Implementing Data Warehouses with Integration Services

Introduction to Data Warehousing

This module provides an introduction to the key components of a data warehousing solution and the high-level considerations you must take into account when you embark on a data warehousing project.

• Overview of Data Warehousing
• Considerations for a Data Warehouse Solution
• LAB: Inspecting an SSIS Solution

Designing and Implementing a Data Warehouse

This module describes the key considerations for the logical design of a data warehouse (dimensional modeling), and then discusses best practices for its physical implementation.

• Data Warehouse Design Overview
• Star and Snowflake Schema
• Designing Dimension Tables
• Designing Fact Tables
• Physical Design for a Data Warehouse
• LAB: Implementing Dimension and Fact Tables in SQL Server

Columnstore Indexes

Indexing is crucial for performance. Typical BI queries have different indexing needs that operational queries. This module explains how to create and maintain columnstore indexes, which are ideal suited for most BI needs.

• Introduction to Columnstore Indexes
• Creating Columnstore Indexes
• Working with Columnstore Indexes
• LAB: Creating and Querying ColumnStore Indexes in SQL Server

Creating an ETL Solution

This module discusses considerations for implementing an ETL process, and then focuses on Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) as a platform for building ETL solutions.

• Introduction to ETL with SSIS
• Using Visual Studio SSIS Projects
• Exploring Data Sources
• Implementing Data Flow
• LAB: Developing an SSIS Data Flow in Visual Studio

Implementing Control Flow in an SSIS Package

This module describes how to implement ETL solutions that combine multiple tasks and workflow logic.

• Introduction to Control Flow
• Creating Dynamic Packages
• Using Containers
• Managing Consistency
• LAB: Creating an SSIS package control flow

Debugging and Troubleshooting SSIS Packages

This module describes how you can debug packages to find the cause of errors that occur during execution. It then discusses the logging functionality built into SSIS that you can use to log events for troubleshooting purposes. Finally, the module describes common approaches for handling errors in control flow and data flow.

• Debugging an SSIS Package
• Logging SSIS Package Events
• Handling Errors in an SSIS Package
• LAB: Debugging, Logging and Event handlers in SSIS

Implementing a Data Extraction Solution

When data volumes become larger, or when you want to track changes that happen over time, dropping and reloading all the data every time is no longer feasable. This module describes the techniques you can use to implement an incremental data warehouse refresh process.

• Planning Data Extraction
• Extracting Modified Data
• Lookup and OleDB Transformation
• Implementing Change Data Capture (CDC)
• LAB: Implementing an incremental data load

Extending SQL Server Integration Services

This module describes the techniques you can use to extend SSIS. This is useful when you require functionality that is not provided out of the box. This module introduces the basics of extending SSIS, and can be attended without prior .Net knowledge.

• Using Control Flow Scripts in SSIS
• Creating custom Sources, Transformations and Destinations with Data Flow Scripts
• Using Custom Components in SSIS
• LAB: Using the Script task and Script Component

Deploying and Configuring SSIS Packages

Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) provides tools that make it easy to deploy packages to another computer. The deployment tools also manage any dependencies, such as configurations and files that the package needs. In this module, you will learn how to use these tools to install packages and their dependencies on a target computer.

• Overview of SSIS Deployment
• Deploying SSIS Projects
• Package versus Project Deployment
• Planning SSIS Package Execution
• LAB: Deploying packages in Project and in Package Deployment Mode