Patrick Wellink

Microsoft BizTalk Server Operations Guide

This is  a post from Microsft Download Center. I found it in my RSS feeds. (Don't know where). It's such a usable BizTalk document that I really don't want to loose the link so it's a reminder for myself. But a nice read (+700 pages) for anyone who is involved in BizTalk Developement.

get the download link >>HERE<<

Brief Description

Suspended Messages are Included in the Message Count in Database Throttling Threshold

I had read this once but I couldn't remember where. But it can be of importance to BizTalk developers when they have the question :

"To Suspend or Not to Suspend".

When you are faced with this question, remember that Suspended Messages are Included in the Message Count in Database Throttling Threshold. see the details >>here<<

Finally Project templates in BizTalk 2006 / BizTalk Template Wizard

I have a certain aproach on how to solve common integration scenarios. It involves Process Services, Business Services, Receiving Interation services and Sending Integration Services. It's a clean way to set up an integration. Although it is a flexible way of setting up a project, it initially requires some extra work.

I have looked at this excellent post from Charles Young. It looked so sweet, but I couldn't get it to work for BizTalk 2006. Then I had a very seriuous look at the BizTalk Pattern Wizard from Jon Flanders. I tried to use it, but unfortunately there is very little documentation.

But when I was experimenting with this stuff I found out the following :

• If I created a subdirectory in the following directory : C:\Program Files\Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006\Developer Tools\BizTalkProjects , it would show up as a kind of template directory in Visual Studio. Below is a screenshot of this. On the left is the directory structure and on the right is the screen as it shows up in Visual Studio.
  
  

• Next I found out, in this 'Template directory' you will need two files. An 'ICO' file and an 'VSZ' file. Below is a sample of the VSZ file. The name of the files should be scenarioname.(ico/vsz)

VSWIZARD 7.0
Wizard=VsWizard.VsWizardEngine.8.0
Param="WIZARD_NAME = SimpleTemplate"
Param="WIZARD_UI = FALSE"
Param="PROJECT_TYPE = BTPROJ"
Param="SCRIPT_COMMON_RELATIVE_PATH = BizTalkWizards"
Param="RELATIVE_PATH = BizTalkWizards"

•  Then I found out that there is a subdirectory called BizTalk Wizards, If you create a Subdirectory with the name of the 'WIZARD_NAME' Visual studio would open the directory, and execute a JavaScript scriptlet to do some processing. Below is a Sample of the directory Structure.
  
  
  
• Not beeing a JavaScript programmer at all, I modified this 'Default.js' so it would do some specific stuff. ( Move files and then do a search and replace ).
• Then I created a project that would be the template. I had a specific namespace and some other specific stuff ( the strings that would be replaced).
• And presto the template was finished.

Now its only a matter of seconds to create the projects. The naming convention should be SomeProject.ServiceKind,ServiceName. The templates really expect a dotted name where tle last part after the last dot is the actual service name.

1. If you want to try this yourself, extract the files in the zip file ESB Concept Scenarios.zip to the directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006\Developer Tools\BizTalkProjects\ESB Concept Scenarios, so that the directory will contain two files. SimpleTemplate.ico and SimpleTemplate.vsz.
2. Next you extract the following file SimpleTemplate.zip to the following directory BizTalkWizards. The result should look the same as the picture above.
3. Next Start Visual Studio, Create a new BizTalk Project, Select SimpleTemplate and see stuff happen. (Don't forget the name yoy enter for the project should be in the form , SomeProject.ServiceKind,ServiceName otherwise it won't work.

If  You don't like the template or want to change it, simply go to the BizTalk Wizard directory and perform the following steps.

1. Select the template you want to change.
2. Next go to the 'Templates\1033\OriginalProject' directory.
3. Open the solution.
4. Make any change you want, and save the project.
5. Copy only the Orch / Map and XSD one level up. Do not copy the SLN and BTPproj files. (Have a look in the notepad at both of them and you will probably spot the diffrencies).

That's it.

If you want to see this for yourself, have a look at the video in this zip file Templates_in_action.zip