SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is a Microsoft product. The primary goal of this product, introduced in 2005, is to help users building a data warehouse. SSIS automates many of the processes associated with data warehouse creation. One of the fundamental processes associated with a data warehouse is extract, transform, load (ETL). This book on design patterns provides numerous templates for use with SSIS. All of the authors have extensive experience with SSIS. The book is divided into 20 chapters. Each chapter is full of code extracts, screen captures, and explanations on why a particular approach is recommended. As the title of the book suggests, this book focuses on a specific Microsoft product.
The first two chapters focus on metadata collection and building the demonstration SSIS package. The tools described here are very basic and essential for benefiting from SSIS. Chapter 3 addresses several scripting tools available. Chapters 4 and 6 deal with source patterns necessary for building a data warehouse. Chapter 5 provides the necessary data cleaning tools. Chapters 7 and 8 deal with handling flat files and parallel processing. Chapters 9 to 11 concern patterns related to Extensible Markup Language (XML), the SSIS expression language that is built into the runtime environment, and the fundamentals of building a data warehouse. This part specifically addresses the issues associated with several server instances running; the database administrator (DBA) needs to monitor the proper functioning of all these instances in gathering the necessary data to build the data warehouse. In this part, users will note the details on how SQL Server has been upgraded from the 2008 version onwards in handling upserts (update and insert) and change data capture, which allows for the collection of changes to data in monitored tables.
Chapters 12 to 14 deal with how modern data access depends on open data and the cloud. The open data approach provides tools to handle popular protocols such as JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), and representational state transfer (REST). Since more users are now using the cloud, it is essential to be able to capture changes to the data in the cloud. These chapters discuss the details associated with these important aspects. The many examples provided here will help the reader understand how to modify the code snippets to their needs. The screen shots will help readers understand the complexities involved in capturing the necessary data. Chapters 15 and 16 cover the concepts of dealing with log data and noting the parent-child patterns for dynamic data value changes.
Chapters 17 and 18 deal with the important aspects of configuring and deploying the specific model needed for building the data warehouse. The details presented describe some scenarios that the user could adopt for his or her needs. The book concludes with two chapters on the Business Intelligence Markup Language (BIML) and SSIS frameworks. Frameworks are the next step in the evolution of SSIS patterns. Details on the frameworks are found in the extensively illustrated Appendix A, the only appendix in the book.
Overall, the authors have done an excellent job of presenting many intricate details of SSIS through many screen captures, code snippets, and discussions. The book lacks a preface or introduction, as well as references that would help the reader find additional details. The references may not be that critical to this book on a specific Microsoft product, but the lack of preface and introduction does not make it easy to get started with what the authors are trying to achieve here. However, the book has an extensive list of index terms that will help the reader locate specific concepts. I’m pleased with the high quality of the material presented.
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