Tools of the Trade
Most of this book will assume that you know nothing about previous releases of SQL Server SSIS.
Instead, it takes a fresh look at SQL Server SSIS. The learning curve can be considered steep at first,
but once you figure out the basics, you’ll be creating complex packages in no time. To provide an
idea of how easy SSIS is to use, the following section looks at a staple tool in the ETL world:
the Import and Export Wizard.
Import and Export Wizard
If you need to move data quickly from almost any OLE DB–compliant data source or flat file to a
destination, you can use the SSIS Import and Export Wizard (shown in Figure 1-1). In fact, many
SSIS packages are born this way, but most packages you wish to keep in a BI solution should not
be created with the wizard. The wizard provides a quick way to move data and perform very light
transformations of data but does not create packages that use best practices. The wizard is available
in all editions of SQL Server except the Local Database edition and Express. It enables you to persist
the logic of the data movement into a package file. The basic concept of an import/export wizard
has not changed substantially from the days of DTS. You still have the option to check all the tables
you want to transfer. In addition, however, you can also encapsulate the entire transfer of data into
a single transaction.
Where do you find the wizard? It depends. If you just need to perform a quick import or export,
access the wizard directly from the Start menu by navigating to Start ➪ Microsoft SQL Server
“2014” ➪ Import and Export Data. The other option is to open a project in the SSIS development
environment and select Project ➪ SSIS Import and Export Wizard. We cover this in detail in
Chapter 2. Before we get into all the mechanics for that, see Figure 1-1 for an example of the wizard
that has bulk loaded tables.
Figure 1-1