Receiving Messages from Commerce Server

Article
11/12/2009

For the latest version of Commerce Server 2007 Help, see the Microsoft Web site.

Each of the four BizTalk adapters provided with Commerce Server can operate as a BizTalk Server one-way receive adapter. Because these adapters are BizTalk adapters, they are named according to the BizTalk Server perspective: receive adapters are used to receive messages from another system (in this case, Commerce Server) into BizTalk Server.

In the receive mode of operation, the Commerce Server adapters execute periodically according to a schedule that you have configured. Upon awakening, Commerce Server receive adapters use the Web service provided by their corresponding Commerce Server system (Orders, Catalog, Inventory, or Profiles) to retrieve the specified data from Commerce Server and package that data as an XML message. This message is then submitted into BizTalk Server using the standard mechanisms of the BizTalk adapter framework. In this capacity, the Commerce Server receive adapters should be viewed as application adapters, each of them generating a single, specific message type that may be processed within BizTalk Server and by other applications beyond BizTalk Server. Compare this to a BizTalk Server file adapter, which can be used to pass any type of message into or out of BizTalk Server.

Note

The Commerce Server receive adapters are subject to two distinct scheduling mechanisms. First, there is the existing BizTalk Server schedule mechanism that is available on the Schedule tab of the Receive Location Properties dialog box. Using the BizTalk Server scheduling mechanism, you can restrict when a receive adapter can run to a particular window of dates and/or window of time during the day. Second, there is the scheduling mechanism that is specific to the Commerce Server receive adapters, which is configured using the relevant transport properties of the corresponding receive adapter. For more information about export intervals for the Commerce Server receive adapters, see Export Interval Choices for Receive Adapters. The BizTalk Server scheduling mechanism supersedes the Commerce Server adapter-specific scheduling mechanism. In general, you should retain the default settings for the BizTalk Server scheduling mechanism, allowing the Commerce Server receive adapters to wake up at any time as far as BizTalk Server is concerned. Instead, use the more refined scheduling control offered directly by the Commerce Server receive adapters.

As a developer tasked with using BizTalk Server to integrate Commerce Server with another application or system, your decision to use one or more of the Commerce Server receive adapters will be based on whether you want the exchange of Commerce Server data to be schedule-driven. If the answer to this question is yes, using the appropriate Commerce Server receive adapter(s) is likely to be your solution of choice.

If you are going to use one or more of the Commerce Server receive adapters, your main tasks with respect to the adapter itself are determining and then configuring the when and the what of message generation. The when of message generation is straightforward, as the Commerce Server receive adapters all supply the same set of transport properties related to configuring the time intervals upon which the corresponding receive adapter endpoint will export data. For more information about your choices with regard to export intervals, see Export Interval Choices for Receive Adapters.

The what of message generation varies from receive adapter to receive adapter, depending on the Commerce Server system with which it interacts. The following sections summarize the types of control you can exercise when configuring the data to be exported from different Commerce Server systems.

Note

There are also a number of transport properties associated with all of the Commerce Server receive adapters that are concerned with connecting successfully to the corresponding Commerce Server Web service.

Orders Receive Adapter

For the Orders receive adapter you can specify, for example:

Whether each exported message should contain a single order or multiple orders.
Whether exports are incremental.
How much settling time to allow for orders prior to export.
Specifications for changing order status as they are exported.
An XML clause to filter orders according to arbitrary characteristics.

For more information, see How to Configure the Orders Transport Properties for a Receive Endpoint.

Catalog Receive Adapter

For the Catalog receive adapter you can specify, for example:

Whether each exported message should be a full export or based on an expression.
Whether deleted objects, nulls, and schemas are included in the export.
Whether exports are incremental.
The basic format of the export in terms of how properties are expressed.
Which catalogs, categories, products, and properties to include in the export.
Various choices regarding dependant objects.

For more information, see How to Configure the Catalog Transport Properties for a Receive Endpoint.

Inventory Receive Adapter

For the Inventory receive adapter you can specify, for example:

Whether each exported message should be a full export or based on an expression.
Whether deleted objects, nulls, and schemas are included in the export.
Whether exports are incremental.
The basic format of the export in terms of how properties are expressed.
Which inventory catalogs, categories, products, and properties to include in the export.
Various choices regarding dependant objects.

For more information, see How to Configure the Inventory Transport Properties for a Receive Endpoint.

Profiles Receive Adapter

For the Profiles receive adapter you can specify, for example:

Whether exports are incremental.
Which types of profiles to include in the export.
An XML clause to filter orders according to arbitrary characteristics.

For more information, see How to Configure the Profiles Transport Properties for a Receive Endpoint.

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Receiving Messages from Commerce Server

Orders Receive Adapter

Catalog Receive Adapter

Inventory Receive Adapter

Profiles Receive Adapter

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