Introduction of SQL Server Integration Services in SQL Server 2005

SQL Server took a leap forward in database maintenance functionality with the introduction of SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services) in SQL Server 2005. The SQL Server Development Team at Microsoft adapted SSIS to offer point-and-click database maintenance, offering vast improvements over DTS (Database Transformation Services) and SQLMaint in SQL Server 2000. The Database Maintenance Wizard still exists to build the initial process, but the modifications are all made to an SSIS package stored locally on the server. Compared to the SQLMaint black box, the new interface will be easier to understand and less intimidating for DBAs. Therefore, database maintenance will be conducted on a more regular basis and overall performance will improve; a little SQL Server care and attention can go along way in improving performance.
That is not to say that DBAs following sophisticated maintenance regimens should abandon them; they should just leverage SSIS' new functionality to simplify the maintenance process. I wholeheartedly praise database administrators who have built such maintenance plans, but I have also worked with DBAs who have no procedures in place. I believe the SSIS interface offers a key stepping stone toward performing regularly scheduled maintenance.In turn, this plan should ensure that overall SQL Server performance is at a consistently high level to suit the organization.