SQL Server is essential for BizTalk Server. To support BizTalk pub/sub architecture a database is key to publish messages and to cater for subscriptions. I recently sat down with database administrators at a customer explaining the role of SQL Server in a BizTalk group. When all the BizTalk features are installed and configured the following databasesare provisioned in SQL Server:
- BizTalkMsgBoxDb– Messages
- BizTalkMgmtDb– Configuration
- BizTalkDTADb– Tracking
- BAMArchive, BAMPrimairyImport, BAMStarSchema– Business Activity
- BAMAlertsApplication, BAMAlertsNSMain– BAM Alerts
- SSODB– Single Sign On
- BizTalkRuleEngineDb– Business Rule Engine
On TechNet Wiki you can find a database survival guide that provides links to all kinds of resources related to BizTalk databases. The health of these databases is very important for a sustainable BizTalk Server messaging environment.
With provisioning of the BizTalk databases during the configuration of BizTalk Server databases jobs are being created. These jobs play an important role in keeping the BizTalk databases healthy. The role of each of these jobs is explained in TechNet Wiki article BizTalk Server 2010: SQL Agent Jobs.
Other aspects of SQL Server regarding BizTalk are backup/restore, tracking and availability of its databases. You can find articles on these subjects on TechNet Wiki:
- BizTalk Server 2010: Database BizTalkDTADb - Tracking
- Aspects of Backup for Your BizTalk Databases - Backup/Restore
- BizTalk Server: High Availability - Availability
TechNet wiki is a great resource for Database Administrators that are responsible for SQL Server instances that have the BizTalk databases. I pointed these resources out to the database administrators I talked to. They can benefit from the information provided for in the articles and the references to MSDN. So can you if you are responsible for BizTalk databases on SQL Server or like to learn about them.
- Ninja Steef-Jan (Blog, Wiki, Twitter, Profile)