Microsoft has announced the release of BizTalk Server 2016. This is the 10th major release of their integration server and comes packed with very interesting options. BizTalk 2016 integrates the key components that have made this tool so useful along the year with a pack of new features to face the new challenges many companies are struggling in now.
Aimed for the cloud but with feet on the ground
Hybrid technologies
BizTalk Server 2016 not only provides comprehensive on-premises application integration capabilities, but can now connect to SaaS applications, use enterprise cloud messaging to interact with partners and vendors and take advantage of the numerous Azure services like Functions, Cognitive Services, Machine Learning and more – all through the Azure Logic Apps adapter available in BizTalk 2016.
Integrates with first-party Microsoft platforms
BizTalk 2016 seamlessly integrates with first party platforms such as Windows Server 2016, Visual Studio 2015, SQL Server 2016 and Office 2016 – enabling customers to easily integrate services they are already using.
What’s New in BizTalk Server 2016
| Feature | Description |
| Support for newer platforms | BizTalk Server 2016 adds support for the following Microsoft platforms:
– Visual Studio 2015 |
| SQL Server 2016 AlwaysOn Availability Groups | Support includes:
– Using on-premises and in Microsoft Azure IaaS virtual machines |
| BizTalk Server Azure VMs in production | BizTalk Server Azure virtual machines are now fully supported for production environments. Using SQL Server 2016 AlwaysOn, a highly available solution is now possible. |
| Logic App adapter | Connect to your Logic Apps hosted in Azure, and get access to all the connectors including Salesforce, SharePoint, CRM Online, and more. For example, you can receive an order in BizTalk Server, connect to your Logic App, and update Salesforce. |
| FTP adapter | SYST command is no longer required. When you configure the FTP adapter on a receive location or send port, there is a property called FTP Server Type. Using this property, you choose the FTP server you want; which determines if SYST is required.
As a result of this change, there are more “supported” FTP servers. |
| SFTP adapter | SFTP adapter is re-engineered to use WinSCP to connect to SFTP; which allows support for more SFTP servers. Client-side logging and additional encryption ciphers are also new. |
| Allow import of tracking settings | When importing a binding a file, you can choose to import (or not import) the tracking properties enabled on your orchestrations, send ports, and so on. This is a global setting (set at the Group level) so you can set this feature in your different environments. For example, you can import the existing tracking properties for your Development environments, and don’t import the tracking properties for your Production environments. |
| Shared Access Signature (SAS) | You can use SAS authentication for the Service Bus connection with the BasicHttpRelay, NetTcpRelay, BasicHttp, and WebHttpadapters.
WCF-BasicHttpRelay adapter SB-Messaging adapter now includes the steps to get Access Control (ACS) values using PowerShell. |
| Ordered delivery on dynamic ports | – Includes the adapters that support ordered delivery on static send ports – You can enable the ordered delivery option in the BizTalk Administration console |
| SHA-2 hash functions | SHA-2 is fully supported, including:
|
| Compile your maps | Choose to compile your maps using XslTransform or XslCompiledTransform |
| Schema window | In the BizTalk mapper, the Schema dialog window is now resizable |
| Office web components (OWC) | Office web components (OWC) is now an optional installation component. |
| Adapters and Accelerators | Improvements and changes include:
– SAP adapter now uses SAP Connector for .NET (NCo), while still supporting the classic RFC SDK. WCF-SAP adapter support for the SAP .NET Connector provides more details. |
| Import/export parties | Changes include:
– The import and export option is separated from the Application. For example, you can export a party without exporting the application. You can import a party without importing the application. |
| BizTalk Administration | Some changes include:
– Configure the settings for multiple hosts/host instances simultaneously |
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If you’d like to know more about BizTalk check this video about BizTalk as an ESB.