Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

VIII.4.2. How SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) Ties It All Together

If you run a Web search for Extract, Transform, and Load Tools (also known as ETL), be prepared to spend a while evaluating your results. Dozens of products (of varying quality and depth) that specialize in moving information among disparate systems are available. If that prospect doesn't excite you, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised to know that the SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) technology that comes with your database provides a robust set of capabilities to help you get the job done.

In this section, I briefly summarize how SSIS works and what it's used for. In the next section, I show you how to put it to work solving your own data integration challenges.

VIII.4.2.1. SSIS and the rest of the SQL Server platform

With SQL Server 2008, Microsoft has done an excellent job of delivering a seamless data platform. For example, SSIS integrates with the data mining capabilities of the SQL Server Analysis Services (described in Book VI). It also uses the Visual Studio development platform, as does both Analysis and Reporting Services (described in Book V). Therefore, investing in learning one part of the SQL Server platform pays you dividends when you research the other parts of the technology.

VIII.4.2.2. SSIS architecture

Given the potentially enormous data volumes found in modern integration projects, SSIS was designed for high performance. It uses the following techniques to drive throughput: ...