SSIS 2012 – Package Configurations Menu Option Missing

I’m going to blog this in case anyone else has run into the same issue.  I recently tried to create SSIS Package Configurations using SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) in a SQL Server 2012 environment in Cloudshare.

As always, I right clicked on the Control Flow designer for my package expecting to see the Package Configurations option on the menu.  The option was not there.

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So I searched msdn I found the instructions for 2012 tell me to select Package Configurations from the SSIS menu.  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms141132(v=sql.110).aspx  I did that, but it’s not there either.

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I haven’t been able to find a solution to getting this option back into my menu, but I did find a workaround.  In my Package Properties window there is an option for Configurations. 

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When I click on the ellipsis I get the Package Configurations Organizer window I am looking for.

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Just click on the Enable package configurations checkbox and away you go as normal. 

I will be posting a blog shortly on some best practices for defining and reusing Package Configurations across your solution using a Package Template.

As an aside, I did also come across this interesting blog post on Parameters in Denali.  As he states, they don’t replace Package Configurations, but it is another way to go.

http://sqlblog.com/blogs/jamie_thomson/archive/2010/11/11/parameters-in-ssis-in-denali.aspx

33 thoughts on “SSIS 2012 – Package Configurations Menu Option Missing”

  1. In SSIS 2012, package configurations are available for the legacy package deployment model. The BOL topic referenced above (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms141132(SQL.110).aspx) is targeting this scenario. The topic has been updated to make this clearer. The updated topic will appear in the next Web refresh of 2012 BOL.

    When a project is configured to use the project deployment model, by design the Package Configurations command does not appear on the SSIS menu.

  2. Thanks for this blogpost. I think this may be the only entry online about this issue as of today. I don’t think the BOL also has been updated and I do not see any details about getting the option back in the SSIS Menu. Lastly is there any good discussion online about the merits of password protecting the packages compared to using the package configuration option. Thanks

    1. If you check out Carla’s comment, she explains that in SSIS 2012 package configurations are available for the legacy package deployment model. When a project is configured to use the project deployment model, by design the Package Configurations command does not appear on the SSIS menu. It seems that package configurations are being phased out in favour of using package variables.

      Regarding the merits of using password protection, I only use package configurations when environments might change regularly. I don’t do it for security reasons. If you set the security on your package to Encrypt sensitive with user key, others can’t see your passwords when opening the packages in BIDS/SSDT or when triggering the packages. Check this out for more info – http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms141747.aspx

      Cheers,
      Martina

  9. Thanks for this and guess what, after first time, I can see the Package Configuration link by right clicking just as before. So only first time appears to be the problem.

  12. BOL still has the non-working information so thanks very much for this. Spent an hour looking for it and only found it after finding your article.

  23. Pingback: SSIS in Visual Studio und die Package configuration | blog.feik.eu

  27. thanks a lot!!

    Microsoft just loves to hide stuff from version to version, and burn my time!!

    i spent days for this!!

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