In my scenario I have about a dozen of flat files (Text files),that I have to import in SQL Server 2005. I am using Flat File connection manager to carry out tha task.Flat files contains data generated from oracle. When I import data from these text files into SQL ,the main problem lies in converting number(p,s) data type column of Oracle(In text file) to numeric(p,s) data type of sql server 2005.
Number(p,s) data type looses all it's digits after decimal to zero during import process. For example
1.2434234390 (from text file,number(p,s) type of oracle) converts to 12.0000000000 (numeric(p,s)) of sql server 2005.
Is this this any workaround to this problem.I urgently need help.
I've got a flat file data source, that is to large to edit with most Windows apps on my server that contains both single and double quote characters that I need to load in a varchar column.
So I attempted to do it with a Replace in data transformation, but I can't get SSIS to allow me to use a variable or pair of single or double quotes within the replace.
If I don't replace the single quote characters with a pair then the records containing these characters all end up in my failed records output file.
Here are 5 example property legal descriptions from my FLAT FILE data source:
COM 441'6" N OF SW/C OF NW4 OF SEC 22-29-20 ELY1340' N200' CROSSING THE CNTR OF TR AT 100 WLY1240' S200' TO POB CONTAINING 6 3/10 ACRE MOL
N 50' OF S 330' OF W 122' OF E 735' OF SW4 OF NE4 OF SEC 28/28/18 A/K/A LOT
Iam aware that Microsoft SQL 2005 Express Edition does not have agent or DTS capabilities, but how may I automate an import of flat files to the DB tables? Must I use an external VB development of is there a way to schedule an import of flat files to Microsoft SQL 2005 Express Edition ?
I'm a new user of SQL Server 2005. I have the full version installed. I also have SQL Server Business Integration Dev Studio installed. My OS is Windows XP.
I'm importing a series of 5 flat files into a database on one of the SQL Servers we have. My goal is to get 5 different tables (though perhaps I should do one and add an extra field to distinguish each import) into the database for further analysis.
I tried doing an import via DTS Wizard. There are no column names in the flat file so I defined them during the import process (all 58 of them). When I got to the end, I had an option to save the import process as a SSIS (SQL Server Integration Service) Package on:
SQL SERVER (I don't have permission for this)
or
FILE SYSTEM (did this one)
I saved the Package locally in hopes of being able to go back in, change the source file and destination table of the package and quickly get the other 4 flat files imported.
My problems are:
1) I couldn't find how to run the *.DTSX Package file to run in SQL Server Studio (basically reuse the Package with minor changes and saving me having to redefine the same 58 columns on each flat file import)
2) Tried but didn't understand how to run it in SQL Server Bus Intel Dev Studio (i.e. understanding the mapping and getting the data types right so it wouldn't error out)
3) Don't know how to make the necessary changes so that the Package handles the next source file and puts in a new destination table (do I need to do 5 CREATE TABLES so this Package has a place to run to?)
4) Does the Package need to be part of a Project to run (I haven't found how to take an existing Package and make it part of a Project/Solution)?
5) Is there a good book or online resource for just getting the basics of using SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio?
I'm really at a loss after spending a day fruitlessly on it scouring the help files, forums and experimenting around.
Hope somebody can point me in the right direction.
I just spent some time working out how to do a seemingly simple task. I€™m sharing the steps I took to do this in hopes it saves other SQL Server 2005 users (especially newbies like myself) time.
My original question posed on several SQL newsgroups was based on this goal:
I'm importing a series of 5 flat files (all with same file layout) into a database on one of the SQL Servers we have using SQL Server 2005 (SQL Server Management Studio) . My goal is to get 5 different tables. I want to do this without having to redo all the layout criteria 4 additional times.
Below are the steps I followed to get a solution (all done in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio):
Create the Package (data import)
1) Use the SQL Server Import Export Wizard (equivalent to SQL Server 2000 Data Transfer Wizard) to import your first flat file. At the CHOOSE DATA SOURCE window browse for your file. 2) Under the Advanced tab, you can set your Column attributes (€œoutput column width€? or €œdata type€? to name a few). I highlighted all the columns and selected €œstring [DT_STR]€? for data type. To avoid truncation errors, I selected 255 for output column width. You can name the columns whose data you are most concerned with (I did import all the available fields). 3) After choosing a server destination you will have a €œSELECT SOURCE TABLES AND VIEWS€? window pop up. Under the €œMapping€? column you can choose to tweak your mapping further editing in SQL (see Edit SQL button). I didn€™t. 4) The €œSAVE AND EXECUTE PACKAGE€? will pop up. The €œExecute Immediately€? box should be checked and you should check the €œSave SSIS Package€? (SQL Server Integration Services). When you do, select €œFile System€? for where to save this import-file-package to. 5) Click OKAY for the Package Protection Level and the €œSAVE SSIS PACKAGE€? window will appear. Browse for a path on your local computer to save to.
Modify Package (data import) for Next Use
6) In SQL Server Management Studio, browse for the Package and open it.
Preparation for SQL Task €“ box
7) You should see a screen that shows two boxes (€œPreparation for SQL Task€?) and (€œData Flow Task€?). 8) Right click on the former and select €œEdit€?. 9) On the €œSQL Statement€? row, click into the right column and select the €œ€¦€? box 10) Change the destination table (the table you will create with this package) to a meaningful name and click OK. 11) Click OK for the €œSQL Task Editor€?
Data Flow Task - box
12) Right click on the €œData Flow Task€? box and select €œEdit€?. 13) Three boxes will appear €œSourceConnectionFlatFile€?, €œData Conversion 1€?, and €œDestination - <whatever table name your original data import went to>€?. Below them is a section that displays €œConnection Managers€?
SourceConnectionFlatFile - editing
14) The first thing you will want to do is change the import source to a new flat file. You do this by going below the boxes under the €œConnection Managers€? window and right clicking on €œSourceConnectionFlatFile€? and then selecting €œEdit€? 15) Browse for the new €œFile Name€? and select it. 16) A €œMicrosoft SQL Server Management Studio€? window will pop up asking you if you want to €œkeep or reset the existing metadata€?. The metadata is just your column definitions and choosing €œYES€? to keep this makes sense if you are doing data imports on files with the same file layout. 17) Still in the €œFlat File Connection Manager Editor€? window, change the €œConnection Manager Name€? to something meaningful (I add <_> at the end and then the name of the table the flat file is going to) and click OK.
SourceConnectionFlatFile €“ box (editing)
18) Right click on the €œSourceConnectionFlatFile€? box and select €œEdit€?. 19) Your newly named €œFlat File Connection Manager€? should appear in select box. 20) Click OK, right click again on the €œSourceConnectionFlatFile€? box and select €œShow Advanced Editor€?. 21) Under the €œConnections Manager€? tab, your newly named €œFlat File Connection€? should appear (the prior step is necessary for the advanced editor to recognize your change). 22) Under the €œComponent Properties€? tab, on the €œName€? row, click into the right column and rename to something meaningful (notice the €œIdentification String€? row description changes too once you click out of the €œName€? row) 23) Under the €œColumn Mappings€? tab, just confirm you are mapping your flat file fields (€œAvailable External Columns€?) to a destination table€™s fields (€œAvailable Output Columns€?). 24) Under the €œInput and Output Properties€? tab you can check in €œFlat File Source Output€? to make modifications to either your €œExternal Columns€? or your €œOutput Columns€? €“ you shouldn€™t need to for a simple import. ((NOTE: any changes you make here would likely need to be consistent with the column properties found under the €œConnection Manager Window€? for the €œSourceConnectionFlatFile€? as well as the €œData Conversion 1€? box under the €œData Flow Tasks€? window, so exercise caution 25) NOTE: This process has worked for me by making my source columns all €œstring [DT_STR]€? data type and the output columns all €œUnicode String [DT_WSTR]€? data type.
Data Conversion 1 €“ box (editing)
26) There is nothing you need to do here. By right clicking on the €œData Conversion 1€? box and selecting €œEdit€?, you can see and change the data type of the output columns (the ones in the table your importing the flat file to). There are probably more edits one can do but they€™re beyond what I€™ve learned.
Destination - <whatever table name your original data import went to> €“ box (editing)
27) Right click on the €œDestination - <whatever table name your original data import went to>€? box and select €œShow Advanced Editor€?. 28) Select the €œComponent Properties€? tab. 29) Select the right column at the €œName€? row and change the name to something meaningful (ie. related to the source file name or the table name you€™re importing to). 30) Select the right column at the €œIdentification String€? row and it will update to this change. 31) Select the right column at the €œOpenRowSet€? and change it to the name of the table you are importing your flat file to (this should be consistent with table name under step 10). 32) Click OK 33) Select FILE and select €œSave As€¦€? and then give your package a new name that€™s meaningful (this will be helpful if you have to rerun the import of the flat file later).
Run (execute) the Revised Package (data import)
34) Go back to SQL Server Management Studio and open the Object Explorer 35) Connect to an €œIntegration Services€? component. This should essentially be a local instance (not sure where it is on the local computer or in SQL Server Management Studio on the local computer). 36) In €œObject Explorer€? go down to your €œIntegration Services€? object and expand it. 37) Expand €œStored Packages€? 38) Right click on €œFile System€? and select €œImport Package€? and an €œIMPORT PACKAGE€? window will appear 39) For €œPackage Location€? choose €œFile System€? and then browse for the €œPackage Path€? 40) Click into the €œPackage Name€? and it defaults to your Package€™s file name. 41) Click OK and the Package is imported. 42) Right click on the newly imported Package and select €œRun Package€? 43) An €œExecute Package Utility€? window appears 44) Select €œExecute€? and the package runs.
Brief overview...Running SQL Server 2003 Server Enterprise 64 bit - All Service Packs and patches current SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition 64 bit Build Microsoft SQL Server 2005 - 9.00.3054.00 (X64) Mar 23 2007 18:41:50 Copyright (c) 1988-2005 Microsoft Corporation Enterprise Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 5.2 (Build 3790: Service Pack 2)
I cannot import any SSIS packages nor crete any new folders under stored packages. I hve googled the news groups and looked at BOL to no avail. HELP!!!!
Hello, I'm trying to import data from a flat file into a table that has smalldatetime data types. I tried creating triggers on the smalldatetime data types that converts the data from a string to a datetime value but the import is still unsuccessful. What should I do?
Col002 looks like this in my flat file 'ex: 20000112' DTSDestination("entry_dt") = DTSSource("Col002") I get an error when trying to put the value of col002 into entry_dt.
I am trying to import a flat file with large rows into MS SQL Server. This flat file consists of about 100 columns of data, followed by a set of 10 columns repeated 50 times.
I would like very much to break the data apart in the import. What's the best way to handle it?
Hi, From the filemaker database, I am exporting data to the Flat file separated by tabs. From this Flat file I need to import into Sqlserver table. The Flat file has the 23 columns and 4000 rows. To insert into Sqlserver table I am creating the Flatfile connection. In the dataflow tasks, I am creating the Flatfile source, OLEDB destination and mapping the columns. And to run the package I am doing the Debug->start with out debugging. In my flat file I have columns like SSN, Email. So in Sqlserver table I am defining the columns as the Nvarchar(200). If I insert the 6 rows data from flat file to Sqlserver, this works fine.
If I tried to insert the 23 rows data, by clicking on Debug->Start debugging -> no data inserted into Sqlserver table. the arrow between flatfile source, OLEDB destination is showing the 450 rows. How can I view the errors?
When I mouse over on the OLEDB destination, it is showing "truncation occurs on the column (20th column) more than 512 characters.." Initially the Output parameter length is 50 and datatype is Unicode char, I increased it to 512. What is the problem here? If there are more columns I am not able to insert data. How to view the errors?
I am trying to import a flat file using SQL Server Management Studio and am receiveing the error: Error 0xc0202055: Data Flow Task: The column delimiter for column "Column 19" was not found. (SQL Server Import and Export Wizard)
I would like to capture the rows that are causing the error and have the import continue. Am I able to edit the behavior somehow?Thanks.
I am trying to import a flat file into SQL Server 2005 using SSIS. I have never used it before and I am getting confused by the error I am receiving.
I have a link to a flat file, that gets sent through a Derived Column flow where dates in YYYYMMDD are changed to MM/DD/YYYY format. Then the string MM/DD/YYYY is converted to a date in a Data Conversion flow. And finally the data is put into a SQL Server table (currently with no rows).
The problem I am having is with a text field with the email address in it. The error I am getting is:
[Import Allstate Auto Club [1]] Error: Data conversion failed. The data conversion for column "email_source" returned status value 4 and status text "Text was truncated or one or more characters had no match in the target code page.".
The problem is I can't see where in the flow the problem is. The field length is 20 wherever I look and the codepage is 1252 wherever I look. Does anyone have an insight? Keep in mind, I have never used SSIS before and I consider myself an amateur with SQL Server. It could easily be a data type conflict or something easy. Any help will be appreciated.
I have a fixed width flat file I'm trying to insert into an SQL 2005 table using SSIS -- it's a recurring task. One of the columns in the flat file has to go to a column of type Numeric. No matter what I try : a data conversion, defining the field as DT_NUMERIC in the connection,... I always get "The conversion returned status value 2 and status text :The value could not be converted because of a potential loss of data". It is driving me bonkers, up to the point that I find myself wishing for the 'good old' DTS days of SQL 2000. And I dread to think what will happen when I try to port some serious, much more complex DTS packages on my SQL 2000 to SQL 2005.
The data in question represents longitudes and latitudes so quite often there is a leading white space in the data : ex. : " 95.15". Surely that cannot be the cause ?
I've spent hours doing the RTFM-thing and searching the newsgroups, fora...you name it. Apart from ending up running in circles in the MS documentation, the only thing I've really learned so far is that I'm aparently not the only one driven to dispair by the new SSIS thing.
I can think of a number of ways to hack my way around this thing, but that's not the kind of 'progress' I had in mind when I started the move to SQL 2005.
Boy, do I need HELP! Have a simple csv file that I need to import. Worked fine in sql2000; I put it into dts to execute on a monthly basis. Makes connection, db connection, table creation fine, but stops at validation of flat file?
Basically, I want to go out and get a flat file, drop the existing table, and create the table, and import the information from the flat file. Not a complicated table of about 30,000 records.
Create table [db].[dbo].[tblPatient] ( [patientID] into not null, [chartID] varChar(15) null, [doctorID] int null, [birthdate] datetime null, [sex] varchar(1) null, [raceID] int null, [city] varchar(100) null, [state] varchar(2) null, [zip9] varchar(9) null, [patientTypeID] int null, [patName] varchar(100) null)
Below is the error report that tells me NOTHING!
Operation stopped... - Initializing Data Flow Task (Success) - Initializing Connections (Success) - Setting SQL Command (Success) - Setting Source Connection (Success) - Setting Destination Connection (Success) - Validating (Error) Messages * Error 0xc00470fe: Data Flow Task: The product level is insufficient for component "Source - pmPatientInfo_csv" (1). (SQL Server Import and Export Wizard) * Error 0xc00470fe: Data Flow Task: The product level is insufficient for component "Data Conversion 1" (71). (SQL Server Import and Export Wizard) - Prepare for Execute (Stopped) - Pre-execute (Stopped) - Executing (Success) - Copying to [fhc].[dbo].[tblpatient3] (Stopped) - Post-execute (Stopped) - Cleanup (Stopped)
I'm going to be getting several flat files that need to be imported into one of two tables. Although the text files will have different file names, they will have either "Header" or "Detail" in the file name, so I can tell which table they need to be imported into.
The problem is I don't know enough about SQL Server 2005 to set up an automated import of these files into the database. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this, or have any experience in setting this up? Are there any inexpensive programs to load data realtime or on a schedule? (I work for a young company with a very tight budget).
I had an idea of creating a windows vb or batch program to create the import commands for each of the flat files, but I can't find the line command to build the import command.
I have a flat file that uses tabs as the column delimiters and cr-lf as row delimiters. The first portion of the file consists of only two columns for approximately 10 rows and then the file changes to 4 columns for the balance of the file, about 21 rows. The column names are in the first column and the data of interest is in the second column for the first 10 rows and then in the third column for the last 21 rows. Is it possible to set up something like this for parsing in SSIS? I've tried using two columns in the data flow task but then I get columns 1 and 2 through the whole file. If I tell it there are 4 columns in the file, it appends rows to each other so that there is a total of 4 columns in the first 10 rows. This reduces the row count to less than 10 and the data in these rows isn't in the proper place. Is there a way to handle this file in SSIS?
I want to import a flat file to my sql server database. My sql server and web server are on different machines. I used a bulk insert to import the data using a Format.. But now since the sql server and the web server are on different machine it doesnt load the data to the sql server..
i have tried giving http://Ipaddress/Path and that didnt work.. tried mapping the network drive to the webserver and then specified the location and that didnt work too..
I found this connection string on the internet Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=c: xtFilesFolder;Extended Properties="text;HDR=Yes;FMT=Fixed";
but i am not sure how to give a ~ delimited and specify a format file..
I€™ll truncate the destination table before each import.
Is the best way to create a temp table; get it populated then update the destination table? Or would the use of Merger (Merge Join) be the better approach.
I have a fixed width flat file that I'm trying to import, and I'm just about there. The last column that I'm struggling with, is a decimal amount. The data in the column looks like this 00000000500 and I need to dump it into a column as 5.000 In otherwords, the data in the file does not have any decimals, and I'm putting it into a sql server column that has the datatype numeric(11,4) I've set the InputColumnWidth to 11, the DataPrecision to 11 and the datascale to 2, and the value is still being imported as 500.000 Is there any way to achieve this other than using a script component to calculate the value? Thanks!
I wanted to know if there was a way to import data from a flat file without specifiying the delimiters. I want to import each line in one row so that i can use the substring function to break of the data as an when i want and not as per the delimited format file or the wizard.
i.e if row one had "abc"|"1453"|"Jack"|"Smith"| etc.... rather than importing these as different columns and rows. I want this all in one row, one column.
I have some Large flat fiiles that I need to export to my SQL Server database. The file sizes range from 16 MB to 116 MB. I've tried to save the files to an excel sread sheet and then export them in that format, but that didn't work. does anyone have any suggestions?
I am a bit new to SQL Server but not to DBA or programming per se. I am having difficulties getting either an Excel or Text flat file to import properly.
I guess it would be best to ask, using either SSIS or BULK INSERT, what options need to be entered for a typical excel flat file?
Hi. I want to upload a Flat file from an asp.net website to a Sql server.. I have used olebb provider to upload excel files and a foxpro provider to upload DBF files and then used the sqlbulkcopy to put the data to my sql server..
SO i was wondering what kinda provider should i use to import a Flat file to the database and do i have use a format file in order to import it... Any help will be appreciated.. Regards, Karen
I'm totally new to SQL Server 2k5 and need to do something rather basic: import some CSV files into tables. I'm getting translation errors and would like to know what's the best way to cast the strings before inserts.
I'm doing the import in BI Development Studio.
Current situation: Created connection managers to csv files created SQL server destinations pointing to the tables connected them directly with a dataflow path Ran the packadge: one import went just fine, the other one complains about conversion errors like "Conversion DT_STR and DT_I4 not supported"
Both tables have the same kind of fields (varchar, float, datetime, int)
I looked at converting the data using a transformation but am somewhat confused of which one to use.
What's the best way to transform the data before insert: derived column, import column or data conversion? Or something else I overlooked?
Hello, I am attempting to import a fixed width flat file into a SQL Server table. When I import the file, 704 records don't make it into the table. I know this because if I do the import with MS Access 2003 into an Access table, all of the records from the flat file make it into the table. The flat files have a .txt extension.
The only possible problem that I can see is that some of the rows in the flat file do not contain the full set of characters. When I do the import into SQL Server and create a table on the fly, I still end up 704 records short. There are no error messages during or after the import.
I suppose I could isolate some of the missing records, put them into a different file and try to import them to see what would happen. Other than that, how do I begin to troubleshoot this problem? Are there known issues where records can be dropped from a fixed width file?
I have a a flat file that consists of 2 Columns of data that need to overwrite an existing Table that has 3 Columns of data. The Import fails because the 3rd column on the table is a Date stamp column with the Data Type of "smalldatetime" and does not allow Null data. If I were to delete this 3rd column from the table the import works great but I lose the DateTime column. How can I use the Import Wizard to import the first 2 columns from a text file and update the 3rd column with the date and time? The wizard does not seem to let me update a column unless the data for this column comes from the flat file. Please assist, thanx.
I have a report that's created each day as a flat textfile.Because I came from the Access world, I created a macro that importsit with a schema that gives meaningful names to the various columns,and then uses a query to massage some of the data for me (deletes thefirst blank row and does a couple of calculations)Then I use DTS to import the Access query as a table.the textfile has a column called "File_num", and among several others,a column called "Serial_num". (the file numbers represent shipments,and sometimes there are more than one serial number in the shipment,etc., so there is a separate line for every serial number)Naturally, I would like to split this info into two tables..one thatdoes not contain the serial numbers and has a primary key on the"File_num" column, and another table that would contain just the"File_num" and "Serial_num" columns. That way I could relate themlater...but most importantly, it will give me a table where I can usethe "File_num" as my primary key.What would be the best way to import these two tables from one sourcetextfile? The other thing that gives me problems is that the textfile has no column names, and the first row is always blank.I'm very new to SQL and DTS and would appreciate any direction.Thanks,Larry- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
Hi, I am trying to import from Excel file. So In between Excel file source and OLEDB destination I am using One Data Transformations to convert excel unicode characters to Sqlserver varchar.
Iam getting this following errors: 1)
Error: 0xC020901C at Data Flow Task, OLE DB Destination [382]: There was an error with input column "Copy of Zip" (615) on input "OLE DB Destination Input" (395). The column status returned was: "The value could not be converted because of a potential loss of data.".
Copy of zip is the Data Transformation column mapped Sqlserver Varcahr(200) column of Zipcode. In excel file the Zip codes are like this: 78712-2344 78123 12345 87651-1234
2)
The column "State" needs to be updated in the external metadata column collection. This is warning. This type of warnings are for all columns in excel file.
3) Intially I declared the Sqlserver table columns like this Varchar(100), then SSIS showing some warning like truncation of column State 255 characters to .. So I changed columns datatype from Varchar(100) to Varchar(500)? Why we need to change like this.
Hi, I have a flat file that contains 2 types of records - Dev and production. The Dev will be noted with an D and the Production with a P. These records are different - The dev records are in a different order and contain different info then the Production. I need to use SSIS to import the data into 2 different SQL Tables. How to do this? Can any one help me Thanks in advance
i want to import flat file data to sql server. i created a package in vb.net. if the import table column is identity means i got
Failure inserting into the read-only column "ID". Column metadata validation failed. "component "OLE DB Destination" (10)" failed validation and returned validation status "VS_ISBROKEN". One or more component failed validation. There were errors during task validation. error.
how can i rectify this error? or how can i ignore the identity column in coding.