Merge Join transformations are one of the most useful and commonly used  SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) transformations . They are typically used to join data from two files together. When used in conjunction with an “Inner Join” between datasets  they can also be used to filter large datasets. In addition to the Merge Join transformation this video also demonstrates the use of two other important transformations – “Sort”  & “Derived Column” transformations. In this demo a derived column transformation is used to eliminate a common problem called “white space error”-  where trailing spaces behind a text string prevent a match between two otherwise identical fields.