Discover the Secrets of Building Custom Tasks for SQL Server Integration Services

SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is a powerful platform for building enterprise-level data integration and transformation solutions. It provides a wide range of built-in tasks that can be used to perform various data-related operations. However, there may be scenarios where these built-in tasks are not sufficient, and you need to build custom tasks to meet your specific requirements.

In this article, we will explore the process of building custom tasks for SQL Server Integration Services. We will discuss the benefits of creating custom tasks, provide a step-by-step guide to building them, and highlight some best practices to ensure success.

Why Build Custom Tasks?

While SSIS comes with an extensive set of built-in tasks, there are situations where they may not fulfill all your needs. Building custom tasks allows you to extend the functionality of SSIS and tailor it to your specific requirements. Here are some benefits of creating custom tasks:

Building Custom Tasks for SQL Server Integration Services

by Andy Leonard(1st ed. Edition, Kindle Edition)

4.1 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3778 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	152 pages

FREE

• Reusability: Custom tasks can be reused across multiple SSIS packages, saving time and effort in development.
• Flexibility: By building custom tasks, you have complete control over the functionality and behavior of the tasks, enabling you to handle complex data operations efficiently.
• Integration with External Systems: Custom tasks can integrate with external systems or APIs, enabling you to perform operations such as data extraction, data transformation, and data loading.
• Adhering to Business Rules: Custom tasks allow you to enforce specific business rules or validations during data integration, ensuring data quality and compliance.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building Custom Tasks

Building custom tasks for SSIS involves the following steps:

1. Setting up the Development Environment: Before getting started, you need to set up your development environment. This involves installing SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) and Visual Studio, which provide the necessary tools and templates for building custom tasks.
2. Creating a New SSIS Custom Task Project: Once the development environment is set up, you can create a new SSIS custom task project using the appropriate template.
3. Defining Properties and Inputs: The next step is to define the properties and inputs for your custom task. This includes specifying the task's name, description, configuration settings, and any input parameters required.
4. Implementing the Task Logic: After defining the properties and inputs, you need to implement the logic for your custom task. This involves writing code in C# or VB.NET to perform the desired data operations.
5. Testing and Debugging: It is crucial to thoroughly test and debug your custom task to ensure it performs as expected. This includes verifying the task's functionality, handling error scenarios, and optimizing performance.
6. Deploying the Custom Task: Once the custom task is ready, you can deploy it to your SSIS environment. This involves creating a deployment manifest and installing the task on the SSIS server.

Best Practices for Building Custom Tasks

To ensure successful development and deployment of custom tasks, consider the following best practices:

• Plan and Design: Take the time to plan and design your custom task before starting development. Clearly define the requirements, functionalities, and expected outcomes to avoid rework later.
• Modularity: Design your custom tasks to be modular and reusable. This allows for easier maintenance and future enhancements.
• Logging and Error Handling: Include appropriate logging and error handling mechanisms in your custom task to facilitate troubleshooting and monitoring.
• Performance Optimization: Optimize the performance of your custom tasks by minimizing resource usage, utilizing batch processing, and implementing efficient algorithms.
• Documentation: Document your custom task thoroughly, including details about its functionality, inputs, outputs, and any dependencies. This helps in future maintenance and troubleshooting.

Building custom tasks for SQL Server Integration Services unleashes the full power and flexibility of the platform. By extending the capabilities of SSIS, you can create tailored data integration and transformation solutions that align with your unique requirements. With the step-by-step guide and best practices provided in this article, you are equipped with the knowledge to embark on your custom task development journey.

Building Custom Tasks for SQL Server Integration Services

by Andy Leonard(1st ed. Edition, Kindle Edition)

4.1 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3778 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	152 pages

FREE

Learn to build custom SSIS tasks using Visual Studio Community Edition and Visual Basic. Bring all the power of Microsoft .NET to bear on your data integration and ETL processes, and for no added cost over what you’ve already spent on licensing SQL Server. If you already have a license for SQL Server, then you do not need to spend more money to extend SSIS with custom tasks and components. 
Why are custom components necessary? Because even though the SSIS catalog of built-in tasks and components is a marvel of engineering, there do remain gaps in the functionality that is provided. These gaps are especially relevant to enterprises practicing Data Integration Lifecycle Management (DILMS) and/or DevOps. 
One of the gaps is a limitation of the SSIS Execute Package task. Developers using the stock version of that task are unable to select SSIS packages from other projects. Yet it’s useful to be able to select and execute tasks across projects, and the example used throughout this book will help you to create an Execute Catalog Package task that does in fact allow you to execute a task from another project. Building on the example’s pattern, you can create any task that you like, custom tailored to your specific, data integration and ETL needs.
What You Will Learn

• Configure and execute Visual Studio in the way that best supports SSIS task development
  
• Create a class library as the basis for an SSIS task, and reference the needed SSIS assemblies
  
• Properly sign assemblies that you create in order to invoke them from your task
  
• Implement source code control via Visual Studio Team Services, or your own favorite tool set
  
• Code not only your tasks themselves, but also the associated task editors
  
• Troubleshoot and then execute your custom tasks as part of your own project

Who This Book Is For

Database administrators and developers who are involved in ETL projects built around SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). Readers should have a background in programming along with a desire to optimize their ETL efforts by creating custom-tailored tasks for execution from SSIS packages.