Biml for Beginners: Script and Automate SSIS development (Capital Area SQL Server User Group)

Biml for Beginners:
Script and Automate
SSIS Development
Cathrine Wilhelmsen
CASSUG · April 9th 2018

Session Description
Are you tired of creating and updating the same SSIS packages again and again? Is your wrist hurting
from all that clicking, dragging, dropping, connecting and aligning? Do you want to take the next step and
really speed up your SSIS development?
Say goodbye to repetitive work and hello to Biml, the markup language for Business Intelligence projects.
In this session we will look at the basics of Biml. First learn how to use Biml to generate SSIS packages
from database metadata. Then see how you can reuse code to implement changes in multiple SSIS
packages and projects with just a few clicks. Finally, we will create an example project that you can
download and start with to speed up your SSIS development from day one.
Stop wasting your valuable time on doing the same things over and over and over again, and see how
you can complete in a day what once took more than a week!

Biml Basics Tools & Code
SQL and SSIS from Metadata
…the next 60 minutes…

Cathrine Wilhelmsen
@cathrinew cathrinew.net
Data Warehouse & Business Intelligence Consultant

You…
…?
SSIS developer
Easily bored
Tired of repetitive work

Work…
…?
Long development time
Many SSIS packages
Frequent requirement changes

job done!
new standards
…yay
Ever experienced this?

What is Biml?
Business Intelligence Markup Language
Easy to read and write XML language
Describes business intelligence objects:
• Databases, Schemas, Tables, Views, Columns
• SSIS Packages
• SSAS Cubes

Why use Biml?
SSIS: Plumbing Biml: Business Logic

SSIS: Plumbing
Spend time on dragging, dropping, connecting, aligning
Create the same package over and over again with minor changes
Standards, patterns and templates must be defined up-front
Changes must be done in every single package
Higher risk of manual errors
More packages, more time

Biml: Business Logic
Spend time on what is unique in a package
Create a pattern once and reuse for all similar packages
Handle scope and requirement changes quickly and easily
Changes can be applied to all packages at once
Lower risk of manual errors
Longer time to start, but then automate and reuse

Will Biml solve all your challenges?
Probably not...
Biml is a tool for generating SSIS packages
Biml is not a pre-defined ETL framework
Biml is not a tool for automated deployment
...but it will solve many challenges!

How can Biml help you?
Biml is great for large projects with common patterns…
Timesaving: Many SSIS packages from one Biml file
Reusable: Write once and run on any platform
Flexible: Start simple, expand as you learn
…but is also useful for smaller projects!

BimlExpress
Free add-in for Visual Studio
Code editor with syntax highlighting and Biml Intellisense
More frequent updates than BIDS Helper
varigence.com/bimlexpress

BimlOnline
Free browser-based Biml editor
Code editor with Biml and C# Intellisense
Reverse-engineer from SSIS to Biml
bimlonline.com

BimlStudio
Licensed full-featured development environment for Biml
Visual designer and metadata modeling
Full-stack automation and transformers
varigence.com/bimlstudio

How does it work?
…generated packages look exactly like manually created packages

Biml syntax
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage1"></Package>
<Package Name="EmptyPackage2"/>
</Packages>
</Biml>

Biml syntax: Root Element
<Packages>
</Packages>
</Biml>

Biml syntax: Collections of Elements
<Packages>
</Packages>
</Biml>

Biml syntax: Elements
<Packages>
</Packages>
</Biml>

Biml syntax: Attributes
<Packages>
</Packages>
</Biml>

Biml syntax: Full vs. Shorthand Syntax
<Packages>
</Packages>
</Biml>

Goal: Load from source to staging

Add New Biml File from BimlExpress menu…

…or right-click on SSIS project to Add New Biml File

Biml files are placed under Miscellaneous

Check Biml For Errors from BimlExpress menu…

…or right-click on file to Check Biml For Errors

Generate SSIS Packages from BimlExpress menu…

…or right-click on file to Generate SSIS Packages

From Biml to SSIS: Control Flow
<Package Name="TruncateLoad" ConstraintMode="Linear">
<Tasks>
<ExecuteSQL Name="Truncate Table" ConnectionName="Staging">
<DirectInput>TRUNCATE TABLE DestinationTable</DirectInput>
</ExecuteSQL>
<Dataflow Name="Load Table">
<Transformations>...</Transformations>
</Dataflow>
</Tasks>
</Package>

From Biml to SSIS: Data Flow
<Transformations>
<OleDbSource Name="Source" ConnectionName="AW2014">
<ExternalTableInput Table="SourceTable" />
</OleDbSource>
<DerivedColumns Name="Add LoadDate">
<Columns>
<Column Name="LoadDate" DataType="DateTime">
@[System::StartTime]
</Column>
</Columns>
</DerivedColumns>
<OleDbDestination Name="Destination" ConnectionName="Staging">
<ExternalTableOutput Table="DestinationTable" />
</OleDbDestination>
</Transformations>

.biml vs .dtsx: human-readable vs ALL THE CODE!
(20% zoom)(150% zoom)

Ok, so we can go from Biml to SSIS…

…can we go from SSIS to Biml?

Let's convert some packages
from SSIS to Biml!

Convert SSIS to Biml in BimlExpress 2018

…import, filter and add to project

What is BimlScript?
Extend Biml with C# or VB code blocks
Import database structure and metadata
Loop over tables and columns
Expressions replace static values
Generate, control and manipulate Biml code

BimlScript Code Blocks
<# … #> Control Block (Control logic)
<#= … #> Text Block (Returns string)
<#@ … #> Directive (Compiler instructions)
<#+ … #> Class Block (Create C# classes)
<#* … *#> Comment Block (Comments)

BimlScript Syntax
<# var con = SchemaManager.CreateConnectionNode(...); #>
<# var metadata = con.GetDatabaseSchema(); #>
<Packages>
<# foreach (var table in metadata.TableNodes) { #>
<Package Name="Load_<#=table.Name#>"></Package>
<# } #>
</Packages>
</Biml>

BimlScript Syntax: Import metadata
<Packages>
<# } #>
</Packages>
</Biml>

BimlScript Syntax: Loop over tables
<Packages>
<# } #>
</Packages>
</Biml>

BimlScript Syntax: Replace static values
<Packages>
<# } #>
</Packages>
</Biml>

Biml vs. BimlScript
Generate, control and
manipulate Biml with C#
XML Language
"Just plain text"

Yes, but how does it actually work?
<# foreach (var table in RootNode.Tables) { #>
<Package Name="Load_<#=table.Name#>" />
<# } #>
<Package Name="Load_Customer" />
<Package Name="Load_Product" />
<Package Name="Load_Sales" />

Of course I can create 200 SSIS Packages!
…what do you need me to do after lunch?

Don't Repeat Yourself
Move code to separate files
Centralize and reuse
Update once for all projects
1. Tiered Biml Files
2. Include Files
3. CallBimlScript

What are Tiered Biml Files?
Think of tiers as stacked layers or sequential steps
Tier (Layer) 1
Tier 0
Tier (Layer) 2
Tier (Step) 1 Tier (Step) 2

Tiered Biml Files
Split Biml code in multiple files to:
• Solve logical dependencies
• Build solutions in multiple steps behind the scenes
Specify the tier per file by using the template directive:
<#@ template tier="2" #>

Tiered Biml Files
Biml is compiled step-by-step from lowest to highest tier
• Biml files are implicitly tier 0
• BimlScript files are implicitly tier 1
In each tier, objects are added in-memory to RootNode
Higher tiers can call RootNode to use objects from lower tiers

Tiered Biml Files: Behind the Scenes
Connections
Load Packages
Master Package
Connections
Databases
Schemas
Tables
Packages

Connections
Load Packages
Master Package
Connections
Admin
Source
Destination
Databases
Schemas
Tables
Packages

Connections
Load Packages
Master Package
Connections
Admin
Source
Destination
Databases
Schemas
Tables
Packages
Load_Customer
Load_Product
Load_Sales

Connections
Load Packages
Master Package
Connections
Admin
Source
Destination
Databases
Schemas
Tables
Packages
Load_Customer
Load_Product
Load_Sales
Master

Connections
Admin
Source
Destination
Databases
Schemas
Tables
Packages
Load_Customer
Load_Product
Load_Sales
Master

How do you use Tiered Biml Files?
1. Create Biml files with specified tiers
2. Select all the tiered Biml files
3. Right-click and click Generate SSIS Packages
1
2
3

Annotations and ObjectTags
Annotations and ObjectTags are Key / Value pairs
Use them to store and pass code between tiers
Annotations: String / String
ObjectTags: String / Object

Annotations
Create annotations:
<OleDbConnection Name="Dest">
<Annotations>
<Annotation Tag="Schema">aw</Annotation>
</Annotations>
</OleDbConnection>
Use annotations:
RootNode.OleDbConnections["Dest"].GetTag("Schema");

ObjectTags
Create ObjectTags:
RootNode.ObjectTag["Filter"] =
new List<string>{"Product","ProductCategory"};
Use ObjectTags:
RootNode.ObjectTag["Filter"];

Include Files
Include common code in multiple files and projects
Can include many file types: .biml .txt .sql .cs
Use the include directive
<#@ include file="CommonCode.biml" #>
The directive will be replaced by the included file
Works like an automated Copy & Paste

CallBimlScript
Works like a parameterized include (or stored procedure)
File to be called (callee) specifies accepted parameters:
<#@ property name="Parameter" type="String" #>
File that calls (caller) passes parameters:
<#=CallBimlScript("Common.biml", Parameter)#>

Biml Basics Tools & Code
SQL and SSIS from Metadata
…the past 60 minutes…

Where can I learn more?
Free online training
bimlscript.com

Where can I learn more?
cathrinew.net/BimlBook

Get things done
Start small
Start simple
Start with ugly code
Keep going
Expand
Improve
Deliver often

Biml on Monday…
…BimlBreak the rest of the week ☺

@cathrinew
cathrinew.net
linkedin.com/in/cathrinewilhelmsen
hi@cathrinew.net
slideshare.net/cathrinewilhelmsen
Biml resources and demo files:
cathrinew.net/biml

Biml for Beginners: Script and Automate SSIS development (Capital Area SQL Server User Group)

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (18)

Similaire à Biml for Beginners: Script and Automate SSIS development (Capital Area SQL Server User Group)

Similaire à Biml for Beginners: Script and Automate SSIS development (Capital Area SQL Server User Group) (19)

Plus de Cathrine Wilhelmsen

Plus de Cathrine Wilhelmsen (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Biml for Beginners: Script and Automate SSIS development (Capital Area SQL Server User Group)