As we all know Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services packages are used to transfer data from different sources to different destinations such as files, Excel Worksheets, SQL Database, Oracle Database and so on. In order to extract the data or to insert data, we need appropriate SSIS Connection Manager.
The SSIS Connection Manager includes Connection Strings which is the combination of Server instance Name, Database Name, provider Name and credentials.
Built-in SSIS Connection Manager
SQL Server Integration Services provides different types of built-in Connection Managers. Using these Connection Managers, SSIS packages will connect to different types of Data Sources such as Oracle, Access, Excel, Text File, SQL Server, SQL Server Analysis Services and so on. Below table will show you the list of SSIS Connection Manager
Please refer to the Cache Connection Manager article to understand the configuration settings.
| SIS Connection Manager | Description |
|---|---|
| ADO | This Connection Manager is used to connect with ActiveX Data Objects or we can simply be called as ADO object. Please refer ADO Connection Manager in SSIS article to understand the configuration settings. |
| ADO.NET | This is used to connect to a data source by using a .NET provider. Please refer ADO.NET Connection Manager in SSIS article to understand the configuration settings. |
| CACHE | Reads data from the data flow or from a cache file (.caw) and can save data to the cache file. |
| DQS | Connects to a Data Quality Services server and a Data Quality Services database on the server. |
| EXCEL | Connects to an Excel workbooks file. Please refer to Excel Connection Manager in SSIS article to understand the configuration settings. |
| FILE | Connects to a file or a folder. Please refer to File Connection Manager article to understand the configuration settings. |
| FLATFILE | Connect to data in a single flat file. |
| FTP | This will connect to an FTP server. Please refer to the FTP Connection Manager article to understand the configuration settings. |
| HTTP | Connects to a web server. |
| MSMQ | Connects to a message queue. |
| MSOLAP100 | Connects to an instance of SQL Server Analysis Services or an Analysis Services project. |
| MULTIFILE | Connects to multiple files and folders. |
| MULTIFLATFILE | Connects to multiple data files and folders. |
| OLE DB | Connects to a data source by using an OLE DB provider. Please refer OLE DB Connection Manager in SSIS article to understand the configuration settings. |
| ODBC | Connects to a data source by using ODBC. |
| SMOSERVER | Connects to a SQL Server Management Objects (SMO) server. Please refer SMO Connection Manager in SSIS article to understand the configuration settings. |
| SMTP | Connects to an SMTP mail server. |
| SQL MOBILE | Connects to a SQL Server Compact database. |
| WMI | Connects to a server and specifies the scope of Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) management on the server. |
Configuring SSIS Connection Manager
In SQL Server Integration Services, there are two types of Connection managers: Package Level Connection Managers and Project Level Connection Managers
Configuring Project Level Connection Manager in SSIS
If you configure Project Level SSIS Connection Manager then the connection will be available to all the package we created under that project. If you need that connection in multiple packages then it is good practice to create Project Level Connection Managers in SSIS.
TIP: In real-time we mostly use Project Level Connection Managers but there are some situations where we use package level connection managers.
This example shows, How to create or configure Project Level Connection Managers in SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)
Once you created a new Project under SSIS. If you look at the Solution Explorer we have few folders. For now, let us concentrate on the Connection Managers Folder.
Right click on the Connection Managers folder present in the solution explorer and select the New Connection Manager option from the menu.
When you click on the New Connection Manager option, an Add SSIS Connection Manager window form will be opened to select the connections managers from the list it is provided.
For the time being, We selected the OLE DB connection manager from the list. Once we selected the OLE DB connection manager then another window form of Configure OLE DB Connection Manager will be opened to configure the data connections.
If you observe the above, Data Connections pane is empty because we have not created any connection managers before. If we created any connection managers before then instead of creating them, again and again, we can select them here.
Click on the new button from the above screenshot will open another window form of Connection Manager. Use this to select the Provider, Server Name and Database Name.
From the above screenshot, you can observe that we are using our local host windows account as the server name and [AdventureWorks2014] as the database name.
NOTE: In real-time you have to select the Use SQL Server Authentication option. Next, provide the valid credentials given by your Admin person.
Click on the Test Connection button provided below to check whether the connection is successful or not.
Once we finish configuring the connection managers, the OLE DB connection manager name will be displayed in the Data connection pane. So select the created connection manager and click ok.
We successfully created the Project level SSIS Connection Manager.
From the above screenshot, you can observe the Project Level Connection Manager in SSIS.
Configuring Package Level Connection Managers in SSIS
If you configure Package Level Connection Managers in SSIS then the connection will be available to that particular package. You can’t access it outside the package.
TIP: If you need that connection in one package only and you don’t use it in another package then there is no point in creating Project Level Connection Managers so, go for Package Level Connection Manager.
Right-Click on the Empty Space present in the Connection Managers pane at the bottom of the package designer pane. It will pop up the context menu to select the connection manager.
This Context Menu will show some frequently used connection managers (OLE DB, Flat File, ADO.NET, Analysis Services and File Connection). If you don’t find the required one then select the New Connection option.
In this example, we are creating OLE DB Connection Manager. It means we can select New OLE DB Connection option from the Context Menu. But if you observe from the above screenshot, We selected the New Connection option. This will help you to understand the similarities while creating SSIS Connection Managers.
When you click on the New Connection Manager option, an Add SSIS Connection Manager window form will be opened to select the connections managers from the list it is provided.
Here we selected the OLEDB Connection Manager. Again we have to follow the above-mentioned step to configure the connection manager.
From the above screenshot, you can observe that there is one Project Level Connection Manager and one Package Level SSIS Connection Manager.
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