Issue in Enlisting Send port in BizTalk 2006

Today I have wasted couple of hour on a small issue. I was working on one of the integration Application for my client
As part of the build I exported the port binding(xml file) through BizTalk Administration Console.
For Deployment we are using Nant deployment Framework
I need editing the port binding file. Since I have to put specify information based on the environment (Dev, Test, Stage and production) .
I normally edit the port binding file in notepad. Since my port binding file was too big. I edited the file in VS 2005
After Creating my Kit, I tried to deploy in Dev Server. My deployment failed and was giving following error:"Could not enlist send port '[Send Port Name]' Exception from HRESULT: 0xC00CE557(Microsoft.BizTalk.ExplorerOM) "
01. my binding file successfully imported, 02. when it tries to enlist the port it started throughing error
I tried directly in the Administration console manually. I got the Same error.
Since Portbinding file impoted successfully, assumed that there was issue in the port configuration When I checked the filter page of the port settings there was no filter listed yet there is a filter defined in the bindings file.
I have checked the environmental setting files and portbinding files everything seems ok. Then I realise when i tried to edit VS has poped a message as given below

I have clicked yes
VS tried to make the file looks good. By introducing (CR LF) where ever required. But it has affected the file when it was saved
When I exported the binding file it looks like this
<Filter><Group><Statement Property="BTS.MessageType" Operator="0" Value="Value1" /><Statement Property="EAI.SourceSystem" Operator="0" Value="LCSCanPop" /><Statement Property="EAI.Subject" Operator="0" Value="update" /></Group></Filter>

In VS it looks Like below
<Filter><Group><Statement Property="BTS.MessageType" Operator="0" Value="Value1" /><Statement Property="EAI.SourceSystem" Operator="0" Value="LCSCanPop" /><Statement Property="EAI.Subject" Operator="0" Value="update" /></Group></Filter>
Can you find any difference. The diffence (CR LF) near and .This is a very simple thing. But it has eaten my time.

BizTalk BAM - Data Insertion Mechanism

I have explored the way the BAM works in BizTalk , I would like to share the thoughts. Its very interesting as well.
Service Involved
BTSNTSVC.EXE
BizTalk Server Engine
BAM Event Bus Service

Database Involved

BizTalk Management
BizTalk Message Box
BAM Primary import

Storing Data through BizTalk

Role of BizTalk engine
The interceptors get invoked by the BizTalk engine, during execution of Orchestrations or messaging solution
Based on the Tracking profile the interceptor will determine what data to be captured.
At every persistence point the interceptor also send the data to the BizTalk Message box in a binary form, which will be stored in tracking table.

Role of Event Bus Service
The data is retrieved from the Tracking data table (BizTalk message box)
The binary form (which is a serialized .Net Objects), which are rehydrated to objects, Inturn it is converted to sql statements and store the data in the respective activity table in the BAM Primary Import database


Custom Data Insertion

The custom application must use Microsoft.BizTalk.BAM.EventObservation assembly to access BAM Methods of inserting data into a BAM Activity

There are two primary class for inserting data

• DirectEventStream
• BufferedEventStream
  
  DirectEventStream
  The data will be directly written to the BAM Activity Table in the BAM Primary Import database.
  
  BufferedEventStream
  This class work same as same as BizTalk. The class writes the binary blobs into an indirect database (BizTalk Messagebox). Then BAM Event bus will take care of writing the data to the activity table in BAM Primary Import database.
  
  
  What Happen when BAM Primary Import database Goes Offline
  
  I have conducted a simple test on BAM to know what happens
  
  I have created a simple BAM implementation on the sample BizTalk solution where it tracks the messageid and process date.
  
  BAM Definition and Tracking profile has been deployed in the respective database using BM.Exe and bttdeploy.exe tools
  
  Expected Result
  Number of message should be same as the number of record in the BAM Activity Table.
  
  I brought down the BAM Primary Import database to offline.
  Start the BizTalk services and sent 5 message through the BizTalk
  Once the BizTalk process is completed. I made the BAM database online
  I am not able find the data of the last 5 message for the first few min.
  After few min amazingly I am able to view all the 5 message data in the activity table
  
  
  Findings
  01. When BAM Primary Import database is offline the BAM Event Bus Service throws error as
  
  Event Type: Error
  Event Source: BAM EventBus Service
  Event Category: None
  Event ID: 25
  Date: 26/03/2008
  Time: 12:47:18
  User: N/A
  Computer: VLONP034T
  Description:
  Either another TDDS is processing the same data or there is an orphaned session in SQL server holding TDDS lock.A connection was successfully established with the server, but then an error occurred during the login process. (provider: Shared Memory Provider, error: 0 - No process is on the other end of the pipe.) SQLServer: VLONP034T, Database: BAMPrimaryImport.
  
  For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
  02. The BAM Event Bus waits for the BAM Primary Import database to be online to insert the data.
  
  
  Based on the above test and Understanding I tried to answer some question
  
  What is the story with writing information/events to BAM when the BAM database is not available (offline, not visible, SQL upgrades etc)?
  
  The BAM Event Bus service will wait for the BAM Database to come online. Then it will send the data from messagebox to the respective activity table
  
  Especially with event streams other than the orchestration one, does the write simply
  fail?
  Its basically based on what class we use to send the data to BAM
  DirectEventStream – if we try to insert the data using the class the. Insertion will simply fail incase of non availability
  
  BufferedEventStream – This class has the ability to write only to the intermediate database. Inserting the data to the BAM database is the job of BAM Event Bus.
  
  
  Even a buffered stream needs to be flushed at some point. Is this true for BAM use both within and without BizTalk?
  
  If we use BAM using BizTalk message box as the intermediate storage, then BAM Event Bus service will take care of the situation.
  If we used direct event stream the insertion will fail simply.

BizTalk Message - concepts

- All Biztalk Messages are immutable.
- Message context properties are either written or promoted.
- Promoted properties have schemas, which has be shared by other schema
- Properties that are written are called Distinguished field which is used in orchestration
to read and write messages.
- Distinguished field are lighter than property field
- Distinguished field can be only used in the orchestration. instead property field can be used in all the artifacts
- Element is the only Property that can be promoted.
- All property schema information are stored in bts_documentspec database. - Promoted properties have maximum length of 255 character.
- They are instance specific and Exchange specific. Instance specific are those that pertain to particular message instance and
explicitly promoted during development where as exchange or system specific are automatically promoted by Biztalk server. exchange specific are determined with out looking in to actual content of the message
Instance Specific properties if not
specified are explicitly available for tracking. So once has to turn on the Security
Information flag to true.
ex: customerid is a instance specificRecieveportid is an example of system specific

whats new in BizTalk 2006

Installation and configuration
- Microsoft provides a single file that contains the latest version of all redistributable components required by BizTalk Server during installation.
- Simplified Configuration experience for first-time users using “Basic Configuration” and flexible configuration for advanced users using “Custom configuration”
- Upgrading from BizTalk Server 2004 to BizTalk Server 2006 is an in-place upgrade process. All earlier version will work unchanged in the new version

Coding
- Developers Zoom in and Zoom out the orchestration, allowing to view only the required portion of orchestration as required
- Flat File schema wizard, an very interactive wizard, which boost the productivity of the developers
- New functoids has been added like table looping functoids, mass copy functoids
Call rule shape can be placed only inside in Atomic scope. Now it can be placed without that. at the background the atomic scope is called automatically when you place the call rule shape

Run time improvement
- In BizTalk 2006 recoverable Interchange is one of the new feature introduced in the pipeline, In the batch processing; only messages that fail validation are suspended, when there is a batch processing and the messages can be resumed once the error is corrected. Wherein in BizTalk 2004 the whole batch will get suspended
- In BizTalk Server 2004, message resume is only enabled for the send side but not for the received side. In BizTalk Server 2006, nearly all receive-side messages can now be resumed through the Health and Activity tracking tool.
- In BizTalk Server 2006, functionality is introduced to allow orchestration and send ports to subscribe to failed messages. Failed message routing can be used for notifying users of failed messages or building rich error handling and message repair capabilities. (Failed message Routing)
- In BizTalk Server 2004, message resume is only enabled for the send side but not for the received side. In BizTalk Server 2006, nearly all receive-side messages can now be resumed through the Health and Activity Tracking tool.
- The send port can do In-order message delivery
- Large messages Transformation, Instead of doing it as in-process, the mapping will be done by the new large message transformation engine, which buffers message data to the file system, keeping the memory consumption flat
- Pipelines can be called within Orchestration, (I haven’t tried out. If anyone has came across this let me know)


Administration
- Introducing the Concept of BizTalk application, this is a logical container for all the artifacts for a given solution
- Packaging entire applications into .msi files are easier, just right click on the application and export as .msi file
- More powerful Administration console then earlier version
An administrator can view at a glance the health of currently running BizTalk applications.

Adapters
- BizTalk Server now supports receiving email messages and their attachments using version three of the Post Office Protocol (POP3) from any POP3 compliant mail server using POP3 Adapters
- The Windows SharePoint Services Adapter to provide built-in support for accessing and publishing documents stored in Windows SharePoint Services document libraries
- The MQSeries adapter now its shipped with BizTalk Server 2006, whereas earlier version adapters is available as a web download
- Other adapters SAP, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, ODBC Adapter for Oracle, Siebel, TIBCO, IBM DB2

BAM Improvements
BAM portal
BAM has been enhanced in 2006 to include an out-of-the-box BAM portal that allows an information worker to easily examine and configure BAM information. Using the BAM portal, an information worker can select a particular instance of some business process to monitor and then choose a specific BAM view into the process to get a different perspective on the key performance indicators being monitored-sized image

BAM alerts
Through integration with SQL Server Notification Services, BizTalk Server 2006 allows BAM information to be delivered as notifications through e-mail or another communication channel to the business user, enabling them to make real-time business decisions based on this information.

BAM Web service
BAM in BizTalk Server 2006 builds on the existing Web services available in BizTalk Server 2004 and adds new Web service interfaces to expose the query of aggregate and instance data, creation of alerts, and retrieval of BAM configurations. The enhanced Web services interface can be utilized by custom applications to expose BAM functionalities within their user interface.