Managing Tracking for Microsoft BizTalk Server
Nodinite lets you review and change every BizTalk tracking setting from one place, the BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent, without logging on to BizTalk Server nodes and without BizTalk administrator rights.
- ✅ Six Tracking Resources: the receive ports, the send ports, the request/response and solicit/response variants, Orchestrations, and Pipelines
- ✅ Manage tracking opens one page per Resource, with every artifact and its tracking check boxes
- ✅ Change, Save, and Reload remotely, grouped by BizTalk Application or listed by name
- ✅ Every change written to the Log Audits with the user's identity
Animated walkthrough: Manage tracking for the receive ports; one setting is changed, Save is pointed at, and Reload drops the change. Then the send ports, orchestrations, and pipelines. Nothing is saved.
Info
Nodinite replaces BAM! Since you are reading this page, you may also be interested in the Nodinite BizTalk Server Logging Agent user guide.
The BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent for Nodinite provides remote management of the tracking settings for Ports, Pipelines, and Orchestrations. This gives you one overview and streamlines administration.
Note
Understanding Application Name for Tracking Resources
Tracking Resources use the BizTalk Group Name as their Application name, for example BizTalk Group [NODINITE01:BizTalkMgmtDb], not a BizTalk application name. Tracking is a system-wide capability that covers the message flow of all BizTalk applications.
- System-Wide Scope: Tracking settings affect the entire BizTalk environment's diagnostic capabilities
- Unique Identification: When monitoring multiple BizTalk Groups (Dev, Test, Prod), each needs a distinct identifier
- Consistent Pattern: Follows the same pattern as other system-wide Resources (Group, Host Instances, Health Check)
See the Group page for a complete explanation of Application Name usage patterns.
As your BizTalk environment grows, often to thousands of artifacts, Nodinite splits tracking into six Resources in the Tracking Category:
| Resource | Comment | |
|---|---|---|
| Receive ports | Messages are received by one or more Receive Locations; tracking settings are managed at the port level | |
| Receive ports Request/Response | Messages are received by one or more Receive Locations; tracking settings are managed at the port level | |
| Send Ports | One-way Send Ports | |
| Send ports Solicit/Response | Two-way Send Ports, with request and response settings | |
| Orchestrations | ||
| Pipelines | Be sure to follow our highly recommended 'Recommended tracking settings for default pipelines' guide |
The Tracking Resources filtered in a Monitor View.
With Nodinite, you never need to log on to BizTalk Server nodes or use the BizTalk Administration Console (which requires BizTalk Administrators or Operators group membership). Even non-administrators can securely change tracking settings remotely using the Nodinite Web Client.
Tip
All actions performed in Nodinite are fully audit-logged for compliance and traceability.
Features
The Nodinite Tracking feature gives you:
- Manage tracking - Review and set the tracking properties that control run-time behavior.
- Execute Remote Actions - Secure, audit-logged operations for peace of mind.
What remote Actions can I perform
Each Tracking Resource has one Remote Action in the Control Center part of its Action menu:
- Manage tracking - Opens the tracking settings page for that Resource, with all its artifacts and options
The Action menu of a Tracking Resource.
Additional Actions within the administrative pages
On the tracking settings pages, you can:
- Reload (on the port pages) or Refresh (on the Orchestrations and Pipelines pages) - Reads the settings from BizTalk again, discarding pending changes
- Save - Saves pending changes to BizTalk
- Show Applications - Groups artifacts by BizTalk Application name for easier navigation
- Show only Orchestrations with non default tracking and Show only pipelines with warning for tracking - On the Orchestrations and Pipelines pages only, narrow the list to the artifacts that need attention
Reload
Click Reload to read the settings from BizTalk again.
Reloads the latest configuration from BizTalk Server.
Note
Pending changes are lost when you reload.
Save
Save your pending changes to BizTalk; the page then reloads to confirm them.
Save and apply your configuration changes.
Show Applications
When checked, artifacts are grouped by BizTalk Application name; otherwise, they are listed by artifact name.
Grouped by application, with Show Applications checked.
| Example 1: Send Ports grouped by BizTalk Application | Example 2: Send Ports listed by name |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Receive Ports (One-Way)
Manage the tracking settings for the Receive ports: the message properties and bodies, before and after the pipeline.
Tracking settings for the Receive ports.
Receive Ports (Request/Response)
Manage the tracking settings for the Receive ports Request/Response the same way, with settings for both the request and the response message.
Send Ports (One-Way)
Manage the tracking settings for the Send Ports.
Tracking settings for the Send Ports.
Send Ports (Solicit/Response)
Manage the tracking settings for the Send ports Solicit/Response, with settings for both the request and the response message.
Tracking settings for the Send ports Solicit/Response.
Orchestrations
Manage the tracking settings for Orchestrations: orchestration start and end, message send and receive, shape start and end, message bodies, and message properties.
Tracking settings for Orchestrations.
Tip
For best performance, we recommend disabling all tracking options for Orchestrations except during short-term debugging sessions.
When the option to disable Orchestration tracking automatically is set in the agent's Remote Configuration, the page shows this note:
The note shown while Orchestration tracking is disabled automatically.
Toggle the setting from the Remote Configuration.
Tracking data, the orchestration debug data included, ends up in the tracking database. Watch its size with the Spool count and Tracking Data count checks of the Health Check.
Pipelines
Manage the tracking settings for Pipelines: port start and end events, message send and receive events, and message bodies before and after pipeline processing.
You can override port settings by configuring tracking at the pipeline level, but we at Nodinite recommend letting ports control what to track.
Tracking settings for Pipelines; only the pipeline that needs attention is listed.
Note
Review the 'Recommended tracking settings for default pipelines' guide for best practices.
Tip
Let ports decide what to track for optimal results. See our 'Recommended tracking settings for default pipelines' guide.
Metrics chart: Metrics
The Action menu shows No Metrics available for a Tracking Resource. If you need this feature, please send a request detailing your requirements.