By now many of you will have heard the announcement for BizTalk Server 2006 R3. You can read about it on Steve Martin’s blog.
In addition to being a “synching” release that enables compatibility with SQL 2008 and VS.NET 2008, the high points (from the post) are:
- New web service registry capabilities with support for UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration) version 3.0
- Enhanced service enablement of applications (through new and enhanced adapters for LOB applications, databases, and legacy/host systems)
- Enhanced service enablement of “edge” devices through BizTalk RFID Mobile
- Enhanced interoperability and connectivity support for B2B protocols (like SWIFT, EDI, etc)
- SOA patterns and best practices guidance to assist our customer’s implementations
I think the most interesting part is the UDDI bit. This marks a migration of UDDI from the base OS (in Win2K3) into BizTalk Server. When I first saw that, I was surprised, but, thinking about it, it really makes a lot of sense. The migration of registry functionality is actually a steeping stone step, moving us closer to what Oslo will bring, where the process server is tightly tied to the registry (now) or repository (later, in Oslo).
This is also great news and a really good move for current BizTalk devs, as hopefully it will help move registry access more into the mainstream. And once you drink the registry koolaid, you’re well on your way to ESB nirvana 🙂