To be able to do your job well as a data professional, you must keep up with the latest technology and tools. This is Microsoft’s corporate data integration, data transformation and data migration tool. In SSIS 2016 which just came out, there were several new things that have been included to make it better in terms of scale, performance and usability. There are various advancements that have been made on this latest update; SSIS 2019.
In this article we will go over a number of significant new features of SSIS 2019 and how they can help your data integration projects. It does not matter whether you are a newbie in SSIS or you have spent many years with it; you need to know what the most recent capabilities of this tool are if you want to maximize its potential. SSIS 2019 has made some improvements in package management, toolbox extensions, horizontal scaling for workloads and handling Hadoop data. Keep reading to find out everything about the most recent version of this tool for integrating critical business data.
What Is SSIS 816?
SSIS 816 refers to SQL Server Integration Services 2016, the latest version of Microsoft’s enterprise data integration platform. Released in late 2016, SSIS 2016 builds upon previous versions by improving performance, scale, and ease of use.
Some of the key new features in SSIS 2016 include:
- Project deployment to Azure. You can now directly deploy SSIS projects to Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, and Azure SQL Managed Instance. This allows you to lift and shift on-premises SSIS workloads to the cloud.
- Incremental package deployment. Only modified packages are re-deployed, speeding up the deployment process.
- Data tap. Easily extract data from a wide range of sources using the new data tap task. Over 70 connectors are built-in, including social media platforms, marketing, and productivity tools.
- Row sampling transformation. Easily take random samples of data during data flow, useful for testing and profiling.
- Azure Feature Pack. Additional components to integrate with Azure services like Data Lake Store, Blob Storage, and HDInsight.
To summarize, SSIS 2016 expands integration capabilities, leverages the power of the cloud, increases developer productivity, and improves scale and performance. For any organization seeking to build robust data integration solutions, SSIS 2016 is a compelling option to consider.
Key Features and Capabilities of SSIS 816
Scalability and Performance
SSIS 816 has enhanced scalability and performance features hence allowing up to 64 cores for a single package execution resulting in much improved performance when it comes to data integration processes.
Running packages without writing logs to disk can be a great way to improve performance. Scale Out feature distributes package execution over several machines so as to enhance scalability.
Advanced Data Flow Capabilities
SSIS 816 has multiple enhancements of data flow components and transformations, introduction of new data flow components such as OData Source and Destination and the ODBC Flow Destination.
There are also performance improvements for lookups, aggregations, and pivots that were included in this package. Furthermore, redirection and row level error isolation are some of the improved error handling mechanisms available. And finally there have been introduced new data types namely DATE, TIME, DATETIME2, and DATETIMEOFFSET.
Deployment and Management Improvements
Some features improve deployment and management in SSIS 816. Rather than just deploying individual packages to the SSIS catalog you deploy whole projects through project deployment. This is facilitated by using parameters that allow you to pass values at runtime to update configurations.
It also includes views that can be used for monitoring execution and validations in the catalog. In addition it introduces few T-SQL stored procedures facilitating catalog management.
There are so many things that SSIS 816 brings on board giving you wider scope capabilities along with ETL enhancements resulting faster ETL processes, more scalable systems while being easy on right management of your ETL process. With these features however you may easily construct strong performing data integration solutions.
Benefits of Upgrading to SSIS 816
Benefits of Upgrading to SSIS 816
Upgrading your SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) environment to version 816 provides several advantages.
First, SSIS 816 offers enhanced security features like Always Encrypted. This protects sensitive data in motion and at rest by encrypting data in the database and only decrypting it within the application layer. You can also implement role-based security to control access to packages and their elements.
Second, SSIS 816 has a modernized development experience with Visual Studio Code integration. The SSIS extension pack in Visual Studio Code provides IntelliSense, debugging, and deployment capabilities for SSIS without needing SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT). You can develop SSIS packages directly in Visual Studio Code, simplifying your workflow.
Additionally, SSIS 816 introduces new connectors that expand your data integration capabilities. The SAP BW, Hadoop, and Spark connectors allow you to connect to and transfer data to/from these platforms. The OData connector consumes data from any OData v3/v4 service. The Web connector can extract data from web pages via XPath queries.
Moreover, SSIS 816 improves performance through scale out, allowing you to distribute package execution across multiple nodes. You can also run packages in-memory by loading them into the Scale Out Master. This avoids the performance overhead of loading/unloading packages from the file system or SQL Server database.
Finally, SSIS 816 has extended maintenance for 10 years, providing long-term support for your data integration solutions. With regular updates and patches, you can ensure maximum uptime and address any issues.
In summary, upgrading to SSIS 816 leads to enhanced security, a streamlined development experience, expanded connectivity, improved performance, and long-term support. For any organization relying on data integration, these benefits make the upgrade to SSIS 816 well worth the investment.
Changes and Enhancements in SSIS 816
SSIS 2016, the latest version of SQL Server Integration Services, introduced many changes and enhancements to improve performance, scale, and ease of use. Some of the major improvements in SSIS 2016 include:
Performance and Scalability
SSIS 2016 incorporates changes to improve performance and scalability. This includes a new scale-out feature that allows you to distribute packages across multiple servers, achieving high throughput. It also includes performance improvements in data flow, logging, and checkpoints.
R Integration and Advanced Analytics
SSIS 2016 includes several new data mining algorithms as well as integration with R scripts. This allows you to incorporate advanced analytics and predictive modeling into your ETL processes. You can now run R scripts from within SSIS packages and send data to R for analysis.
Deployment Enhancements
SSIS 2016 makes it easier to deploy projects with new features like incremental package deployment, environment cloning, and project versioning. This allows you to efficiently deploy updates to existing projects. You can now deploy only packages that have changed, clone environments, and revert to previous package versions if needed.
Other Improvements
Additional enhancements in SSIS 2016 include:
- Connectivity to additional data sources like SAP HANA, Hadoop, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, and OData
- Support for newer versions of existing data sources like Oracle 12c
- Updated OLE DB provider for SQL Server
- Enhanced logging including custom log providers
- Tighter integration with Power BI including the ability to start a Power BI report from an SSIS package
SSIS 2016 provides many performance, scalability, and usability improvements for your ETL solutions. The additional data sources, data mining features, and deployment options give you more flexibility and power to build sophisticated data integration projects. Overall, SSIS 2016 is a significant improvement that allows you to create 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
You will need to download SQL Server 2016, which includes SSIS. The free SQL Server Developer Edition includes SSIS. Install SQL Server 2016, making sure to select Integration Services as one of the features.
Launch and Explore SSIS
After installing SQL Server 2016, you can launch SSIS from the Microsoft SQL Server program group. The first time you launch SSIS, you will see the SSIS catalog, a repository for your SSIS projects. The SSIS catalog organizes your SSIS projects, environments, parameters, and logging.
Create a New SSIS Project
To create your first SSIS package, right-click the SSIS catalog and select “New Folder” then “Project”. Select “Integration Services Project” as the project type. Name your new project and click “OK” to create it. Your new SSIS project will appear in the SSIS catalog.
Design an SSIS Package
Double-click your new SSIS project to open SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT), the SSIS development environment. Right-click the “Packages” folder and select “New SSIS Package” to create a new package. Drag and drop data flow components like sources, transformations, and destinations onto the design surface to build your ETL data flow.
Configure and Execute the Package
Configure the components in your SSIS package by setting properties and adding scripts or expressions. Then execute your package by clicking the “Start” button or pressing F5. Your package will run and data will flow through the data flow components.
Deploy and Schedule the Package
To deploy your SSIS project and make the packages available for scheduling and execution, right-click your project in the SSIS catalog and select “Deploy Project”. Your project and packages will be deployed. You can then schedule the packages for execution using SQL Server Agent or another scheduling tool.
Following these steps will get you started building, running, and deploying SSIS packages. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Conclusion
By now you should have a solid understanding of ssis 816. With practice, you’ll become increasingly adept at implementing data integration solutions and handling complex ETL processes. The key is to start simple, learn the fundamentals, and build on your knowledge over time through real-world projects. SSIS provides a robust set of tools to empower you as a data professional. Stay up to date with the latest releases and features to maximize the potential of this platform. With hard work and persistence, you’ll be automating data workflows and optimizing data processing in no time. The data integration possibilities are endless. Now go forth and put your newfound ssis 816 skills to work!