Scheduling a DTS Package for Execution

You can schedule a saved Data Transformation Services (DTS) package to execute at specific times, either once or at recurring intervals. For example:

• Daily at 12:00 midnight.
  
  
• Weekly on Sunday at 6:00 A.M.
  
  
• The first or last day of the month.

A scheduled DTS package is executed by SQL Server Agent as a job. Because SQL Server Agent controls the underlying automation for scheduling, it must be running for any scheduled packages to execute. To schedule a DTS package for execution, do one of the following:

• In SQL Server Enterprise Manager, right-click a DTS package, and then click Schedule package.

  This option is the easiest way to schedule packages created in the DTS Designer for execution. However, the package needs to have been saved to either the Microsoft® SQL Server™ msdb database or SQL Server 2000 Meta Data Services and needs to exist on the local server.

  To schedule a DTS package using the Schedule Package option

  Enterprise Manager

  Enterprise Manager

• Use SQL Server Agent to schedule any package created in DTS Designer, with the DTS Import/Export Wizard, or as an external program.

  To schedule a DTS package using SQL Server Agent

  Enterprise Manager

  Enterprise Manager

  Use the schedule option in the DTS Run utility (dtsrunui). Use this option if you need to schedule a package saved as a structured storage file.

  If you want to schedule a package for execution on a server other than the local server, register that server first, before using the DTS Run utility scheduling option.

See Also

Configuring the SQLServerAgent Service

DTS Package Execution Utilities

dtsrun Utility