SQL Data Transformation
SQL Data transformation services is a set of objects and utilities
that allows the automation of extract, transform and load operations
to and from SQL databases. The objects are known as SQL data transformation
packages and their components are known as SQL data transformation
tools. SQL data transformation services is included with Microsoft
SQL Server and is almost always used with SQL Server databases although
it can be used with other database types.
History of SQL Data Transformation
SQL data transformation was introduced with SQL server 7. Prior
to SQL data transformation services database administrators (DBAs)
used SQL server Transfer Manager and Bulk Copy Program, included with
SQL Server to transfer data. SQL data transformation services
introduced with SQL Server 7 made this process faster and easier. SQL
Data transformation was expanded with SQL Server 2000 but were replaced
by SQL Server Integration Service with the SQL 2005 release
Data Transformation Services Packages
The SQL data transformation services package is a logical component
of SQL data transformation. Every SQL data transformation services
object is a child component of the package. Packages are used
whenever one modifies data using sql data transformation. All
the metadata about the data transformation is contained in the package.
How SQL Data Transformation Services are Used
SQL data transformation services are used to import and export data
from SQL databases. With SQL data transformation businesses can
create maps that will bring data from external sources like flat-files
or using ODBC. The key benefit of SQL data transformation services
is that they are packaged with their respective versions of SQL server
and can be used by experienced DBAs to bring data into the SQL database.
Alternatives to SQL data transformation
For small organizations especially, using SQL data transformation
services can be challenging for several reasons. SQL data transformation
services can be very difficult to use and do not
support more advanced file formats like XML. Alternatives exist
to SQL data transformation services through data integration products
like EMANIO's Unite! platform. These
products can be easier to use than SQL data transformation
and provide greater flexibility when dealing with other database types.
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