Biml for Beginners
Speed Up Your SSIS Development
Cathrine Wilhelmsen, Data Warehouse Architect

Are you tired of creating and updating the same SSIS packages again and again? Is your wrist
hurting from all that clicking, dragging, dropping, connecting and aligning? Do you want to take
the next step and really speed up your SSIS development?
Say goodbye to repetitive work and hello to Biml, the markup language for Business Intelligence
projects.
In this session we will look at the basics of Biml. First learn how to use Biml to generate SSIS
packages from database metadata. Then see how you can reuse code to implement changes in
multiple SSIS packages and projects with just a few clicks. Finally, we will create an example
project that you can download and start with to speed up your SSIS development from day one.
Stop wasting your valuable time on doing the same things over and over and over again, and
see how you can complete in a day what once took more than a week!
Biml for Beginners: Speed Up Your SSIS Development

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Biml Basics Tools & Projects
Code Management
…the next 75 minutes…

Cathrine Wilhelmsen
Data Warehouse Architect
Microsoft Data Platform MVP
BimlHero Certified Expert
SQLSaturday organizer
Speaker, blogger and chronic volunteer
@cathrinewcathrinew.net

SSIS developer?
Easily bored?
Tired of repetitive work?
Who are you?

Long development time?
Many SSIS packages?
Slow GUI editor?
Your work day?

Ever experienced this?
new standards!
…yay...job done!

Ready for a change?

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

Why use Biml?
SSIS: Plumbing Biml: Business Logic

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

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 reuse and scale
Biml: Business Logic

Biml is a tool for developing SSIS packages
Biml is not a tool for automated deployment
Biml is not a pre-defined ETL framework
Will Biml solve all your challenges?

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?

What do you need?

Free open-source add-in for Visual Studio
60+ features for SSIS, SSAS and SSRS
Includes basic Biml package generator
BIDS Helper
bidshelper.codeplex.com

…or you can use the free Biml tools…

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

Free browser-based Biml editor
Code editor with Biml and C# Intellisense
Reverse-engineer from SSIS to Biml
BimlOnline
bimlonline.com

How does it work?
…generated packages look exactly like manually created packages

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let's generate
some packages!

Goal: Load from source to staging

Add New Biml File from BimlExpress menu…

…or right-click on SSIS project to Add New Biml File

Biml files are placed under Miscellaneous

Check Biml For Errors from BimlExpress menu…

…or right-click on file to Check Biml For Errors

Generate SSIS Packages from BimlExpress menu…

…or right-click on file to Generate SSIS Packages

From Biml to SSIS: Control Flow
<Package Name="TruncateLoad" ConstraintMode="Linear">
<Tasks>
<ExecuteSQL Name="Truncate Table" ConnectionName="Staging">
<DirectInput>TRUNCATE TABLE DestinationTable</DirectInput>
</ExecuteSQL>
<Dataflow Name="Load Table">
<Transformations>...</Transformations>
</Dataflow>
</Tasks>
</Package>

From Biml to SSIS: Data Flow
<Transformations>
<OleDbSource Name="Source" ConnectionName="AW2014">
<ExternalTableInput Table="SourceTable" />
</OleDbSource>
<DerivedColumns Name="Add LoadDate">
<Columns>
<Column Name="LoadDate" DataType="DateTime">
@[System::StartTime]
</Column>
</Columns>
</DerivedColumns>
<OleDbDestination Name="Destination" ConnectionName="Staging">
<ExternalTableOutput Table="DestinationTable" />
</OleDbDestination>
</Transformations>

.biml vs .dtsx: human-readable vs ALL THE CODE!
(20% zoom)(150% zoom)

Ok, so we can go from Biml to SSIS…

…can we go from SSIS to Biml?

Yes!

Let's reverse-engineer
some packages!

Package Importer in BimlOnline

Choose a File

Convert from SSIS to Biml

Choose and filter assets

Copy the Biml…

…or Create /Add to BimlOnline Project

The magic is in the

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?

<# … #> Control Nuggets (Control logic)
<#= … #> Text Nuggets (Returns string)
<#@ … #> Directives (Compiler instructions)
<#+ … #> Class Nuggets (Create C# classes)
BimlScript Code Nuggets

<# 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>
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>
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>
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>
BimlScript Syntax: Replace static values

Biml vs. BimlScript
XML Language
"Just plain text"
Generate, control and
manipulate Biml with C#

How does it work?

Yes, but how does it work?

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" />

Let's generate
a lot of packages!

Move common code to separate files
Centralize and reuse in many projects
Update code once for all projects
1. Include files
2. CallBimlScript with parameters
3. Tiered Biml files
Don't Repeat Yourself

Include common code in multiple files and projects
Can include many file types: .biml .txt .sql .cs
Use the include directive
<#@ include file="CommonCode.biml" #>
The directive will be replaced by the included file
Works like an automated Copy & Paste
Include Files

Include Files

Include Files

Include Files

Like a parameterized include or stored procedure
File to be called (callee) specifies input parameters
<#@ property name="Param" type="String" #>
File that calls (caller) passes input parameters
<#=CallBimlScript("CommonCode.biml", Param)#>
CallBimlScript with Parameters

CallBimlScript with Parameters

CallBimlScript with Parameters

CallBimlScript with Parameters

CallBimlScript with Parameters

CallBimlScript with Parameters

Split Biml code in multiple files
Specify tiers by using the template directive
<#@ template tier="2" #>
Biml files without BimlScript are implicitly tier 0
Biml files with BimlScript are implicitly tier 1
Tiered Biml Files

Biml is compiled from lowest to highest tier to:
• Solve logical dependencies
• Build solutions in multiple steps behind the scenes
For each tier, objects are added to the RootNode
Higher tiers can use objects from lower tiers
Tiered Biml Files

When working with flat Biml,
the <Biml> root element
contains collections of elements:
<Biml>
<Connections>…</Connections>
<Databases>…</Databases>
<Schemas>…</Schemas>
<Tables>…</Tables>
<Projects>…</Projects>
<Packages>…</Packages>
</Biml>
When working with BimlScript,
the RootNode object contains
collections of objects:
What is this RootNode?

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files
<#@ template tier="1" #>
<Connections>...</Connections>
<#@ template tier="2" #>
<Packages>...</Packages>
<#@ template tier="3" #>
<Package>...</Package>

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files
<#@ template tier="1" #>
<Connections>...</Connections>
<#@ template tier="2" #>
<Packages>...</Packages>
<#@ template tier="3" #>
<Package>...</Package>

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files
<#@ template tier="1" #>
<Connections>...</Connections>
<#@ template tier="2" #>
<Packages>...</Packages>
<#@ template tier="3" #>
<Package>...</Package>

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files
<#@ template tier="1" #>
<Connections>...</Connections>
<#@ template tier="2" #>
<Packages>...</Packages>
<#@ template tier="3" #>
<Package>...</Package>

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files
<#@ template tier="1" #>
<Connections>...</Connections>
<#@ template tier="2" #>
<Packages>...</Packages>
<#@ template tier="3" #>
<Package>...</Package>

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files
<#@ template tier="1" #>
<Connections>...</Connections>
<#@ template tier="2" #>
<Packages>...</Packages>
<#@ template tier="3" #>
<Package>...</Package>

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files
<#@ template tier="1" #>
<Connections>...</Connections>
<#@ template tier="2" #>
<Packages>...</Packages>
<#@ template tier="3" #>
<Package>...</Package>

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files
<#@ template tier="1" #>
<Connections>...</Connections>
<#@ template tier="2" #>
<Packages>...</Packages>
<#@ template tier="3" #>
<Package>...</Package>

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files
<#@ template tier="1" #>
<Connections>...</Connections>
<#@ template tier="2" #>
<Packages>...</Packages>
<#@ template tier="3" #>
<Package>...</Package>

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files
<#@ template tier="1" #>
<Connections>...</Connections>
<#@ template tier="2" #>
<Packages>...</Packages>
<#@ template tier="3" #>
<Package>...</Package>

Inside the Black Box: Tiered Biml Files

1. Create Biml files with specified tiers
2. Select all the tiered Biml files
3. Right-click and click Generate SSIS Packages
How do you use Tiered Biml files?
1
2
3

How does this
actually work?

Biml Basics Tools & Projects
Code Management
…the past 75 minutes…

Free online training
bimlscript.com
Where can I learn more?

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

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

Thank You!
Learn more from
Cathrine Wilhelmsen
cathrinew.net or follow @cathrinew

Session Evaluations
ways to access
Go to passSummit.com Download the GuideBook App
and search: PASS Summit 2016
Follow the QR code link displayed
on session signage throughout the
conference venue and in the
program guide
Submit by 5pm
Friday November 6th to
WIN prizes
Your feedback is
important and valuable. 3