Hello,

We recently decided to use BTDF for Biztalk deployment.

With our old solutions we create 3 applications in BizTalk. Now when I started working on BTDF I realised that this needs Deployment.btdfproj with the name of <SolutionName>.Deployment.btdfproj and this should be in the folder <SolutionName>.Deployment which should be at the root whre solutions file exists.

I guess this means that we can have only *.btdfproj file and this will end up in one MSI, and which can ceate only one application.

So for doing what we were doing earlier do we have to split main solution into 3 different solutions, have 3 different set of *.btdfproj  file/files and then created 3 different MSIs ?

Please advise.

regards,

Hi,

Yes you can have only one *.btdfproj file per solution. Its not the restriction from BTDF but from Visual Studio. Visual Studio cannot have more than one deployment file per solution.

Only option in your case (as your need is to separate BizTalk applications and you can't use AppsToReference ItemGroup option in this case. If you have any shared artifacts can use this option) is to have three different Visual Studio solutions.

Hello Ashwin,

I guess I got my answer.

before I mark this as answer would you please confirm few things

I have to create 3 different solutions if I want 3 different applications in biztalk, this I understood.

but this

"as your need is to separate BizTalk applications and you can't use AppsToReference ItemGroup option in this case. If you have any shared artifacts can use this option"

is not very clear to me.

Please explain.

regards,

AppsToReference is an element in ItemGroup that needs to be mentioned in your .btdfproj file depending on requirement.

This is how it looks like

<ItemGroup>
  <AppsToReference Include="YourAppName1,YourAppName2" />
</ItemGroup>

this makes sure that after your application is deployed, a reference to the applications mentioned in the above list are created ( like YourAppName1 and YourAppName2 ). Means if you want to use the resources present in other applications, you have to create a reference to those applications.

So for your applications, if you want any reference from other applications, use this element AppsToReference

Hi,

AppsToReference ItemGroup, I was mentioning about is for just FYI.

Among the 3 BizTalk applications you have, If you can separate some common shared artifacts like schemas, maps etc which are referenced by other applications in a separate solution then using AppsToReference ItemGroup in your deployment project file you can add a reference from other BizTalk apps to the shared application.

Separating the common artifacts is a best practice. I hope you would have already done this. If so, I would not further change the structure of your solution for the sake of BTDF. You can have separate solution with each *.btdfproj file can solve your problem.

On a slightly tangential note, I'd recommend keeping the Solution-BT Admin Application relationship 1:1.  While there is no technical requirement here, I find it keeps DEV, Deployment and Administrative tasks neatly compartmentalized.