PowerShell script - Incrementally load data by using Azure Data Factory

Article
01/05/2024

This sample PowerShell script loads only new or updated records from a source data store to a sink data store after the initial full copy of data from the source to the sink.

Note

We recommend that you use the Azure Az PowerShell module to interact with Azure. See Install Azure PowerShell to get started. To learn how to migrate to the Az PowerShell module, see Migrate Azure PowerShell from AzureRM to Az.

This sample requires Azure PowerShell. Run Get-Module -ListAvailable Az to find the version. If you need to install or upgrade, see Install Azure PowerShell module.

Run the Connect-AzAccount cmdlet to connect to Azure.

See tutorial: incremental copy for the prerequisites for running this sample.

Sample script

Important

This script creates JSON files that define Data Factory entities (linked service, dataset, and pipeline) on your hard drive in the c:\ folder.


# Set variables with your own values
$resourceGroupName = "<azure resource group name>" # group will be created if it does not exist already
$dataFactoryName = "<data factory name>" # must be globally unique
$dataFactoryRegion = "East US" 
$storageAccountName = "<Az.Storage account name>"
$storageAccountKey = "<Az.Storage account key>"
$azureSqlServer = "<azure sql server name>"
$azureSqlDatabase = "<azure sql database name>"
$azureSqlUser = "<azure sql server - user name>"
$azureSqlPassword = "<azure sql server - user password>"
$outputBlobFolderPath = "<azure blob container>/<folder>" # output folder where the records are copied. 

$azureStorageLinkedServiceName = "AzureStorageLinkedService"
$azureSqlDatabaseLinkedServiceName = "AzureSQLDatabaseLinkedService"
$sourceDatasetName = "SourceDataset"
$sinkDatasetName = "SinkDataset"
$sourceSqlTableName = "datasource"
$watermarkDatasetName = "WatermarkDataset"
$pipelineName = "IncrementalCopyPipeline"

# Create a resource group
New-AzResourceGroup -Name $resourceGroupName -Location $dataFactoryRegion


# Create a data factory
$df = Set-AzDataFactoryV2 -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Location $dataFactoryRegion -Name $dataFactoryName 

# Create an Az.Storage linked service in the data factory

## JSON definition of the linked service. 
$storageLinkedServiceDefinition = @"
{
    "name": "$azureStorageLinkedServiceName",
    "properties": {
        "type": "AzureStorage",
        "typeProperties": {
            "connectionString": {
                "value": "DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=$storageAccountName;AccountKey=$storageAccountKey",
                "type": "SecureString"
            }
        }
    }
}
"@

## IMPORTANT: stores the JSON definition in a file that will be used by the Set-AzDataFactoryV2LinkedService command. 
$storageLinkedServiceDefinition | Out-File ./$azureStorageLinkedServiceName.json

## Creates a linked service in the data factory
Set-AzDataFactoryV2LinkedService -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Name "$azureStorageLinkedServiceName" -File ./$azureStorageLinkedServiceName.json

## JSON definition of the linked service. 
$azureSQLDatabaseLinkedServiceDefinition = @"
{
    "name": "$azureSqlDatabaseLinkedService",
    "properties": {
        "type": "AzureSqlDatabase",
        "typeProperties": {
            "connectionString": {
                "value": "Server = tcp:$azureSqlServer.database.windows.net,1433;Initial Catalog=$azureSqlDatabase; Persist Security Info=False; User ID=$azureSqlUser; Password=$azureSqlPassword; MultipleActiveResultSets = False; Encrypt = True; TrustServerCertificate = False; Connection Timeout = 30;",
                "type": "SecureString"
            }
        }
    }
}
"@

## IMPORTANT: stores the JSON definition in a file that will be used by the Set-AzDataFactoryV2LinkedService command. 
$azureSQLDatabaseLinkedServiceDefinition | Out-File ./$azureSqlDatabaseLinkedServiceName.json

## Creates a linked service in the data factory
Set-AzDataFactoryV2LinkedService -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Name "$azureSqlDatabaseLinkedServiceName" -File ./$azureSqlDatabaseLinkedServiceName.json

# Create an Azure SQL dataset in the data factory

## JSON definition of the dataset
$sourceDataset = @"
{
    "name": "$sourceDatasetName",
    "properties": {
        "type": "AzureSqlTable",
        "typeProperties": {
            "tableName": "$sourceSqlTableName"
        },
        "linkedServiceName": {
            "referenceName": "$azureSqlDatabaseLinkedServiceName",
            "type": "LinkedServiceReference"
        }
    }
}
"@

## IMPORTANT: store the JSON definition in a file that will be used by the Set-AzDataFactoryV2Dataset command. 
$sourceDataset | Out-File ./$sourceDatasetName.json

## Create a dataset in the data factory
Set-AzDataFactoryV2Dataset -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Name "$sourceDatasetName" -File "./$sourceDatasetName.json"


# Create an Azure Blob dataset in the data factory

## JSON definition of the dataset
$sinkDataset = @"
{
    "name": "$sinkDatasetName",
    "properties": {
        "type": "AzureBlob",
        "typeProperties": {
            "folderPath": "$outputBlobFolderPath",
            "format": {
                "type": "TextFormat"
            }
        },
        "linkedServiceName": {
            "referenceName": "$azureStorageLinkedServiceName",
            "type": "LinkedServiceReference"
        }
    }
}
"@

## IMPORTANT: store the JSON definition in a file that will be used by the Set-AzDataFactoryV2Dataset command. 
$sinkDataset | Out-File ./$sinkDatasetName.json

## Create a dataset in the data factory
Set-AzDataFactoryV2Dataset -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Name "$sinkDatasetName" -File "./$sinkDatasetName.json"

## JSON definition of the dataset
$watermarkDataset = @"
{
    "name": "$watermarkDatasetName",
    "properties": {
        "type": "AzureSqlTable",
        "typeProperties": {
            "tableName": "watermarktable"
        },
        "linkedServiceName": {
            "referenceName": "$azureSqlDatabaseLinkedServiceName",
            "type": "LinkedServiceReference"
        }
    }
}
"@

## IMPORTANT: store the JSON definition in a file that will be used by the Set-AzDataFactoryV2Dataset command. 
$watermarkDataset | Out-File ./$watermarkDatasetName.json

## Create a dataset in the data factory
Set-AzDataFactoryV2Dataset -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Name "$watermarkDatasetName" -File "./$watermarkDatasetName.json"

# Create a pipeline in the data factory

## JSON definition of the pipeline
$pipelineDefinition = @"
{
    "name": "$pipelineName",
    "properties": {
        "activities": [
            {
                "name": "LookupWaterMarkActivity",
                "type": "Lookup",
                "typeProperties": {
                    "source": {
                    "type": "SqlSource",
                    "sqlReaderQuery": "select * from watermarktable"
                    },

                    "dataset": {
                    "referenceName": "$watermarkDatasetName",
                    "type": "DatasetReference"
                    }
                }
            },
            {
                "name": "LookupMaxValuefromSourceActivity",
                "type": "Lookup",
                "typeProperties": {
                    "source": {
                        "type": "SqlSource",
                        "sqlReaderQuery": "SELECT MAX(LastModifytime) as NewWatermarkvalue FROM dbo.datasource"
                    },

                    "dataset": {
                    "referenceName": "$sourceDatasetName",
                    "type": "DatasetReference"
                    }
                }
            },

            {
                "name": "IncrementalCopyActivity",
                "type": "Copy",
                "typeProperties": {
                    "source": {
                        "type": "SqlSource",
                        "sqlReaderQuery": "select * from dbo.datasource where LastModifytime > '@{activity('LookupWaterMarkActivity').output.WatermarkValue}' and LastModifytime <= '@{activity('LookupMaxValuefromSourceActivity').output.NewWatermarkvalue}'"
                    },
                    "sink": {
                        "type": "BlobSink"
                    }
                },
                "dependsOn": [
                    {
                        "activity": "LookupMaxValuefromSourceActivity",
                        "dependencyConditions": [
                            "Succeeded"
                        ]
                    },
                    {
                        "activity": "LookupWaterMarkActivity",
                        "dependencyConditions": [
                            "Succeeded"
                        ]
                    }
                ],

                "inputs": [
                    {
                        "referenceName": "$sourceDatasetName",
                        "type": "DatasetReference"
                    }
                ],
                "outputs": [
                    {
                        "referenceName": "$sinkDatasetName",
                        "type": "DatasetReference"
                    }
                ]
            },

            {
                "name": "StoredProceduretoWriteWatermarkActivity",
                "type": "SqlServerStoredProcedure",
                "typeProperties": {

                    "storedProcedureName": "sp_write_watermark",
                    "storedProcedureParameters": {
                        "LastModifiedtime": {"value": "@{activity('LookupMaxValuefromSourceActivity').output.NewWatermarkvalue}", "type": "datetime" },
                        "TableName":  { "value":"@{activity('LookupWaterMarkActivity').output.TableName}", "type":"String"}
                    }
                },

                "linkedServiceName": {
                    "referenceName": "$azureSqlDatabaseLinkedServiceName",
                    "type": "LinkedServiceReference"
                },

                "dependsOn": [
                    {
                        "activity": "IncrementalCopyActivity",
                        "dependencyConditions": [
                            "Succeeded"
                        ]
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],

    }
}
"@

## IMPORTANT: store the JSON definition in a file that will be used by the Set-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline command. 
$pipelineDefinition | Out-File ./$pipelineName.json

## Create a pipeline in the data factory
Set-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Name "$pipelineName" -File "./$pipelineName.json"


$RunId = Invoke-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline -PipelineName "$pipelineName" -ResourceGroup $resourceGroupName -dataFactoryName $dataFactoryName

# Check the pipeline run status until it finishes the copy operation
Start-Sleep -Seconds 30
while ($True) {
    $result = Get-AzDataFactoryV2ActivityRun -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -PipelineRunId $runId -RunStartedAfter (Get-Date).AddMinutes(-30) -RunStartedBefore (Get-Date).AddMinutes(30)

    if (($result | Where-Object { $_.Status -eq "InProgress" } | Measure-Object).count -ne 0) {
        Write-Host "Pipeline run status: In Progress" -foregroundcolor "Yellow"
        Start-Sleep -Seconds 30
    }
    else {
        Write-Host "Pipeline '"$pipelineName"' run finished. Result:" -foregroundcolor "Yellow"
        $result
        break
    }
}


$result = Get-AzDataFactoryV2ActivityRun -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName `
    -PipelineRunId $runId `
    -RunStartedAfter (Get-Date).AddMinutes(-10) `
    -RunStartedBefore (Get-Date).AddMinutes(10) `
    -ErrorAction Stop

$result

if ($result.Status -eq "Succeeded") {`
    $result.Output -join "`r`n"`
}`
else {`
    $result.Error -join "`r`n"`
}

# INSERT INTO datasource
# VALUES (6, 'newdata','9/6/2017 2:23:00 AM')

# INSERT INTO datasource
# VALUES (7, 'newdata','9/7/2017 9:01:00 AM')

# Inovke the pipeline and see that only new records are copied to the destination. 


# To remove the data factory from the resource gorup
# Remove-AzDataFactoryV2 -Name $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName
# 
# To remove the whole resource group
# Remove-AzResourceGroup  -Name $resourceGroupName

Clean up deployment

After you run the sample script, you can use the following command to remove the resource group and all resources associated with it:

Remove-AzResourceGroup -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName

To remove the data factory from the resource group, run the following command:

Remove-AzDataFactoryV2 -Name $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName

Script explanation

This script uses the following commands:

Command	Notes
New-AzResourceGroup	Creates a resource group in which all resources are stored.
Set-AzDataFactoryV2	Create a data factory.
Set-AzDataFactoryV2LinkedService	Creates a linked service in the data factory. A linked service links a data store or compute to a data factory.
Set-AzDataFactoryV2Dataset	Creates a dataset in the data factory. A dataset represents input/output for an activity in a pipeline.
Set-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline	Creates a pipeline in the data factory. A pipeline contains one or more activities that perform a certain operation. In this pipeline, a copy activity copies data from one location to another location in an Azure Blob Storage.
Invoke-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline	Creates a run for the pipeline. In other words, runs the pipeline.
Get-AzDataFactoryV2ActivityRun	Gets details about the run of the activity (activity run) in the pipeline.
Remove-AzResourceGroup	Deletes a resource group including all nested resources.

For more information on the Azure PowerShell, see Azure PowerShell documentation.

Additional Azure Data Factory PowerShell script samples can be found in the Azure Data Factory PowerShell scripts.

PowerShell script - Incrementally load data by using Azure Data Factory

Sample script

Clean up deployment

Script explanation

Feedback

Additional resources

PowerShell script - Incrementally load data by using Azure Data Factory

Sample script

Clean up deployment

Script explanation

Related content

Feedback

Additional resources