How to fix SSIS : "Value, does not fall within expected range"?

Question

When I open up the solution that contains SSIS packages created by a colleague, I get this awkward error that tells me nothing about what I'm supposed to do to fix it.

He left instructions to take all the "variables" out of the connection string in the dtsx file manually before opening up the solution. I have done that, now when try to view the package in the designer I just get an image of a red x and this message.

EDDIT: You cannot see any design elements, no tabs across the top to switch to errors or data flows. Just a gray center area on the screen with a red x, and the message, its like VisualStudio dies in the process of reading the dtsx file.

Answer 1

You get a similar message if someone uses EncryptAllWithUserKey as the ProtectionLevel. However, I believe the message is slightly different (even though you get a grey design surface with a red X).

Have you tried viewing the file in Notepad? Is it just a series of GUIDs or is there anything in it that is humanly readable? If it doesn't have any readable code, then it was probably encyrpted with the user key.

If the employee deployed the packages to a server and used SQL Server as the deployment destination (not File System or SSIS Pacakge Store) then you can download the packages to your machine. Just connect to the SQL Server Integration Services engine, expand Stored Packages, expand MSDB, expand the relevant folder, right-click on the package, and click Export Package. Save the file on your local machine and open it. The package will probably lose annotations and pretty formatting, but otherwise it should be identical to what the employee deployed.