Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Integration Services

by Kirk Haselden and Trey Johnson

Book Overview

All medium to large companies have to deal with data being stored in a number of databases, spreadsheets and proprietary applications. Bringing all this data together into one system can be useful to analyzing the business; but can also be quite difficult to do. Integration Services is the next big bet in Microsoft's business intelligence lineup, providing you with true enterprise extract transform and load features (ETL). Microsoft SQL...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0672327813
• ISBN13: 9780672327810
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: Sams Publishing
• Length: 717 Pages
• Weight: 3.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 6.9" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Saving my bacon!

I have experience building simple DTS packages in SQL Server 2000, so when 2005/2008 hit the market, I was really confused. I'm not a VB programmer; I vastly prefer the Management Studio/Query Analyzer interface over other GUIs in the SQL Server environment, and where the heck did my Import/Export Wizard go? Thank you, Kirk, for explaining that first! I would advise reading Chapter 2, Setting up Integration Services. I finally had to bite the bullet and get with the program; for me Books Online was hopeless, 'way too fragmented, if I could even find the topic that I was looking for. I disagree with a previous reviewer, this is not just a reference book, this is reference + tutorial. If you need to build an FTP task, for instance, pop over to page 151 and start following the directions. As Kirk works through the description of how to set it up, he explains why he's doing what he's doing. I'm finding this book to be one of the most valuable in my SQL 2005 collection.

This is a thourough and detailed reference

If you are looking for an Step-by-Step type book (which apparently quite a few reviewers are) this is not it. What it does is provide you with a very detailed understanding of SSIS. That said, I still was able to go from never using SSIS to having a fairly good working knowledge using nothing but this book in about a week and a half, so I'm not exactly sure what the issue others had is. If you're willing to learn the concepts and apply them on your own, I think you'll find this to be an invaluable resource. A year and a half later I still use it to look something or other up about once a week and it never disappoints.

Great Book For Semi-Experienced Users

This is the book for people who have worked with the product for a short time and are asking the real world "how's and why's". It goes into much more detailed explanations than any other SSIS book I've seen.

Great SSIS Book

I'm new to SSIS. I cannot put this book down! The flow is great (probably because it is written by a single author). Chapter 4 Quickstart was a fantastic way of learning the basics of SSIS very quickly. I only started reading it this week and I'm already half way through it!

Exceptionally valuable and detailed book

Having used DTS for many years, the transition to serious use of SSIS has proven to be quite "challenging"...yea, that's the word. In fact, SSIS, is a quantum leap in complexity and mindset above using DTS. It has been many quirks, subtleties and rituals required to use it effectively. While not 100% mature, it is very sophisticated and a powerful tool for ETL tasks. This book has proven to be very detailed for my needs and covers almost all aspects of SSIS in extensive detail. It adequately explans all tasks and how to use most every aspect and feature in creating and deploying SSIS solutions. It also gives solid insight on best practices and guidelines on how specific features are intended to work and not work. The only way to really get going with SSIS is to have a comprehensive reference so that you can understand using the tool to the greatest degree possible. Highly recommended, very readable and useful.