In this post, I describe how to create an SSIS Catalog in SQL Server 2025 (RC) using SSMS v22 (Preview 3). Once configured, I describe how to test the installation using Visual Studio 2026 Insiders Community Edition. In earlier posts, I describe prerequisites:

• One Way to Install SQL Server 2025
• One Way to Install SSMS v22 (Preview 3)
• Add the SSIS Extension to Visual Studio 2026 Insiders

The steps to create an SSIS Catalog are:

1. Connect to an instance of SQL Server (2025 RC, in this case)
2. Create and SSIS Catalog
3. Because we are data engineers, we should test the installation

Connect to SQL Server

To get started, open SSMS v22:

When you open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) – I am using SSMS v22 Preview 3 running on-premises on a virtual server running in Hyper-V on my laptop – the connection dialog displays:

1. For my demonstration, I connect to a SQL Server 2025 instance named “vSql2025RC2\Test” which is the instance I installed in the post titled One Way to Install SQL Server 2025.
2. I choose Windows Authentication. Note: When working with the SSIS Catalog, I almost always use Windows authentication because it’s required for most interactions with an SSIS Catalog running in an on-premises instance of SQL Server. Why do I write this note this way? Because the authentication rules for interacting with the SSIS Catalog are different when interacting with SSIS Catalogs running on SQL Server instances in Azure.
3. I set the “Database Name” property to default when connecting to on-premises SQL Server instances. This supports access to all databases configured on the SQL Server instance.
4. I believe checking the “Trust Server Certificate” checkbox is required if the “Encrypt” property is set to (the default) “Mandatory”.
5. Click the “Connect” button to connect”

Create an SSIS Catalog

Once connected, right-click the “Integration Services Catalogs” node in Object Explorer and then click “Create Catalog…”:

Complete the SSIS Catalog creation:

1. Check the “Enable CLR Integration” checkbox. The SSIS Catalog relies (heavily) on integration with the .Net Framework. In fact, you are not permitted to create an SSIS Catalog unless this checkbox is checked. Note: Consult with your enterprise security and database team before configuring CLR integration. Enabling CLR integration exposes one more attack vector bad actors may exploit. Enterprise security and database administrators need to be aware of this setting – preferably before you configure it.
2. I (highly) recommend you check the “Enable automatic execution of Integration Services stored procedure at SQL Server startup” checkbox. Why? This setting fires a stored procedure when SQL Server starts – or restarts. The stored procedure checks for SSIS Catalog operations that were active (i.e., running) when the SQL Server stopped, and marks them appropriately – usually with the status “Unexpected Termination“. This is much better than leaving the previously executing processes in an “operating” or “running” state … forever.
   (Aside: Whenever I think about the status “Unexpected Termination,” my inner data engineer pronounces it with an Austrian accent…).
3. Supply a strong password.
4. Retype the strong password.
5. Click the “OK” button:

Once the SSIS Catalog is created, Object Explorer should display a database named “SSISDB” under the “Databases” node, and the “Integration Services Catalogs” node should display the SSIS Catalog named “SSISDB”:

Let’s Test It!

Open Visual Studio 2026 Insiders Community Edition:

I’m going to use an SSIS project that we use at Enterprise Data & Analytics for testing. If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you probably know my company designs and sells commercial SSIS frameworks through a venture known as the Data Integration Lifecycle Management Suite, or DILM Suite. I’m going to use one of the SSIS projects we use for framework testing: a project conspicuously named “FrameworkTest”.

Feel free to use your own SSIS project for testing:

When my SSIS solution opens, I right-click the project I wish to deploy (out of the many SSIS projects in the solution), and then click “Deploy”:

When the Integration Services Deployment Wizard displays:

1. Enter the name of the SQL Server instance that hosts your SSIS Catalog on the “Select Deployment Target > Select Destination” page
2. Select “Windows Authentication” from the “Authentication” dropdown (SSIS project deployment is one of those things that requires the .Net Framework)
3. Click the “Connect” button:

Since this SSIS Catalog is new (it still has that new SSIS Catalog smell), there are no SSIS Catalog folders. The SSIS project stores the name of the last SSIS Catalog folder to which the project was deployed (the SSIS Catalog folder named “SSIS”, in this case).

Not to worry; the “SSIS” SSIS Catalog folder can be created! To begin, click the “Browse” button:

When the “Browse for Folder or Project” dialog displays, click the “New folder…” button:

When the “Create New Folder” dialog displays:

1. Enter the name of the SSIS Catalog folder named “SSIS”
2. Click the “OK” button:

The “Create New Folder” dialog closes, returning you to the “Browse for Folder or Project” dialog – which now displays the new “SSIS” SSIS Catalog folder.

1. Select the “SSIS” SSIS Catalog folder
2. Click the “OK” button:

The “Browse for Folder or Project” dialog closes and the “Select Deployment Target > Select Destination” page of the Integration Services Deployment Wizard displays again. The previous error should now be cleared.

Click the “Next” button to proceed:

Review the deployment configuration on the Integration Services Deployment Wizard “Review” page. If everything looks good, click the “Deploy” button:

If all goes as hoped and planned, the deployment succeeds and the Integration Services Deployment Wizard displays the “Results” page. Click the “Close” button:

Refresh the “Integration Services Catalogs > SSISDB” node in SSMS Object Explorer.

Expand the SSISDB node. You should see your SSIS project deployed and the packages listed, similar to that shown here:

You should be able to execute one of your SSIS packages:

1. Right-click the package
2. Click “Execute…”:

The “Execute Package” dialog displays. Configure any execution parameters desired, and then click the “OK” button to start the package execution:

When the SSMS dialog asks, “Would you like to open Overview Report now?”, click the “Yes” button:

If you’re like me, you might notice the operation has an ID of 2 and wonder, “Why 2?” Do you remember high school geometry? That thing about all squares being rectangles but not all rectangles being squares? The SSIS Catalog is similar in this way: All executions are operations, but not all operations are executions. One example may be seen by looking at the All Operations report.

To view the All Operations report:

1. Right-click the “Integration Services Catalogs > SSISDB” node
2. Hover over “Reports”
3. Hover over “Standard Reports”
4. Click “All Operations”:

As you can see from the screenshot below, Operation ID 2 is the execution of a package. Operation IDs 1 and 3 are SSIS project deployments. Validations are also operations. If you scour the tables (and views) in the SSISDB database, you’ll find that Operation ID is re-used in the Executions and Validations tables and views. For example, Operation ID 2 shows up as Execution ID 2 in execution-related tables. The same holds for Validation IDs, though I don’t have any validations to show you here:

Back to the Overview Report…

The SSIS Reports – built into SSMS – should display the Overview Report:

Return to the SSMS Object Explorer, and:

1. Right-click the “Integration Services Catalogs > SSISDB” node
2. Hover over “Reports”
3. Hover over “Standard Reports”
4. Click “All Executions”:

If all goes as hoped and planned, the “All Executions” report should display a summary of the SSIS package execution:

Conclusion

In this post, I described one way to create an SSIS Catalog in SQL Server 2025 (RC) using SSMS v22 (Preview 3), and one way to test the installation using Visual Studio 2026 Insiders Community Edition.

Upcoming Presentations

My older son, Stephen, and I are co-presenting a PASS Data Community Summit precon titled “Data Engineering Fundamentals with Fabric Data Factory” 17 Nov 2025. We made a video to promote the precon. Enjoy!

EDNA is Here to Help

Enterprise Data & Analytics (EDNA) is here to help your enterprise implement modern data solutions using SQL Server, Fabric, and Azure. We specialize in data engineering, which is just another way of saying we understand the implications of all things data (since data engineering involves all things data!).

We offer consulting and training to level-up you and your enterprise Data Engineering team. How might we help you and your enterprise implement an awesome solution? Contact us today!