Using BizTalk Framework 2.0 Reliable Messaging

^[] This section and its subsections originally appeared in "Configuring BizTalk Framework Reliable Messaging in BizTalk Server 2004," (REED004872).zip. Copyright by Microsoft Corporation. Reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.

Figure 1. Typical partner exchange scenario

The BizTalk Framework specification is an XML specification that allows reliable messaging over HTTP and other transports. A BizTalk server according to the definition is a server that implements the BizTalk Framework rules and schemas for processing messages to provide a reliable Interchange mechanism over the wire.

In that sense, the product Microsoft BizTalk Server 2009 is a BizTalk server that implements the BizTalk Framework 2.0 specification. Of course, having BizTalk Server 2009 on both sides will allow you to implement reliable messaging Interchanges and processes with relatively small effort.

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2009 provides custom pipeline components for sending and receiving BizTalk Framework envelopes. The BizTalk Framework properties are configured through these pipeline components and can also be updated at runtime within an orchestration.

Figure 2 shows the required components (channel/ports and pipelines) to implement an Interchange with BizTalk Framework 2.0. The left side shows the sender configuration, which consists of a static one-way send port to send the business document or message and a static one-way receive port to receive BizTalk Framework 2.0 delivery receipts. The right side shows the receiver configuration, which contains a static one-way receive port to receive the message or business document and a dynamic one-way send port that subscribes (using a filter expression) to the Messagebox for messages that have the property BTS.MessageType with a value of BTF2DeliveryReceipt.

Figure 2. BizTalk reliable messaging configuration

In all four ports, the BizTalk custom pipeline components are used for receiving (Disassemble) and sending (Assemble) BizTalk Framework envelopes.

1. BizTalk Framework Assembler and Disassembler Pipeline Components

As mentioned earlier, BizTalk Server 2009 provides custom pipeline components for BizTalk Framework envelopes. The pipeline component that must be configured for messages going out is the Assembler. In our first scenario, only one of the four ports must be configured.

2. Working with BizTalk Framework Properties Within Orchestrations

In many cases, a business process orchestration will be implemented in either the send or receive side of a business process, and it is more suitable to configure the BizTalk Framework properties there. On top of that, there are properties that are not accessible as design-time pipeline components. The orchestration is a suitable place to modify the values of these properties at runtime.

The following lines of code show how to assign the values to the property field of the outbound message. These values can be written within a message assignment expression and will override any given value set at design time.

//Basic settings for BizTalk Framework Reliable Messaging

msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(XMLNORM.AddXMLDeclaration)=false;
msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(BTF2.IsReliable)=true;
msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(BTF2.svc_deliveryRctRqt_sendBy)=_
vBTFDeliveryReceiptSendBy;
msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(BTF2.svc_deliveryRctRqt_sendTo_address)= _
vBTFDeliveryReceiptAddress;
msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(BTF2.svc_deliveryRctRqt_sendTo_address_type)= _
vBTFDeliveryReceiptAddressType;

//Other settings for BizTalk Framework Reliable Messaging

msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(BTF2.prop_topic)=vBTFDocumentTopic;
msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(BTF2.eps_from_address)=vBTFSourceAddress;
msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(BTF2.eps_from_address_type)=vBTFSourceAddressType;
msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(BTF2.eps_to_address)=vBTFDestinationAddress;
msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(BTF2.eps_to_address_type)=vBTFDestinationAddressType;
msgPSB_ReachEnvelope_Outgoing(BTF2.PassAckThrough)=true;

					  

3. Acknowledgment Verification

One of the easiest ways to verify the acknowledgment of the messages is to look at the following SQL tables in the BizTalk Management Database:

• btf_message_sender

• btf_message_receiver

For outgoing messages, look at the sender table, as shown in Figure 3. If the message was acknowledged, the acknowledged field will be marked with an A.

Figure 3. btf_message_sender table