Expert SQL Server 2005 Integration Services

As a professional consultant, I see a lot of books on technology that do a good job of explaining the parts of the technology but don't provide much value in the actual application of the technology. This is not one of those books... I recently used this book as part of my own ramping up on SSIS, having a great deal of experience with SQL2000+DTS but no real hands-on experience with SSIS. I found the format of the book to be easy to follow and navigate; the samples and recommendations were particularly useful and I used them throughout a recent project, where we were delivering an reasonably complex ETL solution based on SSIS. I would certainly recommend this book to my fellow consultants and to anyone looking for a useful and practical guide to using SSIS.

If you're new to Integration Services, this book is not for you. You should instead start with Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (Programmer to Programmer). However, if you've already developed some skills with Integration Services (SSIS), but are still wondering how to best use this tool to perform ETL tasks, then you will definitely want this book at your side. The authors cover all of the subject areas they teach in the classroom (and more), which makes this a great reference book whether or not you're able to attend their training classes. Not only do Erik and Brian present alternative methods for accomplishing similar data integration objectives, they clearly explain the pros and cons of each approach. Another important subject they cover in the book is a thorough review of potential performance issues and suggestions for improving performance. Many books on SSIS do a good job of explaining the features and functions of SSIS, which this book does not attempt to replicate. Instead, the authors provide references to other sources for the basics, focus on information you won't find elsewhere, and give practical examples for deploying, maintaining, and tuning packages. For your ETL projects, this book is an indispensable guide.

This book is different than other SSIS books in the way that it not only provides technical details and essential tips and tricks on how to use SSIS but it also explains the fundamental concepts of SSIS architecture and engine and goes beyond what you can learn from books online. The chapters are nicely organized and take the reader through examples that can be used in real projects.

After reading his first book and attending an Integration Services training class taught by Brian himself[..] I was soon developing complex SSIS packages right out of the gate! Brian is one of the most passionate and dedicated professionals in his field. The Expert SSIS book is a wonderful follow-up to his first book and both are "MUST-HAVES" for SSIS. Bravo, Brian and Erik !!!

This book is true to its title of Expert. It goes beyond what you can find in Books Online and other SSIS books. The flow of the book is goes into more real world examples, which make the book a much easier read, then most technical books. You will find plenty of examples and images throughout each chapter. I have been working with SSIS since its early CTP days and I find this book very useful.