Expert SQL Server™ 2005 Integration Services

8.5. Deployment Utility

In SSIS, you can create a deployment utility that will help a user install your project of packages and any dependencies such as configuration files. This deployment utility is similar to creating a program like InstallShield, and is perfect for times when you want to pass a set of packages to a customer or a production DBA who may not know how to install SSIS packages the manual way. When you create a deployment utility, all the files that are necessary to install the project are copied into a centralized directory, and a .SSISDeploymentManifest file is created for the installer to run, which opens the Package Installation Wizard.

To create a deployment utility, simply right-click the project in BIDS and select Properties. In the Property Pages dialog box, go to the Deployment Utility page and change the CreateDeploymentUtility to True, as shown in Figure 8-19. This is set to False by default. The AllowConfigurationChanges property is a useful setting as well, and when set to True, will prompt the installer to see if he or she would like to change any settings that may be exposed via a configuration file at installation time. The DeploymentOutputPath property shows you where the deployment utility will be outputted to underneath the project folder.

Figure 8-19. Changing the CreateDeploymentUtiliity to True

Next, under the Build menu, select Build <Project ...