Conceptually, what your solution will look like is an execute your source query to generate your result set. Store that into a variable and then you'll need to do iterate through those results and for each row, you'll want to call your stored procedure with that row's value and send the results into a new Excel file.
I'd envision your package looking something like this
An Execute SQL Task, named "SQL Load Recordset", attached to a Foreach Loop Container, named "FELC Shred Recordset". Nested inside there I have a File System Task, named "FST Copy Template" which is a precedence for a Data Flow Task, named "DFT Generate Output".
Set up
As you're a beginner, I'm going to try and explain in detail. To save yourself some hassle, grab a copy of BIDSHelper. It's a free, open source tool that improves the design experience in BIDS/SSDT.
Variables
Click on the background of your Control Flow. With nothing selected, right-click and select Variables. In the new window that pops up, click the button that creates a New Variable 4 times. The reason for clicking on nothing is that until SQL Server 2012, the default behaviour of variable creation is to create them at the scope of the current object. This has resulted in many lost hairs for new and experienced developers alike. Variable names are case sensitive so be aware of that as well.
- Rename Variable to RecordSet. Change the Data type from Int32 to Object
- Rename Variable1 to ParameterValue. Change the data type from Int32 to String
- Rename Variable2 to TemplateFile. Change the data type from Int32 to String. Set the value to the path of your output Excel File. I used C:ssisdataShredRecordset.xlsx
- Rename Variable 4 to OutputFileName. Change the data type from Int32 to String. Here we're going to do something slightly advanced. Click on the variable and hit F4 to bring up the Properties window. Change the value of EvaluateAsExpression to True. In Expression, set it to
"C:\ssisdata\ShredRecordset." + @[User::ParameterValue] + ".xlsx"
(or whatever your file and path are). What this does, is configures a variable to change as the value of ParameterValue changes. This helps ensure we get a unique file name. You're welcome to change naming convention as needed. Note that you need to escape the
any time you are in an expression.
Connection Managers
I have made the assumption you are using an OLE DB connection manager. Mine is named FOO. If you are using ADO.NET the concepts will be similar but there will be nuances pertaining to parameters and such.
You will also need a second Connection Manager to handle Excel. If SSIS is temperamental about data types, Excel is flat out psychotic-stab-you-in-the-back-with-a-fork-while-you're-sleeping about data types. We're going to wait and let the data flow actually create this Connection Manager to ensure our types are good.
Source Query to Result Set
The SQL Load Recordset
is an instance of the Execute SQL Task. Here I have a simple query to mimic your source.
SELECT 'aq' AS parameterValue
UNION ALL SELECT 'dr'
UNION ALL SELECT 'tb'
What's important to note on the General tab is that I have switched my ResultSet from None
to Full result set
. Doing this makes the Result Set tab go from being greyed out to usable.
You can observe that I have assigned the Variable Name to the variable we created above (User::RecordSet) and I the Result Name is 0
. That is important as the default value, NewResultName
doesn't work.
FELC Shred Recordset
Grab a Foreach Loop Container and we will use that to "shred" the results that were generated in the preceding step.
Configure the enumerator as a Foreach ADO Enumerator
Use User::RecordSet
as your ADO object source variable. Select rows in the first table
as your Enumeration mode
On the Variable Mappings tab, you will need to select your variable User::ParameterValue
and assign it the Index of 0. This will result in the zerotth element in your recordset object being assigned to the variable ParameterValue. It is important that you have data type agreement as SSIS won't do implicit conversions here.
FST Copy Template
This a File System Task. We are going to copy our template Excel File so that we have a well named output file (has the parameter name in it). Configure it as
- IsDestinationPathVariable: True
- DestinationVarible: User::OutputFileName
- OverwriteDestination: True
- Operation: Copy File
- IsSourcePathVariable: True
- SourceVariable: User::TemplateFile
DFT Generate Output
This is a Data Flow Task. I'm assuming you're just dumping results straight to a file so we'll just need an OLE DB Source and an Excel Destination
OLEDB dbo_storedProcedure1
This is where your data is pulled from your source system with the parameter we shredded in the Control Flow. I am going to write my query in here and use the ?
to indicate it has a parameter.
Change your Data access mode to "SQL Command" and in the SQL command text that is available, put your query
EXECUTE dbo.storedProcedure1 ?
I click the Parameters... button and fill it out as shown
- Parameters: @parameterValue
- Variables: User::ParameterValue
- Param direction: Input
Connect an Excel Destination to the OLE DB Source. Double click and in the Excel Connection Manager section, click New... Determine if you're needing 2003 or 2007 format (.xls vs .xlsx) and whether you want your file to have header rows. For you File Path, put in the same value you used for your @User::TemplatePath variable and click OK.
We now need to populate the name of the Excel Sheet. Click that New... button and it may bark that there is not sufficient information about mapping data types. Don't worry, that's semi-standard. It will then pop up a table definition something like
CREATE TABLE `Excel Destination` (
`name` NVARCHAR(35),
`number` INT,
`type` NVARCHAR(3),
`low` INT,
`high` INT,
`status` INT
)
The "table" name is going to be the worksheet name, or precisely, the named data set in the worksheet. I made mine Sheet1 and clicked OK. Now that the sheet exists, select it in the drop down. I went with the Sheet1$ as the target sheet name. Not sure if it makes a difference.
Click the Mappings tab and things should auto-map just fine so click OK.
Finally
At this point, if we ran the package it would overwrite the template file every time. The secret is we need to tell that Excel Connection Manager
we just made that it needs to not have a hard coded name.
Click once on the Excel Connection Manager in the Connection Managers tab. In the Properties window, find the Expressions
section and click the ellipses ...
Here we will configure the Property ExcelFilePath
and the Expression we will use is
@[User::OutputFileName]
If your icons and such look different, that's to be expected. This was documented using SSIS 2012. Your work flow will be the same in 2005 and 2008/2008R2 just the skin is different.
If you run this package and it doesn't even start and there is an error about the ACE 12 or Jet 4.0 something not available, then you are on a 64bit machine and need to tell BIDS/SSDT that you want to run in 32 bit mode.
Ensure the Run64BitRuntime value is False
. This project setting can be found by right clicking on the project, expand the Configuration Properties and it will be an option under Debugging.
Further reading
A different example of shredding a recordset object can be found on How to automate the execution of a stored procedure with an SSIS package?