1. Script and Automate SSIS Development
Cathrine Wilhelmsen, Senior BI Consultant, Inmeta
Moderated By: Narinder Sharma
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5. Cathrine Wilhelmsen
Senior BI Consultant, Inmeta
CathrineW.net
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ciders, cat gifs, and smilies :)
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Speaker, organizer, blogger, author,
mentor, and chronic volunteer
Data and Biml
Microsoft Data Platform MVP
BimlHero Certified Expert
/cathrinewilhelmsen
@cathrinew
hi@cathrinew.net

6. Script and Automate SSIS Development
Cathrine Wilhelmsen, Senior BI Consultant, Inmeta
Biml for Beginners:
Presenting Sponsor

7. Basic Biml Tools & Code
SSIS from Metadata
…the next 45 minutes…

9. once upon a time…

10. Meet Sandra,
the SSIS developer

11. Sandra has to create a
new staging project with
100+ SSIS packages

12. Sandra gets quite bored of
creating the same package
over and over and over

13. Yay, Sandra has finally
completed her project!

14. But Sandra's manager
has just a few new
requirements…

15. Sandra gets to update
every single SSIS package
one… more… time…

16. …yay

17. It's time for a change!

19. Business Intelligence Markup Language
Easy to read and write XML language
Describes business intelligence objects:
• Databases, Schemas, Tables, Views, Columns
• SSIS Packages
• SSAS and Azure Data Factory *
What is Biml?

20. Why use Biml?
SSIS: Plumbing Biml: Business Logic

21. Spend time on dragging, dropping, connecting, aligning
Create the same package over and over again with minor changes
Standards, patterns and templates must be defined up-front
Changes must be done in every single package
Higher risk of manual errors
More packages, more time
SSIS: Plumbing

22. Spend time on what is unique in a package
Create a pattern once and reuse for all similar packages
Handle scope and requirement changes quickly and easily
Changes can be applied to all packages at once
Lower risk of manual errors
Longer time to start, but then automate and reuse
Biml: Business Logic

23. How does SSIS development work?

24. How does Biml development work?

25. Biml is a tool for generating SSIS packages
Biml is not a pre-defined Data Warehouse framework
Biml is not a tool for automating deployment
Will Biml solve all your challenges?

26. Timesaving: Many SSIS packages from one Biml file
Reusable: Write once and run on any platform
Flexible: Start simple, expand as you learn
How can Biml help you?

27. Source Control: Keep track of actual logic changes
Simplify: Untangle complex packages for quick edits
Scripts: Use Biml instead of dynamic T-SQL
What if you don't have 100+ packages?

28. What do you need?

29. Free add-in for Visual Studio
Code editor with syntax highlighting and Biml Intellisense
More frequent updates than BIDS Helper
varigence.com/bimlexpress
BimlExpress

30. Licensed full-featured development environment for Biml
Visual designer and metadata modeling
Full-stack automation and transformers
varigence.com/bimlstudio
BimlStudio

31. Biml syntax
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage1"></Package>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage2"/>
</Packages>
</Biml>

32. Biml syntax: Root Element
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage1"></Package>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage2"/>
</Packages>
</Biml>

33. Biml syntax: Collections of Elements
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage1"></Package>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage2"/>
</Packages>
</Biml>

34. Biml syntax: Elements
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage1"></Package>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage2"/>
</Packages>
</Biml>

35. Biml syntax: Attributes
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage1"></Package>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage2"/>
</Packages>
</Biml>

36. Biml syntax: Full vs. Shorthand Syntax
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage1"></Package>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage2"/>
</Packages>
</Biml>

37. DEMO
Let's generate
some packages!

38. Ok, so we can go from Biml to SSIS…

39. …can we go from SSIS to Biml?

40. Yes!

41. DEMO
Let's convert some
SSIS to Biml!

42. The magic is in the…

43. Extend Biml with C# or VB code blocks
Import database structure and metadata
Loop over tables and columns
Expressions replace static values
Generate, control and manipulate Biml code
What is BimlScript?

44. How does it work?

45. Yes, but how does it work?

46. BimlScript Code Blocks
<# … #> Control Block (Variables and logic)
<#= … #> Text Block (Returns string)
<#* … *#> Comment Block (Disable BimlScript)
<#@ … #> Directive (Compiler instructions)
<#+ … #> Class Block (C# classes and methods)

47. BimlScript Syntax
<# var con = SchemaManager.CreateConnectionNode(...); #>
<# var metadata = con.GetDatabaseSchema(); #>
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<# foreach (var table in metadata.TableNodes) { #>
<Package Name="Load_<#=table.Name#>"></Package>
<# } #>
</Packages>
</Biml>

48. BimlScript Syntax: Import metadata
<# var con = SchemaManager.CreateConnectionNode(...); #>
<# var metadata = con.GetDatabaseSchema(); #>
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<# foreach (var table in metadata.TableNodes) { #>
<Package Name="Load_<#=table.Name#>"></Package>
<# } #>
</Packages>
</Biml>

49. BimlScript Syntax: Loop over tables
<# var con = SchemaManager.CreateConnectionNode(...); #>
<# var metadata = con.GetDatabaseSchema(); #>
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<# foreach (var table in metadata.TableNodes) { #>
<Package Name="Load_<#=table.Name#>"></Package>
<# } #>
</Packages>
</Biml>

50. BimlScript Syntax: Replace static values
<# var con = SchemaManager.CreateConnectionNode(...); #>
<# var metadata = con.GetDatabaseSchema(); #>
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<# foreach (var table in metadata.TableNodes) { #>
<Package Name="Load_<#=table.Name#>"></Package>
<# } #>
</Packages>
</Biml>

51. Yes, but how does it actually work?
<# foreach (var table in RootNode.Tables) { #>
<Package Name="Load_<#=table.Name#>" />
<# } #>
<Package Name="Load_Customer" />
<Package Name="Load_Product" />
<Package Name="Load_Sales" />

52. PreviewPane
The power is in the…

53. DEMO
Let's generate
many packages!

54. New project

55. Of course I can create
200 SSIS Packages!
…what do you need me
to do after lunch?

56. Where can you learn more?
Free online training
bimlscript.com

57. Get things done
Start small
Start simple
Start with ugly code
Keep going
Expand
Improve
Deliver often

58. Biml on Monday…
…BimlBreak the rest
of the week!

59. @cathrinew
cathrinew.net
hi@cathrinew.net
Biml resources and demo files:
cathrinew.net/biml

60. Questions?

61. Coming up next…
Improve App Performance Using Async Messaging with Service Broker
Allen White

62. Thank you for attending!
@sqlpass #sqlpass @PASScommunity

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