All posts by : Stephen W. Thomas

1 of 88 | BizTalk Rules Engine and .Net Components - Failed To Load - Over the course of the past few weeks, I found several different ways to completely break the Business Rules Engine.  The common error I received is “Failed to Load”.  I received this inside the Policies, Vocabularies, and when Importing the rules from XML.   The error looks something like this:   So why did this happen?  It seems to be caused from two reasons.  Either one of the .net classes used inside the rules or vocabulary has changed (example: you are calling a method called AddCat(String) and now it is AddCat(int)) or the .net assembly is not in the GAC.  The second is easy to fix by GAC’ing the .net components used in the......

2 of 88 | Working With .Net Components and Long Term Facts in the BizTalk Rules Engine - Recently I have been working a lot with the BizTalk Rules Engine (BRE) that comes along with Biztalk Server 2004.    Rather than the more common approach of using the BRE inside a BizTalk Orchestration passing in XML messages, I have been working with the rules engine in a pure .net scenario passing in .net objects as facts and working with a long term fact creator.   This approach uses the available API to call the BRE inside .net and passes in an array of facts to be operated on.  The long term fact is used on the policy and loaded into memory the first time the policy is called.  The supplied facts are passed out of the called policy with updated / changed v......

3 of 88 | Biztalk Server Interview Answers - I guess I was sleeping and forgot to post the answers to the BizTalk Interview Questions from a few posts ago. No worries though, Gustavo Echeverry went thought and answered them complete with reference!  Great work! In any case, here are my answers.  Of course, in some cases it may be possible to have more then one right answer. Development Focused Questions What is BizTalk ·         Biztalk is a messaging based integration tool. ·         Bonus: It consists of several different pieces including Business Processes (Orchestrations), BAM, Rules Engines, and HAT. In BizTalk 2002, schemas were DTD based and allowed Xml Elements to be in any order inside a record using the keyword.  How is thi......

4 of 88 | Visual Studio 2005 RTM Will Not Start - Today I ran into a strange problem.  Visual Studios would not launch!  No matter what I did, it was totally dead.   I had remove Visual Studios 2005 Beta 2 a few weeks ago and upgraded to RTM.  Today, I installed BizTalk 2006 Beta 2 and configured it with no problems.  I went to open Visual Studios to work with BizTalk and nothing happened.   I got the Visual Studio Launch screen for about 5 seconds and then gone.  I could see the program start in the task manger but then it just disappeared.  I was not getting any errors in the event log.   I start by reinstalling VS with no luck.  So, I tried uninstalling and reinstalling VS.  Yep, that took some time; still no luck.    I then took a loo......

5 of 88 | Biztalk Server Interview Questions - Wow, it has been some time now since I last blogged.  I would like to say I have been super busy with tons of project work. But, actually I have been on vacation most of the time. From time to time I get the chance to interview prospective Biztalk resource to join various projects.  Since Biztalk 2004 is such a broad and relatively new product, it can sometimes be hard to compare different resources that might have had totally different experiences. I have put together a few questions that I like to use when interviewing possible resources to give you an idea of the types of questions you might get asked in a BizTalk interview. The point is not to know all the answers but to be able to demo......

6 of 88 | BizTalk Server 2006 Beta 2 just released! - The Beta 2 build of BizTalk Server 2006 is now available on Beta Place.    This also includes a separate download for the Microsoft BizTalk Adapters for Enterprise Applications, also in Beta 2.   You need to be enrolled in the public beta program to have access to this download.   An updated BizTalk 2006 Beta 2 installation document and known issues can be found here.   I thought the CTP build was awesome so I can not wait to get this version installed and running.  ...

7 of 88 | BizTalk Server 2006 CTP Build Installation - Well, after about 10 tries on a freshly built Windows XP SP2 laptop I was finally able to get the CTP build of BizTalk Server 2006 installed and configured.  I had installed it before with no problems.  For some reason, this new image of Windows just did not want to cooperate.   The problem I ran into was with the configuration of the user groups.  I received this error: Failed to check if BizTalk Application Users is a valid domain group.   This seemed odd, since this is a stand alone laptop.  It is not a member of any domain.  I was putting my user name for the Biztalk configuration as “biztalkuser”.  I noticed in SQL 2005, the user name was listed as ComputerName\biztalkuser.  I tired th......

8 of 88 | Biztalk Server 2006 Officially Launched - Today marked the official launch of Biztalk Server 2006, SQL Server 2005, and Visual Studios 2005.   On top of getting free version of SQL 2005 and Visual Studios 2005 at the launch event, Microsoft has posted a new Biztalk 2006 version to Beta Place.    The new version is the CTP Build with the Beta 2 release to hopefully follow later on.                              From what I hear, the CTP build includes the new Line of Business (LOB) adapters.   A few points: - This release works on the RTM of SQL 2005 and Visual Studios 2005 - I was not able to find the CAB file included with the download.  So, internet access might be required to download it. - I needed to restart the computer a......

9 of 88 | New BizTalk Community Forum - BizTalkGurus.com has launched a new BizTalk Community Forum!  This is not intended replace the Microsoft Official Newsgroups.  That should always be your first place to turn to for technical questions.  But, if you are looking for a smaller, more relaxed area check it out. No registration is required to vote in polls, view threads, and post to the forum. Registered uses can get forum level notifications, topic reply notifications, and create a user profile. Forum categories include:Site and Blog CommentsBizTalk Server 2004BizTalk Server 2006Windows Workflow FoundationJob Postings (both full time and contract) If you have questions / comments about any of my blog posts or samples, the foru......

10 of 88 | BizTalk vNext (Biztalk 2008) Wish List - With the official launch of Biztalk 2006 just weeks away, I could not help but start thinking about what I would like to see in Biztalk vNext (a.k.a Biztalk 2008 / 2009).    It will most likely have support for workflows written using Windows Workflow Foundation or even better it may be built on top of the Windows Workflow Foundation.    That is great and all, but it is important not to forget that Biztalk is an integration tool.  The support of workflows using Windows Workflow Foundation alone will not help solve some of the existing tricky integration scenarios we are facing today.   With that said, what improvements and enhancements would I like to see in the next version of Biztalk.........

11 of 88 | Business Rules Engine Message Construction in Biztalk 2004 - Wow.  I was in the middle of working on a blog post about message construction and the Business Rules Engine (BRE) in Biztalk 2004.    Several other Biztalk Developers and I were talking about this topic at Tech Ed and at the BPI Conference.  I looked at Nishil’s blog and he just posted an excellent post on the exact same topic!    At first glance, it looks like the BRE changes an immutable message or does it   The long and short of it is:   No: the BRE does not change an immutable message   Yes: the Call Rules Shape does construct a message without using a construct shape   Yes: you can lose Context properties in the are set on your original message inside the Orchestration (see Nishil’......

12 of 88 | New Business Rules Features in Biztalk 2006 - I tend to see more and more clients using the Rule Engines now then I did in the past.  So, what can we expect to see different and better in Biztalk 2006   At the BPI Conference two weeks ago we found out some of the new enhanced features that the Business Rules Engine would have in Biztalk 2006.    Some of these are: - Ability to be installed without Biztalk - No longer needs to be called inside an Atomic Scope - Document type will try to be auto populated when you add a schema from an existing Biztalk project (this is great - until it gets it wrong) - Ability to have debug information written to file at run time   Of course, these can change before the final release of the product ear......

13 of 88 | How to View Subscriptions in Biztalk 2006 - The Biztalk Subscription viewer is an essential tool for analyzing and correcting subscription errors in Biztalk.  In Biztalk 2004, the subscription viewer was provided in the SDK. In Biztalk 2006 Beta, the ability to view subscriptions has moved to the Biztalk Administration Console.  But, finding it can be tricky for someone new to Biztalk 2006. To view subscriptions in Biztalk 2006:1. Open the Biztalk Administration Console  2. Click on the Biztalk Group your application is located in (you probably just have one group)  3. Click on the New Query tab4. Select Field Name: Search For, Operator: Equals, Value: Subscriptions5. Click Run Query It will look like this: It is that easy!...

14 of 88 | New Biztalk and Workflow Newsletter - The BizTalker - I have started a new e-mail newsletter called The BizTalker.    I hope to deliver periodic issues focusing on real life stories from integration consultants in the field.  Nothing that fancy or long, just to the point: this is the problem we had and this is how we fixed it.   I am working with other Biztalk bloggers and consultants in order to deliver content to newsletter subscribers before it is available on other sources.   Plus, each issue will include the latest happening in the Microsoft Connection Systems world and what is new on BizTalkGurus.com and other partner sites.   I hope to release the first issue in the next few weeks.    I have a beta issue available here.   Now is the t......

15 of 88 | New Biztalk and Workflow Newsletter - The BizTalker - I have started a new e-mail newsletter called The BizTalker.    I hope to deliver periodic issues focusing on real life stories from integration consultants in the field.  Nothing that fancy or long, just to the point: this is the problem we had and this is how we fixed it.   I am working with other Biztalk bloggers and consultants in order to deliver content to newsletter subscribers before it is available on other sources.   Plus, each issue will include the latest happening in the Microsoft Connection Systems world and what is new on BizTalkGurus.com and other partner sites.   I hope to release the first issue in the next few weeks.    I have a beta issue available here.   Now is the t......

16 of 88 | Biztalk Design Contest - Dynamic Transforms in Biztalk 2006 - I should start by saying I was much happier with last year’s entry.  Last year, I used an Orchestration to limit other running Orchestrations.  It could be configures on the fly using the Rules Engine.  I should note that in Biztalk 2006 you will now have the ability to limit running Orchestrations since you now have per-host configuration.    Since last year I didn’t place in the top 5, I decided to take a difference approach this year.  I decided to take a look at something simple and build on that.  So, I picked mapping.  Simple, right   Transforms are a critical component in nearly every integration project.  The Transform design pattern is largely taken for granted since mapping is a ......

17 of 88 | Biztalk Design Contest - Dynamic Transforms in Biztalk 2006 - I should start by saying I was much happier with last year’s entry.  Last year, I used an Orchestration to limit other running Orchestrations.  It could be configures on the fly using the Rules Engine.  I should note that in Biztalk 2006 you will now have the ability to limit running Orchestrations since you now have per-host configuration.    Since last year I didn’t place in the top 5, I decided to take a difference approach this year.  I decided to take a look at something simple and build on that.  So, I picked mapping.  Simple, right   Transforms are a critical component in nearly every integration project.  The Transform design pattern is largely taken for granted since mapping is a ......

18 of 88 | BizTalk Solution Designer - There is a 52 minute video on BizTalk Solution Designer.  If you do not have a full 52 minutes to devote to this, you can get a good feel for the tool in the first 15 or 20 minutes.    BizTalk Solution Designer is a visual tool for Biztalk Development.  It abstracts the whole process of building port, locations, pipelines, routing, and more into a visual tool.    This new tool is targeted toward the business developer but is will not be available any time soon.  I will not be available until after Biztalk 2006 is released.   They showed some of the prototypes that this tool could have looked like.  I liked the Saturn design myself...   I really wanted to see the new XSLT visual mapper.  ......

19 of 88 | BizTalk Solution Designer - There is a 52 minute video on BizTalk Solution Designer.  If you do not have a full 52 minutes to devote to this, you can get a good feel for the tool in the first 15 or 20 minutes.    BizTalk Solution Designer is a visual tool for Biztalk Development.  It abstracts the whole process of building port, locations, pipelines, routing, and more into a visual tool.    This new tool is targeted toward the business developer but is will not be available any time soon.  I will not be available until after Biztalk 2006 is released.   They showed some of the prototypes that this tool could have looked like.  I liked the Saturn design myself...   I really wanted to see the new XSLT visual mapper.  ......

20 of 88 | Windows Sequential Workflow Video and Sample - I have put together a video and sample walking through a simple Sequential Workflow using Beta 1 of WinWF (available for download from Microsoft).   This video will take you step by step through creating your first sequential workflow in less than 15 minutes!   This workflow is hosted by .net using a Windows Form.  It takes in an input value and returns a string of how long it took to process the order.   The sample includes two windows form for calling the workflow.    Download the sample code: Sequential Workflow using WinWF Download the video: My First Sequential Workflow Video  ...

21 of 88 | Windows Sequential Workflow Video and Sample - I have put together a video and sample walking through a simple Sequential Workflow using Beta 1 of WinWF (available for download from Microsoft).   This video will take you step by step through creating your first sequential workflow in less then 15 minutes!   This workflow is hosted by .net using a Windows Form.  It takes in an input value and returns a string of how long it took to process the order.   The sample includes two windows form for calling the workflow.    Download the sample code: Sequential Workflow using WinWF Download the video: My First Sequential Workflow Video  ...

22 of 88 | Windows Workflow Foundation (WinWF) Released - Today Microsoft released the long awaited Windows Workflow Foundation at PDC.    You can get all the details from the Windows Vista Development Center for Workflow.    Microsoft’s awesome new Windows Workflow Community Site is located at http://www.windowsworkflow.net.   WinWF will provide a framework for building and hosting workflows inside Windows.  It will be part of the WinXF namespace along with Windows Communication Foundation (Indiago) and Windows Presentation Foundation (Avalon).   The Beta Code for WinWF is available though the Vista Development Center.   Watch for samples and videos to be posted shortly to my Windows Workflow Foundation page. ...

23 of 88 | Windows Workflow Foundation (WinWF) Released - Today Microsoft released the long awaited Windows Workflow Foundation at PDC.    You can get all the details from the Windows Vista Development Center for Workflow.    Microsoft’s awesome new Windows Workflow Community Site is located at http://www.windowsworkflow.net.   WinWF will provide a framework for building and hosting workflows inside Windows.  It will be part of the WinXF namespace along with Windows Communication Foundation (Indiago) and Windows Presentation Foundation (Avalon).   The Beta Code for WinWF is available though the Vista Development Center.   Watch for samples and videos to be posted shortly to my Windows Workflow Foundation page. ...

24 of 88 | Biztalk, Convoys, GetTempFileName, and InterceptorException - It’s late on a Friday.  I am still at the client site.  I just canceled my flight home.  It is my anniversary weekend (yep it is on 9/11, sure sucks).  We are hours from going live...  But, what does Exceptions.Types.InterceptorException GetTempFileName Failed mean   I ran into this problem while testing some recently updated Orchestrations that use Convoys to process messages received from multiple source systems in order.  A small change was made that removed a Send Shape and replaced it with a custom .net component call to a java web service.  Seems simple enough.   When the process encounters an exception, it uses the file adapter to write the file to disk and stops message process.  Th......

25 of 88 | Biztalk, Convoys, GetTempFileName, and InterceptorException - It’s late on a Friday.  I am still at the client site.  I just canceled my flight home.  It is my anniversary weekend (yep it is on 9/11, sure sucks).  We are hours from going live...  But, what does Exceptions.Types.InterceptorException GetTempFileName Failed mean   I ran into this problem while testing some recently updated Orchestrations that use Convoys to process messages received from multiple source systems in order.  A small change was made that removed a Send Shape and replaced it with a custom .net component call to a java web service.  Seems simple enough.   When the process encounters an exception, it uses the file adapter to write the file to disk and stops message process.  Th......

26 of 88 | Simple Biztalk Server Development Helper Tool - A lot can be said about development with Biztalk Server.  For someone new to Biztalk it takes a little practice to learn some of the non-intuitive tasks related to assembly redeployment and basic Biztalk Development.   One common error message is: “Some items in the removed assembly are still being used by items not defined in the same assembly, thus removal of the assembly failed. Make sure that items in the assembly you are trying to remove fulfill the following conditions: 1. Pipelines, maps, and schemas are not being used by Send Ports or Receive Locations 2. Roles have no enlisted parties.”   The most common problem I see is what is required to redeploy an assembly.  To redeploy an ass......

27 of 88 | Simple Biztalk Server Development Helper Tool - A lot can be said about development with Biztalk Server.  For someone new to Biztalk it takes a little practice to learn some of the non-intuitive tasks related to assembly redeployment and basic Biztalk Development.   One common error message is: “Some items in the removed assembly are still being used by items not defined in the same assembly, thus removal of the assembly failed. Make sure that items in the assembly you are trying to remove fulfill the following conditions: 1. Pipelines, maps, and schemas are not being used by Send Ports or Receive Locations 2. Roles have no enlisted parties.”   The most common problem I see is what is required to redeploy an assembly.  To redeploy an ass......

28 of 88 | Biztalk 2006 Questions and Answers from the Biztalk TAP Program - Doug Girard with Microsoft recently posted some great Frequently Asked Questions gathered from the Biztalk Server 2006 Beta newsgroup and TAP program. It has a lot of good stuff and it worth a look at. ...

29 of 88 | Biztalk 2006 Questions and Answers from the Biztalk TAP Program - Doug Girard with Microsoft recently posted some great Frequently Asked Questions gathered from the Biztalk Server 2006 Beta newsgroup and TAP program. It has a lot of good stuff and it worth a look at. ...

30 of 88 | Windows Workflow Webcasts A must see for any Biztalk Developer - The world as we know it is about to change – for the better.    To get ready for this exciting new offering Microsoft has announced a week of Workflow Webcasts to run the week of September 26th.   Webcasts include: Introduction to Workflow in Windows Applications (Sept 15th) Simple Human Workflow Using Email Hosting and Communications Options in Workflow Scenarios Workflow + Messaging + Services: Developing Distributed Applications with Workflows Developing Event Driven State Machine Workflows Extending Workflow Capabilities with Custom Activities Developing Rules Driven Workflows in Windows Workflow Foundation (Oct 27th) Anyone currently working with Biztalk and Workflows should ......

31 of 88 | Windows Workflow Webcasts A must see for any Biztalk Developer - The world as we know it is about to change – for the better.    To get ready for this exciting new offering Microsoft has announced a week of Workflow Webcasts to run the week of September 26th.   Webcasts include: Introduction to Workflow in Windows Applications (Sept 15th) Simple Human Workflow Using Email Hosting and Communications Options in Workflow Scenarios Workflow + Messaging + Services: Developing Distributed Applications with Workflows Developing Event Driven State Machine Workflows Extending Workflow Capabilities with Custom Activities Developing Rules Driven Workflows in Windows Workflow Foundation (Oct 27th) Anyone currently working with Biztalk and Workflows should make ......

32 of 88 | Biztalk Load Generation Tool for Biztalk Testing - A few days ago Microsoft released a Load Generation tool to help simulate load for testing Biztalk 2004 solutions.  You can download this testing tool here.   It seems that the installation package defaults the installation path for the testing tool to something other then your C drive.  In one case, my installation went to my E:\ drive and in the other two cases it went to my D:\ drive.  Just make sure during the installation you note (or change if you want to) the installation location.   Also, it appears that if you do not have MSMQ installed you will get an error saying MSMQTransmitter.dll did not register.  I said Ignore and it seemed to install correctly.  I tried this on the computer......

33 of 88 | Biztalk Load Generation Tool for Biztalk Testing - A few days ago Microsoft released a Load Generation tool to help simulate load for testing Biztalk 2004 solutions.  You can download this testing tool here.   It seems that the installation package defaults the installation path for the testing tool to something other then your C drive.  In one case, my installation went to my E:\ drive and in the other two cases it went to my D:\ drive.  Just make sure during the installation you note (or change if you want to) the installation location.   Also, it appears that if you do not have MSMQ installed you will get an error saying MSMQTransmitter.dll did not register.  I said Ignore and it seemed to install correctly.  I tried this on the computer......

34 of 88 | Mapper Improvements in Biztalk Server 2006 - Biztalk Server 2006 introduces many exciting new features like Recoverable Message Processing and Suspended Message Routing.  With great new features like these, sometimes the map and schema editor improvements can get overlooked.    Anyone that has worked with Biztalk 2004 maps has probably seen this message pop up: “The map contains invalid links.  Please validate the contents of your map.  Saving the map file will delete all references to the invalid links.”  This is caused when the map references a schema that has changed and the changed fields are used inside the map.    Since I have never been on a project that has successfully locked down the schemas after they were created, this m......

35 of 88 | Mapper Improvements in Biztalk Server 2006 - Biztalk Server 2006 introduces many exciting new features like Recoverable Message Processing and Suspended Message Routing.  With great new features like these, sometimes the map and schema editor improvements can get overlooked.    Anyone that has worked with Biztalk 2004 maps has probably seen this message pop up: “The map contains invalid links.  Please validate the contents of your map.  Saving the map file will delete all references to the invalid links.”  This is caused when the map references a schema that has changed and the changed fields are used inside the map.    Since I have never been on a project that has successfully locked down the schemas after they were created, this m......

36 of 88 | Biztalk Server 2004 Direct Binding Sample - Direct binding in Biztalk Server 2004 can be used to send messages from one Orchestration to another.  It can also be used to send messages directly into the message box, but that is not the focus of this post.  Direct binding is easily misunderstood, specifically Partner Port binding since can be somewhat confusing to set up. I will walk through the 4 simple steps to set up direct binding using partner ports. It is important to note direct binding still uses the publish and subscribe system in Biztalk to send messages between Orchestrations. Terminology:Orchestration1 – The process that will send the message to another Orchestration. Orchestation2 – The process that will receive the messa......

37 of 88 | Biztalk Server 2004 Direct Binding Sample - Direct binding in Biztalk Server 2004 can be used to send messages from one Orchestration to another.  It can also be used to send messages directly into the message box, but that is not the focus of this post.  Direct binding is easily misunderstood, specifically Partner Port binding since can be somewhat confusing to set up. I will walk through the 4 simple steps to set up direct binding using partner ports. It is important to note direct binding still uses the publish and subscribe system in Biztalk to send messages between Orchestrations. Terminology:Orchestration1 – The process that will send the message to another Orchestration. Orchestation2 – The process that will receive the messa......

38 of 88 | Sharepoint Adapter for Biztalk 2006 Overview - I came across Adrian Hamza’s blog today.  His blog seems to be totally dedicated to the Sharepoint Adapter for Biztalk.    It looks like it will be a great resource for information on anything related to Sharepoint and Biztalk integration.   The post I like best gives a detailed comparison between the GotDotNet Sharepoint Adapter and the new Biztalk 2006 Sharepoint Adapter.    I think the best new “feature” of the Sharepoint Adapter is that it will be supported by Microsoft.  I know this has held up a lot of customers from using it in the past. ...

39 of 88 | Sharepoint Adapter for Biztalk 2006 Overview - I came across Adrian Hamza’s blog today.  His blog seems to be totally dedicated to the Sharepoint Adapter for Biztalk.    It looks like it will be a great resource for information on anything related to Sharepoint and Biztalk integration.   The post I like best gives a detailed comparison between the GotDotNet Sharepoint Adapter and the new Biztalk 2006 Sharepoint Adapter.    I think the best new “feature” of the Sharepoint Adapter is that it will be supported by Microsoft.  I know this has held up a lot of customers from using it in the past. ...

40 of 88 | Biztalk 2006 Suspended Message Routing and Error Reporting - Suspended message routing is arguably the greatest and most anticipated new feature in Biztalk 2006.  Suspended message routing gives you the ability to subscribe to messages that fail inside the messaging system.  Matt Hall going into detail on how to generate Error Reports for Suspended Message Routing and what properties you have available to subscribe to.  In addition, the documentation that ships with Beta 1 cover this is great detail. The ability to react to errors in the messaging system goes much deeper then just “No Matching Subscription” errors.  You now have the ability to easily handle all messaging errors that occur inside a pipeline, an adapter, and even maps.  That’s right, ......

41 of 88 | Biztalk 2006 Suspended Message Routing and Error Reporting - Suspended message routing is arguably the greatest and most anticipated new feature in Biztalk 2006.  Suspended message routing gives you the ability to subscribe to messages that fail inside the messaging system.  Matt Hall going into detail on how to generate Error Reports for Suspended Message Routing and what properties you have available to subscribe to.  In addition, the documentation that ships with Beta 1 cover this is great detail. The ability to react to errors in the messaging system goes much deeper then just “No Matching Subscription” errors.  You now have the ability to easily handle all messaging errors that occur inside a pipeline, an adapter, and even maps.  That’s right, ......

42 of 88 | Biztalk 2004 Prepend to SourceFileName Macro Sample - Biztalk 2004 provides a variety of built in macros for dynamically naming files.  A full list of macros can be found in the help guide or here.    Recently, I have been looking at SourceFileName.  I have posted a sample in the past that covers how to name output files inside your Orchestration using the %SourceFileName% macro.  In that sample, I completely override the File.ReceivedFileName property with a new value.  The File.ReceivedFileName property is the data source for the %SourceFileName% macro.   What if I wanted to append or prepend data to the original file name  When using the File Receive Adapter, the File.ReceivedFileName property looks like this: “c:\somepath\FileName.xml”. ......

43 of 88 | Biztalk 2004 Prepend to SourceFileName Macro Sample - Biztalk 2004 provides a variety of built in macros for dynamically naming files.  A full list of macros can be found in the help guide or here.    Recently, I have been looking at SourceFileName.  I have posted a sample in the past that covers how to name output files inside your Orchestration using the %SourceFileName% macro.  In that sample, I completely override the File.ReceivedFileName property with a new value.  The File.ReceivedFileName property is the data source for the %SourceFileName% macro.   What if I wanted to append or prepend data to the original file name  When using the File Receive Adapter, the File.ReceivedFileName property looks like this: “c:\somepath\FileName.xml”. ......

44 of 88 | Biztalk 2004 Pipeline Component Wizard Updated - Martijn has made some excellent updates to his pipeline component wizard for Biztalk 2004.  This visual studio wizard is a must have for anyone trying to write custom pipeline components.  This new version supports IDisassembler and message spitting.  It also has useful comments for each method explaining what each one does and how to use them. This wizard can be downloaded from his GotDotNet Workspace. ...

45 of 88 | Biztalk 2004 Pipeline Component Wizard Updated - Martijn has made some excellent updates to his pipeline component wizard for Biztalk 2004.  This visual studio wizard is a must have for anyone trying to write custom pipeline components.  This new version supports IDisassembler and message spitting.  It also has useful comments for each method explaining what each one does and how to use them. This wizard can be downloaded from his GotDotNet Workspace. ...

46 of 88 | Biztalk 2006 Beta - Microsoft’s official release of the Biztalk 2006 Beta program is now online.    It goes into more detail about what is new in Biztalk 2006 and it also says how to sigh up.   It can be found here: Biztalk 2006 Beta.  ...

47 of 88 | Biztalk 2006 Beta Program Sign up Now! - Biztalk 2006 Beta is now available for public sign up.    Biztalk Server 2006 greatly simplifies the administration and deployment process.  Some of the other key enhancements are the flat file schema wizard, calling pipeline from an Orchestration, improved BAM, and suspended message routing, just to name a few.   To sign up for the beta program follow these easy steps: 1.  Go to http://beta.microsoft.com 2.  Sign in with your passport 3.  At the top of the page it should say something like “if you have a Guest Id click here”.  4.  Enter: BizTalkBetaTeam (case sensitive) as your guest id. 5.  Fill out the survey.  I think the link is located on the left side of the screen.  Make sure you ......

48 of 88 | Recoverable Interchange Processing in Biztalk 2006 - Biztalk 2006 introduces many new and exciting features.  One of these new features is Recoverable Interchange Processing for inbound receive interchanges.   First off, what is an Interchange  An interchange is simply an item received by Biztalk.  In Biztalk terms, an interchange is typically used to define a message that contains several messages inside it. Some typical examples are batch flat files and Xml envelopes.   A specific example of this is a flat file document that contains a Header and many Detail records like this:   If we were to debatch this message using the flat file disassembler it would produce three single records.  In this case, it is one interchange that will produc......

49 of 88 | Flat File Disassembler Output Options Video - I have put together a short 10 minute biztalk training video covering some of the different output options available using the Flat File Disassembler in Biztalk Server 2004.    This video covers three different output options from the flat file disassembler. The three options covered are single detail records without a header or trailer, all detail records together without a header or trailer, or all details together with the header and trailer.   This video walks through the Flat File Disassembler Sample from a past post. It might be helpful to have the sample downloaded before watching the video.   I have the video available for live play via shock wave or downloadable via Windows Medi......

50 of 88 | Envelope Debatching and XPath Debatching Inside an Orchestration Biztalk Lab - Envelopes can be used with the Xml Disassembler in Biztalk 2004 to break up larger Xml messages into single messages.  Another approach to message debatching is to use xpath in a loop inside an Orchestration.  Both these approaches are covered in this Message Debatching Options Lab for Biztalk 2004.    This lab will take around 40 minutes to complete and is based on Microsoft’s hands-on-labs.   Download: Message Debatching Options Hands-on Lab   Setup is simple.  Unzip the download to your c:\ drive.  Make sure the root folder named “Microsoft Hands-On-Labs” is located at c:\.  The lab manual is located under \ILL009_Debatching.  The exercises are located in the \Source\Exercises folder.  ......