BI xPress - SSIS Auditing, Notification, Deployment and Management Solution

While surfing the new updates on SSIS, I just came across this new framework. Initially, the functionality it offers for SSIS administration impressed me a lot. This UI it offers is also nice and the development team has done a smart job by integrating the functionality in BIDS.

Now the time comes for the improvement areas or I would like to use the word "limitations". I searched the entire site of BI xPress, but I was not able to find out any technical details of how this functionality is implemented. No architectural detail, no higher level implementation details, and the entire site sings of it's power packed functionality it offers but there's no discussion of any performance related issues.

I think in very simple terms. If I want to notify someone of some event, either I would be subscribing events to the SSIS framework or on SQL Server, or the second option can be intercept the communication/events. And there is no technical detail provided for how the framework fits in the ETL picture.

This tool is on my evaluation list, but definitely by the way the tool is being promoted and brought before the BI community, I feel that it has long way to go before senior technical audiance can feel positive vibes for using this tool.

Excerpt from the BI xPress site:

Auditing Framework:

You can audit the following information using reports provided with Auditing Framework (Note: Use Report Viewer Application to view auditing data.)

• Which packages are currently running and which task is running inside the package
• Historical package execution detail for selected date range (i.e. Run time, Errors, Warnings etc.)
• Error and Warning by Task and Package
• Run time by Task and Package
• Extracted and Loaded Records along with their source and target information (e.g. Table/View, Sql Query, File Name, Component Name, Data Flow Name, Connection String etc.).
• Run time Trend for several days/weeks/years by Package and Task
• Error/Warning/ Trend by Package and Task
• Extract/Load Trend by Package, DataFlow
• Extract/Load Trend by Data Object (e.g. File, Table/View or Sql Query)

SSIS Package Deployment

• Deploy SSIS Packages to SQL Server, SSIS Store or File System (Bi-Directional Transfer supported using Left/Right arrows) .
• Deploy Config files associated with packages along with packages.
• Change Config File location for target packages during deployment.
• Change Protection Level for target packages during deployment.
• Open selected Packages in Visual Studio using single click without creating Projects.
• Use keyboard shortcuts to copy/paste packages/config files from source->target or target->source
• Visual Studio Integration (deploy single or multiple packages for Project or Solution).

Notification Framework

• Configure email notification for single or multiple recipients.
• Configure Text Messaging for Cell/PDA/Blackberry for single or multiple phone (Major wireless service providers around the globe supported).
• Configure alerts for one or more events which includes OnError, OnWarning, OnSuccess or OnCompletion.
• Filter certain warnings/errors.
• All settings are stored in config file so you can easily change Notification settings without modifying packages.
• Visual Studio Integration (enable/disable notification for single or multiple packages of Project or Solution).