I usually don’t do book reviews (at least publicly, anyway), but when I find a piece of work that I really get a lot out of, I don’t mind sharing my experience. Such was the case with a book I finished recently. SQL Server 2008 Integration Services: Problem – Design – Solution is a concise guide to becoming a better…
I’ve been using the scripting tools in SSIS for some time, but I came across something today that I can’t quite explain. I normally don’t posts unresolved problems on my blog, but I’m trying out a strategy suggested by my friend Lee Everest by sharing unfinished work in the hopes that my research and troubleshooting can help someone else. So…
So the question came up earlier today about the RIGHT() and LEFT() functions in the SSIS expression language. Like the Transact-SQL functions, one might assume that these functions would exist in SSIS expression language to snatch a specified subset of a string. That assumption would be only half right. Don’t go digging for a LEFT() function in the expression language,…
The day started off with the Quest Software breakfast presentation, to which I arrived late to find a standing-room-only crowd. I left early to find a spot to sit – after yesterday’s interesting but much too long opening ceremony, I elected to catch up on blogging and attend the keynote virtually via Twitter. I attended Andy Leonard’s session entitled “Applied…
Day one for me began with a leisurely breakfast at Top Pot donuts with Jack Corbett, Andy Warren, and Don Gabor. We were joined briefly by Robert Cain, and Greg Larsen. We talked PASS, career development, networking, and various other interesting (perhaps even a few uninteresting) topics. Don’s perspective as a nontechnical person was refreshing, and since we’ve spent a…
Recently, my friend Jack Corbett asked a question on Twitter: In a nutshell, the SSIS foreach loop will enumerate a given list of items (files in a directory, nodes in an XML file, static list of values, etc.) and will perform some operation for each of the items in the collection. This behavior is similar to foreach loop constructs that…
In a couple of previous posts (Part One and Part Two), I shared some thoughts about starting a career path as a database professional, including some notes from my own journey. In this final segment, I’ll share a few discrete tips that will hopefully be useful to those interested in this field. Build Your Foundation: You’re going to need some…
When I talk to other SQL Server professionals, I’m often surprised at how many do not have any involvement in their local SQL Server user group. As best I can tell, the problem is not limited to SQL Server types – many technical pros do not even know that there are user groups in their area, much less participate in…