore SSIS

Upon the completion of SQL Server 2016 installation, access SSIS by launching it from the Microsoft SQL Server program group. During the initial launch of SSIS, you will encounter the SSIS catalog, serving as a repository for your SSIS projects. Within the SSIS catalog, you can systematically organize your SSIS projects, environments, parameters, and logging.

Create a New SSIS Project

To initiate your initial SSIS package, commence by right-clicking the SSIS catalog and opting for “New Folder,” followed by “Project.” Choose “Integration Services Project” as the project category. Assign a name to your newly created project and proceed by clicking “OK” to generate it. Subsequently, your recently formed SSIS project will be visible within the SSIS catalog.

Design an SSIS Package

Open SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT), the SSIS development environment, by double-clicking on your newly created SSIS project. In the SSDT interface, right-click on the “Packages” folder and choose “New SSIS Package” to initiate the creation of a new package. Utilize the design surface to drag and drop data flow components, such as sources, transformations, and destinations, to construct your ETL data flow.

Configure and Execute the Package

Customize the components in your SSIS package by adjusting properties and incorporating scripts or expressions. Subsequently, initiate the execution of your package by clicking the “Start” button or pressing F5. This will prompt your package to run, enabling the smooth flow of data through the various data flow components.

Deploy and Schedule the Package

To make your SSIS project packages accessible for scheduling and execution, begin by right-clicking on your project within the SSIS catalog and choosing “Deploy Project.” This action will deploy both the project and its packages. Subsequently, you can set up scheduled executions for the packages using SQL Server Agent or another preferred scheduling tool.

By following these steps, you’ll be on your way to creating, running, and deploying SSIS packages. Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions!

Conclusion

By now, you should have gained a solid understanding of SSIS 816. With continuous practice, you’ll enhance your proficiency in implementing data integration solutions and managing intricate ETL processes. It’s essential to begin with simple tasks, grasp the fundamentals, and gradually expand your expertise through hands-on projects. SSIS equips you, as a data professional, with a powerful set of tools. 

Stay current with the latest releases and features to fully leverage the capabilities of this platform. With dedication and perseverance, you’ll soon be automating data workflows and optimizing data processing. The potential for data integration is limitless. Now, go ahead and apply your newly acquired SSIS 816 skills!