SSIS and BIML

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SSIS and BIML

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Old Hand

Points: 335
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March 12, 2019 at 1:03 pm

#382011

I'm looking at a way to import many tables (about 350), from each of many sources (about 300), so 105,000 individual loads nightly into a staging database.
I currently use a home-grown framework, but am looking to use SSIS. BIML may be the solution to address this, but I have some concerns about scalability and volume.
I'm just getting started looking at this have some questions. Apologies if they are very basic. I'm looking at the Stairway to BIML, but I'm still on the basic stuff.
1) I see where I can extract all tables from a database, but I want only a selection of tables (the original database has 7000+ tables). The table list would be stored in a database, so BIML would either need to read from a SQL database or I'd have to figure out a hack to restrict the tables.
2) I would need 2 types of extraction patterns: The easy one is the initial load, where all data is extracts. the harder one is based on changes logged in an audit table. Rows would be extracted based on an input parameter of a CRUD date (which is stored in the audit tables). Is that kind of pattern possible within BIML. Templating could be done if the table names can be fed into the process.
3) Loading the data into staging database is most convenient if the source database can be written as a "source int" in the staging table. That way I only have 350 tables to deal with instead of 105,000. But I would be able to still determine the source based on the "source int" that is obtained from a cross-reference table. I don't know yet how much flexibility have with BIML Express and passing parameters or looping through multiple connection strings for pulling the same table data from different sources.
Also, any suggestions before I embark on this would be helpful.
Thanks

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Martin Schoombee SSCoach Points: 19128 More actions · Answer 1

BIML can definitely help with everything you've listed here. To give you an idea, I currently use an Excel document (source-to-target mapping) as source for the tables/attributes I want to extract and import into my staging database. I have also extended it to contain filters and flags that control whether a filter is implemented in the source query and whether the package generation is included when the BIML script is executed.

My BIML script reads from this Excel document and performs the necessary logic to do what it needs to do. There's no reason why you wouldn't be able to read from a table to do the same. I can see why you would want to include a "source" attribute to reduce the number of packages. I typically like to keep the packages as granular as possible for control, and then have a script that aggregates the data (and then including a "source" attribute) into a consolidated table. I can see how you wouldn't want to necessarily do that with so many sources, but it's worth considering before embarking on the exercise.

Hope this helps.

Lowell SSC Guru Points: 323518 More actions · Answer 2

i do the same as what Martin does, but I am using extended properties for my source of tables instead of something external to the database,
the advantage is, when i need to add a table to the process, I can simply add an extended property, and regenerate with BIML.
i just like it that way, as it is self containe din the database.
Un fortuneately, it is also not obvious, as extended properties are fairly well hidden from every day reviews.

so my loading query is something like this:
SELECT SCHEMA_NAME(objz.schema_id) AS [Object_Schema], objz.name AS [Object_Name], objz.type_desc AS [ObjectType], '' AS [ColumnName], propz.[class], propz.[class_desc], propz.[major_id], propz.[minor_id], propz.[name], propz.[value] FROM sys.objects objz LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.extended_properties propz on objz.object_id = propz.major_id WHERE propz.[class] = 1 AND propz.[minor_id] = 0 AND propz.[name] = 'BIMLProcess2016'

Lowell

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screenshot Old Hand Points: 335 More actions · Answer 3

Do either of you know any consultants in the Seattle, WA area that could help us get started so that we can incorporate best practices from the start?

Martin Schoombee SSCoach Points: 19128 More actions · Answer 4

screenshot - Tuesday, March 12, 2019 3:04 PM
Do either of you know any consultants in the Seattle, WA area that could help us get started so that we can incorporate best practices from the start?

I am not in the Seattle area, but a consultant and happy to chat. I think Mark Ginnebaugh's company DesignMind is in Seattle if you need somebody local.