Azure SQL - Execute

In this article

Overview

You can use the Azure SQL - Execute Snap to execute simple DML (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE) type statements.

  • This Snap works only with single queries.

  • For the comprehensive scripting functionality offered by the various databases, we recommend you use the stored procedure functionality offered by their chosen database in the Stored Procedure Snap.

Snap Type

The Azure SQL Execute Snap is a WRITE-type Snap that writes the results of the executed SQL queries.

Prerequisites

  • Valid Azure Synapse SQL Account.

  • Access to Azure Synapse SQL and the required permissions to execute T-SQL queries.

Support for Ultra Pipelines

Works in Ultra Pipelines.

Supported Versions

This Snap supports SQL Server 2008 or higher version.

Limitations

When the SQL statement property is an expression, the pipeline parameters are shown in the suggestions list, but not the input schema.

Known Issues

None.

Behavior Change

  • In 4.26, when the stored procedures were called using the Database Execute Snaps, the queries were treated as write queries instead of read queries. So the output displayed message and status keys after executing the stored procedure.
    In 4.27, all the Database Execute Snaps run stored procedures correctly, that is, the queries are treated as read queries. The output now displays message key, and OUT params of the procedure (if any). The status key is not displayed.

  • If the stored procedure has no OUT parameters then only the message key is displayed with value success.

If you have any existing Pipelines that are mapped with status key or previous description then those Pipelines will fail. So, you might need to revisit your Pipeline design.

Snap Views

Type

Format

Number of Views

Examples of Upstream and Downstream Snaps

Description

Type

Format

Number of Views

Examples of Upstream and Downstream Snaps

Description

Input 

Document

  • Min: 0

  • Max: 1

  • Mapper

  • Copy

  • JSON Generator

  • The dynamic variables used in the execute query can be defined by providing values upstream.

  • If the input view is defined, then the where clause substitutes incoming values for a specific query.

Output

Document

 

  • Min: 0

  • Max: 1

  • JSON Formatter

  • Any document processing Snap can be used downstream.

  • The Snap produces documents in the output view.

  • Database Write Snaps output all records of a batch (as configured in your account settings) to the error view if the write fails during batch processing.

Error

Error handling is a generic way to handle errors without losing data or failing the Snap execution. You can handle the errors that the Snap might encounter when running the Pipeline by choosing one of the following options from the When errors occur list under the Views tab:

  • Stop Pipeline Execution: Stops the current Pipeline execution when the Snap encounters an error.

  • Discard Error Data and Continue: Ignores the error, discards that record, and continues with the remaining records.

  • Route Error Data to Error View: Routes the error data to an error view without stopping the Snap execution.

Learn more about Error handling in Pipelines.

Snap Settings

  • Asterisk ( * ): Indicates a mandatory field.

  • Suggestion icon (): Indicates a list that is dynamically populated based on the configuration.

  • Expression icon ( ): Indicates the value is an expression (if enabled) or a static value (if disabled). Learn more about Using Expressions in SnapLogic.

  • Add icon ( ): Indicates that you can add fields in the field set.

  • Remove icon ( ): Indicates that you can remove fields from the field set.

 

Field

Field Type

Description

Field

Field Type

Description

Label

 

Default Value: Azure SQL - Execute
Example: Azure SQL - Execute

String

Specify a unique name for the Snap.

SQL statement*

 

Default Value: N/A
Example: select * from “dob”, “Persons”

String/Expression

Specify the SQL statement to execute on the server. When working with SQL statements in SnapLogic, you may encounter two possible scenarios. Learn more about scenarios to execute your SQL statements.

  • We recommend you add a single query in the SQL Statement field.

  • Valid JSON paths defined in the WHERE clause for queries/statements will be substituted with values from an incoming document. If a document is missing a value to be substituted into the query/statement, it will be written to the error view.

  • If a SELECT query is executed, the query's results are merged into the incoming document and any existing keys will have their values overwritten. On the other hand, the original document is written if there are no results from the query. If an output view is available and an UPDATE/INSERT/MERGE/DELETE statement was executed, then the original document that was used to create the statement will be output with the status of the statement executed.

Query type

 

Default Value: Auto
Example: Read

Dropdown list/Expression

Select the type of query for your SQL statement (Read or Write).

When Auto is selected, the Snap tries to determine the query type automatically.
If the execution result of the query is not as expected, you can change the query type to Read or Write.

Pass through

Default Value: Selected

Checkbox

Select this checkbox to pass the input document to the output view under the key 'original'. This property applies only to the Execute Snaps with SELECT statement.

 

Ignore empty result


Default value: Deselected

Checkbox

Select this checkbox if you want the Snap to ignore empty fields and not write any document to the output view when a SELECT operation does not produce any result. If this property is not selected and the Pass through property is selected, the input document will be passed through to the output view.

Number of Retries

Default Value: 0
Example: 3

Integer/Expression

Specify the maximum number of retry attempts the Snap must make in case there is a network failure and is unable to read the target file. The request is terminated if the attempts do not result in a response.

  • If the Number of retries value is set to 0 (the default value), the retry option is disabled, and the Snap does not initiate a retry. The pipeline will not attempt to retry the operation in case of a failure—any failure encountered during the database operation will immediately result in the pipeline failing without any retry attempts to recover from the errors.

  • If the Number of retries value is greater than 0, the Snap initiates a download of the target file into a temporary local file. If any error occurs during the download, the Snap waits for the time specified in the Retry interval and then attempts to download the file again from the beginning. After the download is successful, the Snap streams the data from the temporary file to the downstream pipeline. All temporary local files are deleted when they are no longer needed.

Retry Interval (Seconds)

 

Default Value: 1
Example: 10

Integer/Expression

Specify the time interval between two successive retry requests. A retry happens only when the previous attempt resulted in an exception. 

Auto commit

 

Default Value: Use account setting
Example: True

Dropdown list

Select one of the options for this property to override the state of the Auto commit property on the account. The Auto commit at the Snap-level has three values: TrueFalse, and Use account setting. The expected functionality for these modes are:

  •  True - The Snap will execute with auto-commit enabled regardless of the value set for Auto commit in the Account used by the Snap.

  •  False - The Snap will execute with auto-commit disabled regardless of the value set for Auto commit in the Account used by the Snap.

  • Use account setting - The Snap will execute with Auto commit property value inherited by the Account used by the Snap.

Behavior of DML Queries in Database Execute Snap when auto-commit is false

DDL queries used in the Database Execute Snap will be committed by the Database itself, regardless of the Auto-commit setting.
When Auto commit is set to false for the DML queries, the commit is called at the end of the Snap's execution.
The Auto commit needs to be true in a scenario where the downstream Snap does depend on the data processed on an Upstream Database Execute Snap containing a DML query.
When the Auto commit is set to the Use account setting on the Snap, the account level commit needs to be enabled.

Snap Execution

 

Default Value: Validate & Execute
Example: Execute only

Dropdown list

Select one of the three modes in which the Snap executes. Available options are:

  • Validate & Execute: Performs limited execution of the Snap, and generates a data preview during Pipeline validation. Subsequently, performs full execution of the Snap (unlimited records) during Pipeline runtime.
  • Execute only: Performs full execution of the Snap during Pipeline execution without generating preview data.
  • Disabled: Disables the Snap and all Snaps that are downstream from it.


Additional Information

Scenarios to successfully execute your SQL statements

Scenario 1: Executing SQL statements without expressions.

  • The SQL statement must not be within quotes. 

  • The $<variable_name> parts of the SQL statement are expressions. In the below example, $id and $book.

Examples:

Additionally, the JSON path is allowed only in the WHERE clause. If the SQL statement starts with SELECT (case-insensitive), the Snap regards it as a select-type query and executes once per input document. If not, it regards it as write-type query and executes in batch mode.

Scenario 2: Executing SQL queries with expressions.

  • The SQL statement must be within quotes. 

  • The + $<variable_name> + parts of the SQL statement are expressions, and must not be within quotes. In the below example, $tablename.

  • The $<variable_name> parts of the SQL statement are bind parameter, and must be within quotes. In the below example, $id and $book.

  • "EMPNO=$EMPNO and ENAME=$EMPNAME"

  • "emp='" + $emp + "'"

  • "EMPNO=" + $EMPNO + " and ENAME='" + $EMPNAME+ "'"

Examples:

 

If String 

To pass this value