We run an overnight process that updates a database with information from a Finance system and this was done using a .NET exe file which is started by Windows Task Scheduler. The exe file accesses the source DB in read only mode and the target DB in update mode. It runs each database update in the right order and provides log files and emailed error, progress and diagnostic reports. I know that if the last report has been emailed then all is well otherwise where it fails is in the logs it leaves behind. It does occasionally fail but that is usually following a target db change that has not been fully tested.