The document outlines best practices for migrating SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) projects, focusing on standardization to reduce complexity and downtime. It emphasizes the importance of configuration management, error handling, and monitoring through a centralized approach, designed to improve maintainability and efficiency. The suggested architecture includes designing a database for configuration storage, implementing security measures, and ensuring seamless integration during migrations.

1. • Cognizant 20-20 Insights
A Standardized Approach to
SSIS Migration
Within every migration project, interface issues emerge that create
maintenance complexities and unnecessary system down time. By
embracing common practices and tools, IT organizations can more quickly
and effectively move SSIS software to new and more modern platforms.
Executive Summary on the DBA; there is no way for the DBA to do
impact analysis of changes made to a particular
SQL server integration services (SSIS) is the
configuration of server/location without much
enterprise class extract-transform-load (ETL)
manual work.
tool that accompanies Microsoft SQL2005/2008.
The data transformation services (DTS) that This white paper explains one such standardiza-
existed with SQL 2000 was rewritten for SSIS in tion that can be followed for the generic actions
subsequent versions of the tool. of most SSIS jobs:
To deliver an improved feature set, which primarily • Configuration.
consists of enhanced SQL 2008 database per-
formance, existing DTS packages were migrated • Error Handling.
to SSIS 2008. Though there exist options/tools • Monitoring.
for migration of DTS to SSIS, the best-in-class
approach to leverage SSIS’s improved function- Configuration Standardization
ality and avoid the complex logic of DTS (e.g., Most of the connection strings used in the SSIS
ActiveX scripts) is to use the “complete rewrite” of components as well as other change-prone
DTS functionality in SSIS. Standardized processes properties of any task in SSIS must be configured
must be followed whenever such migrations to enable an SSIS job that is transferable and
occur to increase the maintainability of SSIS jobs maintainable.
after migration.
Challenges in Configuration Management
Without a standardization, a single SSIS may have • During SDLC of any SSIS, the tool must be
multiple configuration files maintained in multiple moved to work in different environments (DEV,
or single locations — making the change to the TEST and PROD predominantly). This results in
configuration complex. Also changes (minor or changing SSIS/Config files during every move,
major) to the configuration have a dependency which is always a time-consuming process.
cognizant 20-20 insights | november 2012

2. • Post-production, any expiring user ID failed. If the IT/support has access to the server,
passwords, server migrations, database the job history can be viewed for the actual error
migrations and resource movements necessi- message. If not, then there is a dependency on
tate a configuration change of a related SSIS the DBA for the error message to proceed with
package. the actual resolution of the error.
• Most servers/job rights would be held under a The package should be designed in such a way
DBA resulting in frequent requests to update that it has tasks embedded to notify the target
an SSIS configuration which leads to an actual audience of the failure of the job with the error
delay of the change and also appears as message. This will improve failure resolution
overhead for IT and the support function. efficiency.
To overcome the above
If required per the challenges, rather than
If required per the business, notifications should
also be configured in the package to send success
business, notifications hard coding a package of the job process to the desired audience. This can
should also be configured configuration or having also be done for monitoring highly critical jobs.
the configuration in a
in the package to send file, we suggest holding The package should have logging enabled and
success of the job all the configurations in appropriate log type chosen such as log file or
process to the desired database tables and just event viewer.
use one single configura-
audience. This can also tion to connect to that Proposed Design Solution
be done for monitoring database in a configu- A new database must be created to hold the
highly critical jobs. ration file that will be a SSIS’s configuration tables. It is a best practice to
common configuration have this database exclusively for configuration
file across all SSIS packages for an application or purposes only to avoid security restrictions.
customers using the software.
This database configuration will be created in an
Error Handling And Monitoring XML configuration file and used across the SSIS
If under any circumstance the package fails, then packages as a generic configuration file.
the target team should be informed of the failure.
Further properties/connections in the SSIS will
Challenges During Job Failures be configured using an “SQL server configura-
tion” type of SSIS in the new database table (see
• If no error handling is embedded in the job, the Figure 1).
failure may exist unnoticed, resulting in critical
business impact for the customer.
Configuration Standardization
• The SQL server agent can be configured to send One table should be designed to hold only the con-
an alert on failure, but it is just an alert with the figurations such as connection strings, variables,
name of the job and the particular step that properties, log paths, etc. (see below).
Configuring SSIS
All Other Connections & Parameters
SSIS APPConfig
1—XML DB 6 Tables 1
Config file AppConfig DB SP
Connection
Figure 1
cognizant 20-20 insights 2

3. The “ConfiguredValue” column of the below table can be stored encrypted if the customer security
policies require encryption of the sensitive data in the configuration. See section “Securing Configura-
tions” for a detailed description of this approach.
Table Name SSIS_CONFIGURATIONS
Column Name Data Type Remarks
ConfigurationFilter nvarchar Holds the value that links the table and the package.
ConfiguredValue nvarchar Value of the parameter like DB name, password, etc.
PackagePath nvarchar Configuration path details.
ConfiguredValueType nvarchar Data type.
This table will be used by the SSIS at runtime to configure its various properties.
With any changes due to server migrations, To incorporate the aforementioned requirements,
database migrations and/or password changes, five additional database tables and a stored
an update of that particular row of this table ends procedure need to be created (as shown below).
the change and activates the package for the new The new database “AppConfig” will have the
configuration. below components:
Error Handling and Monitoring 1. APPLICATION_HEADER — Table
For every successful job, there will be a set of 2. EMAIL_CONTENT_DETAIL — Table
people within different roles who should receive
3. EMAIL_CONTENT_HEADER — Table
these e-mails; there also may or may not be a
different set of people for the failure e-mail. This 4. EMAIL_SERVICE_DETAIL — Table
also varies across job areas and with applica- 5. EMAIL_SERVICE_HEADER — Table
tions. Role group, application group, people group,
status group, success content and failure content, 6. SSIS_CONFIGURATIONS — Table (See above
in order, should be configured in interlinked Configuration Standardization section for
database tables that can be dynamically picked by details)
the job using a custom stored procedure per job 7. SP_EMAIL_CONFIGURATIONS — Stored
needs. Procedure
Any changes due to resource movements, additions and role changes can be handled by updating the
above table records.
1. APPLICATION_HEADER: This table holds the key and the name of each application.
Column Name Data Type Remarks
App_Key numeric Holds the key for each application.
App_Description varchar Application name.
Mod_Date datetime Date field.
Mod_User varchar Modified user details.
2. EMAIL_CONTENT_DETAIL: This table holds the e-mail content for success and failure run
of the package.
Column Name Data Type Remarks
EMAIL_KEY numeric E-mail key.
EMAIL_CODE varchar E-mail code to differentiate the email sending option.
DESCRIPTION varchar Description of e-mail receiver.
MOD_DATE datetime Modified user details.
MOD_USER varchar Modified date.
cognizant 20-20 insights 3

4. 3. EMAIL_CONTENT_HEADER: This table holds the header details of the email such as
subject and footer notes.
Column Name Data Type Remarks
EMAIL_KEY numeric E-mail key.
JOB_CODE varchar Job name which must be the same as package name.
EMAIL_SUCCESS_SUBJECT varchar Holds e-mail subject for success run.
EMAIL_FAIL_SUBJECT varchar Holds e-mail subject for failure run.
EMAIL_FOOTER varchar Holds e-mail footer.
MOD_USER varchar Modified user details.
MOD_DATE datetime Modified date.
4. EMAIL_SERVICE_DETAIL: This table holds the e-mail ID’s of the personnel for whom
the e-mail notifications are to be sent.
Column Name Data Type Remarks
LOGIN varchar Holds UPIN ID.
EMAILID varchar E-mail address of the person.
FULLNAME varchar Name of the associate.
APP_KEY numeric Application key.
EMAIL_KEY numeric E-mail key.
MOD_DATE datetime Modified date.
MOD_USER varchar Modified user details.
5. EMAIL_SERVICE_HEADER: This table holds the different roles of the users who will
be receiving e-mail notifications on job success/failure..
Column Name Data Type Remarks
EMAIL_KEY numeric E-mail key.
EMAIL_CODE varchar E-mail code to differentiate the
email sending option.
DESCRIPTION varchar Description of e-mail receiver.
MOD_DATE datetime Modified user details.
MOD_USER varchar Modified date.
7. SP_EMAIL_CONFIGURATIONS: Retrieves the e-mail ID based on the input parameters passed from
the SSIS package. The input parameter to the SP will be set based upon the e-mail notification
requirement of the job such as success/failure, customer/IT, etc.
Note: Multiple email IDs can be connected into a row using ”;”.
Securing Configurations • Create a view “SSISConfigurations” that has all
Whenever customer sensitive package configu- the fields from the table “SSIS_Configurations”
ration data (e.g., passwords, usernames, server with the “ConfiguredValue” column decrypted.
details) is stored in plain text in the configuration
• Create three triggers on the view for insert,
table, it appears as a security concern per most delete and update. The triggers should facilitate
customer policies. This should be addressed with the corresponding action in the configuration
the following design addition and changes to the table “SSIS_Configurations” with the plain
aforementioned standardization design. value in the view encrypted by the triggers and
stored in the table.
• Change column “ConfiguredValue” in the table
“SSIS_Configurations” to “VarBinary: datatype”
and add an identity ID column to the table.
cognizant 20-20 insights 4

5. • The encryption and decryption is by a password. creating a view (with decryption) by the name
Also, the view should have restricted access for of the old configuration table and creation of
reading its DDL. triggers would suffice, requiring no changes at
the SSIS packages front.
• All SSIS packages should use the created view
for SQL server configurations. Hence, for SSIS the view will retrieve decrypted
• To implement the security concept alone for plain text configurations and at the database
the standardized package, just renaming the end it will appear encrypted (see screen capture,
configuration table with encryption column and below).
Attached below is a text document containing • Increased ease of maintenance.
sample create scripts for the table, view and
triggers.
• Any changes to the intended users (business
or IT) can be made easily application-wise or
in any grouping applied. Removing any inactive
Benefits
person from the notification list is a one-place
Key advantages of this approach include: activity rather than searching all the job con-
• One time change incorporated with the figuration files (see screen capture, below).
migration.
cognizant 20-20 insights 5

6. • Simplified configurations lookup for a specific job (see screen capture, below).
* The values are hidden as it is sensitive data.
• Simplified lookup for a specific configuration across jobs. This helps find the usage of any server/DB/
file location, which is very useful during server migrations and DB changes. Even lookup by username
is possible, which will make username and password changes much easier (see screen captures,
below).
cognizant 20-20 insights 6

7. • Well-monitored jobs increase database avail- • Increased resolution efficiency due to data
ability. (error cases) availability for the desired people.
• Decreased down times. • Secured configurations.
• Decreased change implementation time. • Security can be incorporated without change
to the existing packages.
• Decreased dependency on DBA/other teams
for support.
References
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc768544(v=sql.100).aspx
• http://blog.scalabilityexperts.com/2008/02/14/the-key-sql-server-2008-bi-migration-dts-to-ssis-
2008-part-1-of-2/
• http://www.jasonstrate.com/2011/01/31-days-of-ssis-sql-server-configuration-1831/
• http://curionorg.blogspot.com/2007/05/encrypted-sql-server-ssis.html
About the Author
Surya P. is a Programmer Analyst within Cognizant’s Enterprise Information Management Practice.
She has over three and a half years of IT within the business intelligence projects, development
and support spaces. Surya has a bachelor of engineering degree in electronics and communica-
tion from Government College of Technology, Coimbatore (Anna University). She can be reached at
Surya.Prakash3@cognizant.com.
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