Agile integration with Microsoft Azure and BizTalk Server

Agile is a word I really like to use now in the integration space, in my last event, the Integrate 2017, I started to present this my concept.
As we see the business’s dynamics are changing very fast, companies require fast integration every time more, sending and integrating data very easily and fast is now a key requirement.

There are many options now to obtain that, however some of them are better in some specific situation than the others.

During my last event, I presented how I approach to the agile integration using Microsoft Azure and some example with BizTalk Server as well.

Following these concepts, I started a new project called Rethink121, I like the idea to rethink technologies in different ways and this is what my customers appreciate more.

Most of the time we start using a technology following the messages provided by the vendor, without exploring other new possibilities and ways, I think is important to evaluate a technology like a little kid evaluates his first toy.

During the session, I shown some scenarios like, how to get fast and easy hybrid integration, BizTalk performance, concepts like agile and dynamic integration, cognitive integration.

Many people have been impressed by the demos, some other made me many questions and asking more about that, a new concept and a new view always creates a lot questions because it stimulates the creativity and the curiosity.

During the session, I have shown a BizTalk solution sample sending a flat file between a REST and a WCF endpoint and using a pipeline and a map to send and receive flat data between the endpoints.
The process executed by BizTalk Server was able to achieve that in 80 milliseconds for a single message in request response, I have shown how is possible to achieve real time performances in BizTalk Server without change the solution and reusing all the artefacts as is.

Do to that I use my framework named SnapGate which is able to be installed inside BizTalk Server and improve the performances.

 

The time spent to execute the single request response using SnapGate was around 4 milliseconds, quite impressive result.

I have shown the generic BizTalk adapter which is able to extend the BizTalk integration capabilities without any limit, the adapter is able to be extended using PowerShell or even a simple .Net code in 5 minutes.

I explain the concept of agile integration and how I approach and how I use the technologies, I like to map the BizTalk Server architecture to Microsoft Azure to better explain that.

 

During the demo, I have shown a scenario able to demonstrate how to send and integrate data across the world in very fast ways, the key point of this demo were:

  • The system was able to integrate data and create new integration points in real time
  • The system was using PowerBI in real-time and using normal graphs and PowerBI feature in real time.
  • The system was learning by itself about how to integrate these points and we don’t need to physically deploy our mediation stack.

 

Starting form a single integration point in London

 

I started a new integration point in Birmingham and the integration point in London started synchronising the adaptation layer with Birmingham and sending exchange messages between them

 

I started other more to show how much easy can be integrate new point and exchange data between them without care about to deploy any new feature, the system learns by itself, we can call this cognitive integration.

 

There are so many innovative aspects to consider here, the possibility to have fast hybrid integration at very low cost, integrate data fast and easy, the possibility to integrate PowerBI in real time data analytic scenario.

 

A last thing, many people asking me about BizTalk server and its future, well, the list below are the technologies I most like to use and how, I have shown this slide during the session.

 

There is one thing only I can say, BizTalk Server is S.O.L.I.D.

I will explain more in detail about agile and cognitive integration in my next session in the Integration Monday in September, see you there.

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