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SSIS Designer

SSIS Designer is a graphical tool that you can use to create and maintain Integration Services packages. SSIS Designer is available in Business Intelligence Development Studio as part of an Integration Services project.

You can use SSIS Designer to perform the following tasks:

  • Constructing the control flow in a package.

  • Constructing the data flows in a package.

  • Adding event handlers to the package and package objects.

  • Viewing the package content.

  • At run time, viewing the execution progress of the package.

SSIS Designer has four permanent tabs: one each for building package control flow, data flows, and event handlers, and one tab for viewing the contents of a package. At run time a fifth tab appears that shows the execution progress of a package while it is running and the execution results after it finishes.

In addition, SSIS Designer includes the Connection Managers area for adding and configuring the connection managers that a package uses to connect to data.

The following diagram shows SSIS Designer and the Toolbox window.

SSIS Designer

Integration Services includes additional dialog boxes and windows for adding functionality to packages, and Business Intelligence Development Studio provides windows and dialog boxes for configuring the development environment and working with packages. For more information, see Integration Services User Interface.

Control Flow Tab

You construct the control flow in a package on the design surface of the Control Flow tab. Drag items from Toolbox to the design surface and connect them into a control flow by clicking the icon for the item, and then dragging the arrow from one item to another.

For more information, see Creating Package Control Flow.

Data Flow Tab

If a package contains a Data flow task, you can add data flows to the package. You construct the data flows in a package on the design surface of the Data Flow tab. Drag items from Toolbox to the design surface and connect them into a data flow by clicking the icon for the item, and then dragging the arrow from one item to another.

For more information, see Creating Package Data Flow.

Event Handlers Tab

You construct the events in a package on the design surface of the Event Handlers tab. On the Event Handlers tab, you select the package or package object that you want to create an event handler for, and then select the event to associate with the event handler. An event handler has a control flow and optional data flows.

For more information, see Creating Package Event Handlers.

Package Explorer Tab

Packages can be complex, including many tasks, connection managers, variables, and other elements. The explorer view of the package lets you see a complete list of package elements.

For more information, see Viewing Package Objects.

Progress/Execution Result Tab

While a package is running, the Progress tab shows the execution progress of the package. After the package has finished running, the execution results remain available on the Execution Result tab.

Note

To enable or disable the display of messages on the Progress tab, toggle the Debug Progress Reporting option on the SSIS menu.

Connection Managers Area

You add and modify the connection managers that a package uses in the Connection Managers area. Integration Services includes connection managers to connect to a variety of data sources, such as text files, OLE DB databases, and .NET providers.

For more information, see Integration Services Connections and Creating Connection Managers.

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