Child package ConnectionManager visibility

Hopefully a simple question about parent-child package relationship. For this example, let's say I have a simple setup - one parent package: parent.dtsx, and one child package: child.dtsx. The parent package calls the child package via the ExecutePackage Task.

If I add an OleDB ConnectionManager to the parent package called MySqlConnectionManager, should I be able to reference this connection via a script task (or custom component) from my child package? I realize that I will have a problem doing this at design time, but I thought I could get around it with the script task or custom component. That said, when I look in the Connections collection at run-time from within my child package, I do not see the parent package's MySqlConnectionManager. Am I missing something, or is this the way it was intended to work?

Thanks,

David

David,

I suspect you cannot do this. Connection managers can only be used in the package in which they reside - even if you're using a script task.

-Jamie

|||

Jamie,

Thanks for the response. I must say it is somewhat disappointing, though I think I have a work around for my situation. That said, I would still be interested in hearing a rationale for why this is the case. It seems to me like it breaks the container hierarchy paradigm.

David

|||

Well I can see why you think this but remember that connection managers don't follow container scope like variables do so the same rules don't apply.

Having said that, there were plans to scope conenction managers to the container hierarchy but it couldn't be done in time (or something). Reading between the lines its something they (well...kirk Haselden) wanted to do but it was down the priority list.

-Jamie

|||

Thanks again, Jamie. Hopefully this will be implemented at some point in the future.

Related, I found the opposite to be true when dealing with log providers. Interestingly, the connections collection of the parent package DOES appear to be available to child package log providers (I have built a custom log provider in which this appears to be true). It strikes me as bizzare that the functionality I want is there for log providers, but not for the package tasks. That may be due, however, to gaps in my understanding of parent-child package relationships.