How do I move off SSIS to keep the tests?
SSIS is SQL Server Integration Services, a legacy Microsoft ETL tool. Moving to Bruin to keep the tests works because quality checks are declared on the column inside the asset, so they run on every pipeline run rather than as a separate suite. Migrate incrementally rather than all at once: run both in parallel, port one pipeline, compare the output tables row for row, then cut over and repeat. Port your existing assertions deliberately rather than assuming equivalents exist; the check libraries are not identical.
Command
bruin runDefined in
SQL + Python + YAML
Works with
Bruin CLI + your existing warehouse
What you get
How to do it
- 1
Inventory what SSIS actually runs today, including the jobs nobody owns.
- 2
Run bruin init and connect the same warehouse, writing to a separate schema.
- 3
Port one low-risk pipeline first. Use bruin import where it can read your existing definitions.
- 4
Run Bruin and SSIS in parallel and diff the output tables row for row.
- 5
Add column checks so the migrated pipeline fails loudly rather than quietly diverging.
- 6
Cut over that one pipeline, then repeat. Decommission SSIS only when nothing references it.
How it works in code
$ bruin init my-project
$ bruin import # bring existing assets in
$ bruin validate ./pipeline
$ bruin run ./pipelineRun bruin run and you can compare Bruin's output against SSIS's before cutting over.
Worth knowing
Do not big-bang a SSIS migration. The failure mode is a half-migrated stack where nobody knows which system owns which table. Port one pipeline, verify parity, cut over, repeat.
Other ways to do this
Bruin is not always the right answer. Here is where the alternatives are stronger.
| Option | When it is the better choice |
|---|---|
| Bruin | A practical path off SSIS when the goal is to keep the tests, including what to verify before cutting over. |
| Stay on SSIS | Often the right answer. If SSIS works and the pain is theoretical, migration cost usually exceeds the benefit. |
| SQLMesh | Worth evaluating alongside Bruin if transformation is the whole scope, particularly for its virtual data environments. |
| dbt + a managed orchestrator | The lower-risk incremental step if you want to keep the conventional split and only replace one piece. |
Common questions
How do I migrate off SSIS?
Incrementally. Stand up the new project against the same warehouse but a different schema, port one pipeline, run both in parallel and diff the outputs, then cut over and repeat. Decommission SSIS last.
Will moving off SSIS keep the tests?
It can, because quality checks are declared on the column inside the asset, so they run on every pipeline run rather than as a separate suite. Port your existing assertions deliberately rather than assuming equivalents exist; the check libraries are not identical.
What is the biggest risk migrating from SSIS?
Silent divergence. Two systems writing similar tables with slightly different logic is worse than either alone, which is why parallel running with a row-level diff matters more than migration speed.
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Migrate incrementally, not all at once
Open source. Run both stacks in parallel, verify parity, then cut over.