Bulk Insert large File

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Bulk Insert large File

Ravi Patel-554358

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Points: 471
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December 14, 2007 at 10:13 am

#185007

I am doing a large file bulk insert into a table, I have written a stored procedure that does this.
The question that I have is as follows:
The file is 1.4 gigs, and this particular time one of the rows has bad data that is causing the file to break, meaning one of the columns in that row is larger then the specified length.
What is the easiest way of finding what row is causing this problem?
Thanks.
Ravi

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Adam Haines SSC-Insane Points: 23217 More actions · Answer 1

You have a few options here:

1: you can create a SSIS package that dumps all bad data into a file then you can fix the data

2. import the data via the import wizard and specify the columns widths as needed and the error catching will tell you column is in fault. Continue the import of that column into a temp table and validate which ones are correct and which ones are not by using the len(column) function.

There may be an easier way, but this is all i can think of @ lunch time 😀

My blog: http://jahaines.blogspot.com

Ravi Patel-554358 SSC-Addicted Points: 471 More actions · Answer 2

What do you mean by an Import Wizard? Do you mean an ssis package that will run like an import wizard?

Pretty much if the row is not in the correct format, it will insert this row in another table instead of the main table? So we are going to be doing row level checking? Let me see if I can do that.

There is no easy way of doing it in that case.

Thanks.

Adam Haines SSC-Insane Points: 23217 More actions · Answer 3

yeah right click on the database --> tasks --> import data. you are correct this will execute as a ssis package, but it does show problem columns. Once you have the column you can do a check of

select * from temptable where len(problem col) > nbr its supposed to be

Like I said your other option is develop a package from BIDS and have the errors dump to a file.

My blog: http://jahaines.blogspot.com

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004292 More actions · Answer 4

Or, use BCP with the -m (Max errors) parameter set to some ridiculously high number and the -e (err_file) set to a file name in the same directory. This will do 2 things...

1. Allow all the rest of the rows to be imported successfully even though 1 or more a "broken".

2. Will write the bad rows to a file where you can try to fix them.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

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How to post code problems
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