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E-Business Solutions With Market Server And Microsoft BizTalk Server 2000
Introduction
The current requirement of the e-business market is to integrate trading partners as part of collaborative business applications. Organizations require reliable and fast establishment of Internet relationships with other organizations, to automate document interchange with any other partner organization, regardless of the conversion requirements and data formats, platform or hardware used . Microsoft BizTalk Server 2000 offers a comprehensive solution that allows business analysts and application developers to rapidly orchestrate processes and applications across organizational boundaries.
All About The Paper
This paper provides an overview of the Biztalk server 2000, its basic concepts and implementation issues —including the features of every tool of Biztalk server, security features (certificates usage), architecture of Biztalk server with a completely implemented real world example. It also provides the sample schema, map document, ASP code for submitting the document to Biztalk, Biztalk tracking business documents across the network etc.
XML & SOAP
XML
The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is the universal format for structured documents and data on the Web. XML and HTML are similar, in that both use tags for defining what a piece of data means. HTML tags are concerned with defining how the browser should display that data (such as font, table etc), whereas XML tags define the type of data (such as Customer name, address etc.) While using HTML, each request of the client is transmitted to the server, and generally a server side script is used for processing data. Whereas bulk data transfer through XML allows all processing to be completed in the client. Thus XML avoids Internet traffic to the maximum possible level.
An XML schema defines the data in the XML. It also defines the rules and behavior of the XML data. If standard XML schemas are defined for a type of data, such as an order form, then it allows easy transfer of data between different order processing applications. Any application exporting data in a particular XML schema can easily be read by another application supporting the same schema.
An XSL stylesheet specifies the presentation of a class of XML documents by describing how an instance of the class is transformed into an XML document that uses the formatting vocabulary.
SOAP
SOAP is a lightweight protocol for exchange of information in a decentralized, distributed environment. It is an XML based protocol that consists of three parts: an envelope that defines a framework for describing what is in a message and how to process it, a set of encoding rules for expressing instances of application-defined datatypes, and a convention for representing remote procedure calls and responses. SOAP can potentially be used in combination with a variety of other protocols; however, the only bindings defined in this document describe how to use SOAP in combination with HTTP and HTTP Extension Framework.
All SOAP messages are encoded using XML. A SOAP application should include the proper SOAP namespace on all elements and attributes defined by SOAP in messages that it generates. A SOAP application must be able to process SOAP namespaces in messages that it receives. It must discard messages that have incorrect namespaces and it may process SOAP messages without SOAP namespaces as though they had the correct SOAP namespaces.
Biztalk Server 2000 – An Overview
Microsoft BizTalk Server 2000 is an emerging server that provides a powerful internet-based, automated workflow development and execution environment that integrates loosely coupled, long-running business processes, both within and between organizations. BizTalk Server can handle long running transactions that run for weeks or months (for e.g., posting an RFQ, waiting for quotations, selecting a supplier, etc.)
BizTalk Server 2000 comes with excellent features like an orchestrator to design and use XLANG schedules; integrate existing applications; define document specifications and specification transformations; and monitor and log run-time activity. The core aim of Biztalk is enterprise integration in a secured, simple cost-effective way in XML standard. Biztalk server is based on the Biztalk Framework. The BizTalk™ Framework provides a set of basic mechanisms required for most business-to-business electronic exchanges.
An Insight Into Biztalk Server
Biztalk Server Administrator
A Microsoft Management Console (MMC) interface is used to administer the BizTalk Server 2000 group of servers and their properties, to monitor receive functions, and to monitor work items in the Microsoft SQL Server queues that are used by the server group and also the event logs of all errors.
Biztalk Messaging Manager
A graphical user interface (UI) can be used to configure BizTalk Messaging Services to exchange documents between trading partners and applications of the home organization. It is a tool where organization, document definition, distribution list, ports, channels are all created for messaging.
Biztalk Orchestration Designer
A vision based graphical design tool used to create drawings that describe long-running, loosely coupled, executable business processes. The XLANG schedule drawing is compiled into an XLANG schedule that is used to execute the automated business process. It also used to map the implementation version of business processes and specify messaging between the flow.
Biztalk Editor
A tool with which allows the Create, Edit, and Manage specifications. BizTalk Editor can create a specification based on a specification template, an existing schema, certain types of document instances, or a blank specification. Even sample XML document for a schema, validating a xml file against a schema can be created with Biztalk editor.
Biztalk Mapper
A tool with which allows creating maps that define the correspondence between the records and fields in one specification and the records and fields in another specification. A map contains an XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) style sheet that is used by the BizTalk Server to perform the transformation described in the map. It also provides functoids for logical and arithmetic operations in the schema fields.
Role Of Queuing
MSMQ
MSMQ is a default messaging queue available in Windows. It is used to communicate with another XLANG schedule (or with an application), in a loosely coupled manner, using a queue. To enable communication between XLANG schedules and applications, messages are dropped onto a queue and then read. The queue can be pre existing or per-instance queue.
Biztalk Queue
Across organizational boundaries and for internal Biztalk process the following queues are used.
- Work Queue : A list of interchanges and documents that are currently being processed by BizTalk Server.
- Scheduled Queue : A list of interchanges and documents that have been processed by BizTalk Server and are waiting for transmission according to the service window.
- Retry Queue : A list of interchanges and documents that are being resubmitted, as well as reliable messages that are awaiting receipts.
- Suspended Queue : A list of interchanges and documents that failed processing for various reasons, including parsing errors, serialization errors, transmission errors, or that which lack a correct channel configuration
COM+ - An Add On Feature
The COM Component shape enables you to use pre-existing components or applications to perform actions within an XLANG schedule. Each COM+ application must contain at least one component. If an application-specific component is not nstalled, a placeholder component in the application must be created and installed, or the COM+ application will not be available.
FTP/SMTP/HTTP/HTTPS
HTTPS is used to provide strong authentication when using HTTP to gain access to content on the Web. The most common use of HTTPS is to provide an encrypted connection to an authenticated Web server. When clients attempt to establish an HTTPS connection, typically triggered by browsing a URL beginning with https://, the client and server jointly negotiate a security protocol that will be used and then exchange authenticating information.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a protocol for sending e-mail messages between servers. SMTP is a common protocol for sending mail over the Internet. An e-mail message can be retrieved with an e-mail client using either POP or IMAP. ftp is used to write the file to an internal file system directory. Then BizTalk Server can use a 'File receive' function to receive the document. This combination of transports may not increase performance, but will provide greater flexibility and security.
Biztalk Server Databases
Biztalk messaging management database is used to have the store of all the ports, channels, organizations, document definitions, distribution lists etc. Biztalk tracking database is a SQL database that has the store of all the interchange documents across the business applications and organizations. Biztalk shared queue database is again an SQL server database that stores the checkpoints of all the documents that are processed by Biztalk applications.
Hightlights Of BizTalk
- Automated work flow: The entire business processes are automated with message passing, so that long running transactions can be handled in an efficient way.
- Data validation: BizTalk Server 2000 provides data validation by verifying each instance of a document against a specification. If the document does not adhere to the specification rules, the document is placed in a suspended queue for further analysis.
- Reliable document delivery: BizTalk Server 2000 provides reliable document delivery by using configurable BizTalk Messaging Services properties. These properties include setting service windows for sending documents, sending or receiving receipts, setting the number of retries, and setting the time between retries. BizTalk Server 2000 supports the use of BizTalk Framework-compliant envelopes, which provide reliable messaging features.
- Security: BizTalk Server 2000 supports encryption and digital signatures. Public-key encryption technology is supported for all documents that are transmitted by using BizTalk Server 2000 transport services. BizTalk Server 2000 also supports decryption and signature verification for the documents that it receives.
- Neutral to file formats: The trading partners' business application can send and receive data in any of the custom file formats like EDI, I-DOC, flatfile, XML. Biztalk provides the conversion.
Any data format across any platform: The schema adopted by different partners may be different and in the similar way the platform may also be different.(for e.g. One systems' purchase order goes as a RFQ to other system with a different header and from Windows platform to Unix platform). Biztalk provides simple mapping and it follows a simple text based XML standard protocol SOAP, across platforms.
- Orchestrating business: It includes the integration of long-running business processes with the applications that run those business processes. This integration is provided by an executable business-process file called an XLANG schedule. Additional services provide control for running XLANG schedule instances.
- Extending legacy systems: Biztalk communicates with the custom ERP packages like Bann and SAP.
- Extensive transactional handling: Compensational pages for the aborted transaction and excellent recovery system has been provided.
- Monitoring of Business data exchange: The log of business data exchange has been provided with a native or xml format with different filtering options.
- Object pooling and instancing of Business processes: Biztalk takes care of minimum utilization of system resources by hydrating and re-hydrating the instances of the XLANG business schedules.
Case Study
Biztalk messaging management database is used to have the store of all the ports, channels, organizations, document definitions, distribution lists etc. Biztalk tracking database is a SQL database that has the store of all the interchange documents across the business applications and organizations. Biztalk shared queue database is again an SQL server database that stores the checkpoints of all the documents that are processed by Biztalk applications.
Textile and DFX sites generated with market server
Textile Site
The site depicts a typical RFQ scenario for a Textile Industry. The main players in this market place are :
- Sellers of different types of Textile goods
- Buyers of different types of textile goods
Here buyer registers as an authorized buyer and posts the RFQ . The registered seller bids for it in the auction hall. The buyer selects the winner and sends a contract finalizing the transaction. Once the contract has been signed by the seller, the buyer places the purchase order with the seller.
DFX Site
The Digital Freight Exchange (DFX.com) site, is a prototype of the actual site and includes a sample of all the features that can be incorporated. DFX allows buyers of Shipping Services (typically known as Shippers) and sellers of (known as Transporters) to register with the site. The Shipper initiates a reverse auction placing his transport requirements. Transporters can participate in the auction and start bidding below the opening price. The winner of the contract is the lowest bidder when the trading time elapses or to the transporter who bids equal to or less than the reserve price set by the Shipper, whichever is first.
Biztalk In Marketserver
Textile and DFX are two B2B sites. Biztalk is meant for B2B communication. This project tried to integrate two B2B sites with the Biztalk server 2000. Once the winner has been selected by the buyer from the textile site, the purchase order of textile site is mapped with the RFQ of the DFX site, and is automatically sent to the DFX site by Biztalk in a secure manner and an auction is started in that site. When the winner is selected in the DFX site, the contract is sent to the Textile site by Biztalk again with automatic mapping and security.
How To Implement
Software Requirements
To create a system of data communication with XML through BizTalk server the following OS/Software/Packages have to be installed in the same order that has been specified on both the sides.
BizTalk Server 2000 System Requirements
- Intel-compatible 300-megahertz (MHz) processor or higher
- 128 megabytes (MB) of RAM
- 6-gigabyte (GB) hard disk
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 1 or later, Windows 2000 Advanced Server with Service Pack 1 or later, or Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 1 or later (NTFS must be installed on Windows 2000 Professional)
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
- Microsoft Visio® 2000 SR-1a (included) required to use BizTalk Orchestration Designer
- Microsoft SQL Server™ 7.0 and SQL Server Service Pack 2 (SP2) or SQL Server 2000
Visio 2000 System Requirements
- Intel-compatible 166-MHz Pentium or higher
- 16 MB of RAM
- 80 MB of hard-disk space
- Microsoft Windows 95 or later, Microsoft Windows NT® Workstation, or Windows NT Server version 4.0 (SP3 or later)
Designing The System
System
For setting up the Biztalk communication between two sites and using all the features of Biztalk server, the schemas, maps, ports, channels, organization, envelopes have to be created. The following section gives a simple implementation walk through. The appendix explains the process with examples.
Schema
Schema is nothing but a meta data or data format that specifies the format of the data exchanged between the business applications. Here for purchase order of Textile site and RFQ of DFX site, the schemas are all created with different heads, and for contract, separate schema has been created. All these are created easily with the Biztalk editor. It produces an XML file.
Mapping Schemas
The Textile sites' purchase order has been mapped with the RFQ of the DFX site. This simple mapping has been carried by the Biztalk mapper. The simple drag and map peration produces the XSL file. All the schemas and mapped docs are stored in the webdav, a Biztalk server repository folder for future reference.
All about Messaging
The messaging manager objects created are common for the Biztalk server group.
Organization
For each trading partner there should be an organization identifier created in the messaging manager. Here the local Biztalk server’s organization is taken as Home organization. For DFX, Textile the organization identifier is created with the messaging manager.
Document Definitions
The document definition is the object used in the Biztalk messaging channel for specifying the data across the port with the concerned channel. In document definition the schema is assigned an identifier.
Port, Channels & Distribution Lists
The port is nothing but the communication path which talks about the transmission protocol, destination, envelopes to be attached and encryption algorithms (including certificates) etc. In this illustrated example, ports are created to DFX and Textile sites from each other. Channel talks about the data across the port. its schemas, mapping, log of data to be maintained and encoding of data etc. When there are several trading partners, all of whom have to receive the same business document, the trading partner list has to be combined into a distribution list.
Envelope
The envelopes in the Biztalk messaging manager add the SOAP header with Biztalk specific tags.
ASP page For Submission To Biztalk
Queues With Biztalk
Biztalk uses 4 queues. Whenever a document is posted to a Biztalk server it is posted to the work queue then it is moved to schedule queues, later to retry queue if there is some problem. Here Biztalk tries with the failed data for the configurable amount of time or configurable number of time and then if there is a problem again the document is moved to suspended queue and an error is thrown with the proper description. MSMQ can be per instance queue or a preexisting queue.
Biztalk Tracking
Biztalk provides a management and developer tool to track and decide on the business document movement across organization in a required format like xml, flatfile etc. It also provides the configurable feature of expressions, filtering on documents.
Additional Facilities
Certificate services
In the channel, the encryption option can be selected with the certificates installed. But for that, Biztalk server store has to keep track of all the stored certificates and in the port, the S/MIME encoding option has to be selected. For https site access, the relevant certificates has to be kept in the trusted authority store as a custom SSL communication. In the receiving end also the same certificate has to installed for decrypting the content
File Receive Functions
Functionality that enables any BizTalk server(s) to monitor directories and submit documents to BizTalk Server for processing. BizTalk Server 2000 supports File and Message Queuing receive functions. These functionalities can be implemented by custom VB or VC++ dll.
References
Sites
- www.microsoft.com/biztalk
- www.Vbxml.com
Books
Book name: XML and SOAP Programming for BizTalk™ Servers
Author : Brain E. Travis
Book name : Microsoft Biztalk Authors :Matranga, John/ Tranchida, Stephen/ Preecs, Bart
Book name : Professional Biztalk Authors : Mohr, Stephen E./ Mohr & Wrox (Edt)/ Wrox Press Inc.
Book name: Understanding Biztalk Authors : John Motranga, Stephen Tranchida…
Best source is to go for Microsoft Biztalk server help
Conclusion
Biztalk Server Enhances Ebusiness Scenario By
- Orchesteration
- Communication
- Integration
This white paper covers the three main services of Biztalk with implementation issues. It is an initial trial for organized, secured talk between businesses.
Appendix
Biz Talk Doc Structure
The following is an example of a simple BizTalk Document.
Biz Talk Doc Structure
Some Useful Biztalk Statistics!
Message queue size limits :
A message queue has a storage limit of 4 MB per-message that is stored in a message queue and a total limit of 2 gigabytes (GB) for all messages that can be stored in a message queue. If you choose the Message Queuing transport type and do not use an envelope, there is a maximum size limit of 2 MB for the documents that you process by using this messaging port. If you choose the Message Queuing transport type and use an envelope, there is a maximum size limit of 4 MB for the documents that you process by using this messaging port.
Transaction Limits :
Time out: 60 secs by default.
Transactions are limited to two levels of nesting.
Orchestration Limitations
One flow can enter a fork, and as many as 64 flows can leave a fork. As many as 64 flows can enter a Join shape, but only one flow leaves a Join shape. If you choose an XLANG schedule as the destination for a messaging port, there is a maximum limit of 2 MB for the documents that you process by using this messaging port. The Transaction shape is limited to a single path in, and a single path out. The Transaction shape cannot contain End shapes.
Editor Limits
The Cycle Count property appears on the Declaration tab and applies only to a cyclical node. The default value is 1; the maximum value is 7. The Minimum Occurrences property on the Reference tab for the cyclical reference node must be set to 0. Setting it to 1 causes an infinite loop. Document header & column: Custom search: Indicates additional data that has been captured as a string value. The limit for this field is 2 GB.
Receive Functions Limits
Maximum number of receives function threads allowed, is 4. Maximum number of worker threads per processor: the default value is 4. The recommended value is from 10 to 16.
Document Limit
The maximum supported size limit for a document submitted to BizTalk Server is 20 MB. The maximum supported size limit for an interchange submitted to BizTalk Server is 20 MB.
Character Length Limit
| Name or property value | Maximum number of characters |
| Node name (the name of a root node, a record, or a field) | 255 |
| Namespace prefix | 64 |
| String property value | 1024 |
| LONG property value | 11 |
| ULONG property value | 10 |
| CHAR property value | 1 |
| Electronic data interchange (EDI) format property value (the value of an EDI-specific format property, such as the Custom Date/Time Format property value on the Parse tab for a field in an EDI-based specification) | 15 |
| Target Namespace+Specification name | 255 |
Biztalk Scheduler Limits
Time between BizTalk Server Scheduler calls (milliseconds)
The range for Time between BizTalk Server Scheduler calls is 1 through 4,294,967,295.