Generate C4 Diagram Sets from BizTalk Applications
When you select one or more real BizTalk applications, Nodinite can turn that scope into a C4 Diagram Set. The wizard starts from the Diagram Sets menu, walks through environment, options, application selection, grounding, and diagram type selection, and then finishes with a confirmation step.
The generated structure now starts at an L0 Landscape diagram and then drills down per application to L1 Context, L2 Container, and L3 Component diagrams.
Why teams use this wizard
Many teams already have rich BizTalk solutions in production, but the architecture story is spread across artifacts, operations notes, and tribal knowledge. This wizard turns that scattered reality into a connected C4 Diagram Set that both technical and business audiences can understand.
Instead of starting from a blank canvas, you start from selected BizTalk applications and generate a navigable architecture chain in minutes. That shortens onboarding, improves incident communication, and gives modernization initiatives a shared baseline.
What this means in practice:
- ✅ Architects get a fast, repeatable way to map real deployed integration structure
- ✅ Operations teams can align monitoring and Repository context with visual architecture
- ✅ Product owners and business stakeholders can follow the landscape from high-level scope down to implementation detail
- ✅ Delivery teams can compare versions over time and reduce drift by regenerating from source truth
Example journey from selection to insight
A common journey starts when a team selects two BizTalk applications that cooperate in one business flow, for example order intake and order fulfillment.
- The wizard creates an L0 Landscape diagram where both applications appear in one business context.
- Each application node links to its own L1 Context diagram, where surrounding systems and boundaries become explicit.
- From L1, teams drill into L2 Container diagrams to see runtime structure and integration boundaries.
- Finally, they inspect L3 Component diagrams to understand implementation details, including pipeline-step detail when available.
This layered navigation is useful during handover, troubleshooting, and roadmap planning because every audience can stop at the level they need.
Important
The last step is mandatory. You must either select an existing set or create a new one before the wizard can finish. If a set name already exists, Nodinite warns you and asks whether to update the existing set or create a new version.
Understanding the generation flow
Diagram: The BizTalk generation wizard moves from the Diagram Sets entry point through environment, options, application scope, grounding, diagram types, and confirmation before it creates the set.
Entry point
Use the Diagram Sets menu to start the BizTalk generation wizard.
Example of the Diagram Sets menu with the From BizTalk Application command highlighted as the entry point for the wizard.
Important
This action requires Create permission in the C4 Diagram Set permission set. See Role-Based Access for C4 Diagram Sets for the full rights model.
Step 1: Choose the BizTalk environment
The first screen identifies the active BizTalk environment to use as the source for generation.
Example of the environment step where the active BizTalk environment is selected before the wizard continues.
Choose the environment that contains the BizTalk applications you want to model.
Step 2: Review generation options
The options step controls how much repository wiring the wizard creates, whether it should add monitoring support, and whether BizTalk provenance data is written as custom metadata.
Example of the generation options step where Nodinite can reuse repository artifacts and add monitoring support.
When you enable repository artifact reuse, Nodinite can create or reuse the supporting Repository items that the generated diagrams depend on. When you enable monitoring, it can associate matching monitoring resources with the generated services.
Use the BizTalk provenance option to opt in or opt out of writing source provenance as Custom Metadata in the generated Repository entities.
Step 3: Select BizTalk applications
Select one or many real BizTalk applications to define the generation scope.
Example of the BizTalk applications step where multiple selected applications can be generated in one run.
The snapshot preview shows the selected scope and the target set name. That preview helps you confirm whether the wizard will generate a new set or extend the intended scope.
You can include multiple BizTalk applications in the same run.
Step 4: Apply grounding
Grounding links the generated set to Repository context, including the option to create or update an Integration entry.
Example of the grounding step where the Create Integration option is enabled but no integration choice is made yet.
Use no grounding when you only need the BizTalk selection to drive generation. Use application grounding when the set should belong to a specific Nodinite Application. Use system grounding when the set should align with a larger System boundary.
If you enable Create Integration, you must either enter a name for a new Integration entry or select an existing Integration entry to update. The wizard blocks Continue until that requirement is met.
Step 5: Choose diagram types
The diagram step controls whether to include the L0 Landscape root and the per-application L1 to L3 drill-down chain.
Example of the diagram selection step where Landscape and lower-level diagrams are configured.
When more than one BizTalk application is selected, the Landscape diagram option is enabled by default.
Each selected application gets its own Context, Container, and Component diagram chain.
The Landscape diagram becomes the root level and contains links and nodes that drill down into the generated Context diagrams.
This gives you one top-level map for orientation and separate deep dives per application, which is especially valuable when multiple BizTalk applications are generated in the same run.
Example of BizTalk-related Services after repository artifact reuse or monitoring wiring has been applied to the generated set.
Step 6: Confirm the generation
The confirmation step summarizes the environment, application scope, grounding, repository artifacts, monitoring choice, and diagram types before Nodinite creates the set.
Example of the confirmation step where the final generation settings are reviewed before creation.
Important
In the last step, you must either select an existing set or create a new one. That choice is required before the wizard can finish.
Important
You must provide a new set name or choose an existing set to update. BizTalk-generated diagrams are created in Free Draw mode even if you target a Layered set.
When a set already exists
If a set with the same name already exists, Nodinite stops and shows a warning so you can choose the correct path.
Example of the name conflict warning that appears when the target Diagram Set already exists.
Choose Update Existing when the set should be refreshed in place. Choose Create New Version when you want a separate versioned set instead of overwriting the current one.
Result
After the wizard completes, Nodinite shows a success message and opens the generated set.
Example of the success state after Nodinite creates the BizTalk-generated Diagram Set.
The resulting set can include an L0 Landscape diagram and per-application L1 Context, L2 Container, and L3 Component views.
The generated views now tell the story in four levels. Start with Landscape (L0), then drill into Context (L1), then Container (L2), and finally Component (L3).
For workshops and operational reviews, this sequence works well as a narrative path: begin with business scope at L0, validate ownership and external dependencies at L1, examine platform boundaries at L2, and then confirm implementation behavior at L3.
Example of the generated Landscape diagram where two BizTalk applications are included and linked to their Context drill-down diagrams.
From L0, select the application path you want to inspect and follow the links into the corresponding L1 Context diagram.
Example of the generated Context diagram showing one selected BizTalk application and its updated drill-down linkage from L0 to L2.
The next step narrows the same generated set from the outer context into the application boundary.
Example of the generated Container diagram showing the updated L1 to L2 linkage and the runtime boundary for the selected BizTalk application.
The final generated layer exposes the detailed BizTalk artifacts inside the application.
Example of the generated Component diagram showing detailed BizTalk artifacts and, when present, pipeline step details inside the selected application scope.
Next Step
- Add or manage C4 Diagram Set
- What is a C4 Diagram Set?
- Generate from Integration Landscape
- BizTalk Example Set
- C4 Diagrams Overview