Developing Integration solution using BizTalk server 2006 and Team Foundation server(TFS)

Microsoft has released a document, which talks about how to develop Integration solution using BizTalk server 2006 and Team Foundation server (TFS). Find it here

This document gave me wide range of ideas how we can exploit the capability of TFS to improve the efficiency of the team to deliver better results. 

The Document discuss about the 

Requirement gathering for Integration Application

Naming Convenstions

Planning the team

Setting up the TFS and how to work with it

Manage versioning of assemblies

Managing different enviroments (Development, test and Production)

Debugging Methodologies with BizTalk Artifacts and Custom components

Discussed about automated build using TFS

Deployment Stratergies

BizTalk 2009 Beta Now Available

Microsoft has released the Beta version of BizTalk 2009 for public . You can get  from  https://connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=218

BizTalk 2009 supports 
Windows 2008,
Visual Studios 2008 SP1, .
Net 3.5 SP1,
SQL 2008, and
TFS
RFID Mobile
New LOB Adapters

First findings HAT is gone in 2009. There are now new querying options and access to the orchestration debugger via the admin mmc.

Peformance Testing with BizUnit and Load Gen

I was creating Automated performance testing to implement for my client, with tools like loadgen and BizUnit.

Tools used for Testing

LoadGen (BizTalk Server 2004 Load Generation Tool) - I am using the earlier version of LoadGen 2007 as the assemblies supplied for 2007 are not strong named.

BizUnit - To automate the test.

Nunit - Framework to run the test that created in BizUnit.

Performance Monitor (perfmon) - to analyse the log created in the testing.

LoadGen is a load generating tool. which can used for test the performance of integration Application

There were three components in loadgen
Load generators are responsible for transmitting messages via a particular transportCurrently it supports the following transport (In-Box)
File,HTTP,MQSeries
MSMQLarge,MSMQ,SOAP,
Web Services Enhancements (WSE),
Windows SharePoint Services (WSS),
Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) (LoadGen 2007 Version has)

Now a Question comes up can we extend to other transports ? the answer is YES you can

Message creators are an optional component that can be used when you need to
generate messages that contain unique data.

Throttle controllers ensure that messages are transmitted at a steady rate by
governing the load generators

you can find more details here

Performance Monitor(PerfMon) will be used as an anlysis tool . which can read the performance log file and give us a nice view on performance.

BizUnit is an framework to automate the test used to automate the test.
- Initialise the test like restarting the service, clearing the
message box in BizTalk.
- call the loadgen to create the load for the system.
- Invoke the performance monitor and log the details.
- Wait for all the message got processed and stop the test.
- Cleanup the system like stoping the monitor, remove any messages from the transport etc.

for more details on BizUnit check out in http://www.codeplex.com/bizunit

NUnit is a tool to invoke the BizUnit tests.
For more on NUnit http://www.nunit.org/index.php

I hope I have given a berief introduction, Let try out small scenario

Its a Simple File To File Scenario, where BizTalk receive file from a File location and Send it to another File location


Size of the file is 10 KB
Number of Message to send is 1000. I dont have any expected performance, Just want to know how my bizTalk Server Perform


Step 1 Construction of LoadGen Config File
We need to define
LoadGenerator - Here it is File transport, need to tell what is the lot size and total message
Message Creator - I dont need to invoke the component,as I am gonna replicate the same message
Throttle controller - I have used file monitor such that the thresholdrange is 40-50 Files.
Sample Configuration

<LoadGenFramework>

<CommonSection>

<LoadGenVersion>2</LoadGenVersion>

<OptimizeLimitFileSize>204800</OptimizeLimitFileSize>

<NumThreadsPerSection>5</NumThreadsPerSection>

<SleepInterval>200</SleepInterval>

<LotSizePerInterval>5</LotSizePerInterval>

<RetryInterval>10000</RetryInterval>

<StopMode Mode="Files">

<NumFiles>1000</NumFiles>

<TotalTime>3600</TotalTime>

</StopMode>

<Transport Name="FILE">

<Assembly>C:\Program Files\LoadGen\Bins\FileTransport.dll/FileTransport.FileTransport</Assembly>

</Transport>

<ThrottleController Mode="Custom">

<Monitor Name="File">

<Assembly>C:\Program Files\LoadGen\Bins\FileMonitor.dll/DropLocationFileMonitor.DropLocationFileMonitor</Assembly>

<ThresholdRange>40-50</ThresholdRange>

<SleepInterval>1000</SleepInterval>

<Parameters>C:\Picloc</Parameters>

</Monitor>

<ThrottleCondition>File</ThrottleCondition>

</ThrottleController>

</CommonSection>

<Section Name="FileSection">

<SrcFilePath>C:\TestData\test001.txt</SrcFilePath>

<DstLocation>

<Parameters>

<DstFilePath>C:\Picloc</DstFilePath>

</Parameters>

</DstLocation>

</Section>

</LoadGenFramework>

Step 2: Incorporating in BizUnit

Requirement is you need to run the test automatically, generate a log and analyse the result Whenever required.

As you now Performance Monitor(Perfmon) will help you to achieve this.

01. Restart the required host instance and messagebox

02. create the Location where you want to log the file

03. use PerfmonCountersStep to start the performance monitor and log the result the location mentioned

04. use LoadGenExecuteStep to run LoadGen tests

05 Stop the test when all the message has been sent. use PerfMonCounterMonitorStep to monitor the handler which send the message till it hit the target number of message

Step 04. Run the Test using Nunit

Step 05. Analyse the Result

My BizTalk Server performance on this scenario 
In an average it receive  4.993 Message/Sec and Send 4.993 Message/Sec

You have lot of other counters are there for you to select and analyse... for more on this toplic click here

BizTalk Server 2009 - The Future release

Microsoft has updated the Roadmap on BizTalk Server last week. There is no BizTalk 2006 R3 instead it is BizTalk Server 2009. It is expected to release in first half yearly of 2009.

Please find the RoadMap
http://www.microsoft.com/biztalk/en/us/roadmap.aspx