BizTalk Server Tutorial Part 2: A Simple end-to-end application

Prerequisite:

Create BizTalk application 'BizTalkServerTutorial’as mentioned in Part1 and

Create the following folders:

1.    C:\BizTalkServerTutorial\FileDrop\SourceLocation

2.    C:\BizTalkServerTutorial\FileDrop\DestinationLocation

3.    C:\BizTalkServerTutorial\FileDrop\SampleOutput.txt(A file containing some random text).

Charan: I have a problem, one of my applications is dropping some output files at a folder location (C:\BizTalkServerTutorial\FileDrop\SourceLocation), but another application needs these as input at some different location (C:\BizTalkServerTutorial\FileDrop\DestinationLocation). Can BizTalk help me here?

Rohit: Though BizTalk is not a tool to do such kind of data transfer.But this is a very simple application to show you how BizTalk works. So follow these steps to get it solved.

In ‘BizTalkServerTutorial’ application create a new receive port as shown below

Specify the name of the receive port as ‘RP_SourceApplication’ as shown below

Next create a receive location as shown below

Specify the name of the receive location as ‘RL_SourceApplication_FILE’. Select the transport type as ‘FILE’ [see here you are choosing FILE adapter because you need to receive the file from file system]. Pay attention to ‘BizTalkServerApplication’ as ‘Receive Handler’. ‘PassThruReceive’ as ‘Receive pipeline:’

Next clock the ‘Configure…’ button to configure the properties for receive FILE adapter. Set ‘Receive Folder’ as ‘C:\BizTalkServerTutorial\FileDrop\SourceLocation’. Set ‘File mask:’ as ‘*.*’ and get out of the box by clicking on Ok button.

Then click ok button on ‘Receive Location Properties’ dialog box.

Then click ok button on ‘Receive Port Properties’

In ‘BizTalkServerTutorial’ create a new send port as shown below

Specify the ‘Name:’ as ‘SP_DestinationApplication_FILE’ transport type as ‘FILE’ and click the ‘Configure..’ button to configure the ‘FILE Transport Properties’. In ‘FILE Transport Properties’ specify ‘Destination folder:’ as ‘C:\BizTalkServerTutorial\FileDrop\DestinationLocation’ and ‘File name:’ as ‘%SourceFileName%’.

Next ‘Enable’ the receive location ‘RL_SourceApplication_FILE’ as shown below. 

 And test the receive location by pasting a copy of file ‘SampleOutput.txt’ at folder location ‘C:\BizTalkServerTutorial\FileDrop\SourceLocation’

Charan: the file get deleted from the source folder but I have not received it at destination folder. Why?

Rohit: That is expected I have done it intentionally to show you the BizTalk error logging mechanism and the structure of BizTalk message. Check Application event viewer and see the error details

Notice the error details “The published message could not be routed because no subscribers were found…”. So BizTalk work using the publish/subscribe pattern. The message received from source location get published to the BizTalk Message Box but nobody is subscribing, in such cases the BizTalk log the error in the Application event log to notify. Let us see the BizTalk message structure.

Go to ‘BizTalk Group’, go to ‘New Query’ tab choose ‘Messages’ from ‘Search For’ drop down and click ‘Run Query’. You will see the 2 suspended messages. Right click on the first one and choose ‘Message Details’ to see the message structure.

Each message has ‘Context’ and ‘body’. ‘body’ contain the content of the file, whereas ‘Context’ contains the message properties like name of receive location, adapter type used to receive message etc. some of these properties are ‘promoted’ e.g. ‘ReceivePortName’.

Promoted properties can be used for creating the subscription. Let us see how to create the subscription. Open the ‘Send Port Properties’ dialog box by double clicking the ‘SP_DestinationApplication_FILE’ send port and set the filter as shown below i.e. by setting ‘BTS.ReceivePortName == RP_SourceApplication’.

Next ‘Enlist’ the send port as shown below [upon enlisting the send port a subscription get created in BizTalk message box stating that a copy all the messages received having promoted context property ReceivePortName with value ‘RP_SourceApplication’ need to be routed to this send port] and after that ‘Start’ the send port.

Now ‘Resume’ the suspended message with ‘Service Status’ ‘Suspended (resumable)’ you will get the file at the destination location.

Summary

You have seen

    How to create receive port

    How to create send port

    How to create subscription for a message using Filters

    The structure of the message in BizTalk and what the context of message contains

    How to use FILE adapter
     How to use BizTalk MMC to query the suspended messages

    How to resume suspended messages

Cheers,

Rohit Sharma