Imagine I have a Staffdatabase that runs on Unix.
HR inputs new employees records every day on Staffdatabase.
The Unix-db admin can put together a simple shell script for me that dumps
the new users on a \\server\share\newpeople.txt.

On my Active Directory system, I want to build for example a distribution
list with this new people that was added to Staffdatabase.

The idea is, every time I have updates on 'newpeople.txt', I could read it
and update my distribution list. Of course I could also read 'newpeople.txt'
periodically...

Question is, does BizTalk can help me and enrich this type of task ?

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Hello,

>Imagine I have a Staffdatabase that runs on Unix.
>HR inputs new employees records every day on Staffdatabase.
>The Unix-db admin can put together a simple shell script for me that dumps
>the new users on a \\server\share\newpeople.txt.
>
>On my Active Directory system, I want to build for example a distribution
>list with this new people that was added to Staffdatabase.
>
>The idea is, every time I have updates on 'newpeople.txt', I could read it
>and update my distribution list. Of course I could also read 'newpeople.txt
'
>periodically...
>
>Question is, does BizTalk can help me and enrich this type of task ?

If the only task you will perform is read a file from some directory (perhap
s using FTP instead of a directory)
and perform some AD object creations, a solution built on BizTalk will be la
yout like this:

1) Use an out of the box adapter to pick up the file
2) Convert the file to XML using the flat file disassembler (perhaps the fil
e can eb produced in XML at the beginning, removing this step)
3) Write an object that can perform AD manipulations and use it from within 
a BizTalk orchestartion.

1) and 2) are easy since they use out of the box components. 3) requires dev
elopment and an orchestartion will be a little overkill to just create
AD objects (it for sure can be done, but it is kind of using a gun to kill a
n ant).

In the scenario you describe, BizTalk does not seem to dramatically help you
. It is as hard to write an orchestration as it is to write
some code that will wait for the file to appear on a directory. As far as th
e AD process is concerned, BizTalk does not offer, out of the
box, an easy way to manipulate AD so you'd have to write an object that does
 that (in C# for instance) or acquire one from a third party.

While BizTalk does not seem to help with the AD scenarion above, there might
 be other senarios that you can more easily sovel with BizTalk.
For inatance, do you need reliable messaging? Maybe you need long running tr
ansactions and powerfull integration with other systems?

Thanks,
-Gilles.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Absolutely. I gave you this simple simple example but we have other
scenarios where integration is required. Thanks.

"Gilles [MSFT]" <Gilles@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2dHBwftsEHA.3124@cpmsftngxa10.phx.gbl...
> Hello,
> 
dumps[vbcol=seagreen] 
it[vbcol=seagreen] 
'newpeople.txt'[vbcol=seagreen] 
>
> If the only task you will perform is read a file from some directory
(perhaps using FTP instead of a directory)
> and perform some AD object creations, a solution built on BizTalk will be
layout like this:
>
> 1) Use an out of the box adapter to pick up the file
> 2) Convert the file to XML using the flat file disassembler (perhaps the
file can eb produced in XML at the beginning, removing this step)
> 3) Write an object that can perform AD manipulations and use it from
within a BizTalk orchestartion.
>
> 1) and 2) are easy since they use out of the box components. 3) requires
development and an orchestartion will be a little overkill to just create
> AD objects (it for sure can be done, but it is kind of using a gun to kill
an ant).
>
> In the scenario you describe, BizTalk does not seem to dramatically help
you. It is as hard to write an orchestration as it is to write
> some code that will wait for the file to appear on a directory. As far as
the AD process is concerned, BizTalk does not offer, out of the
> box, an easy way to manipulate AD so you'd have to write an object that
does that (in C# for instance) or acquire one from a third party.
>
> While BizTalk does not seem to help with the AD scenarion above, there
might be other senarios that you can more easily sovel with BizTalk.
> For inatance, do you need reliable messaging? Maybe you need long running
transactions and powerfull integration with other systems?
>
> Thanks,
> -Gilles.
>
>

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]