Package migration from version 8 to version 6 failed with error

Question

I have a basic package that includes a couple of Exec SQL Tasks and a Data Flow task. It was developed using Visual Studio 2019 (latest edition as of now), in package deployment model. The execution in VS works perfectly but fails when ran by SQL Agent (within SQL Server 2012 Standard ) because of this error

"Package migration from version 8 to version 6 failed with error 0xC001700A "The version number in the package is not valid. The version number cannot be greater than current version number.". "

What I've tried:

1- I've already read through all other answers to this same question: I went through Properties and then Changed Deployment Version from 2019 to 2012. In fact, I get this confirmed:

2- I went through XML and ensured that there is no such thing as Version 8, and it is only in V6 3- I recreated the whole thing again using Visual Studio but this time I started with the deployment target set as 2012.

Please help. Thank you

Answer 1

I thought I'd answer in case someone else is struggling: the issue is due to a fundamental design flaw within VS (it is stupid how they designed it without considering this). In essence, I was using connection types (drivers) that are not supported in the earlier versions. Connection types rarely get version upgrades (say for instance SQLN11 vs. 10). All you get when you get the target server is a different XML schema, it does not change the connection type to a SQL 2012 friendly version.

I changed the connection types manually by recreating the whole package using VS 2012. It worked. But if you have earlier versions of the connection types, you don't have to do this, just choose the earlier ones if it allows you to.