BizTalk 2004 -> Enterprise Integration Patterns and BizTalk

Why use Patterns ?

1) They help in the design of an Integration Project.
Just like any other type of project, you need a good design in order to successfully develop and implement your solution.
For example:
If you are part of a team building a new ASP.NET application, most likely there will be some design and architecture development for a framework that will support the new ASP.NET application. The same can be said for an integration project, but on a different level.

Individual patterns can be described by one (Shape) as below.


With an integration project, the goal is to chain the patterns together as below:

The above diagrams were created in Visio. The Visio template that was used to create the above diagrams
can be downloaded HERE.

The above diagram is NOT a BizTalk specific solution, but really is an Integration (flow) diagram that describes the flow of messages through various system(s) or applications(s).

How the integration solution is implemented, is really up to the technology or technologies that are available
to the developers. It could be implemented using one or more of the following technologies:

a) .NET
b) Java
c) a Database such as Sql Server could be used to help in the implementation,
d) MSMQ could be used to help reliably deliver the messages from application to application
e) BizTalk could be used to help carry out the integration.
f) many more tools are available.

2) Patterns create well designed integration solutions, that produce
implementations that can be easily modified and maintained in the future.

3) Patterns can help with Testing 

4) Patterns are simple (for the most part).

a) Splitter (Splits Messages)
b) Aggregator (Aggregates Messages)
c) Content Enricher (Will add more information or missing information to messages)
d) Normalizer (Normalizes messages into one common format)
e) There are approximately another 60 Patterns.

The name of the pattern often describes what the pattern does. But there is much to consider in an individual pattern.
For example:
In an Aggregator pattern, what happens if there are ten expected messages to be aggregated , but only nine messages show up?


Patterns and BizTalk

BizTalk can be used to implement patterns.
For example: If you have worked with BizTalk, you can quickly think of two ways to easily
split a message (a couple are an Envelope or split the message in an orchestration).

The following features in BizTalk aid in implementing patterns (Note: This is not a complete list)
a) The publish and subscribe model that BizTalk implements.
b) Physical Receive and Send Ports.
c) The correlation features in BizTalk (Correlation Sets, Property Schemas etc).
d) Mapping in BizTalk
e) The Delivery Notification and Ordered Delivery properties in logical ports
g) Role Links and Parties
f) more and more features.

Not all Patterns are a snap to build in BizTalk, but
BizTalk does provide a great set of features to implement many of the patterns.

Where to find BizTalk examples of Patterns:

There are many places to find examples of patterns in BizTalk.
Below are just a few:

Bloggers Guide to BizTalk, has a whole section devoted to Patterns in BizTalk

HERE

My last three Blog entries have discussed some examples of patterns