Prerequisites for the Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent

This page details the prerequisites for installing and running the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent to Monitor BizTalk Server Applications.

High-level architecture for deploying the Nodinite BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent.

Install the Agent on the same network as the BizTalk Server group you want to monitor. Nodinite can be installed anywhere—including the cloud or offsite—using Service Bus Relaying to securely connect to the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent.

We recommend installing the Agent close to the BizTalk Server group (ideally on a BizTalk processing node) to unlock all features and maximize performance.

Software requirements

Versions <= 6.0 make use of the .NET Framework 4.5.2 or later.

Nodinite requires DACPAC SQL Binaries from Microsoft and is used to install and update databases. You can (and should) install a higher version (latest) than your SQL Server since Microsoft provides backwards compatibility. The other way around is not supported. No licensing cost is associated with installing and running the Microsoft DACPAC binaries.

Use the latest SSMS version to ensure you have a valid version of the required SQL Server binaries and it's only one installer (although more extensive)

If you experience issues installing or updating the Nodinite databases, the problem is almost always with an incompatible client version. Simply update either the SSMS tool or the DACFramework.msi to the latest available version.

If you cannot install the SQLPackage.exe on the BizTalk Application server, you can always manually update the Nodinite BizTalk Server Monitoring database directly on the SQL Server Instance.

Which versions of Microsoft BizTalk Server are supported?

Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent has support for the following Microsoft BizTalk Server versions (all editions, also regarding CU, SP, HotFix)

* .NET Framework 4.8^{New 6.1} or later and an appropriate version of the BizTalk Server Administration console must be installed on the server where the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent is run.

What Windows User Rights does the BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent require?

The Agent usually runs as a Windows Service on one or more BizTalk Server application servers.

Fail-over cluster support exists for high availability.

The service account must be a member of the following Active Directory groups:

• BizTalk Server Administrators - The Windows Service Account running the BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent must belong to the Windows Group used with the BizTalk Server Administrators (most Remote Actions require this level).
• SSO Administrators - The Windows Service Account running the BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent must belong to the Windows Group used with the SSO Administrator role (some details and remote actions require this level)
• Local Administrators -The Windows Service Account running the BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent must be a local administrator on all BizTalk Server nodes to read performance counters and allow the Start/Stop of Host Instances (which are actually Windows Services)

What Firewall settings are required for the Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent?

The TCP/UDP ports that must be open for communication depend on the type of installation.

This section describes enterprise-grade installations with services on multiple servers; hence, many protocols are used for the different services.

The Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent has both inbound and outbound communication:

1. TCP Ports between the Monitoring Service and the Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent

The following ports must be allowed on the Windows server where the Agent is installed and running :

And further with 'Option 1' or 'Option 2' as documented next:

Option 1a (Nodinite v7 - IIS hosted on local network)

Note

Nodinite v7 IIS Hosting: When agents are hosted in IIS on the same server as the Nodinite application (typical installation), firewall rules are not required between the Monitoring Service and the agent. The custom port is assigned during installation via the Nodinite Portal and only needs to be opened if the agent is hosted on a remote IIS Windows Server.

Option 1b (Nodinite v6 and earlier - Windows Service on local network)

Note

Nodinite v6 Legacy: Port 8000 is only used when agents have default installations on remote Windows servers using the legacy MSI installer. This port is not required for Nodinite v7 IIS-hosted agents.

Option 2 (Cloud/Hybrid - All versions)

Use Service Bus Relayed connections when Nodinite and the Agent are on different networks.

Nodinite uses the On-Premise data gateway. Review the 'Adjust communication settings for the on-premises data gateway' user guide for additional information.

2. Between the BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent and Target Servers

The following sections detail firewall requirements organized by service. Four types of servers participate in the monitoring interchange:

• Agent Server - Where the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent is installed (typically on a BizTalk processing node)
• BizTalk Servers - All BizTalk Server nodes in the group being monitored
• SQL Server - SQL Server instances hosting BizTalk databases (BizTalkMgmtDB, BizTalkDTADb, BizTalkMsgBoxDb) and optionally the Nodinite Monitoring database
• Domain Controller (DC) - Active Directory server for Kerberos/LDAP authentication

WMI/RPC Monitoring (Agent → BizTalk Servers)

Required for monitoring BizTalk Server nodes, reading performance counters, and managing Host Instances. The Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent uses WMI, which is highly configurable in Windows.

Note

RPC Dynamic Port Range: Some documents online state 5000–5020, which is incorrect. BizTalk Server environments typically require a broader range like 50000–50200. You may need to allow additional dynamic ports depending on your configuration. The standard Windows dynamic range is 49152–65535, but this can be restricted using netsh commands.

SQL Server Connection (Agent → BizTalk SQL Servers)

Required for connecting to BizTalk databases (BizTalkMgmtDB, BizTalkDTADb, BizTalkMsgBoxDb) and optionally the Nodinite Monitoring database for extended metrics and clustering support. For performance reasons, the agent directly queries BizTalk databases rather than using the ExplorerOM.dll binary.

Tip

Multiple Messageboxes: BizTalk environments often have multiple messagebox databases on different SQL Server instances. Ensure firewall rules allow the Agent Server to reach all SQL Server instances hosting BizTalk databases (BizTalkMgmtDB, BizTalkDTADb, and all BizTalkMsgBoxDb instances).

Tip

Nodinite Monitoring Database: If you use extended metrics/statistics or agent clustering, the Agent also connects to a SQL Server instance hosting the Nodinite Monitoring database. Use the same firewall rules as documented above. See the Configuration and Monitoring Agent Databases user guides for details.

Authentication (Agent → Domain Controller)

Required for Kerberos authentication and Active Directory queries. The agent service account must be a domain account with membership in BizTalk Server Administrators, SSO Administrators, and Local Administrators groups.

Note

DNS Resolution: All servers (Agent, BizTalk Servers, SQL Servers, and Domain Controllers) require outbound access to DNS on TCP/UDP port 53 for name resolution. This is already listed in section 1 and applies universally. You can optionally solve this using entries in the local hosts file on each server. Review 'DNS works on TCP and UDP'.

Important

Stateful Firewalls: Most modern Windows Firewall implementations are stateful, meaning inbound response traffic for established outbound connections is automatically allowed. The inbound rules listed above are primarily for reference and troubleshooting scenarios where stateful inspection may be disabled or restricted.

2. TCP Ports between Nodinite BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent and Microsoft BizTalk Server

The Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent uses WMI, which is highly configurable in Windows. Actual ports used may therefore be different from what's documented here.

Note

Some documents online state 5000 - 5020, which is a typo; BizTalk is aggressive on the usage of TCP ports, and you may need to allow many other dynamic ports, depending on the configuration.

3. TCP Ports between the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent and SQL Server instance with Nodinite Monitoring database

This section applies if you use the extended metrics and statistics or if you have clustered the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent. The Configuration user guide explains how to enable this feature.

The Monitoring Agent Databases user guide explains in detail which TCP/UDP ports are in use.

4. TCP Ports between Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent and SQL Server with BizTalk databases

There are at least three BizTalk Server databases:

1. BizTalkMgmtDB
2. BizTalkDTADb
3. BizTalkMsgboxDb

Note

There may be multiple messageboxes depending on the type of environment/installation.

For performance reasons, the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent uses the data from the BizTalk databases to get lightning-fast access to the data without using the 'ExplorerOM.dll' binary from the Microsoft SDK.

The BizTalk Server databases may also be scattered on different SQL Server instances. From a firewall perspective, the same ports are involved; hence, they are only documented once.

The Monitoring Agents require opening outbound ports. Since Nodinite is highly configurable, the actual ports in use may differ from what's being illustrated here.

You must ensure that the TCP/UDP ports in use are allowed by your firewalls. Depending on the location of the SQL databases, the used ports may differ. The following Windows Services are involved:

What SQL user rights does the Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent require?

The service account running the BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent must have the following rights assigned:

Note

db_ddladmin is required for the service account to have proper rights to read statistics. Performance may be degraded Without this permission, especially for remote servers (linked servers). Read more here. Contact our support if you have any questions about this.

BizTalkMGMTDb

• DataReader
• DataWriter (Changes to BizTalk artifacts can be performed using Remote Actions)
• db_ddladmin (see note)

BizTalkDTADb

• DataReader
• DataWriter (for BizTalk Health check related operations/actions)
• db_ddladmin (see note)
• BTS_OPERATORS (should be inherited by the membership with BizTalk Server Administrators)

BizTalkMSGBoxDb

• DataReader
• DataWriter (for BizTalk Health check related operations/actions)
• db_ddladmin (see note)
• BTS_OPERATORS (should be inherited by the membership with BizTalk Server Administrators)

Nodinite BizTalk Monitoring database

If you have multiple Monitoring Agents installed, there is one database per instance. Repeat as necessary.

• db_owner (required to apply DACPAC updates)

Frequently asked questions

Additional solutions to common problems for the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent FAQ exist in the Troubleshooting user guide.

Next Step

Add or manage a Monitoring Agent Configuration
Install BizTalk Monitoring Agent

Related Topics

Monitoring
Administration