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How to: Select an Itinerary Using a Business Rules Policy

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Goal

This section demonstrates how to create business rules that can be used to select an itinerary based on the content of a received message and how to configure the Itinerary Selector pipeline component within a generic itinerary on-ramp to call these rules. This section describes a business scenario in which messages are routed differently, based on the region in which the customer resides.

In this How-to topic, you will complete the following steps:

  • Model itineraries for the Western and Eastern divisions of customer Global Bank.

  • Create business rules policies that will be used to select an itinerary for processing request.

  • Configure the Itinerary Selector pipeline component to use a business rules policy to select the appropriate itinerary.

Prerequisites

The procedures in this How-to topic require the completion of the Prerequisites for the Development Activities.

Before You Begin

Complete the following tasks before you perform the steps later in this How-to topic:

  • Create the GlobalBank West test message.

  • Create the GlobalBank East test message.

    The following procedures describe how to do each of these.

To create the GlobalBank West test message

  1. In Windows Explorer, browse to C:\HowTos.

  2. Create a copy of NAOrderDoc.xml, and then name the copy West.xml.

  3. In Notepad, open West.xml, and then change the value of the customerName element to GlobalBankWest.

  4. Save West.xml as UTF-8, and then close Notepad.

To create the GlobalBank East test message

  1. In Windows Explorer, browse to C:\HowTos.

  2. Create a copy of NAOrderDoc.xml, and then name the copy East.xml.

  3. In Notepad, open East.xml, and then change the value of the customerName element to GlobalBankEast.

  4. Save East.xml as UTF-8, and then close Notepad.

Steps

To create a Business Rules Engine (BRE) policy to select an itinerary using custom message properties

  1. Click Start on the taskbar, point to All Programs, point to BizTalk Server, and then click Business Rule Composer.

  2. In Policy Explorer, right-click Policies, and then click Add New Policy. Name the policy ResolveItineraryBasedOnCustomer.

    Note

    This How-to topic uses the same business rules policy and itineraries as those created in the topic How to: Split an Interchange and Route the Resulting Messages to Multiple File Locations Using Distinct Itineraries. If you have already completed that section, you can skip to the procedure, "To create and configure an ESB on-ramp" later in this topic.

To add a selection rule for customer GlobalBank West

  1. In the ResolveItineraryBasedOnCustomer policy, right-click Version 1.0 (not saved), and then click Add New Rule. Name the rule SetGlobalBankWestItinerary.

  2. In Facts Explorer, click the XML Schemas tab, right-click Schemas, and then click Browse.

  3. In the Schema Files dialog box, browse to C:\Projects\Microsoft.Practices.ESB\Source\Samples\DynamicResolution\Source\ESB.DynamicResolution.Schemas, select NAOrderDoc.xsd, and then click Open.

    Note

    This is the schema that defines the NAOrderDoc.xml message, which was used to create the West and East messages you will use for testing.

  4. In Facts Explorer, click NAOrderDoc.xsd, click the Document Type property in the Properties pane, and then type GlobalBank.ESB.DynamicResolution.Schemas.NAOrderDoc.

    Note

    This is the fully qualified name of the schema.

  5. In Facts Explorer, expand NAOrderDoc.xsd, and then expand OrderDoc.

  6. In the Rule window, right-click Conditions, point to Predicates, and then click Equal.

  7. From Facts Explorer, drag the customerName element to the argument1 node under Conditions.

  8. Click the argument2 node, and then type GlobalBankWest.

  9. In Facts Explorer, click the Vocabularies tab. Expand the ESB.Itinerary vocabulary, expand Version 1.1, and then drag the Set Itinerary Name definition to Actions.

  10. Click <empty string>, and then type GlobalBankWestItinerary.

    Note

    Later in this How-to topic, you will create this itinerary to process messages from GlobalBank West.

To add a selection rule for Customer GlobalBank East

  1. In Policy Explorer, right-click the SetGlobalBankWestItinerary rule, and then click Copy.

  2. Right-click Version 1.0 (not saved), and then click Paste.

  3. In the New Rule Name dialog box, type SetGlobalBankEastItinerary, and then click OK.

  4. In Policy Explorer, click the SetGlobalBankEastItinerary rule.

  5. In the Conditions section, right-click GlobalBankWest, and then click Reset argument.

  6. Click argument2, and then type GlobalBankEast.

  7. In the Actions section, right-click GlobalBankWestItinerary, and then click Reset argument.

  8. Click <empty string> and then type GlobalBankEastItinerary.

    Note

    Later in the How-to topic, you will create this itinerary to process messages from GlobalBank East.

To publish and deploy the policy

  1. In Policy Explorer, under the ResolveItineraryBasedOnCustomer policy, right click Version 1.0 (not saved), and then click Publish.

  2. In Policy Explorer, under the ResolveItineraryBasedOnCustomer policy, right click Version 1.0 - Published, and then click Deploy.

To create an ESB itinerary domain-specific language (DSL) model for GlobalBank West messages

  1. In Visual Studio, open C:\HowTos\Patterns\Patterns.sln.

  2. In Solution Explorer, right-click the ItineraryLibrary project, point to Add, and then click New Itinerary.

  3. In the Add New Item dialog box, in the Templates pane, click ItineraryDsl.

  4. In the Name box, type GlobalBankWestItinerary, and then click Add.

To configure the properties of the GlobalBank West itinerary

  1. In Visual Studio, click the design surface of GlobalBankWestItinerary.itinerary. In the GlobalBankWestItinerary Properties window, configure the following properties:

    1. In the Model Exporter drop-down list, click Database Itinerary Exporter.

    2. Click the ellipsis button (...) next to the Itinerary Database property.

    3. In the Connection Properties dialog box, choose the SQL Server that hosts the itinerary repository database, and then specify the name of the database (the default name is EsbItineraryDb).

  2. In the Itinerary Status drop-down list, click Deployed.

    Note

    This step enables you to export the itinerary to a central repository; itineraries can be selected and attached from this repository upon message reception. You will later configure the Itinerary Selector pipeline component to use the Business Rules Engine resolver (BRI) to evaluate inbound messages and select the appropriate itinerary from this repository.

To define the structure of the itinerary

  1. From the Toolbox, drag an On-Ramp model element to the design surface. In the OnRamp1 Properties window, configure the following properties:

    1. Click the Name property, and then type ReceiveNAOrder.

    2. In the Extender drop-down list, click On-Ramp ESB Service Extension.

    3. In the BizTalk Application drop-down list, click Microsoft.Practices.ESB.

    4. In the Receive Port drop-down list, click OnRamp.Itinerary.

  2. From the Toolbox, drag an Off-Ramp model element to the design surface, and then place it to the right of the ReceiveNAOrder model element. In the OffRamp1 Properties window, configure the following properties:

    1. Click the Name property, and then type SendNAOrder.

    2. In the Extender drop-down list, click Off-Ramp ESB Service Extension.

    3. In the BizTalk Application drop-down list, click GlobalBank.ESB.

    4. In the Send Port drop-down list, click DynamicResolutionOneWay.

  3. From the Toolbox, drag an Itinerary Service model element to the design surface, and then place it between the ReceiveNAOrder model element and the SendNAOrder model element. In the ItineraryService1 Properties window, configure the following properties:

    1. Click the Name property, and then type RouteMessage.

    2. In the Itinerary Service Extender drop-down list, click Off-Ramp Itinerary Service Extension.

    3. In the Off-Ramp drop-down list, expand SendNAOrder, and then click Send Handlers.

  4. Right-click the Resolver collection of the RouteMessage model element, and then click Add new Resolver. In the Resolver1 Properties window, configure the following properties:

    1. Click the Name property, and then type StaticResolver.

    2. In the Resolver Implementation drop-down list, click Static Resolver Extension.

    3. In the Transport Name drop-down list, click FILE.

    4. Click the Transport Location property, and then type C:\HowTos\Out\West%MessageID%.xml.

  5. In the Toolbox, click Connector. Drag a connection from the ReceiveNAOrder model element to the RouteMessage model element.

  6. In the Toolbox, click Connector. Drag a connection from the RouteMessage model element to the SendNAOrder model element.

To export the model to the itinerary database

  1. In Visual Studio, right-click the design surface of the GlobalBankWestItinerary itinerary, and then click Export Model.

    Note

    The itinerary has been exported to the itinerary database and can now be used by the Itinerary Selector component.

  2. Save all project artifacts.

To create an ESB itinerary DSL model for GlobalBank East message

  1. In Visual Studio, open C:\HowTos\Patterns.sln.

  2. In Solution Explorer, right-click the ItineraryLibrary project, point to Add, and then click New Itinerary.

  3. In the Add New Item dialog box, in the Templates pane, click ItineraryDsl.

  4. In the Name box, type GlobalBankEastItinerary, and then click Add.

To configure the properties of the GlobalBank East itinerary

  1. In Visual Studio, click the design surface of GlobalBankEastItinerary.itinerary. In the GlobalBankEastItinerary Properties window, configure the following properties:

    1. In the Model Exporter drop-down list, click Database Itinerary Exporter.

    2. Click the ellipsis button (...) next to the Itinerary Database property.

    3. In the Connection Properties dialog box, choose the SQL Server that hosts the itinerary repository database, and then specify the name of the database (the default name is EsbItineraryDb).

  2. In the Itinerary Status drop-down list, click Deployed.

    Note

    This step enables you to export the itinerary to a central repository; itineraries can be selected and attached from this repository when messages are received. You will later configure the Itinerary Selector pipeline component to use the BRI resolver to evaluate inbound messages and select the appropriate itinerary from this repository.

To define the structure of the itinerary

  1. From the Toolbox, drag an On-Ramp model element to the design surface. In the OnRamp1 Properties window, configure the following properties:

    1. Click the Name property, and then type ReceiveNAOrder.

    2. In the Extender drop-down list, click On-Ramp ESB Service Extension.

    3. In the BizTalk Application drop-down list, click Microsoft.Practices.ESB.

    4. In the Receive Port drop-down list, click OnRamp.Itinerary.

  2. From the Toolbox, drag an Off-Ramp model element to the design surface, and then place it to the right of the ReceiveNAOrder model element. In the OffRamp1 Properties window, configure the following properties:

    1. Click the Name property, and then type SendNAOrder.

    2. In the Extender drop-down list, click Off-Ramp ESB Service Extension.

    3. In the BizTalk Application drop-down list, click GlobalBank.ESB.

    4. In the Send Port drop-down list, click DynamicResolutionOneWay.

  3. From the Toolbox, drag an Itinerary Service model element to the design surface, and then place it between the ReceiveNAOrder model element and the SendNAOrder model element. In the ItineraryService1 Properties window, configure the following properties:

    1. Click the Name property, and then type RouteMessage.

    2. In the Itinerary Service Extender drop-down list, click Off-Ramp Itinerary Service Extension.

    3. In the Off-Ramp drop-down list, expand SendNAOrder, and then click Send Handlers.

  4. Right-click the Resolver collection of the RouteMessage model element, and then click Add new Resolver. In the Resolver1 Properties window, configure the following properties:

    1. Click the Name property, and then type StaticResolver.

    2. In the Resolver Implementation drop-down list, click Static Resolver Extension.

    3. In the Transport Name drop-down list, click FILE.

    4. Click the Transport Location property, and then type C:\HowTos\Out\East%MessageID%.xml.

  5. In the Toolbox, click Connector. Drag a connection from the ReceiveNAOrder model element to the RouteMessage model element.

  6. In the Toolbox, click Connector. Drag a connection from the RouteMessage model element to the SendNAOrder model element.

To export the model to the itinerary database

  1. In Visual Studio, right-click the design surface of the GlobalBankEastItinerary itinerary, and then click Export Model.

    Note

    The itinerary has been exported to the itinerary database and can now be used by the Itinerary Selector component.

  2. Save all project artifacts.

To create and configure an ESB on-ramp

  1. Click Start on the taskbar, point to All Programs, point to BizTalk Server, and then click BizTalk Server Administration.

  2. In the BizTalk Server Administration Console, expand BizTalk Group, expand Applications, and then expand Microsoft.Practices.ESB.

  3. Right-click Receive Locations, point to New, and then click One-way Receive Location.

  4. In the Select a Receive Port dialog box, click OnRamp.Itinerary, and then click OK.

  5. In the Receive Location Properties dialog box, in the Name box, type OnRamp.Itinerary.HowTo.

  6. In the Type drop-down list, click FILE, and then click Configure.

  7. In the FILE Transport Properties dialog box, in the Receive folder box, type C:\HowTos\DropFolder, and then click OK.

To configure the Itinerary Selector pipeline component

  1. In the Receive Location Properties dialog box, in the Receive pipeline drop-down list, click ItinerarySelectReceiveXml, and then click the ellipsis button (...).

  2. Use the Configure Pipeline dialog box to configure the following Itinerary Selector component properties:

    1. Click the ItineraryFactKey property, and then type Resolver.Itinerary.

    2. Click the ResolverConnectionString property, and then type BRI:\\policy=ResolveItineraryBasedOnCustomer;useMsg=true;recognizeMessageFormat=true;

    3. Click OK to close the Configure Pipeline dialog box.

  3. Click OK to close the Receive Location Properties dialog box.

  4. In the BizTalk Server Administration Console, right-click the OnRamp.Itinerary.HowTo receive location, and then click Enable.

To test the itinerary selector and business rules

  1. In Windows Explorer, browse to C:\HowTos.

  2. Copy (do not move) the files East.xml and West.xml to the DropFolder folder.

  3. Browse to C:\HowTos\Out. Verify that the East%MessageID%.xml and West%MessageID%.xml messages have been written to the directory.

    Note

    Though identical except for the value of the customer element, the messages were processed using different itineraries, based on the resolution of the Itinerary Selector pipeline component.

  4. In the BizTalk Server Administration Console, right-click the OnRamp.Itinerary.HowTo receive location, and then click Disable.

  5. After the OnRamp.Itinerary.HowTo receive location is disabled, right-click it, and then click Delete. In the Confirm delete receive location dialog box, click Yes.

Additional Resources

For more information, see the following related topics: