So far this book is great for basics. It gives a great overview of all the options you have to create a SSIS package. I had previously purchased the expert version because I had DTS experience and realized SSIS was totally different. So I bought the professional version and it's filled in a lot of gaps. It's also got nice tutorials at the end of the chapters that help you to create a basic SSIS package which is incredibly helpful for learning the new tools that are available.

I originally intended to give this book two (2) stars, just because I was hacked off at the terrible index, but the content is worth at least three stars. The problem is locating the specific content you need.

Example: User-defined package variables are often critical pieces of a SSIS package. Want to find out how to get/set package variable values from an Execute SQL Task? Well, you won't get anywhere trying to look up "Variables" in the index. Just when you think the text does not address this important issue, you browse the Execute SQL Task section and -- lo! -- there is an extended discussion on how to access package variables from SQL queries. But none of it is referenced by the "Variables" entry in the index.

Brian Knight, by all accounts, is a good writer who knows his material, but any book that has ten (!) authors can't help but display a variety of writing styles and competencies. The book is adequate as a learning tool, but not as a reference. If the publisher had been in less of a hurry to get to market, Mr. Knight might have been allowed to take on fewer collaborators and produced a more coherent book. And a more complete index.

If you're needing an SSIS primer, this is a great place to start. There are definitely holes the "how to" part of some sections. However, you really get a good idea of what's possible in SSIS. If you want script specifics, you may need to search for it on MSDN or the web in general--but, at least you know what to look for.

Buy this before you buy the Expert companion title if you're new to figuring out how things work in SSIS. I had several years of experience with DTS packages, and this book was a perfect start for me.

The book was in perfect condition and delivered promptly. The information contained in the book was very informative and helpful. The writers explained the concepts clearly.

SSIS only supports scripting in VB. But whenever there's a custom component or any code outside the mandatory VB realm, the book only presents a C# example. Even the WROX website does not provide VB code. So if I want to code my custom data flow task, or follow their wmi example, I MUST know C#. I can follow along okay, but I don't like having to interpret/rewrite your code samples to be able to use them and extend upon them.

The general information is good, but don't think this book will leave mold you into an SSIS Expert. I only bought this book because I first bought the WROX "expert" ssis book, which started by saying they assume you have substantial knowledge of ssis, such as provided by this book.

All in all, the book is a decent introduction to SSIS. I didn't suffer from the 10 author continuity loss as others did. I just want my examples in VB, especially for a product that only speaks VB for many functions.

While this text does contain quite a bit of information about SSIS and its functionality, it does not do a good job of relating or building an overarching conceptual framework for understanding. Specifically, I appreciate a learning text that simultaneously teaches the "how to's" along with a vision of "why" things are done as they are. This latter consideration is extremely helpful when we leave the domain of canned examples and venture forth into the real world.

I suspect that when a team of authors assembles a text, as in this case, we get the benefit of vertical expertise but miss out on the encapsulated/synthesized wisdom that a single author conveys as he/she walks us through a detailed technology tool.

After 7 chapters in this text I switched to Microsoft Press': "SQL Server 2005 Integration Services, Step by Step" - for which I have written a more favorable Amazon review.

This is a good book on some very practical examples for all types of transformations within SSIS. Definitely recommend this book if you are having diffciulty in piecing together an SSIS Package.

Well done Wrox once again!

I am about 1/3 through the Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services book. It was worth buying. I don't view this as a Step-By-Step type book. You need a little SSIS background first. A background in DTS will not necessarily prepare you for SSIS.
Watching the videos on the LearnIntegrationServices,com web site FIRST is definitely the way to go. The major negative that I have thus far is that it is somewhat difficult to follow when trying to complete the example packages. More step1, step2, etc. would have been helpful. However, I have been able to make all of the examples work. Sometimes that is a major accomplishment with these type books. Also, be sure to view the corrections errata on the Wrox website.

I got this book in hopes that it would unlock the mysteries of SSIS. After reading the hype about what a great improvement SSIS is over Data Transformation Services (DTS), I really wasn't getting much more done with SSIS. Sure, the GUI is better, but it is quirky, a real 1.0 effort by a company famous for not getting it right until at the least 3.1 version. There are lots of bells and whistles, but documentation is really sparse.

What I found was that there really is not a great deal more in this book than in the SQL Server Books On Line documentation, particularly after the BOL update in February 2007. In fact, this is really more about how things are supposed to work than how they actually work. I only use SSIS because I've been told to use it, but more and more of my production work is going back into stored procedures, JScript and custom C# code because it is just as difficult to use SSIS as it was to use DTS. Really, do we still need VB Scipt as the only scripting language? Why don't basic text exiting commands work in some of the text boxes?

My company has bought just about every SSIS book on the market, and none are any better than this one. So that says its the best, right?

***NOTE TO WROX*** Before you release a tutorial, have someone other than the authors (or their friends) try each and every lesson!

This has to be one of the WORST tutorial/step-by-step books ever written.

I'm a seasoned DBA that has worked on every version of MS-SQL ever released. Starting with 4.9.2. I've also worked on Sybase, Oracle, Postgress and MySQL. Add to this several years of VB/C experience and time spent as a corporate trainer, and you can guess my technical aptitude. My experience with DTS/ETL includes hundreds (if not thousands) of packages on 7.0 & 2000. This book was purchased as a means of ramping up for a new consulting gig on SSIS. It was a complete waste of money.

The "tutorials" are disorganized, confusing, and the instructions don't match the examples. Even more annoying are the sections that appear to be lessons that aren't. You won't realize this until you start inputting the example and then get to a new paragraph that tells you this subject will be covered in another chapter. Even worse are the real examples whose instructions refer you back to a step that was left out or edited out of the book. This begins in chapter two when you are told to create a new "project" and then later told to add another project to the "solution", but, there was never any mention on how to start a "solution". This sets the tone for the rest of the book. You'll learn early on to read the entire chapter, then go back to the beginning and "try" the examples. Don't even get me started on the explanations being on one page, while the diagrams for the explanation are on the back of that page. Read a few sentences; turn the page to see the diagram; turn back to read some more; turn back to see the diagram (lather, rinse, repeat...)

It normally takes me only a few hours to breeze through five or six chapters of a technical tutorial. After TWO DAYS (a full Saturday and Sunday) of frustration that got me as far as half way through the fourth chapter, I discarded the book, drove to a local bookstore and bought something else off the self.

Rule #1 for tutorial books: The instructions must be COMPLETE.
Rule #2: The instructions must be in the order necessary to complete the lesson, (ie. 1-2-3-4, not, 1-4-3-5, oops...did we forget or edit out a step?)

This book does a very good job in explaining the features of BIDS in SQL 2005. Easy to read and understand, includes step by step instructions

Probably the people that gave this book a good review are the same people onthe covor - there are 10 people on the cover, count 'em ten. How can 10 people write a cohesive book?

Anyway, I got this book when I wasa beginner in SSIS, and now have a lot of experience with SSIS. Hardly ever have I found this book helpful. The instructions and examples are thin, and never seem to cover what I'm looking for. Only found a couple of topics like logging, or event handling with a little good info to get me started.

If I threw this book away I wouldn't miss it

I wish I could say that this book is the definitive book on SSIS, but I can't. The majority of the content seems to be nothing more than a reiteration of exactly what's in BOL and we all know how helpfull that can be.

I have tried several times to find information in this book that would help me get past a hurdle that I was having with SSIS and couldn't seem to get a good answer. Most of the explanations where thin and just glossed over the information. For instance, with Web Services being so hugely important these days, you think they would have spent more than about three pages discussing them. Their example was very simple and either SSIS is just not capable of being more robust in this area, or the authors didn't feel it was important enough.

I would rather have had them get authors who actually had expertise in each topic and right a detailed chapter on each feature. It would have been much more preferable to this book which tries to cover everything, but just doesn't give enough info to be of use. At least it wasn't to me.

Wrox used to stand for knowledge - each book I have gotten from them within the last two years has continued to dissappoint me.

As a good overview of what SSIS is, I think this book succeeds. As being a weighty tome of information, keep looking, you won't find it here. :(

I met one of the authors (Brian Knight) at an Orlando .NET Code Camp and not knowing who he was I asked him if the book was any good. He graciously responded "I'll let you be the judge of that" and gave me a free copy. Then he jokingly added that he was one of the authors and therefore could not give an impartial opinion.

I am so glad I have this book! It has a wealth of invaluable information that has already come in handy. Not only does it give you step-by-step examples but it also gives you clear explanations as to why you are performing the task. No guessing required. I have my copy bookmarked and highlighted all over the place. This book will be going on my top shelf where all my must-have day to day operations books go instead of my why the heck did I buy this pile of crap shelf.

I hope you all find it as worthy and invaluable as I do.

Read this book and subsequently used it as a reference guide to implement many of the features in my 2005 database strategy. I am very pleased with the results and so is my client

covers most of the important stuff on the SQL 2005 SSIS. relatively easy to read too

I agree with the other 2 and 3 star ratings. I tried to do a pivot using this book and got absolutely no where. I find the book layout confusing and the step by steps SKIP some steps which is more than a little annoying.

This book is hard to read. The samples are difficult to follow. There is no coherent between chapters. It was a rush. Not recommanded.

Brian did a great job collecting some of the most SSIS knowledgeable authors for this book to generate a helpful and useful introduction to Integration Services. The book is accurate (reviewed by members of the SSIS product team) and covers a broad range of topics from general introductory chapters on tasks to more complex applications of Integration Services in the real world. I was the development manager for Integration Services, and feel no reserve in recommending this book to you. If you need to understand Integration Services and how to use it in the real world, Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services is a great way to start.

Over the years I have come to rely on my wrox books. Here is another good one outlining a new technology in an easy to follow and easy to find structure. One of the best things about this book is that you do not need to have any prior DTS experience as the new SSIS engine from SQL has been totally rebuilt and has very little in common with it's precursor.

Personally I find myself using these books as a good reference source as they are logically layed out and it is easy to find a particular topic you need information on. I can't imaging simply sitting down and reading this book cover to cover but we all learn in our own way.

Another thumbs up from the wrox SQL series.

I bought this book and had a lot of expectations. 10 Writers were involved to write this book which covers a complete new software tool from Microsoft, introduced with the newly released SQL Server 2005 replacing the DTS Service of SQL Server 2000 and earlier Versions plus adding tons of new features to the enterprise Database Solution which were previously unavailable.

The fact that 10 people contributed to it can be felt throughout the book, because no or little efforts were made to keep the writing style consistent. That can be a bit confusing at times.

Also when it comes to the content, are a lot of things not covert at all or not very well. When I did seek the help from the book for the first time for a very specific problem I tried to solve with SSIS, did the book fail to provide the answers to me. It addressed the problem, but it only addressed the stuff I already figured out myself. To the item I had my problem with did only exist a side note which did not help me at all. That was already a bad start.

I am looking for better alternatives which I have not found yet. It is probably good for somebody who wants to get an overview or general idea of the new Service, but might be the wrong choice for somebody who has specific applications in mind and tries to find answers to problems in this book.

This book was just what I was looking for, straight to the point. 100% accurate information and practical examples that I could use.

The book provides a good starting point to learn SSIS, especially if you never worked with DTS.
However the book does give you a feeling that it was hurried, and the case study really does not adress the challenges you will face in real projects.

But for the Novice, this is a great book to get started with Integration Services.

Microsoft has been changing the way we think of a lot of their applications. SQL Server has been a well known, well respected data base product for many years. Now they are expanding the ancillary programs that go around the basic database to provide much greater functionality than just a database.

SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is a new data integration application in SQL Server 2005. The function of SSIS is to enable the developer to pull data from disparate sources that were not designed to work together into one managable storage area.

SSIS is a greatly expanded, script driven, successor to the earlier Data Translation Services. DTS was first used by most of us to translate the file formats from our previous data base to SQL Server. That program which was basically a point and click translator has now been made into an application with far more utility. So much utility that you might want to forget DTS except as part of your past.

You can still use Integration Services (SSIS) to import and export data between different databases. There's even an Import and Export Wizard still in SSIS, it's still what you need for data in different formats.

The Microsoft philosophy is to make everything GUI driven. SSIS uses the Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS), a light version of Visual Studio. (If you have a full blown version of Visual Studio, you can use it with SSIS.) Most of the book is centered around BIDS, and it discusses just about everything you can do with SSIS. If you're going to be using it, this is a good place to start.

This book, for me, struck a good balance of reference text and tutorial. Too many books go for one extreme or another, making it difficult to wade through information out of context, or cookbook solutions that don't cover my real world problems.

While I share the enthusiasm of the other reviewers, I'm not entirely convinced that any of them have read far enough to give the book 5 stars. I have nearly 10 years under my belt in BI, worked with SQL Server extensively, and not too shabby in the .NET department either; to be certain, SSIS 2005 is truly groundbreaking. However, the watchful readers will find a hurried book in their hands, one numerous typos and misleading information. For example, while I was able to figure out the nature of the strongly-typed properties of the incoming Row object for the Script Component example (Chapter 7) (you need to define the "Cleaned" ones yourself in the Script Transformation Editor to support the code for your Script Component), the book isn't completely clear and such information may not be so apparent to those new to the SSIS (or ETL) experience. Donald Farmer's book covering SSIS 2005 Scripting (the beta version) covers the Script Task and Script Component Transform Task better than Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services. Whilst I have focused on Chapter 7, I have found this pattern throughout the book. To be clear, I'm not terribly displeased with this book... it provides just enough coverage of the new product to get you going (with a welcome "under the hood" look at the SSIS engine) it's just that a 2nd Edition is required from WROX/WILEY to clean up its somewhat misleading content.

Great resource, well documented. Highly recommend, to anyone currently looking at SSIS. Detailed examples, well laid out and well written. WROX rocks again!

Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services does an outstanding and thorough job of covering SQL Server 2005 Integration Services. SSIS is huge and the expert authors cover everything a serious SSIS developer needs to know. For those familiar with DTS, the book provides valuable information on transitioning to the new SSIS architecture. This book is essential for anyone wanting to use SSIS to its fullest potential.

I purchased this to get ready for the 2005 conversions. I was especially concerned regarding the numerous DTS packages that will have to be converted. This book is a goldmine of information. So glad to have found it.

Wrox Press has another hit on it's hands with Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services. As a trainer of SQL 2005, I have been looking for a good resource on SSIS. This book has already been invaluable in providing answers to questions that my students have about SSIS. I have also found it to be a great resource during my development of SSIS packages.

This book is clear and concise. If you are currently developing SSIS packages, this is the book to have on your desk.

I have found this extremely helpful in my job and helping with issues that have arisen. I would highly recommend it as the authors are very knowledgeable. The tutorial Chapter 5 was a great starting point to learn SSIS.

This is a must have for SSIS. The book was pretty easy to follow, and the tutorial format really helped out.