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Building Your ETL
Framework with BIML
Meagan Longoria
SQL Saturday #396 – Dallas BI
 Slides will be on my blog and on the SQL Saturday site
 Feel free to share questions and comments throughout the
session
Begin at the
Beginning
Meagan Longoria
Business Intelligence Consultant at
BlueGranite
Organizer of SQL Saturday Kansas City
(Oct 3, 2015)
Who Are You?
Blog: http://datasavvy.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @mmarie
LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/meaganlongoria/
8 years in BI
7 years working with SSIS
 Business Intelligence Markup Language
 Domain specific language for describing business
intelligence objects
What on Earth
is BIML?
 XML that you can write to:
 Build packages faster
 Ensure consistency
 Free – comes with BIDS Helper
 Also available in Mist
 Allows you to extend BIML with C# or VB.NET
 “Like ASP for BIML” - Bill Fellows
 You can use BIMLScript to:
BIMLScript
 Import database table schemas (quickly create/update your dev
environment to look like prod)
 Replace static values with expressions
 Include text from another BIML file or text file
 Turn tedious, repetitive work into reusable scripts
 BIML is still useful without BIMLScript, but much more powerful
with it
 2008 - BIML was born
 2008 - Varigence was founded by Scott Currie
A Little
Background
 2009 - BIMLScript was created
 2011 - BIML compiler added to BIDS Helper
 BIML describes
 SSIS packages, databases, schemas, tables, columns
 SSAS cubes, facts, dimensions (Mist only)
How It Works
BIMLCompiler
BIML/BIMLScript
(Mist/BIDS
Helper)
DTSX packages
 All generated artifacts appear to be hand built
 Packages can be deployed and run on unmodified SQL Server (no
need to install anything on the server running the packages)
 Free with BIDS Helper
BIML is
Awesome
 Benefits:




Reduce amount of time it takes to develop an SSIS project
Help you recover from Drag-and-drop-itis
Ensure a consistent design pattern
Stop solving the same problems over and over and move on to
something new and interesting
 https://bidshelper.codeplex.com/
 Choose the correct install for your version of SSDT/SQL Server
BIDS Helper
 Current version is 1.7
 Now properly supports SSIS 2014/Visual Studio 2013
 Several BIML Updates, some breaking changes
 IDE for authoring BIML code
 Build via GUI or type code
Mist
 Includes text editors with syntax highlighting, intellisense and
quick-info displays, source control, and multi-monitor support
 Import existing databases and SSIS packages
 Free 14-day trial: reverse engineer 5 packages
 Perpetual or subscription licenses available
BIML Basics
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Packages>
<Package Name="MyBlankPackage">
</Package>
</Packages>
</Biml>
Demo
Created a blank package
Created connections
Created a staging package
My Learning
Process
Reverse engineer packages using Mist
Create BIML library for common patterns (DB table
staging, flat file import, fact , Type 1 SCD, Type 2 SCD)
Use the BIMLScript include
 3 schemas: Audit, Stage, Prod (whatever the project/subject area
is called, ex: HR)
 Audit schema contains two tables:
My SSIS
Framework
 PackageControl: Package execution details for easy querying and
restartability
 PackageDependency: lists packages in groups and orders them for
execution
 Staging tables include all columns from source table for thin
tables, select columns for wide tables, + audit fields
 Views used to transform data and do lookups for dims and facts
 Master packages for staging, dims, facts use package dependency
for order and concurrency and package control for restartability
 Just BIML, no script
 Team members with little SSIS experience
 Trying to ensure a consistent design pattern
 Needed to finish the project quickly
 SQL Server 2012, project deployment model
My First BIML
Project
 12 dims, 4 facts, 18 staging tables, 4 connections
 Used template BIML to generate packages
 Saved pattern in BIML using AdventureWorks
 Sent instructions to junior members on which items to change
(connection, source query, destination table, etc.)
 Had them generate the package without saving the BIML changes
 BIML files are included with each new SSIS project for source
control
My BIML
Library
 You decide whether you source control BIML, SSIS packages, or
both. The right answer depends on your work processes.
 My recommendation: Although you could describe tables in BIML,
it is best to continue use of database projects to contain your table
schemas, views, stored procedures
Boost It With
BIMLScript
 Include
 CallBIMLScript
 Get ready to bang your head a few times. It’s fine. You won’t break
anything.
Lessons
Learned
 Learn to abstract package definitions and use
properties/parameters in BIML script to fully automate your
package development.
 BIML makes SSIS more accessible for .NET devs who occaisonally
to dabble in SSIS.
 Varigence BIML forums:
https://www.varigence.com/Forums?forumName=Biml
 BIMLScript.com http://bimlscript.com/Develop/Resources
 Stairway to BIML:
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/BIML/100552/
Resources for
Further
Learning
 BIDS Helper documentation:
https://bidshelper.codeplex.com/documentation
 http://geekswithblogs.net/darrengosbell/archive/2015/04/24/bid
s-helper-1.7.0-released.aspx
 https://varigence.com/Documentation/Samples/Biml/
 http://billfellows.blogspot.com/
Feel free to contact me with questions or feedback.
Final
Questions and
Comments
Meagan Longoria
Blog: datasavvy.wordpress.com
Twitter: @mmarie
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meaganlongoria/
Company Website: http://www.blue-granite.com/