Book sample for "DW Toolkit with SQL Server 2008 R2"

[amir2]

Hello

I am considering buying the latest version of the above (Kimball series) book. However, having downloaded the code samples, I noticed that the example packages no longer cover slowly changing dimensions - the area I am interested in - like the SQL Server 2005 version of the book.

Have I missed something?

[Joy]

You're right, that sample has moved on. As the text in that book chapter mentions, the Microsoft built-in component for slowly changing dimension handling hasn't changed in any significant way since SQL Server 2005. Although the built-in component isn't perfect, it's good enough for most purposes, and most people use it.

However, there are several alternatives, including at least one that's available on codeplex (search for SSIS SCD). There are other options, including the toolkit of SSIS widgets sold by PragmaticWorks, and a TableDifference component available from CozyRoc.com. And of course you can write your own, either the old fashioned way (using SQL), or using standard SSIS widgets.

As it's a problem that's been written about widely in the past 5 years, we decided it wasn't worth rehashing in detail in the second edition of the Microsoft book.

[amir2]

Hi Joy

Thanks for the clarification.

What I have been looking for unsuccessfully is a template package (parent and child) that handles all of the requirements below:
• Error handling (including email notifications)
• Logging (e.g. informational data such as duration to execute a package)
• Audit information (e.g. when a row was inserted, updated, ...)
• Checkpoints
• Transactions

As well as your book samples, I have also found the following (in order of my preference):

1. Package design pattern for loading a data warehouse
2. Handling Multiple Errors in SSIS
3. BI Monkey SSIS ETL Framework

For links to these docs and a more detailed discussion, please see my post in the Microsoft forum: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sqlintegrationservices/thread/6c5d6545-a1d6-452c-b6a9-cdbfd542e63a

Perhaps in the SQL Server 2011 version of your book, you could please provide such a package :-) as I am putting my own template package together, but I am relatively new to SSIS so I am probabaly making a few mistakes!

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