BizTalk extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation first CTP

  • Article

As we know WF and Biztalk are related and both have their strenghts and weaknesses:

  • Windows Workflow Foundation provides a new programming model that developers can use for declaratively creating business logic in software.
  • BizTalk Server provides an enterprise class server with tools for IT Professionals and Business Analysts for hosting and managing business logic as process.

Would it not be great if we had best of both worlds? The BizTalk Server 2006 extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation allows for the use of both of these together building on both of their strengths:

  • It allows BizTalk developers to make use of the new WF programming model.
  • It provides WF developers an enterprise scalable server platform for hosting their WF models.

The basic idea is that you create a workflow model in Visual Studio using WCF constructs to specify messaging to and from the workflow. You run a tool which generates a matching BizTalk orchestration wrapper and you can deploy the workflow and the wrapper into BizTalk Server.

It is currently in development as an SDK sample for release to the community when BizTalk Server 2006 R2 is released.

Try it out early and provide feedback while it is still in development. More information

Technorati Tags: OBA, BPM

here.