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Is It common practice to use a Master Package to run a Child package

  • August 14, 2013 at 12:46 pm

    #278605

    I am wondering what the benefit is to using a Master Package with Master.dstconfig to execute and pass\share it's variables to a child package.

    If I have a simple package that runs a proc and outputs to a flat file why should I go through the additional steps of creating a master.

    Thanks,

    Phil

  • August 14, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    #1641561

    you may have a process that needs to be called from a number of different workflows. For example, I have a package that generates an export file for consumption by a non SQL based system. The data for this file can be inserted into the database in a number of ways. One way is by running a different SSIS package, another is a sproc that calculates the values required. I call the export package directly from the import package and it only exports the data just imported but I also call it from a generic package that looks to see if there are any unexported files and loops through them, calling the child package for each file.

    It is the same concept as encapsulation and inheritance from OOP design. If I need to change the export, I only need to change it in one place and all workflows are updated.

  • August 14, 2013 at 2:54 pm

    #1641579

    There's no benefit of creating a master package for just a single child.

    However, if you have a lot of child packages, you can let them all run in parallel, cutting back dramatically on total execution time.

    Another reason might be if there are dependencies between packages: the master package controls the execution of the packages in the correct order.

    Need an answer? No, you need a question
    My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
    MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP

  • August 14, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    #1641590

    Thanks for the tips. I am going to go with a Master and child since the way our team is divided they might give me a proc to extract one day and then a few month later give me two more that belong in the same project.

    Now the nightmare I have is trying to figure out how to use SQL to store the variables.

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