BizTalk Server and the BizTalk Framework

Microsoft uses the term “”BizTalk” to describe both its proprietary XML server product and its more general “BizTalk Framework.” The BizTalk Framework has several elements.

Document Specification and Toolkit

The BizTalk Framework Independent Document Specification defines a transport-independent, XML-based message format for sending business documents between applications. The specification basically defines a message envelope that can include the source address, destination address, security options (e.g., digital signatures), and a manifest that lists the documents included in the message. The specification doesn’t govern the formats of the business documents themselves; the documents don’t even have to be formatted as XML. Microsoft solicits input on the Framework specification from a 15-company “BizTalk steering committee,” but Microsoft ultimately decides what goes in.

In connection with the specification, Microsoft has released the BizTalk Jumpstart Kit, an SDK for developers. The Kit offers libraries, documentation, and sample code for creating applications that process messages in the BizTalk Framework format. It’s intended for developers who want their applications to process BizTalk messages directly, rather than using the comprehensive “message hub” provided by BizTalk Server, and it provides some useful tools and samples that aren’t in the BizTalk Server Technical Preview.