Configure connection strings for deployment to different servers

Hi,

We currently have a test and development environment for our data warehouse which is using SSIS packages to build (SSIS packages call stored procedures). We have multiple connections accross the different packages. The problem that we are having is when we deploy the packages to the development environment, the connection strings in the packages are still pointing to the live server! Hence, when we run these packages in the test environment, they actually execute the stored procedures in our live server.

I have tried to use package configurations and the deployment utility to assist us in this regard but have still come up with a few problems:

- When running the deployment utility, I still have to go and manually type in the data source the connection string must use - Is there maybe a way to use some sort of a variable that will automatically set this dependant on the name of the server that you are deploying to?

-It seems, even when I deploy to my live server, if I change the data source to point to my live server, it goes and changes the data source for the packages on my test server to point to the live servesr as well/

Basically, what I would like at the end of the day is to just be able to select the server the packages must be deployed to, and the connesction strings must be set automatically to either the test or live server dependong on which one I deploy to. Anyone know if this is possible?

Thanks in advance

Hi, it almost sounds like you have 1 configuration file...that all pacakges look at regardless what server they were deployed to. Thats the only way I could explain why making a change for the live server deployment affects packages running in test environment. If you look at the where things are deployed in each environment, do you see a config file in each location and does it contain the appropriate information? I think you can accoplish the dynamic connection string. Are you using property expressions to dynamically build/set your connections. There is a system variable available in SSIS named 'MachineName'. I must admit I have not played with it in a while and you need to be aware load order of 'stuff' is important. So, as a package spins up, it loads configurations and then applies property expressions as things are executed. So, I cannot recall if the system variable is set in time a property expression to use it. Another route is use an environment variable configuration. so the package loads and pulls in the servername frrom an environment variable on the machine and then that can be use in a property expression.

Hope that helps

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Yep, system variables are populated first and then expressions evaluated.

K

|||Will give it a try. Thanks for your help.