Control Flow, Data Flow Task, Precedence Constraints in SSIS

Control Flow
Control Flow contains  a group of tasks to achieve start to end. Without having a Control Flow, no package on SSIS can be made. It also determines under what conditions they're executed.

Data Flow Task
A task where data flows (what ETL does). A Data Flow Task has to be a part of a Control Flow. One control flow can have a number of Data Flow Tasks in it. Each Data Flow Task has to have a Source, may or may not have a Transform/Destination. But at least a transform or Destination followed by the Source. Source is used to extract the data, Transform is used to transform the data while Destination is used to Load the data to a destination.

Precedence Constraints 
Precedence Constraints link the individual executables together and determine how the workflow moves from one executable. The precedence constraints are the green, red and blue arrows (both solid and dotted) that connect the tasks and container to each other. Fig 1.

SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)  -  to get the data from various sources and put the data to tables or create Cubes for data warehouse, used for ETL.

SSIS is a visual tool with drag and drop feature, which enables us to create SSIS, packages to perform ETL in a very short amount of time. 

Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) is the only way where you develop and test the SSIS package. SSIS package is nothing but a complex XML file.

Start All Programs ->  Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 -> SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio.

SSRS - Page Break

Customize Page Break
1)Right Click the data row, choose Add Group -> Row Group - Parent Group.

SQL Server Reporting Service (SSRS)

SQL Server Reporting Service (SSRS)

1. SSRS is a bigger software application. SSRS is part of SQL server since SQL SERVER 2005. 
2. The SSRS installation doesn’t need to have SQL Database in one box, but SSRS still needs to connects to an existing SQL server database instance. 
3. All the SSRS configurations and reports definitions are eventually saved in the database, the configuration database for SSRS by default named as “ReportServer” and “ReportServerTempDB”. 
4. Good practice to keep SSRS Report engine / Report definitions & web pages are at web server, i.e., n-tier enterprise solution.
5. In SQL Server 2005, SSRS does need IIS to be together in one box, because it needs IIS to host its web service / portal interface. 
6. In SQL 2008, SSRS has its own embedded web server, and doesn’t need IIS anymore.
7. SSRS can be setup as totally independent server, no AD/Domain at all, although AD/Domain setup can bring it to normal enterprise security level.

SSRS web management portal is for admin works (such as setup data source, online folders, security, adjust reports parameters, schedules etc.).  More info SSRS Web Management Portal - User Roles and Permissions

Display SSRS Report in ASP.NET Web Page

1)Open VS 2010 and Create a ASP.NET Web Application project.

2)Add a ScriptManager (AJAX Externsions), ReportViewer (Reporting) and Button (Standard) control from the toolbox in the Default.aspx page.

3)Double Click on the button, to add the following code in the button event.

protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
ReportViewer1.ProcessingMode = Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.ProcessingMode.Remote;
ReportViewer1.ServerReport.ReportServerUrl = new Uri("http://localhost/ReportServer");
ReportViewer1.ServerReport.ReportPath = "/Report Project2/Report4";
ReportViewer1.ServerReport.Refresh();
}

Deploying a SSRS report to the Server, SSRS Web Management Portal - User Roles and Permissions

1)Right click on the project. Select properties and there you will get to see the Deployment properties and you should see the TargetServerURL property as shown ihe below image. Set the TargetServerURL value (In the Reporting Services Configuration Tools dialog box, click Web Service URL in the left pane, the URLs below Report Server Web Service URLs just is the URL you should use as the TargetServerURL.)

2)Click on the ‘solution explorer project name’ and right click to select the Deploy option to publish the report to the server.

Configuring SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) in Windows Server 2008

To deploy/access the report on a server, need to have the Report Server up and running. For this purpose, do some configuration for the report server.

1.Go to All Programs -> Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 -> Configuration Tools -> Reporting Services Configuration Manager(RSCM), RSCM will open as shown in the screen below. Select the appropriate Server and Instance Name and click on Connect as shown in the screen below.

2.Once connected successfully, you can see the Reporting Services Status as shown in the screen below.

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) - Design Report

Designing a report using Report Wizard

1)Programs -> Microsoft SQL Server 2008/2008 R2 -> SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio.

2)Create a new Project
Open File -> New -> Project (a list of templates will be display) -> Report Server Project Wizard -> Press OK button to create the project.