Is Microsoft retiring, discountinuing or deprecating SSIS OLEDB provider with ODBC?

Question

There were announcements back in 2011 about Microsoft SQL Server OLEDB access going retire, now I heard it has been deprecating starting SQL SERVER 2014? However it is not apparent from MSDN pages linked below about depreciated features in SSIS 2012-2016. I also check deprecation pages for SQL SERVER 2012-2016 it has no mention there too.

However, blog on MSDN seems persistent about it:

• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlnativeclient/
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlnativeclient/archive/2011/08/29/microsoft-is-aligning-with-odbc-for-native-relational-data-access.aspx

So my question are:

1. Is Microsoft OLEDB is really being deprecated, if so from when? which version? Any support evidence?
2. Are we suggesting we are going back to old days of ODBC?
3. What are you using in your SSIS packages?

4. Your experience with OLEDB to ODBC

   • Deprecated Integration Services Features in SQL Server 2012
   • Deprecated Integration Services Features in SQL Server 2014
   • Deprecated Integration Services Features in SQL Server 2016
   • Discontinued Integration Services Functionality in SQL Server 2012
   • Discontinued Integration Services Functionality in SQL Server 2014
   • Discontinued Integration Services Functionality in SQL Server 2016
   • Breaking Changes to Integration Services Features in SQL Server 2012
   • Breaking Changes to Integration Services Features in SQL Server 2014
   • Breaking Changes to Integration Services Features in SQL Server 2016
   • Behavior Changes to Integration Services Features in SQL Server 2012
   • Behavior Changes to Integration Services Features in SQL Server 2014
   • Behavior Changes to Integration Services Features in SQL Server 2016
   • Deprecated Database Engine Features in SQL Server 2012
   • Deprecated Database Engine Features in SQL Server 2014
   • Deprecated Database Engine Features in SQL Server 2016
   • Discontinued Database Engine Functionality in SQL Server 2012
   • Discontinued Database Engine Functionality in SQL Server 2014
   • Discontinued Database Engine Functionality in SQL Server 2016
   • Behavior Changes to Database Engine Features in SQL Server 2012
   • Behavior Changes to Database Engine Features in SQL Server 2014

Answer 1

The deprecation of OLE DB is now deprecated. See Announcing the new release of OLE DB Driver for SQL Server

Previously, Microsoft announced deprecation of the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server, part of the SQL Server Native Client (SNAC). At the time, this decision was made to try to provide more simplicity for the developer story around Windows native software development as we moved into the cloud era with Azure SQL Database, and to try to leverage the similarities of JDBC and ODBC for developers. However, during subsequent reviews it was determined that deprecation was a mistake because substantial scenarios within SQL Server still depend on OLE DB and changing those would break some existing customer scenarios.

With this in mind, we have decided to undeprecate OLE DB and release a new version by the first quarter of calendar year 2018.

This has now been released with one day to spare