How to override dtsx connection setting in sql server job step - ssis

Question

I have a Web Service Task in a dtsx package developed in Visual Studio. It has an httpconnection with a Timeout setting of 30 seconds. The package is included as a step in a sql server (2008 r2) agent job. When I deployed the package, I set it up to be stored in SQL Server.
I would like to be able to change just the Timeout setting in the sql job step, but I'm not sure how to do this or even if it's possible. At the moment I'm changing the setting within VS then redeploying the package each time.
Can anyone give me any help on how to do this? Which tab of the job step should this be set on?

Answer 1

One thing to be aware of, there is the timeout property on the HTTP Connection Manager but that's for controlling the actual connection to the web service. It does not control the actual time for invoking a particular method, if that makes sense.
I had a 2005 package that consumed a web service for cleaning addresses. The webservice was hosted internally so the HTTP Connection was as LAN speeds, no issue there. The service itself could standardize one address pretty quick. When I need to bulk clean a few hundred thousand, then it takes a not insignificant amount of time. The XML task has a built in, as of 2008 R2, unchangable default timeout of 6 minutes. That's not so handy if you need it to be 3601 seconds or never time out. I'm having trouble finding documentation calling that out but you can verify the behaviour by ginning up a service that sleeps for 6+ minutes.
Our resolution was to use a script task to handle the actual service call so that we could override the Timeout property for the service call.
Public Sub Main()
Dim url As String
Dim inboundFile As String
Dim success As Boolean
Dim timeoutMs As Integer
' 1 hour = 60min * 60 sec * 1000 milliseconds
timeoutMs = 60 * 60 * 1000
inboundFile = CStr(Dts.Variables("NetworkShareInput").Value)
url = CStr(Dts.Variables("WebService").Value)
Try
Dim svc As New AddressCleanerService(url)
' Explicitly provide a timeout for the web service connection
svc.Timeout = timeoutMs
svc.Credentials = System.Net.CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials
success = svc.CleanBulkAddresses(inboundFile)
Catch ex As Exception
Dts.Events.FireError(0, "Address cleaning", "Something failed in the address component stuff", String.Empty, 0)
Dts.Events.FireError(0, "Address cleaning", ex.ToString(), String.Empty, 0)
End Try
If (success) Then
Dts.TaskResult = ScriptResults.Success
Else
Dts.TaskResult = ScriptResults.Failure
End If
End Sub

Answer 2

One way to do it is to use expressions and pass the timeout value from sql agent job. Below are highlevel steps:
Create a variable in your SSIS package to hold the timeout value.
In the properties window of the HTTP connection, click on the expressions eclipse button.
Expand Property dropdown in the property expression editor. Select Timeout.
And use the timeout variable you created earlier. Something like: #[User::Timeout]
In SQL Agent, use command line as job type, and use DTEXEC to execute the SSIS package.
In the DTEXEC command you can pass values to variables. Below is a commad example:
dtexec /f C:\SSIS\Package.dtsx /set \package.variables[Timeout].Value;45
So, when you want to change the timeout value simple change it in the SQL Agent job instead of redeploying the package.

Answer 3

First, if you still have control over the source code, I would point you to package configurations. Then you can edit these settings in an XML file or a data table.
Assuming you don't, you can push some values into the package using the "Set Values" tab of the job step. The hard part is getting the property path correct. Again, using Visual Studio and the package configurations feature, you should be able to find the right name.
Try this for the property path: \Package.Connections[myHttpConnection].Properties[Timeout].Value