Integration Services Tasks

Tasks are control flow elements that define units of work that are performed in a package control flow. An SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (SSIS) package is made up of one or more tasks. If the package contains more than one task, they are connected and sequenced in the control flow by precedence constraints.

You can also write custom tasks using a programming language that supports COM, such as Visual Basic, or a .NET programming language, such as C#.

The SSIS Designer, the graphical tool in SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (SSIS) for working with packages, provides the design surface for creating package control flow, and provides custom editors for configuring tasks. You can also program the SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (SSIS) object model to create packages programmatically.

Integration Services includes the following types of tasks.

Data Flow Task

The task that runs data flows to extract data, apply column level transformations, and load data.

Data Flow Task

Data Preparation Tasks

The tasks that copy files and directories, download files and data, execute Web methods, and apply operations to XML documents.

File System Task

FTP Task

Web Service Task

XML Task

Workflow Tasks

The tasks that communicate with other processes to run packages, run programs or batch files, send and receive messages between packages, send e-mail messages, read Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) data, and watch for WMI events.

Execute Package Task

Execute DTS 2000 Package Task

Execute Process Task

Message Queue Task

Send Mail Task

WMI Data Reader Task

WMI Event Watcher Task

SQL Server Tasks

The tasks that access, copy, insert, delete, and modify SQL Server objects and data.

Bulk Insert Task

Execute SQL Task

Transfer Database Task

Transfer Error Messages Task

Transfer Jobs Task

Transfer Logins Task

Transfer Master Stored Procedures Task

Transfer SQL Server Objects Task

Scripting Tasks

The tasks that extend package functionality by using scripts.

ActiveX Script Task

Script Task

Analysis Services Tasks

The tasks that create, modify, delete, and process Analysis Services objects.

Analysis Services Processing Task

Analysis Services Execute DDL Task

Data Mining Query Task

Maintenance Tasks

The tasks that perform administrative functions such as backing up and shrinking SQL Server databases, rebuilding and reorganizing indexes, and running SQL Server Agent jobs.

Back Up Database Task

Check Database Integrity Task

Execute SQL Server Agent Job Task

Execute T-SQL Statement Task

History Cleanup Task

Notify Operator Task

Rebuild Index Task

Reorganize Index Task

Shrink Database Task

Update Statistics Task

Custom Tasks

Additionally, you can write custom tasks using a programming language that supports COM, such as Visual Basic, or a .NET programming language, such as C#. If you want to access your custom task in the SSIS Designer, you can create and register a user interface for the task. For more information, see Developing a Custom Task.

Adding and Configuring Tasks

An Integration Services package can contain a single task, such as an Execute SQL task that deletes records in a database table when the package runs. However, packages typically contain several tasks, and each task is set to run within the context of the package control flow. Event handlers, which are workflows that run in response to run-time events, can also have tasks.

For more information about adding a task to a package using SSIS Designer, see How to: Add a Task or a Container to a Control Flow.

For more information about adding a task to a package programmatically, see Adding Tasks Programmatically.

Each task can be configured individually using the custom dialog boxes for each task that SSIS Designer provides, or the Properties window included in Business Intelligence Development Studio. A package can include multiple tasks of the same type—for example, six Execute SQL tasks—and each task can be configured differently. For more information, see How to: Set Task Properties.

Connecting and Grouping Tasks

If the task contains more than one task, they are connected and sequenced in the control flow by precedence constraints. For more information, see Precedence Constraints.

Tasks can be grouped together and performed as a single unit of work, or repeated in a loop. For more information, see Foreach Loop Container, For Loop Container, and Sequence Container.

See Also

Concepts

Control Flow Elements
Creating Package Control Flow

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2005 Assistance