Online Training
3-day fast track Integration Services (SSIS) course
Live online training course - classroom version also available
Three days (09:30 to 16:30 UK time each day)
Our Introduction to SSIS course will be enough for most people, but it has one big omission - it doesn't cover script components or script tasks. For most people this won't be a problem, but if you do want to discover how to program data and control flow tasks in C#, this three-day fast-track course might be the one for you!
Our online fast-track courses are only available as tailored courses (you can see why here). They're not for the faint-hearted: the idea is to provide as quick a start to learning software as possible, for people who are IT-ability-rich but time-poor.
Course Contents
This fast-track course combines topics from the following other Wise Owl courses:
SSIS basics
- Solutions and projects
- Basic packages
- Control and data flow tasks
- The 32-bit question
Data flow tasks
- Connection managers
- Sources and destinations
Using different data connections
- SQL Server (OLEDB)
- Connecting to Excel workbooks
- New and existing flat files
- Multiple flat files
Data viewers
- Attaching data viewers
- Data buffers
Basic data transforms
- Sorting and aggregating
- Sampling data
- Dividing and uniting data
Data conversion transforms
- The SSIS data types
- Unicode and ASCII data
- Type cast functions
Variables and expressions
- The Row Count transform
- User and system variables
- Expression tasks
Debugging
- Setting breakpoints
- The Locals window
Derived column transforms
- SSIS expressions
- Using SSIS functions
- Using the conditional operator
Handling errors
- Redirecting and ignoring errors
- Truncation errors
Conditional split transforms
- Splitting data by expression
- Using comparison operators
- Syntax for multiple conditions
Lookup transforms
- Redirecting unmatched rows
- Choosing a cache mode
- Setting unmatched rows to Unknown
- Adding unmatched rows automatically
File system tasks
- Working with files
- Working with folders
Looping over files
- The file name variable
- Configuring the loop
- Expression constraints
Importing multiple files
- Using expressions for connections
- Dynamic connections within loops
Looping over rows
- Object variables
- Reading in data
- Looping over ADO rows
- Dynamic connection strings
Using parameter placeholders
- Using the ? Symbol
- Mapping parameters
Merge joins
- How they work
- Comparing two data sets
Basic deployment
- Project-level deployment
- Creating a catalog
- Deploying and viewing in SSMS
If time
Using parameters
- Package and project parameters
- Using parameters in expressions
- Deploying parameters
- Why to avoid environments
A quick C# primer
- Writing methods
- Using variables
- Using namespaces
Script tasks
- Message boxes
- Setting return status
Variables in script
- Passing variables in/out
- Referencing in code
Script components
- Input and output flows
- Manipulating values in script
If time
Sending mail
- Limitations of the Send Mail task
- The System.Mail namespace
- Sending emails in code
If time
Accessing file attributes
- FileInfo and DirectoryInfo
- Accessing file properties
- Filtering by file date/time
If time
Logging and auditing
- Logging to text files
- Logging to SQL Server
- Audit transforms
Events
- Creating an event
- Pre- and post-execute events
- Error-handling using events
Benefits of our online training
Here are some reasons to choose Wise Owl online courses:
- Maximum of 5 people per class
- Excellent colour courseware manual posted to you in advance
- Pre-course set-up included in the days before the course
- No need to install any software on your computer
- All courses given by one of our 6 Wise Owl trainers
What other people have said
Many thanks to those listed below for kindly agreeing to let us use their names. All of the reviews are from the last 3 calendar years (although some may be for classroom courses):
Philip Wood (Macquarie Energy Leasing)
Craig Benson (NHS Digital)
Natalie Gatward (ThoughtWorks Ltd)
Matt Smith (Department for Education)
David Tayleur (Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS Foundation Trust)
Refresh the page to see a different set of reviews!
How our live online training courses work
We've published a full summary of what it's like to attend a Wise Owl course online - here are the main things you need to know.
You'll need three things for the course:
- A computer (obviously) running Windows.
- A good internet connection.
- A microphone and (ideally) webcam.
In addition you'll find the course very difficult without an additional monitor (so that you can participate in the course on one screen, and use the software you're learning on the other).
Within a few hours of your booking a place on one of our online courses, we'll be in touch to get you set up correctly. This usually takes about half an hour, and can be done at any mutually convenient date/time.
A few days before your course begins you'll receive a parcel in the post (free for UK bookings) containing:
- A full colour courseware manual;
- An exercise booklet to go with the course; and
- A USB stick containing the files for the course, should you need a back-up.
Your parcel will even include a Wise Owl Sheaffer biro (they're good; trust us) and pad.
You won't need to install any software at all on your computer. This is because:
- you'll use Windows Remote Desktop to connect to our computers, and these will have all of the necessary files and software installed; and
- we use Teams for our online training, which you can run through most modern browsers.
On the day of the course itself you will be able to join the course up to half an hour before it begins. This will give you time to:
- familiarise yourself with the set-up;
- meet your trainer; and
- get to know the other delegates!
After the course finishes you'll receive an electronic certificate proving your attendance (we will gladly send a paper copy on request also).
You can see full details of exactly how our online courses work here.