BizTalk Server Tutorial Part 1: BizTalk Application

Charan: In the BizTalk definition it is said that developer can create mappers for transformation, orchestrations for processing though I don’t understand what these are but still I have a question, how the things get managed in BizTalk once you have developed many maps, orchestrations and other BizTalk artifacts.

Rohit: You are too quick. For managing the BizTalk artifacts developed for different requirements BizTalk provide a logical container called BizTalk application.

Let me show you how to create a new application in BizTalk. We’ll use it for latter part of tutorial.

First, open the ‘BizTalk Server Administration Console’ the path is ‘Start -> All Programs -> Microsoft BizTalk Server 2010 -> BizTalk Server Administration’

Then, Create a new application as shown below

Specify the name of application as ‘BizTalkServerTutorial’

Charan: Is there any other advantage of creating this application except logically grouping the BizTalk Artifact?

Rohit: Yes, you can export the BizTalk application from your development environment as MSI package and can import it on other machine (production/demo etc.). Let me show you how.

Export the ‘BizTalkServerTutorial’ as MSI package as shown below:

Just see the different steps and click ‘Next’ as this application is empty so only the logical container will get exported as MSI package. On ‘Destination’ specify the path for the MSI file and click on ‘Export’.

For demonstration I am deleting the ‘BizTalkServerTutorial’ application as show below.

Then I will import the MSI package for ‘BizTalkServerTutorial’ application as show below.

Specify the path of the MSI package and run the Wizard by clicking Next button.

At finish screen notice this check box because our ‘BizTalkServerTutorial’ application doesn’t contain any BizTalk artifacts (Orchestrations, maps etc.) so we are not required to run the ‘Application Installation Wizard’ this time to install the DLL containing these artifacts to GAC.

Summary

You have seen

    How to open BizTalk Server Admin Console.

    How to create BizTalk Application

    How to Export and Import BizTalk Application as MSI package

Cheers,
Rohit Sharma