Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services is Microsoft's powerful platform for building enterprise-level data integration and data transformation solutions. It's a powerful product, but it's also complex and can be confusing if you don't have a clear map for the journey. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Integration Services Unleashed will be the only book you'll need to harness the power that Integration Services provides. Through clear, concise explanations and samples, you'll grasp a clear understanding of working in the Integration Services environment, including how to set up stock components, how to use the various designer features, and how to gain practical knowledge on configuring, deploying, securing, and managing packages. Sample packages are provided to reinforce the discussion and quickly help you gain hands-on experience, and more complex topics such as Data Flow Task internals and tuning, advanced transformations, and writing custom components are all illustrated in easy-to-understand graphics. In addition, there are several custom tasks and transformations and two useful utilities with full source code available for you to use and study, including an ADO.N ET destination, a text file encryption task, and a data profiling transform. Detailed information on: * Using the powerful Integration Services tools to create solutions without the need to write lines of code * Creating packages programmatically or developing custom tasks via the Integration Services object * Building robust packages to solve common requirements * Securing packages for different environments * Using often overlooked or unknown platform features * Setting up all the stock components, including data flow components, tasks, Foreach enumerators, connection managers, and log providers * Writing robust and useful custom tasks * Building packages that seamlessly deploy to other environments * Writing custom data flow adapters and transforms * Using script tasks and components * Easily modifying configurations for multiple packages simultaneously * Writing a Task UI that looks just like the stock tasks * Tapping into the power of Integration Services for accessing heterogeneous data sources * Using expressions to make packages more responsive to the environment * Migrating your DTS packages with no stress Kirk Haselden is the Group Program Manager for the Microsoft Master Data Management product forthcoming in the next wave of Office SharePoint Services and owns the long term strategy, vision, planning, and development of that product. Kirk has been with Microsoft for 12 years in various groups including Hardware, eHome, Connected Home, SQL Server, and Office Business Platform. He was the development manager for Integration Services and the primary designer for the runtime, as well as many of the tasks. He has written a number of articles for SQL Server Magazine, speaks regularly at industry events, writes profusely on his personal and MSDN blog, and holds 35 patents or patents pending. Category: Microsoft SQL Server Covers: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Integration Services User Level: Intermediate--Advanced $59.99 US / $71.99 CAN / GBP38.99 Net UK