Monthly Archives: May 2011

Set variables in SSIS package at runtime

Posted by timvw on May 19, 2011 None comments

The documentation on dtexec Utility (SSIS Tool) says the following:

/Set propertyPath;value

(Optional). Overrides the configuration of a variable, property, container, log provider, Foreach enumerator, or connection within a package. When this option is used, /Set changes the propertyPath argument to the value specified. Multiple /Set options can be specified.

At first sight this works like a charm but as soon as your value has a space dtexec seems to get confused :( It took me a couple of websearches to find a post that suggests the following:

dtexec /SET \Package.Variables[User::TheVariable].Properties[Value];\”"; space”\”

It seems that this works like a charm :) Because i’m lazy i wrapped this in a powershell function:

function PackageOption()
{
	param($name, $value);
	"$name;\`"`"$value\`"`"";
}

And now you can use it as following in your deployment script:

$TheVariableOption = PackageOption -Name "\Package.Variables[User::TheVariable].Properties[Value]" -Value "some thing";
&dtexec /File "$package" /Set $TheVariableOption;

How to handle (short) bursts of work

Posted by timvw on May 9, 2011 None comments

Here is a summary of how businesses around me handle short bursts of work:

  • When i go to the doctor:
    • find an empty seat in the waiting room
    • observe who’s before me
    • wait untill all those people have been seen by the doctor


  • When i go to the supermarket:
    • join the queue at the end
    • wait untill al before me have been helped


  • When i go the the bakery:
    • get a number from a ticketing machine at the entrance
    • wait untill a seller indicates he’s willing to process my requests


  • When i go to my car dealer:
    • hand over car keys
    • give my mobile phone number
    • relax in the loung untill they come find me (or send me an sms)