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Kevin3NF

Integration Services Catalog package errors

December 31, 2018 by Kevin3NF 3 Comments

Short post today…

My client makes extensive use of SSIS and deploys the packages to the Integration Services Catalog (ISC), and runs them via hundreds of jobs.

When one of the jobs fail, I have to go get the details.

Job History doesn’t have it.

So my process was:

  • Get the package path out of the job step
  • Expand the ISC
  • Expand SSISDB
  • Expand the Folder (get this from the job step)
  • Expand the Projects Node
  • Expand the correct Project (get this from the job step)
  • Expand Packages
  • Right-click the relevant package (get this from the job step)
  • Go to Reports, Standard Reports, All Executions
  • Filter for Failed Executions
  • Cross your fingers that you can get useful info from the result.

Now, repeat for each job step that failed.

The SSIDB database has all of this in the Tables (schema – Internal) and or the Catalog Views.

It took a while, but I created this to run around those tables and views to get ALL of the errors for the last day:

/*

Created by Kevin Hill, Dallas DBAs LLC, 12/28/2018
Inspired by work from Jules Behrens
Index tested by Peter Schott

This queries multiple SSISDB tables to return a clear path from Top to bottom 
related to errors in an Integration Services Catalog based SSIS package.
It has not yet been tied back to job execution, nor is it set to email info out.

Use this as a backup to your normal job failure checks to tie it all together
instead of spending a full cup of coffee clicking and drilling into the cumbersome 
All Executions report.

Free to use and modify, please leave this header as a courtesy.

*/

Use SSISDB
go

Select Distinct
	fold.[name] as Folder_name
	,proj.[name] as Project_Name
	,pack.[name] as Package_Name
	,ops.[message_time]
	,mess.[message_source_name]
	,ops.[message]
	--,mess.[execution_path]		-- this is pretty long path if you are pasting into an email or Excel
From [internal].[projects] proj
	Join [internal].[packages] pack on proj.project_id = pack.project_id
	Join [internal].[folders] fold on fold.folder_id = proj.folder_id
	Join [internal].[executions] execs on 
		execs.folder_name = fold.[name] and
		execs.project_name = proj.[name] and 
		execs.package_name = pack.[name]
	Join [internal].[operation_messages] ops on execs.execution_id = ops.operation_id
	join [internal].[event_messages] mess on ops.[operation_id] = mess.[operation_id]
		and mess.event_message_id = ops.operation_message_id
		and	mess.package_name = pack.[name]
Where 1=1
	and ops.message_type = 120		  -- errors only
	--and mess.message_type in (120,130)  -- errors and warnings
	and ops.message_time > getdate() - 1 -- adjust as necessary

/*
If you have a very large SSISDB due to activity or long retention, please consider this index:

CREATE NONCLUSTERED INDEX [NC_OpsID_MessageType_MessgeTime] ON [internal].[operation_messages]
(
	[operation_id] ASC,
	[message_time] ASC,
	[message_type] ASC
)
INCLUDE ([message])

*/

If this is useful for you, please rate it on the TechNet Gallery where I posted it.

If you have a very active server, this can take awhile as the indexes on the underlying tables are for the cascading delete cleanup process.  I’m working on a set of good indexes that will likely be unsupported by Microsoft, but useful.

Adjust as you see fit.  Please leave the header if you use it.

Thanks for reading!

Kevin3NF

Follow @Dallas_DBAs

—————————————————————-

Filed Under: SQL, SSIS, TSQL

DBA Fundamentals pre-cons 2019

November 12, 2018 by Kevin3NF Leave a Comment

While this post is for everyone, it is specifically written for  SQL Saturday organizers…

I am filling out my 2019 schedule of target dates/locations of SQL Saturdays I want to attend/present (US only…I don’t even have a passport)

I am offering to do my DBA Fundamentals pre-con and one or two Saturday sessions (Security/DR) with a twist:

You keep my part of the pre-con proceeds for your group.  I’ll cover my own travel, meals, etc. if you provide the space.  This should allow you to increase your funding for the rest of the event, buy some pizza for your local group, or even discount the pre-con price should you choose to do so.

If you only have 1 or 2 pre-con spots and cannot secure an additional room at your venue, please pick from the other submissions 🙂

Tentative schedule:

  • January –
  • March – Chicago (23rd, submitted) or Cincinnati (30th)
  • April – Dallas *
  • June –
  • August –
  • October –
  • December –

* All of these are tentative, some dates not granted yet

So, dear organizer…if you think this offer will be a benefit to your SQL Saturday, please get in touch and let me know what your planned date is so I can be sure to submit.  [email protected]

Thanks for reading!

Kevin3NF

Follow @Dallas_DBAs

Filed Under: Accidental DBA, Beginner, SQLSaturday, Training

PASS Summit 2018 – My Schedule

November 6, 2018 by Kevin3NF Leave a Comment

If you are going to PASS Summit in Seattle and want someone to sit with, check out my schedule (primary and backup sessions) – very much subject to change:

 

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

============================

10:15 AM – 11:30 AM Room: 2AB

dbatools Powershell Library – The Complete Introduction (Yes, my very first session is Powershell, lol)

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=85712

10:15 AM – 11:30 AM Room: 612

Uncovering Duplicate, Redundant, & Missing Indexes

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=77036

1:30 PM – 2:45 PM Room: 606

Improving Availability in SQL Server and Azure SQL Database

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=84728

1:30 PM – 4:00 PM Room: 6E

SQL Server Migrations Done the Right Way

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=84219

4:45 PM – 6:00 PM Room: 6A

SSMS & T-SQL Tricks: Working Smarter, Not Harder

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=78153

Thursday, November 8, 2018

============================

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM Room: 6B

Containers, Pods, and Databases- The Future of Infrastructure

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=78022

1:30 PM – 4:00 PMRoom: 606

Query Tuning Internals for the Advanced SQL Developer

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=78050

1:30 PM – 2:45 PM Room: TCC Tahoma 2

Top 5 Power BI Custom Visuals

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=82110

1:30 PM – 2:45 PM Room: 6C

Top Tips for Deploying AGs and FCIs On Premises or In the Cloud

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=78041

3:15 PM – 4:30 PM Room: 618

An Introduction to Partitioning

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=77002

4:45 PM – 6:00 PM Room: 604

Data Science 101 for the SQL DBA

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=86521

4:45 PM – 6:00 PM Room: 6C

Validate Your SQL Server Estate with Ease Using dbachecks

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=78382

Friday, November 9, 2018

============================

8:00 AM – 9:15 AM Room: 6C

T-SQL Habits and Practices That Can Kill Performance

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=78111

9:30 AM – 12:00 PM Room: 6E

Migrating to SQL Server 2017

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=78285

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM Room: 3AB

BI Power Hour

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=86517

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM Room: 3AB

Lightning Talks: DBA

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=85592

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM Room: 618

What’s New With Adaptive Query Processing?

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=78238

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM Room: TCC Yakima 1

A DBAs Guide to the Proper Handling of Corruption

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=78274

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM Room: TCC Tahoma 4

SQL Server Performance Monitoring Made Easy

https://www.pass.org/summit/2018/Sessions/Details.aspx?sid=85138

 

PLEASE feel free to come introduce yourself like we are old friends.  My brain is defective in remembering names and where we met, so you may have to remind me if in fact we have met before 🙂  Fair warning…I may ask you to take a selfie with me.  I suck at selfies so I may actually get a shot of your shoes, or the ceiling 🙂

Thanks for reading!

Kevin3NF

Follow @Dallas_DBAs

Filed Under: Career, Summit, Training

Put a DBA in Your Pocket

October 12, 2018 by Kevin3NF Leave a Comment

Oh snap…one of your two DBAs just gave 2 weeks notice.

Now what?

You have 2 weeks before your other DBA starts feeling the pressure of doing 80 hours of work in a 40 hour week.

Did you see this coming?  Do you have a favorite recruiting firm on your vendor list?  Do you know a guy that knows a guy?

Assuming that the budget exists to pay for a replacement, you are very likely 4 weeks out from actually getting a replacement in the door:

  • 1 week for the recruiter to source candidates
  • 1 week to interview, if you are really on the ball and can “Agile” through the stack of resumes and the interview process
  • 2 weeks for the person you make an offer to so they can give proper notice
  • At best.
  • If you rush the process.

In reality, recruiters these days are handling 30+ openings and dozens of applicants per opening.  That’s a lot on their plate.

You have Stuff To Do™ as well, which limits your time to properly review resumes and get through the interview process.  Hopefully your process isn’t 3 phone calls and 4 face to face on different days…

Great…so we’ve defined the problem. What is the solution?

Put a DBA in your pocket.

You likely already have a lawyer and accountant in there.  Put a few critical technical people in there with them.

Set up a retainer agreement with an independent DBA to fill in when:

  • Someone leaves
  • Someone goes on a well-deserved vacation
  • Someone goes on Maternity/Family leave
  • A new project comes in and you cannot let the care and feeding go by the wayside

This doesn’t even have to be an actual independent contractor…many qualified DBAs, SysAdmins, storage people, etc. that are working full-time jobs but can check on your systems on weekends and evenings.

If your systems are mission critical, and you are running skinny in certain areas…protect yourself by having someone you already know in your pocket, ready to call when the unexpected happens.

For my fellow DBAs…would you like to take a vacation without your laptop? Or go to a training class? Send this link to your manager if you are stretched so tight you can’t breathe!

Dallas DBAs provides Remote DBA services at ‘X’ hours a week.  Contact us if this resonated with you.

Thanks for reading!

Kevin3NF

Follow @Dallas_DBAs

Filed Under: Career, Management

SQL101: Import/Export wizard

September 13, 2018 by Kevin3NF Leave a Comment

Do you need to quickly Import or Export data to/from SQL Server?  Do you want to avoid the hassle of creating and deploying an SSIS pacakge?

The SQL Server Import/Export wizard might be perfect for you!

The wizard steps you through the necessary pieces and is surprisingly flexible.  I cover the basics in this video (recorded in one shot, please excuse throat clears and “Ums”)

If you have comments, please leave them on the YouTube page (ideally) or down below.

Its very likely this is part 1 of at least two…trying to keep my videos to shorter lengths.

Thanks for reading!

Kevin3NF

Follow @Dallas_DBAs

Filed Under: Accidental DBA, Beginner, SSMS

Care and Feeding of your DBA

August 31, 2018 by Kevin3NF 2 Comments

The care and feeding of a DBA

Everyone in your organization is important, of course. You should take good care of your humans, because…they are humans. Not desks, not grunt labor, not assets, not even resources. Gold and Oil are resources. Your team is made up of real life people.

In your IT shop, you have a variety of types of people. Developers that write the products you sell, or the customer facing website. Project Managers that herd all the cats to get things done, etc.

An often overlooked group is the administration team. “Administrator” is not as cool of a title as say, “CIO”, or “Scrum Master” and quite often, many of the folks outside of the IT team have no idea what an admin does. Exchange admin, Systems admin, Database admin.

ADMINISTRATION – noun – the process or activity of running a business, organization.
“the day-to-day administration of the company”

Exciting! Yes?

Your IT admins are the ones keeping everything moving. If you get a “yes” email from a sales prospect, thank your mail admin. If you can log on to your machine each day, from Starbucks and IM with teammates around the world, thank your Systems Admins. If the data that runs the entire company is still there today just like it was yesterday, thank your Database Admins!

Admins keep the company alive and functioning properly.

A few tips on how to keep the database admins happy and eager to be a part of the team:

  • STOP BLAMING THE DATABASE!
    • Every time something goes wrong, please quit yelling at the DBAs to fix it. That’s like getting mad at the car engine for a flat tire without investigating why the car slowed down.
  • THANK THEM
    • DBAs are human. They appreciate being appreciated. Not just at the annual review.
  • TRAIN THEM
    • Allow your DBAs to continuously improve their skill set so they can continuously improve your systems. Conferences, paid online training, etc.
  • FEED THEM
    • Allow your DBAs to actually go to lunch on a lunch hour without calling them for non-emergencies
  • LISTEN TO THEM
    • When a DBA makes a recommendation, trust, test and implement. When you hire a consultant to come tell you the same thing, its insulting.
  • PAY THEM
    • Please stop offering to pay Junior level wages to a person with 20 years of experience. We know the market rates, just like you do. Be reasonable.
  • LET THEM TEST THINGS
    • Allow them to set up a test environment so they don’t have to test in Production when things go bad. Cloud VMs are super cheap to spin up for a day, test something and deallocate.
  • STAY CURRENT
    • No DBA wants to work on old, out-of-support versions of Oracle, SQL Server etc. We hear this from recruiters and already know what the day-to-day is going to be like. (Hint – its going to suck if you are still on SQL 2005)
  • TRUST THEM
    • You have given them SysAdmin rights to all of your company’s data. Trust them to use that access wisely. Let them do what they need to do to help you, without burying them under arbitrary InfoSec rules. If your DBA can be trusted to see everything in the HR database, surely she can be trusted to install appropriate things on her laptop, yes?
  • LET THEM HAVE A LIFE
    • A well rested, happy DBA is going to work their tail off for you. Demanding 60 hour weeks and 24x7x365 on call is going to burn them out. Some DBAs even have families they love and want to see. Limit the off-hours calls and texts to actual emergencies

Most of these are common sense (or should be) and apply very well to any number of positions in your organization. Many admins simply want to do their job and chill out in the background while being a part of the overall success of the firm.

Comments welcomed.

Thanks for reading!

Kevin3NF

Follow @Dallas_DBAs

Filed Under: Career

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