Microsoft is working on a next-Gen of BizTalk Server

Microsoft has announced plans for a new version of BizTalk Server, its embedded solutions for “on-premises” installations that connect business applications and services.

Additionally, the business outlined its plans for Azure Integration Services.

BizTalk Server Next-Generation

Last Thursday, Jon Fancey, Azure Integration Services program manager lead, reaffirmed Microsoft’s commitment to providing a new BizTalk Server product. BizTalk Server 2016 is the current flagship offering.

The next version of BizTalk Server will be released after Windows Server 2019, which is planned to reach “general availability” status this year. The next BizTalk Server product, according to Fancy, will be “generally accessible within around 9 months of the general availability of Windows Server 2019.”

The next version of BizTalk Server will include previously published feature packs and support “the newest versions of Windows Server, SQL Server, and Visual Studio,” according to Fancy. He also mentioned that BizTalk Server 2013 R2 and BizTalk Server 2016 will be able to upgrade to the new BizTalk Server offering.

According to the BizTalk team blog’s feed, Microsoft’s most recent feature pack launch was Product Packs 3 for BizTalk Server 2016, which was released on June 26. Microsoft Most Useful Professional (MVP) Sandro Pereira detailed the features of Feature Pack 3 in a blog post, stating that it adds Office 365 converters for mail, calendar, and contacts.

SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 2 is now supported. It also supports Azure Active Directory and OAuth for single sign-on authentication. Microsoft also introduced support for FIPS, GDPR, and the US government’s accessibility requirement.

Integration Services in Azure

With Feature Pack 1, Microsoft began delivering feature packs for BizTalk Server 2016 last year, with the goal of bringing new functionality and “closer interaction with Azure.” 

The feature packs scale down some of Microsoft’s cloud innovations with Azure Integration Services, the company’s Integral Platform as a Service for coordinating corporate apps and processes. Logic Apps, Service Bus, API management, and Event Grid are all part of Azure Integration Services.

As an iPaaS product, Azure Management Solutions is Microsoft’s solution for Azure BizTalk Services. Last year, Microsoft announced the termination of Azure BizTalk Services. Organizations should instead use Azure Logical Apps and Azure App Service Hybrid Connections, according to Microsoft.

Despite the advancements in Azure Integration Services, Microsoft still believes BizTalk Server has a place. It allows enterprises to run BizTalk Server on their own equipment while connecting to Microsoft and other suppliers’ services.

On-Premises Logic Apps

Microsoft also revealed that Logic Apps will be able to “operate on-premises” for businesses. According to Fancy, this feature will be available “within the calendar year 2019.”

The capabilities of BizTalk Server and Logic Apps are currently not equal. Microsoft, on the other hand, is striving to close the gaps and document support for Logic Apps migrations. Fancy elaborated:

Many clients may consider migrating from BizTalk Server to Logic Apps, which are both capable of running on-premises and in Azure.

We recognize this and are developing migration recommendations to assist clients in making decisions and making investments that will facilitate this transition. We’re aware of functional gaps between BizTalk Server and Logic Apps, and we’re working hard to close them.

BizTalk360, Microsoft’s partner, does have its own summit, Connect 2018, which was hosted in London in June. Sriram Hariharan, the senior technical and content writer at BizTalk360, presented the highlights of the conference. 

In his Day 1 recap, he mentioned that BizTalk Server 2013 and BizTalk Server 2013 R2 both reached the end of “mainstream support” in July and that Microsoft introduced a new BizTalk Server Migration Tool to assist enterprises in making the transition to BizTalk Server 2016.

Migrations from BizTalk Server to Azure Logic Apps will be supported using an on-premises gateway and a submit model, according to Hariharan’s Day 2 review.