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Configuring the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent

Unlock the full potential of your BizTalk Server environment with the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent. This guide empowers you to configure advanced monitoring and management for your BizTalk Server Group, ensuring reliability, visibility, and control.

Info

The Monitoring Agent delivers a comprehensive suite of features to help you proactively receive alerts and perform remote actions, so you can resolve issues before they impact your business. Start with the essentials and expand your configuration as you discover more value—each feature is designed to make your integration landscape more robust and manageable.

Note

Before leveraging monitoring and remote configuration, ensure you have installed and created the initial Monitoring Agent Configuration for the Nodinite Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent. If you're new to Nodinite, start here.

Applications

All BizTalk Server artifacts are automatically registered as Resources. These are organized into Applications and Categories. Depending on your BizTalk Server edition, you may face application limits (e.g., Branch and Standard editions). To overcome these, the agent can create virtual Applications based on service names, such as Receive Ports and Send Ports, ensuring you never miss critical monitoring.
BizTalk Applications
Visualizing BizTalk Applications and their organization in Nodinite.

Remote Configuration of BizTalk Servers

As a Nodinite Administrator, click the 'Configuration' button to open a modal and configure the agent:
Remote Configuration
Click the 'Configuration' button to open a dialog for configuring the agent.

You can fine-tune configurations on each Resource using the Action button, provided the Monitor View has Remote Actions enabled.

The following configuration tabs are available:

BizTalk Tab

In the BizTalk tab, first-time users specify which BizTalk Server Group to monitor and can set up filters to exclude specific artifacts.

Enable monitoring

To enable monitoring, configure the agent with the BizTalk management database connection string for the group you wish to monitor.

  • Connection String – Enter the connection string for the BizTalk management database (typically BizTalkMgmtDb):
Data Source=localhost;Initial Catalog=BizTalkMgmtDb;Integrated Security=SSPI;TrustServerCertificate=True

Connection String example
Example of a BizTalk management database connection string.

http://www.connectionstrings.com/

Important

Restart the monitoring agent after changing the connection string.

Important

If you run multiple agent instances for a single BizTalk Server Group, update the connection strings (BizTalk Management Database and Agent Database) in the Settings.json file on all servers. Note: the two connection strings have different syntax!

Filters

Exclude Applications and Resources as needed using regular expressions. Enable or disable each filter as required.
Remove Applications and Resources
Example: Removing Applications and Resources using filters.

^[_].*

This RegEx removes all Resources starting with an underscore (_).

Tip

Test filters individually to avoid accidentally hiding important Resources.

Health Check Tab

The Health Check tab provides powerful features to keep your BizTalk environment healthy and resilient:

  • Misc – General health check monitoring settings.
  • Assemblies & Files – Compare processing servers for consistency.
  • Spool – Monitor the Spool table in the BizTalk message box.
  • Tracking Data – Monitor the TrackingData table in the BizTalk message box.

Misc

Manage general BizTalk group health settings.
Misc tab
Set monitoring thresholds for general health checks in the Misc tab.

Property Default Description
Orphaned DTA Service Instances - Warning threshold 5000 Triggers a warning alert when orphaned DTA service instances exceed this value
Orphaned DTA Service Instances - Error threshold 10000 Triggers an error alert when orphaned DTA service instances exceed this value
Messages with negative ref count - Warning threshold 0 Triggers a warning alert for messages with negative reference count
Messages with negative ref count - Error threshold 0 Triggers an error alert for messages with negative reference count
Messages without ref count - Warning threshold 0 Triggers a warning alert for messages without reference count
Messages without ref count - Error threshold 0 Triggers an error alert for messages without reference count
Throttling limit - Warning threshold 15 Triggers a warning alert if throttling exceeds this limit (in minutes)

Assemblies & Files tab

Compare BizTalk Server processing nodes and SQL Server instance validity for consistency and reliability.

  • BizTalk Server Processing nodes – Ensure configuration files and binaries are consistent across all nodes.
  • SQL Server Management Database – Acts as the master for deployed binaries.
  • Enabled – When enabled, the agent compares assemblies and configuration files for consistency.
  • Include BizTalk Server installation folder – Include the installation folder in the assemblies check.
  • Include BizTalk Server Pipeline Components folder – Include the Pipeline Components folder in the assemblies check.
  • BizTalk Server configuration – Compare configuration files between servers.
  • BizTalk Assemblies exclude filter – Exclude assemblies using RegEx filters.

Assemblies and files tab
Compare BizTalk processing nodes and configuration database for consistency.

Tip

Random issues may be caused by inconsistent binaries across nodes. Use this feature to keep your BizTalk environment reliable. See 'Run-time configuration comparison' for more details.

BizTalk Assemblies exclude filter

Add RegEx filters to exclude specific assemblies. Click Add to enter a filter.

Assembly filter
Example: Excluding assemblies using filters.

Spool tab

Monitor the 'Spool' table in the BizTalk message box.
Spool Table options
Monitor Spool table metrics and thresholds.

  • Enabled – Monitor and evaluate the BizTalk Message Box Spool count.
  • Spool count - Warning threshold – Set the warning threshold for Spool count.
  • Spool count - Error threshold – Set the error threshold for Spool count.
  • Warning grace time span – Set the grace period before a warning is raised.
  • Error grace time span – Set the grace period before an error is raised.

See 'Spool count' for more details.

Tracking Data

Monitor the 'TrackingData' table in the BizTalk message box.
TrackingData Table options
Monitor TrackingData table metrics and thresholds.

  • Enabled – Monitor and evaluate the BizTalk Message Box Tracking Data count.
  • Tracking Data count - Warning threshold – Set the warning threshold for Tracking Data count.
  • Tracking Data count - Error threshold – Set the error threshold for Tracking Data count.
  • Warning grace time span – Set the grace period before a warning is raised.
  • Error grace time span – Set the grace period before an error is raised.

See 'Tracking Data count' for more details.

Instances

Suspended Instances Thresholds

Monitor Suspended Instances globally or by BizTalk Application.
Suspended Instances Thresholds
Set thresholds for suspended instances.

  • Warning count – Set the warning threshold for suspended instances.
  • Error count – Set the error threshold for suspended instances.
  • Warning time span – Set the maximum allowed suspension time before a warning.
  • Error time span – Set the maximum allowed suspension time before an error.
  • Specific configurations – Customize thresholds for specific BizTalk Applications.

See 'Suspended Instances' for more details.

Specific configurations

Provide unique settings for named BizTalk Applications. Click Add to enter a filter.

Specific settings for suspended instances by application
Customize thresholds for specific BizTalk Applications.

Active Instances Thresholds

Monitor Active Instances globally or by BizTalk Application.
Active Instances
Set thresholds for active instances.

  • Active instances - Warning threshold – Set the warning threshold for active instances.
  • Active instances - Error threshold – Set the error threshold for active instances.
  • Specific configurations – Customize thresholds for specific BizTalk Applications.

See 'Active Instances' for more details.

Specific configurations

Customize settings for specific BizTalk Applications. Click Add to enter a filter.

Dehydrated thresholds

Monitor Dehydrated Instances globally or by BizTalk Application.
Dehydrated Instances Thresholds
Set thresholds for dehydrated instances.

  • Warning count – Set the warning threshold for dehydrated instances.
  • Error count – Set the error threshold for dehydrated instances.
  • Warning time span – Set the maximum allowed dehydration time before a warning.
  • Error time span – Set the maximum allowed dehydration time before an error.
  • Specific configurations – Customize thresholds for specific BizTalk Applications.

See 'Dehydrated Instances' for more details.

Scheduled thresholds

Monitor Scheduled Instances globally or by BizTalk Application.
Scheduled Instances Thresholds
Set thresholds for scheduled instances.

  • Warning count – Set the warning threshold for scheduled instances.
  • Error count – Set the error threshold for scheduled instances.
  • Warning time span – Set the maximum allowed scheduled time before a warning.
  • Error time span – Set the maximum allowed scheduled time before an error.
  • Specific configurations – Customize thresholds for specific BizTalk Applications.

See 'Scheduled Instances' for more details.

Retrying thresholds

Monitor Retrying Instances globally or by BizTalk Application.
Retrying Instances Thresholds
Set thresholds for retrying instances.

  • Warning count – Set the warning threshold for retrying instances.
  • Error count – Set the error threshold for retrying instances.
  • Warning time span – Set the maximum allowed retrying time before a warning.
  • Error time span – Set the maximum allowed retrying time before an error.
  • Specific configurations – Customize thresholds for specific BizTalk Applications.

See 'Retrying Instances' for more details.

Ready to Run thresholds

Monitor Ready to Run Instances globally or by BizTalk Application.
Ready to Run Instances Thresholds
Set thresholds for ready to run instances.

  • Warning count – Set the warning threshold for ready to run instances.
  • Error count – Set the error threshold for ready to run instances.
  • Warning time span – Set the maximum allowed ready to run time before a warning.
  • Error time span – Set the maximum allowed ready to run time before an error.
  • Specific configurations – Customize thresholds for specific BizTalk Applications.

See 'Ready Instances' for more details.

Tracking

Keep your pipelines properly tracked at all times for maximum insight and compliance.

From the Tracking tab, monitor BizTalk Pipelines for optimal tracking configuration.

Please also review the Recommended tracking settings for default pipelines user guide! Nodinite can help you address known BizTalk bugs.
Tracking tab
Monitor and optimize tracking settings for BizTalk pipelines.

  • Warn for 'Track Events' disabled – Get alerts when essential tracking events are disabled.
  • Warn for 'Track Message Bodies' enabled – Get alerts when message body tracking is enabled, which may impact performance.

Tip

Enable all options to ensure your pipelines are always properly tracked. See 'Tracking for Default Pipelines' for more details.

Settings tab

Fine-tune general agent settings in the Settings tab:

  • Environment – Name the environment (e.g., Test, Prod, QA).
  • Debug – Enable for troubleshooting; disable in production.
  • Culture Information – Set date/time formatting.
  • CSV Delimiter – Choose the delimiter for CSV exports.
  • Include detailed description – Decide if detailed Resources descriptions are included (default: unchecked).
  • List suspended instances by service name – Use for non-enterprise BizTalk editions with application limits (default: unchecked).
  • Enable download and visibility of body/context for suspended messages – Grant access as needed.
    Settings tab
    Example of the Settings tab in Nodinite.

To use the Audit feature and get statistics about suspended instances, enable the Monitoring Agent Database.

  • Use Monitor Agent Database – Required for clustering; stores statistics and configuration centrally.
  • Monitor Agent Database Connection String – Enter the connection string for the monitoring database.

    Example:
    Data Source=%DBSERVERNAME%\[INSTANCENAME]%;Initial Catalog=%Nodinite_MonitoringAgent_BizTalk_PROD%;Integrated Security=True;Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=True

Note

Update the connection string values to match your environment.

Tip

See the shared user guide for installing and updating the Monitoring database.

Use Agent Database
Enable and configure the Monitoring Agent Database for advanced features.

Save

Click 'Save' or 'Save and close' to apply your changes. New settings are evaluated on the next synchronization.
Save and Close buttons
Save your configuration changes in Nodinite.

Note

The time to reflect new settings depends on the agent's synchronization interval. Click Sync Now for immediate updates.

Save and close – Save and exit.
Cancel – Exit without saving.

Add BizTalk Monitoring Agent Configuration

After installing the Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent, provide Nodinite with connection details so the Monitoring Service can recognize your new agent.

No monitoring or configuration is possible until these steps are completed.

Configuration Steps

  1. Add and configure a new Monitoring Agent Configuration.

    Find connection info in the README.txt file in the installation folder.

  2. Use Remote Configuration to set up the agent (see the start of this guide).
  3. Create self-service enabled Monitor Views for your business needs.
  4. Fine-tune Resources using Remote Actions.

Next Step

✅ Recommended tracking settings for default pipelines