---
title: Microsoft SQL Server - Stage OpenQuery
description: Microsoft SQL Server - Stage OpenQuery generates a Stage layer for SQL Server that reads its sources through linked servers with OPENQUERY.
---

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# Microsoft SQL Server - Stage OpenQuery

**Applies to**  
Platform: Microsoft SQL Server  
Architecture: Stage

Microsoft SQL Server - Stage OpenQuery generates a Stage layer for SQL Server that reads its sources through linked servers with `OPENQUERY`. Select the Generator Configuration `Microsoft SQL Server Stage OpenQuery` when you add a project whose source databases SQL Server reaches through a linked server. This article lists what the configuration supports.

Modeling for this configuration is described in [Model a Stage OpenQuery Solution](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/model-a-stage-openquery-solution?hsLang=en).

### Scope and output

- Platform: Microsoft SQL Server.
- Layers: Source and Stage. Dataflow Modeling shows Stage in the Bronze column. See [Understand the Layering concept](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/understand-the-layering-concept?hsLang=en).
- Output: the layer script `SQL\L010_Stage.sql`, the load control scripts or an Airflow DAG, and the PowerShell 7 scripts that deploy and load, described in [Microsoft SQL Server - Artifacts](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-artifacts?hsLang=en).

### Prerequisites

- A SQL Server instance and a login that can create the databases, schemas and objects of the layers and the load control. Each layer script creates its database with the recovery model `SIMPLE` and its schema when they are missing.
- PowerShell 7 and sqlcmd on the machine that deploys.
- A linked server on the SQL Server instance for each source system. Its name is the value of the source system's `server_name` placeholder.

The setup is described in [Microsoft SQL Server - Target environment](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-target-environment?hsLang=en). The placeholders for the server, database and schema names are listed in [Microsoft SQL Server - Placeholder values](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-placeholder-values?hsLang=en).

### Sources and linked projects

Each loader reads its source table with `OPENQUERY` through the linked server of the source system. The query passed to the linked server selects the needed columns from `[<database>].[<schema>].[<table>]`; filters and aggregations run on SQL Server. The configuration adds the properties [Native Expression (Term)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/native-expression-term?hsLang=en) and [Native Data Type (Term Mapping)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/native-data-type-term-mapping?hsLang=en). The discovery types are listed in [Source Systems per Generator Configurations](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/source-systems-per-generator-configurations?hsLang=en).

You can [export this project as a linked project](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/export-a-project-to-be-used-as-linked-project?hsLang=en). The configuration cannot import linked projects.

### Supported model objects

- [Source](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-source?hsLang=en)
- [Stage](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-stage?hsLang=en)

### Capabilities and limitations

- Generated objects per Stage: the table `STG_ST_<model object name>`, the view `_Result` and the loader `_Loader`. There is no source view; the loader holds the source query.
- Loader: it truncates the table, then runs the insert with `sp_executesql` in a transaction.
- Keys: Stage tables have no primary key and no hash columns. Increment tables `<table name>_Increment` have the identity column `BG_ID INT IDENTITY`.
- Indexes: [Index management](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/add-an-index?hsLang=en) offers clustered and nonclustered rowstore and columnstore indexes, unique indexes and Included Columns.
- Deployment: with the default [Deployment Options](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/deployment-options-project?hsLang=en), each deployment drops and creates the tables again. See [Microsoft SQL Server - Deployment](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-deployment?hsLang=en).
- Loading: [LoadControl Options](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/loadcontrol-options-project?hsLang=en) offers `Native Load Control` and `Airflow`.

### Project properties

The configuration offers no Hash Algorithm. It offers these project properties, with their defaults:

- [Hash Casing](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/hash-casing-project?hsLang=en): `None`; also `Upper` and `Lower`
- [Hash Concatenation Separator](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/hash-concatenation-separator-project?hsLang=en): `_`
- [Hash Null Placeholder](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/hash-null-placeholder-project?hsLang=en): `_NULL_`
- [Hash Trim](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/hash-trim-project?hsLang=en): off
- [Begin of Universe](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/begin-of-universe-project?hsLang=en): `19000101`
- [Persist Validity](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/persist-validity-project?hsLang=en): off
- [Create Result Views](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-result-views-project?hsLang=en): on
- [Target Object Comment Type](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/target-object-comment-type-project?hsLang=en): `None`; also `Tables` and `Tables and Views`
- [Artifact Output Mode](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/artifact-output-mode-project?hsLang=en): `Layer Composites`; also `Deployment Objects`
- [Deployment Options](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/deployment-options-project?hsLang=en): `Generate Drop Table Statements`
- [Configure LoadControl](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/configure-loadcontrol-project?hsLang=en): on
- [Deploy LoadControl](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/deploy-loadcontrol-project?hsLang=en): on
- [LoadControl Options](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/loadcontrol-options-project?hsLang=en): `Native Load Control`; also `Airflow`

Hash Casing, Hash Concatenation Separator, Hash Null Placeholder, Hash Trim and Persist Validity have no effect on Stage objects.

### Data types

The Default Terms get these SQL Server data types. `DATETIMEOFFSET` is written without precision, so SQL Server uses precision 7:

- Load timestamp, `datetimeoffset`: `BG_LoadTimestamp`
- Text, `nvarchar`: `BG_SourceSystem`, `BG_DataflowName` and `BG_DataflowSetName` with length 255, `BG_ErrorDescription` with 4000, `BG_IncrementLoadStatus` with 20
- Number: `BG_ID` `int`
- `BG_IncrementalFilter`, `BG_LowerThreshold` and `BG_UpperThreshold`: the data type of the term that you map to `BG_IncrementalFilter`

### Example

A Stage `dataflow_aggregation` counts the duplicate IDs per customer of the source table `CUSTOMER_DUPLICATES`. The insert statement of its loader selects these rows. The excerpt shows the example linked server `SRC_LINK`, the source database `BFM` and the schema `dbo` in place of the placeholders:

```
SELECT
     @LoadTimestamp AS [BG_LoadTimestamp]
    ,CAST(NULL AS NVARCHAR(255)) AS [BG_SourceSystem]
    ,[s1].[CUSTOMER_ID] AS [CUSTOMER_ID]
    ,COUNT_BIG(DISTINCT [s1].[DUPLICATE_CUSTOMER_ID])
        AS [DUPLICATE_CUSTOMER_ID]
FROM OPENQUERY([SRC_LINK], '
SELECT [CUSTOMER_ID],[DUPLICATE_CUSTOMER_ID]
FROM [BFM].[dbo].[CUSTOMER_DUPLICATES]
') AS [s1]
GROUP BY
     [s1].[CUSTOMER_ID]
HAVING (COUNT(DISTINCT [s1].[DUPLICATE_CUSTOMER_ID]) > 0)
```

The linked server returns only the two columns; SQL Server groups the rows. With [Microsoft SQL Server - Stage](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-stage?hsLang=en), a Stage reads its source table in a source view instead.

### Release differences

Project Settings shows the Generator Version of your project.

- Generator 2.2: the project properties Persist Validity, Create Result Views, Hash Casing, Hash Concatenation Separator, Hash Null Placeholder and Hash Trim; the model object property Increment Management Type on Stage.

### Related articles

- Previous: 
    - Microsoft SQL Server: [Target environment](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-target-environment?hsLang=en)
- Next: [Generate artifacts](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/generate-artifacts?hsLang=en), [Replace the placeholders in the artifacts](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/replace-the-placeholders-in-the-artifacts?hsLang=en) 
    - Microsoft SQL Server: [Artifacts](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-artifacts?hsLang=en), [Deployment](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-deployment?hsLang=en), [Load data - Native Load Control](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-load-data-native-load-control?hsLang=en), [Load data - Apache Airflow Load Control](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-load-data-apache-airflow-load-control?hsLang=en)
- Reference: [Native Expression (Term)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/native-expression-term?hsLang=en), [Native Data Type (Term Mapping)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/native-data-type-term-mapping?hsLang=en), [Artifact Output Mode (Project)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/artifact-output-mode-project?hsLang=en), [Deployment Options (Project)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/deployment-options-project?hsLang=en), [LoadControl Options (Project)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/loadcontrol-options-project?hsLang=en) 
    - Microsoft SQL Server: [Placeholder values](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/microsoft-sql-server-placeholder-values?hsLang=en)
- See also: [Available Generator Configurations](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/available-generator-configurations?hsLang=en), [Understand the Generator Configuration](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/understand-the-generator-configuration?hsLang=en), [Source Systems per Generator Configurations](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/source-systems-per-generator-configurations?hsLang=en), [Model a Stage OpenQuery Solution](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/model-a-stage-openquery-solution?hsLang=en) 
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