Professional SQL Server 2000 DTS (Data Transformation Services)

What is this book about?

(DTS) Data Transformation Services helps you create a transactional system to load and transform your data from and to a wide variety of sources. SQL Server DTS was introduced in the release of SQL Server 7.0; however, SQL Server 2000 sees the functionality and power of this outstanding and incredibly useful tool greatly increased. DTS can be used to maximum effect in data-driven applications, offering rapid and effective solutions to a wide range of common problems.

Professional SQL Server 2000 DTS provides a complete introduction to DTS fundamentals and architecture before exploring the more complex data transformations involved in moving data between different servers, applications, and providers. The book then focuses on DTS programming via the DTS object model, enabling developers to incorporate custom transformations and reporting capabilities into their applications. Advanced topics are explained including error handling, dynamic data loading, and data warehouses. With code and case studies, this book gives the reader a complete picture of how to use DTS to its fullest potential.

What does this book cover?

Here are just a few of the things you''ll find covered in this book:

• A detailed explanation of the seventeen principal DTS tasks
• Connecting to, querying, and converting heterogeneous data
• Dynamic configuration of your DTS packages
• Enhancing your DTS packages with VBScript and Visual Basic
• Writing your own custom tasks
• Using DTS in a data-warehousing environment
• Employing DTS in other applications

Who is this book for?

This book is principally aimed at database programmers and administrators who have a working knowledge of SQL Server, and who wish to take DTS beyond its most basic level and tailor it to their needs. It will also appeal to managers and project managers who want to gain an understanding of DTS and how it could benefit their businesses.

DTS (Data Transformation Services) helps you create a transactional system to load and transform your data from and to a wide variety of sources. SQL Server DTS was introduced in the release of SQL Server 7.0; SQL Server 2000 sees the functionality and power of this outstanding and incredibly useful tool greatly increased. DTS can be used to maximum effect in data-driven applications, offering rapid and effective solutions to a wide range of common problems.

Professional SQL Server 2000 DTS provides a complete introduction to DTS fundamentals and architecture before exploring the more complex data transformations involved in moving data between different servers, applications, and providers. The book then focuses on DTS programming via the DTS object model, enabling developers to incorporate custom transformations and reporting capabilities into their applications. Advanced topics are explained including error handling, dynamic data loading, and data warehouses. With code and case studies, this book gives the reader a complete picture of how to use DTS to its fullest potential.

Who is this book for?

This book is principally aimed at database programmers and administrators who have a working knowledge of SQL Server, and who wish to take DTS beyond its most basic level and tailor it to their needs. It will also appeal to managers and project managers who want to gain an understanding of DTS and how it could benefit their businesses.

What does this book cover?

• A detailed explanation of the seventeen principal DTS tasks
• Connecting to, querying, and converting heterogeneous data
• Dynamic configuration of your DTS packages
• Enhancing your DTS packages with VBScript and Visual Basic
• Writing your own custom tasks
• Using DTS in a data-warehousing environment
• Employing DTS in other applications

Mark Chaffin is Data Warehouse Architect for Encore Development (http://www.encoredev.com) and has developed numerous decision support systems for clients in such industries as technology, mortgage banking, retail, sports statistics, financial services, and insurance. He also has experience in clickstream analytics, data mining, transactional application architecture, Internet application architecture, database administration, and database design.

Brian Knight (MCSE, MCDBA) is a Senior Database Administrator at Alltel in Jacksonville, Florida, where he manages the mortgage enterprise database system. Brian focuses his developmental time on merging database technologies such as Oracle and DB2 into SQL Server, using DTS and OLAP. He also writes several weekly columns and co-runs the SQL Server area of Swynk.com (a BackOffice-focused Internet site) and writes columns for SQL Magazine.

Todd Robinson (MCP, MCP+I, MCP+SB, MCSE, MCSE+I, MCSD, MCDBA, MCT, CCNA) lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where he is an Internet application developer and data-warehousing guru for MetLife. He specializes in COM+, ASP, XML, SQL Server, and related Microsoft .net technologies. In addition to his normal job duties at MetLife, he is President of GradesNow.com, an Internet application service provider for the education community. GradesNow.com allows teachers, students and parents to communicate with one another and show grades online via a web browser.

Cary Beuershausen is a Client/Server Programming Consultant in the Internet Solutions group at Alltel (http://www.alltelmd.com) in Jacksonville, Florida. He has developed and implemented document management and workflow solutions in the education, legal, finance, and government sectors. His most recent work has been related to mortgage servicing and Electronic Bill Presentment and he''s looking forward to providing B2B solutions in the mortgage industry with ASP, XML, and just about any other acronym he can find. Cary''s tools of choice are Borland Delphi and Microsoft Visual Basic with a dose of SQL Server thrown in for good measure. In addition to being a full-time programmer, he has also found himself in the classroom teaching VBScript training classes that he developed. He has been pounding out code since his dad brought home a Timex Sinclair ZX-81 many, many years ago and he felt the rush of getting the computer to do what he told it to. Now he gets pumped up trying to figure out how to use the word "polymorphism" in every conversation.

Robin Dewson started out on the Sinclair ZX80 (but failing to run a power station, as they claimed), then worked his way through the ZX81 and Spectrum to studying computers at the Scottish College of Textiles, where he was instilled with the belief that mainframes were the future. After many years, he eventually saw the error of his ways and started using Clipper, FoxPro, and Visual Basic. Robin is currently working on a trading system called "Kojak" in a large US investment bank in London, and it was here that he owes a massive debt to Annette Kelly, Daniel Tarbotton, and Andy "I don''t really know, I''ve only been here a week" Sykes for giving him his "big break".

Trey Johnson is an international data-warehousing speaker and data-warehousing consultant employed by Encore Development, a provider of web-powered business solutions for Fortune 1000 and mid-market organizations. Trey has been delivering technology solutions with Microsoft SQL Server since version 4.x. Since this start, Trey''s love of data and databases has grown and led him to enterprise multi-terrabyte databases on the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 platform, leveraging the power of technologies like DTS. During the course of his career, Trey has utilized SQL Server and transformation technologies, like DTS, in the delivery of comprehensive Decision Support Solutions for diverse industries such as Health Care, Industrial Warehousing, Financial organizations, Retail, and other service firms.