Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

Chapter VIII.4. Integration and Your Database

Although proud SQL Server administrators like to think that their databases occupy a cherished location in the enterprise, most organizations store information in a wide variety of venues and formats. This disparity, along with the ever-present need to tie all this data together, has traditionally caused database administrators no end of aggravation. Fortunately, SQL Server 2008 includes some very powerful integration tools that help remove much of the pain from these never-ending exercises, which is what this chapter is all about.

We get the ball rolling by citing a handful of the most common integration challenges that liven up the existences of SQL Server administrators. After these examples, I take you on a brief tour of the SQL Server Integration Services technology, which is the mechanism at your disposal to address these needs. Finally, I show you how to use these features to build and deploy a simple integration project.

NOTE

Integration is a very rich topic, with a virtually limitless quantity of complexities and permutations. Given space restrictions, the goal of this chapter is to give you a solid foundation upon which you can construct your customized integration solution. Comparatively, if you're simply looking for how to import and export data, check out Chapter 2 of this mini-book.