Biztalk 2006 is cool!!

Finally I got some time to review 2006. Here are some features that you might find very useful in Biztalk 2006.

1) Calling Pipelines from Orchestrations using expression box

This can help in creating single common orchestrations for messages with different schemas as they can be routed using dynamic calls of "Pipelines" from Orchestration. This will be real cool!!

2) Flat File wizard for creating Schemas

This will be huge! From my experience, creating FF schemas are real pain. Imagine having wizard for it now.:)

3) Standard processing and Recoverable interchange process in Pipelines

In my present project we are using substantial .Net code to log the errors in pipelines. This actually slows down the processing time. This new feature will definitely help!

4) Can generate errors that can be subscribed by send ports using pass through. Use filter on original receive ports that we created. Catch the error message, change it and re process it. This is called “Failed message Routing”

5) POP for email receive

Biztalk 2004 CAN only send emails. 2006 will give ability to even receive and process them. Imagine activating Orchestration by sending an email.

6) Better BAM services

7) Interfaces

SAP adapter is standard with 2006!

8) Shared point adapter

9) Ordered delivery:

To achieve first-in-first-out or "Ordered" delivery is BTS 2004 we need MSMQ/T . But in BTS 2006, with little configuration the same thing can be achieved by using standard MSMQ. This is what is required.

1) Set Ordered Processing Property on Send Port
2) Set the same Order Processing property on Receive Port
3) Set MSMQ to transactional.