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BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Extensions For Windows Workflow Foundation SDK V1

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Just released, the long awaited BizTalk Server 2006 extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation SDK. Use WF modeling and host workflows in BizTalk Server. Note the BTS messaging activities in the image.

Download here English - United States

Quick steps to try it out

1. Start with Windows Server 2003

2. Install BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Trial

3. Install Visual Studio 2005

4. Install this release BizTalk extensions for WF

5. Do the walkthrough included with the release

Background

Customers often ask whether to use BizTalk Server or Windows Workflow Foundation for a process related solution. The answer to use WF when building an application and BizTalk when a server product is required. It’s obvious to us, but we find customers most often asking the question at the start of a project before they have familiarity with either technology. Because the programming model for BizTalk and WF are so different a customer is required to choose at the start of a project.

Kris Horrocks and I have developed a thorough presentation to walk customers through this with specific recommendations. You can view this talk here, with Tech•Ed Credentials. The powerpoint for the talk is here. I am presenting this again at Tech•Ed Developers in Barcelona, Spain next week.

This SDK Sample provides the additional option to avoid the choice by directly allowing a customer to choose both WF and BizTalk. They can also start with WF and upgrade to BizTalk Server 2006 later. I’ve also had lots of interest from existing BizTalk Server developers who are interested in the new programming model in WF.

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The Release

The first CTP release was on 27th June. It was restricted to customers using connect.microsoft.com who completed a survey on their plans for the sample. Some good data was collected showing the interest from existing BizTalk customers as very strong. The final release is now available publicly.

The release is not supported by customer support services. It is provided as an SDK Sample and includes full source code to the tools.

The Value of the SDK Sample

If you are a WF developer, now is a great time to try out BizTalk Server 2006 as a host. This SDK Sample builds a wrapper orchestration for a workflow and that can be deployed to BizTalk Server. The workflow still executes but inside BizTalk Server and can make use of BizTalks messaging adapters, dehydration, scalability across hosts, management infrastructure, etc.

If you are a BizTalk developer, this provides a way to try out the new workflow programming model without sacrificing the enterprise features of BizTalk Server.

If you are new to process modelling development you can start with WF and then upgrade to BizTalk Server later.

From : Paul Andrew email

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