Announcing TAP for new BizTalk 2006 Adapters for Host Systems

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I received an email today informing me that our “Host Integration” Product Group is now accepting nominations for Technology Adoption Program sites to validate the new Microsoft BizTalk 2006 Adapters for Host Systems. (Remember these adapters are included FREE with BizTalk 2006!!!)

If you are interested please email me (cvidotto@microsoft.com) and I will send you an email with an information pack from our Host Team. Final nominations must be approved by March 17.

“The Microsoft BizTalk Adapters for host systems offer efficient development tools and native runtime protocol engines that allow enterprise IT to connect BizTalk to existing line-of-business programs and data on IBM mainframe zSeries and midrange iSeries computers, preserving the integrity and performance of vital line-of-business systems, while extending those investments to new solutions. The following is an overview of major capabilities provided by the Microsoft BizTalk Adapters for Host System 2006 product.

  • The Microsoft BizTalk Adapter for Host Applications is based on technology in Transaction Integrator allowing enterprises to connect BizTalk solutions to existing IBM mainframe zSeries (CICS and IMS) or midrange iSeries (AS/400) server programs. The adapter offers an intuitive Visual Studio 2005 designer, including host COBOL and RPG source code import wizards, with which to generate XSD schemas for use in BizTalk projects. The administration tools are integrated with the BizTalk port configuration and deployment tools. Using the BizTalk Adapter for Host Applications, IT professionals can efficiently extend host programs with new solutions based on BizTalk Server 2006

· The Microsoft BizTalk Adapter for DB2 connects BizTalk Server 2006 to vital data stored in IBM mainframe DB2 for z/OS, IBM midrange DB2/400, and IBM DB2 Universal Database for open platforms (AIX, Linux, Solaris, and Windows). The DB2 adapter is based an the Microsoft .NET Framework Data Provider for DB2 and supports a broad range of functions, including static and dynamic send ports, receive ports, and distributed transactions across traditional SNA and open TCP/IP network connections. Using standard SQL commands defined within port configuration wizards built into the BizTalk Server administration tools, IT professionals can easily create solutions that securely and efficiently integrate DB2 databases without the need for custom programming.

  • The Microsoft BizTalk Adapter for Host Files connects BizTalk Server 2006 to vital data stored in IBM mainframe zSeries VSAM datasets and IBM midrange iSeries AS/400 physical files. The host file adapter is based on the Microsoft .NET Framework Data Provider for Host Files, offering built-in data conversions from host data types to XSD data types, including a broad set of EBCDIC and UNICODE string conversions. The adapter offers an intuitive Visual Studio 2005 designer, including host COBOL and RPG source code import wizards, with which to define metadata maps of the host records. The adapter configuration wizards are integrated into the BizTalk Server administration tools, allowing IT professionals to define static and dynamic send ports, solicit response receive ports, based on a simplified set of SQL commands.
  • The Microsoft BizTalk Adapter for WebSphere MQ uses the IBM WebSphere MQ Base Client (non-transactional) or WebSphere MQ Transaction Extended Client APIs to communicate with remote MQSeries Queue Managers. This adapter enables BizTalk Server to communicate directly to MQSeries Queue Managers deployed on non-Windows operating systems, without needing to deploy and manage WebSphere MQ Server for Windows, to efficiently exchange messages with line-of-business applications across the enterprise.

Host Integration Technologies

Also, as part of the BizTalk Adapters for Host Systems 2006 package, customers get the 2006 revisions of these Host Integration technologies, for use in extending BizTalk with direct-connect solutions where needed.

  • Transaction Integrator allows enterprises to move towards a services-oriented architecture based on XML web services that extend their existing investments in host systems to offer new products and services, while reaching out to new customers and partners. The new Transaction Integrator for Windows-initiated processing offers a deployment option to generate web services from within the TI administration tool, enabling a no-coding-required means to web-enable host mainframe CICS and IMS transactions or AS/400 callable programs. The TI runtime and Visual Studio 2005 design tool have been extended to support dynamic discriminators on unions of REDEFINEs or OVERLAYs, allowing enterprise developers to re-use complex host business rules to access data stored in nested VSAM records, IMS/DB tables, and AS/400 physical files.

· The innovative TI for Host-Initiated Processing has been extended to support AS/400 host clients, while essential updates to the design tools and runtime infrastructure enables access to dynamically defined data structures. TI HIP has been enhanced to offer persistent network connections, allowing IT professionals to efficiently deploy HIP into high volume deployment scenarios.

  • MSMQ-MQSeries Bridge

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Data Providers for DB2 and Host Files.

Enterprise Single Sign-On.

Session Integrator.

SNA Gateway and Services.”