SQL SERVER SSIS: How to assign Connection from variable

Last Article, SSIS - Foreach Loop Container, We need to assign dynamic connection to file connection, so SSIS For each loop Task can take each file from folder. Lets configure File connection from variable for SSIS - Foreach Loop Container. What we need to do is, we need to process each file from folder, so we need to assign value from variable to File connection, so SSIS Task will read that file and process that file. To assign FileConnection dynamicaly we need to do following. 1. Right click on File Connection, click Properties. 2. Set DelayValidation = "False", as we need to assign connection dynamically. 3. Click on "Expression", and enter variable  name, which we used in SSIS - Foreach Loop Container. That's it. It will assign connection from variable and process that file. Let me know if you have any question for the same.

SQL SERVER: SSIS - Foreach Loop Container

Today, I am going to explain SSIS For Each Loop Task. I am sure that it will be easy to configure SSIS Package with Foreach Loop task, after you read this article.

The Foreach Loop container defines a repeating control flow in a package. The loop implementation is similar to Foreach looping structure in programming languages. In a package, looping is enabled by using a Foreach enumerator. The Foreach Loop container repeats the control flow for each member of a specified enumerator.

Many times, user asks that I want to process all files from my folder to database. This is my answer to all of those users. SSIS comes up with For Each Loop which did the same.

Now I'm assuming that you're familiar with using the SQL Dev Studio tools and building basic packages. If this isn't the case, I recommend working your way through the Integration Services using my earlier posts.

1. SSIS Foreach Loop Container - General : Here we need to assign unique name to this container and also we can specify brief description, so we will get idea why we need to design this container.

2. SSIS Foreach Loop Container - Collection : Use the Collection page of the Foreach Loop Editor dialog box to specify the enumerator type and configure the enumerator.

Select the enumerator type from the list. This property has the options listed as follows:

1. Foreach File Enumerator: Enumerate files
   
2. Foreach Item Enumerator: Enumerate values in an item
   
3. Foreach ADO Enumerator: Enumerate tables or rows in tables
   
4. Foreach ADO.NET Schema Rowset Enumerator: Enumerate a schema
   
5. Foreach From Variable Enumerator: Enumerate the value in a variable
   
6. Foreach Nodelist Enumerator: Enumerate nodes in an XML document
   
7. Foreach SMO Enumerator: Enumerate a SMO object

Let me explain with Foreach File Enumerator

We can use this Foreach File enumerator to enumerate files in a folder.

The content of the folders and subfolders that the Foreach File enumerator enumerates might change while the loop is executing because external processes or tasks in the loop add, rename, or delete files while the loop is executing. This means that a number of unexpected situations may occur:

In Folder option, provide the path of the root folder to enumerate. In Files option, specify the files to enumerate.

If wildcard characters are specified in the Files option, then the fully-qualified paths that are returned match the filter.

1. Fully qualified: Select to retrieve the fully qualified path of file names.
   
2. Name and extension: Select to retrieve the file names and their file name extensions.
   
3. Name only: Select to retrieve only the file names.

3. SSIS Foreach Loop Container - Variable Mappings : Use the Variables Mappings page of the Foreach Loop Editor dialog box to map variables to the collection value. The value of the variable is updated with the collection values on each iteration of the loop.

Variable: Select an existing variable, or click <New variable...> to create a new variable.

Index: If using the Foreach Item enumerator, specify the index of the column in the collection value to map to the variable. For other enumerator types, the index is read-only.

Once we configured, For Each Loop container, Lets add the process that we want. Here what I am going to do is:

1. Data Flow Task.

NOTE: We can add any other tasks to this container. I took Data flow process, as its already explained by this BLOG.

Here lets see the logical scenario of For Each Container Task.

First, From the selected folder, fetch all the files and assign file path to the variable.

Second, For Data Flow Process, process the file from the folder and execute data flow.

NOTE: For Data Flow Process, we need to assign Connection from variable. ( as we assigned variable after each loop, we need to process new file from the folder). So How can we configure File connection to use new file?

Please refer to my next article for How to assign Connection from variable.

That's it. This is what we need to design for "For Each Loop".

Let me know if there is any difficulties you have to design this package.

SQL SERVER: Configure Database Mail with SQL SERVER 2005

We have used Database mail to send mail to client on each updates.This is a very simple process to configure. Let me share how to configure Database mail with SQL server 2005 with all of you. After setting up Profile and Account properly, you just need to write following code to send a mail to client: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: You might get this message: Step 5: Create Profile Step 6 : Create Account That's it. exec msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail @profile_name = 'ProfileName', IN our CASE, 'Tejas' @recipients = 'Client Email Address' , @blind_copy_recipients = 'BCC Address', @subject = 'Subject', @BODY = 'Message Body', @body_format = 'Message Type', it could be text OR html Let me know if you have any complexity or comments in setting up Database mail.

SQL SERVER SSIS - For Loop Container

Today, I am going to explain SQL SERVER SSIS, For Loop Container.

The For Loop container defines a repeating control flow in a package. The loop implementation is the same concept of the For looping structure in programming languages. In each repeat of the loop, the For Loop container evaluates an expression and repeats its workflow until the expression evaluates to False.

The For Loop container uses the following elements to define the loop:

• An optional initialization expression that assigns values to the loop counters.
• An evaluation expression that contains the expression used to test whether the loop should stop or continue.
• An optional iteration expression that increments or decrements the loop counter.

Let's take an example to easily understand how to use For Loop Container with SSIS. Here I take example to iterate ActiveX Task.

1. Select and Drag, For Loop Container, from Container Flow Items to designer surface and add ActiveX Script Task to run inside the loop.

2. To configure this container, right click on this and click on 'edit'.

 

First we need to create variables to run this package based on variables. We can create variables by: View -> Other Windows -> Variables. Please find variable screen as below:

Here, I specified both variables. Count and Increment, that I am going to use for this example. I specified value Count = 20. So loop will be executed 20 times.

 

Let's take a view how each properties are used:

For Loop Properties:

1. InitExpression: Type an Initialization Expression in the given textbox. Initialization ensures that we are starting by setting out increment counter to 1. Here I specified variable to 1.

2.EvalExpression: Type an Evaluation Expression in the  given textbox. For each iteration the evaluation expression checks to see if we have reached our maximum iteration count as set above when we defined @Counter. Here I specified that @Increment <= @Count, code inside the for loop will execute @Count times.

3. AssignExpression: Type an Assignment Expression in the given textbox. This is used to increment the counter by one for each iteration of the loop, otherwise the loop would never finish. Here I specified to increment variable by 1.

That's it. We have configured SSIS For Loop container.

Now when we execute this package, it will execute ActiveX Task, 20 times (as specified in variable count).

Let me know if you have any questions.