BizTalk – Overlapped I/O operation is in progress

BizTalk – Overlapped I/O operation is in progress

While configuring BizTalk features (BAM Tools or Sharepoint Adapter), you may have issues getting the cofiguration process to succeed with the error below: “Overlapped I/O operation is in progress” Certain blogs suggest that registry changes be made to force it to work. This is a bit risky once it comes to prod environments. The best […]
Blog Post by: DipeshA

Solution: Linked Reports in SSRS Print with Incorrect Size or Orientation

Overview
When deploying reports to an SSRS server, the server creates a record in the Catalog table.  this table holds the report location, the binary data for the report, as well as parameter and property information, among other things.  On deployment, various report properties are extracted and added to the Properties column of the Categories table […]
Blog Post by: Michael Gerety

BizTalk FILE Receive / Send with DFS network share

When using BizTalk to send and receive from a file share is usually pretty simple. However when you combine this with a DFS network file share, it gets a little bit more complex.

We found our receive location was not starting, and simply failing to work.

So we did mange to get this to work here is how:
You firstly need to have the right share, as some users will use \\machinesname1\share$ and others something else.

The correct share to use is the DFS defined share, so when the DFS storage moves the share is maintained, and not lost. Always find out what the main share name is for the DFS network.
Next you need to set the correct network file share permissions on the network folder. When connecting to a network file share using BizTalk File adapter just specifying “Modify” rights is not sufficient. In simple configuration terms, you would need to have a minimum of “Full Control” or the BizTalk Host Service Account.
Some system admins don’t like this, you need to make sure you have the permissions ONLY set on the folder you are actually reading/writing to.

For the FILE Receive Adapter
After you provide “Modify” rights, Click on “Advanced” button and on the Advanced Security Dialog, edit the permission entries for the BizTalk Service Account
Here you will notice that the “Delete Sub Folders and Files” option is not given by default. This is exactly the missing link for the receive adapter.
Simply set this property and you do not need to set “Full Control”

We had to set list access all the way up the file tree for us to even see the folder.
EG: Our share was: \\dfssharename\saa$\Folder1\Folder2\Folder3\Folder4\IN

We needed to set list permissions on Folder1, Folder2, Folder3 and Folder 4
Then full modify/delete rights, with the setting Delete Sub Folders and Files.
Only then did it work.

For the FILE Send Adapter
If you are NOT USING the “use temporary file while writing” attribute on your send port, only the following permissions are required on the permissions entry dialog
o Create Files / Write Data

If you are using the “use temporary file while writing” attribute on your send port, the following permissions are required on the permissions entry dialog
o Create Files / Write Data
o Delete Files
o Delete Sub Folders and Files
o Read Permissions

Windows Azure Service Bus Developer Guide

I’ve just published a web-browsalbe version of “Windows Azure Service Bus Developer Guide”. “The Developers Guide to AppFabric” has been re-branded, and has a new title of “Windows Azure Service Bus Developer Guide”. There is not that much new in the way of content, but I have made changes to the overall structure of the guide. More content will follow, along with updated PDF and CHM versions of the guide.

BizTalk EDI Leap Year Bug Fix

BizTalk EDI Leap Year Bug Fix

Just a few more days before companies using BizTalk EDI may see a brief but definite lapse in their EDI coverage to observe leap year. Unless they apply this hotfix for resolving a leap year bug: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2435900. This fix must be applied before 2/29/2012 or you will not be able to process EDI messages on […]
Blog Post by: clineer

MVP Global Summit 2012 – BizTalk360

Here I’m writing this post from my hotel in Bellevue, I’m here to attend the MVP Global Summit 2012. It’s one of the very important event for us from BizTalk360. Anniversary of BizTalk360 is inline with the MVP summit. The initial idea of BizTalk360 was originated from 2010 summit while having dinner with some of the great BizTalk MVP folks in Redmond.  The original idea was to build some web based administration console for BizTalk server.  Like any typical chit-chat over coffee, after the summit everyone went on their own way and nothing materialised.

Couple months after the summit I started to work on the idea, initially no big plans just to play with some latest and greatest technologies like WCF and SilverLight. Slowly the idea turned into something that will be useful to lot of people and I started paying more attention, hired few contractors and completed version 1.0. I demonstrated the V1 product to Yossi Dahan and Michael Stephenson just before Christmas of 2010 (2 months before the 2011 summit). Got some great feedbacks from them, which  helped to refine the product.

In 2011 MVP summit I demoed the nearly completed V1 product to the whole BizTalk MVP community and to some folks in the BizTalk product team, again got some great feedbacks on the things that are must have in the V1 of the product. After coming back refined the product further, with constant feedback from the close friends in the BizTalk MVP community and launched the first public CTP version on May 2011.  The product finally launched in July 2011 and we sold our first commercial license in August 2011.

BizTalk360 is not just a web based BizTalk administration console anymore, we passed that stage almost a year ago. Now it cover wide range of things that’s required for running your BizTalk environment efficiently like finer authorization capabilities, message box viewer integration, in-built monitoring, knowledge base repository, graphical message flow viewer, throttling analyser and many more

We released 3 major updates since our launch 8 months ago. We are very proud to say we got customers in several countries now. BizTalk360 is constantly evolving, we got big plans for our next release around June 2012. Stay tuned.

If you are in the summit, and want to have a chat please feel free to grab me any time.

Nandri,

Saravana Kumar,
Founder, BizTalk360

BizTalk Community series: Introducing DPS Bali

I have a new story for BizTalk Community Series before I will be heading of to the MVP Summit. Currently I am staying with Kent Weare in Calgary and yesterday did a presentation at his company on versatile adapter pack capabilities. Kent and Bil Simser did presentations on Service Bus, Queues, Topics and SharePoint 2010. It was pretty amazing. Ok now to the story.

Recently I have had a chat with DPS Bali, an active BizTalk forum member and blogger. Like me he likes to play field hockey, so I finally met someone that likes BizTalk and field hockey.
DPS Bali comes from the valley of Kashmir in the northern part of India. He is an alumni of the Burn Hall School situated near the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar. He has based his life and experience on school’s motto Industria- Floremus In toil we shall Flourish

DPS Bali is currently a Technical Architect with Fulcrum Worldwide. Besides his role as architect he is also an Integration SME, specializing in creating BizTalk Solutions for EAI and B2B purposes.He has worked with multiple clients across the globe in a variety of domains like Telecom, Insurance, Finance, Airlines, US Healthcare and UK Higher Education.

DPS Bali’s experience with BizTalk covers almost all the areas of the product ranging from development to production support. He has worked with almost all the versions of BizTalk Server (2004 to BizTalk 2010). His current job involves assessing the customer needs around EAI, ESB and SOA, giving his customers the best possible design and solutions.

DPS Bali started his career in the IT with developing middleware code base for a UK based Telecom giant and since then has always strived to keep himself focused on the integration technologies and standards. His excited on the next BizTalk Server product and I quote:

“With BizTalk Server 2010 R2 on the horizon, the maturity of the product is something that is very exciting at this stage and am looking forward for the opportunity.”
 
Besides that he is I quote:

“At the moment I am also doing a deep dive into the Cloud Computing technology stack from Microsoft and App Fabric Service Bus to get a hands on the same.” 
 
In his spare time DPS Bali likes to blog and be online on the BizTalk Community Forums. He also likes to take up road trips and has travelled to a plethora of destinations. His favorite destination is his native place, where he likes to spend his vacations with his family, as the valley of Kashmir is truly the heaven on earth.

DPS Bali is an active cricket- and field hockey player. Yuvraj Singh a cricketer, Rajpal Singh a hockey player and Messi a soccer player are a few of his favorite sportspersons. Besides cricket and hockey he also likes to visit the ski heaven in Gulmarg, Kashmir to enjoy winter sporting.
DPS Bali final quote:

I would like to thank all the readers of my blog for the inspiration that they instill in me to keep sharing my thoughts. Steef-Jan you are a real role model in and around the BizTalk technology space and your work in the BizTalk community is commendable.”

I like to thank DPS Bali for his time and his contributions to the BizTalk community.

BizTalk EDI Leap Year Fix FAQ

As you  may have heard, there is an issue in the BizTalk 2006 R2 and 2009 EDI Engines that results in a failed EDI transaction if the EDI message contains a date node that has a leap year value – for example 2/29/2012.  This issue and hotfix is documented at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2435900.  With 2/29/2012 just days away, this is a big deal and you will want to address this issue in your environment ASAP.

You can also get some great information about this issue at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/biztalkcrt/archive/2012/02/22/edi-leap-year-hotfix-biztalk-2009-and-biztalk-2006-r2.aspx.

I’ve also compiled a list of questions that have been asked about this issue over the last week and created a detailed FAQ document about this.  Check it out below. 

Also, to download the pipeline sample mentioned in the FAQ, click here.

(FAQ last updated on 02/29/2012 at 12:22PM Central Time)

BTSLeapYearFAQ.docx

Problem encountered during the install of the BizTalk EDI Leap Year Hotfix

This post is about an error we encountered during the installation of the Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Leap Year Date Hotfix (See KB article 2435900 for details). The hotfix requires a certain product version key for Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2, while this product version key is too low when the necessary prerequisites are installed. In this post you can also see the workaround I’ve found to deal with this error.

Azure: Useful bits and Pieces

Folks I’ve decided to list some useful links and tips that I’ve come across as part
of our work we do. This list will grow and expand as time goes on.

Blog Post by: Mick Badran