The BizTalk ScheduledTask Adapter is a widely used, community-developed, in-process receive adapter for Microsoft BizTalk Server that executes specific tasks on a daily, weekly, monthly, or timespan-based schedule. It solves a major native limitation in BizTalk, which does not include a built-in mechanism to periodically trigger orchestrations or message flows without relying on external workarounds like the Windows Task Scheduler. Originally created by Greg Forsythe, the adapter has been prominently maintained, updated, and modernized for newer BizTalk versions by Microsoft MVP Sandro Pereira via the BizTalk ScheduledTask Adapter GitHub Repository. Core Mechanics & Features
In-Process Execution: It runs entirely inside the BizTalk Host Instance process, pushing generated messages directly to the BizTalk Message Box.
Native Configuration: All schedule properties and parameters are configured inside the BizTalk Server Administration Console.
Seamless Deployment: Configuration parameters are stored within the BizTalk Single Sign-On database (SSODB), allowing settings to be effortlessly exported and imported via standard BizTalk binding files.
Flexible Scheduling: Mirroring the capabilities of the Windows Task Scheduler, it supports complex recurrence types, including fine-grained custom timespans (e.g., executing a task every few minutes or skipping weekends). Built-In Task Providers
The adapter includes a set of pre-built components designed to automatically format and feed data into BizTalk streams:
XmlStringStreamProvider: Generates a BizTalk message directly from an XML string predefined inside the configuration.
FileStreamProvider: Pulls data from a designated local or network file at the exact scheduled moment to create a message.
HttpDownload / REST Support: Downloads content from an external website or API endpoint to generate a message body, with later versions adding native support for JSON payloads.
SQLStreamProvider: Acts similarly to legacy polling mechanisms, extracting a message stream from the results of a raw SQL query.
Custom Extensibility: Developers can easily create custom providers by creating a .NET class that implements the adapter’s task interface. Important Release & Compatibility Milestones
Leave a Reply