SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT)

Here is a tutorial on how to create a package in SQL Server 2022 using:

• ✅ SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)
• ✅ SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) for Visual Studio

Creating a SQL Server SSIS Package Using SSDT
🧰 Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure that the following are installed:

1. SQL Server 2022
2. SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
3. Visual Studio 2022 or later
4. SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) with the SSIS Projects extension

You can install the SSIS extension via Visual Studio Installer or the

Extensions > Manage Extensions

menu in Visual Studio (`Microsoft.DataTools.IntegrationServices`).
📦 Step 1: Launch SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT)

• Search for Integration Services Project.
• Select Integration Services Project from the list.
• Click Next.

📁 Step 2: Configure Your SSIS Project

1. Enter a project name (e.g., `ETL_SalesData_Import`).
2. Choose a location to save the project.
3. Click Create.

This creates a .dtsx package file by default named `Package.dtsx`.
⚙️ Step 3: Design the SSIS Package
You will now be inside the SSIS Designer window with several tabs:

1. Control Flow
   • Drag and drop Tasks like:
     • Data Flow Task
     • Execute SQL Task
     • File System Task
   • Use these to define the high-level workflow (e.g., load data, clean it, move it).

B. Data Flow (within a Data Flow Task)

• Double-click the Data Flow Task to open the Data Flow tab.
• Add components:
  • Source: OLE DB Source, Flat File Source, Excel Source
  • Transformations: Derived Column, Lookup, Sort, Conditional Split
  • Destination: OLE DB Destination, Flat File Destination, etc.

C. Parameters and Variables

• Use Package Parameters for external configuration.
• Use Variables for internal dynamic control (e.g., looping, conditional logic).

🔄 Step 4: Test and Debug the Package

1. Right-click on the Control Flow canvas and choose Execute Package.
2. View output in the Progress tab.
3. Use Breakpoints and Data Viewers in the Data Flow to inspect rows.

📤 Step 5: Deploy the Package
You can deploy in two ways:

• A. Project Deployment Model
  1. Right-click the project in Solution Explorer.
  2. Choose Deploy.
  3. Use the Integration Services Deployment Wizard to deploy to:
  
  
  • SSISDB Catalog on SQL Server 2022
  • Define folder name, environment, and parameters

B. Legacy File-Based Deployment

1. Copy the .dtsx package file to a location.
2. Use SSMS > Integration Services or DTExec utility to run the package.

🧪 Optional: Schedule SSIS Package with SQL Server Agent

1. In SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS):
   • Go to SQL Server Agent > Jobs
   • Create a new job and add a SQL Server Integration Services Package Step
   • Point to the package deployed in SSISDB

✅ Summary

Step	Description
1	Open SSDT via Visual Studio
2	Create an Integration Services Project
3	Use Control Flow and Data Flow to design ETL logic
4	Test and debug the package
5	Deploy using the Deployment Wizard or manually
6	(Optional) Schedule execution using SQL Server Agent

In SQL Server 2022, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) uses SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) to create, develop, and manage SSIS packages. Here's how it breaks down:
✅ Modern Replacement of DTS Package Manager
SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) for Visual Studio
🛠️ Tool Name: SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT)

• Function: SSDT provides a graphical designer within Visual Studio for building SSIS packages as part of an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) workflow.
• Extension Used: SSIS projects are added to Visual Studio through the "Integration Services Project" template, which is installed via the SSDT SSIS extension.

📦 SSIS Package Characteristics in SQL Server 2022

• Packages are stored as `.dtsx` files
• Components:
  • Control Flow: Tasks and workflow logic
  • Data Flow: Data extraction, transformation, and loading
  • Event Handlers and Parameters
• Design: Done visually in SSDT

🔁 SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is a Tool and Workflow
SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is both:

• The tool is SSDT + Integration Services Project extension
• The package itself defines a workflow, orchestrating data integration steps

Summary

(SSIS in SQL Server 2022) SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) in Visual Studio `.dtsx` SSIS packages and fully graphical with extensibility

In SQL Server, the **`.dtsx`** extension designates a file that is a **SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) package**.
Here's a breakdown of what that means:

• SSIS Package: An SSIS package is a unit of work built using the SQL Server Integration Services tool. It defines a sequence of tasks that are executed to perform data-related operations. These operations can include:
  • Extracting data from various sources (e.g., databases, flat files, XML files).
  • Transforming data (e.g., cleaning, aggregating, joining).
  • Loading data into destinations (e.g., databases, data warehouses, flat files).
  • Performing workflow and control flow tasks (e.g., looping, branching, sending emails).
• XML-based Format: A .dtsx file is stored in an XML (Extensible Markup Language) format. This file contains all the definitions and configurations of the SSIS package, including:
  • Connections to data sources and destinations.
  • Tasks and control flow logic.
  • Data flow components and transformations.
  • Variables, parameters, and configurations.
• Execution: These .dtsx files are the deployable and executable units of SSIS. They can be executed using various methods, such as:
  • SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
  • The DTExec.exe command-line utility.
  • SQL Server Agent jobs.
  • Within a Visual Studio environment with SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT).

In essence, the `.dtsx` file is the blueprint that tells SQL Server Integration Services how to move, transform, and manage data.