SSIS / ETL Best Practices
This skill helps optimize SSIS packages and ETL processes for SQL Server environments.
When to Use
- •Reviewing SSIS package designs for performance
- •Optimizing Data Flow throughput
- •Choosing Lookup Transform cache modes
- •Implementing incremental load strategies
- •Setting up error handling and logging
- •Converting row-by-row ETL to set-based operations
Key Decision Points
Lookup Cache Strategy
| Mode | When to Use | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Full Cache | Reference table fits in memory (< 25%) | Best — preloaded at start |
| Partial Cache | Repeated lookups, large reference table | Good — LRU cache |
| No Cache | Avoid when possible | Worst — DB query per row |
Load Strategy
| Pattern | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Watermark | Source has reliable modified_date column |
| CDC | SQL Server Change Data Capture enabled |
| Hash comparison | No reliable timestamp, need change detection |
| Full reload | Small tables, or when incremental is impractical |
Destination Configuration
| Setting | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Table Lock | ON |
| Check Constraints | OFF (validate before load) |
| Rows per Batch | 10,000–100,000 |
| Max Insert Commit Size | 0 (all at once) or batch size |
Reference Material
Detailed configuration, anti-patterns, and logging standards: