As Microsoft's primary enterprise integration platform for over two decades, BizTalk Server has been the backbone of mission-critical business processes for thousands of organisations. However, with BizTalk Server approaching end-of-life milestones, IT leaders face crucial decisions about their integration infrastructure that will impact business continuity, security compliance, and future digital transformation initiatives.
Currently, only BizTalk Server 2016 and 2020 remain supported, with no indication from Microsoft about future versions. This situation presents both challenges and opportunities for organisations to modernise their integration architecture. This article will guide IT managers through:
Understanding support timelines and their business implications
Critical dependencies on SQL Server and Windows Server versions
Strategic considerations for migration planning
Modern alternatives with Azure Integration Services
Practical migration approaches and new features that ease the transition
For IT managers planning their integration strategy, understanding these support lifecycles is crucial for:
Maintaining security compliance and risk management
Ensuring continued vendor support for business-critical systems
Planning resource allocation and budgeting for migration
Leveraging new cloud capabilities while preserving existing investments
Let's explore the key support phases and what they mean for your organisation.
One thing we need to define before continuing is the difference between Mainstream Support and Extended Support:
Mainstream Support
Mainstream support refers to the first phase (typically 5 years) of a product's lifecycle under the Fixed Policy and includes:
Requests to change product design and features
Security updates
Non-security updates
Self-help support
Paid support
Extended Support
When applicable, the Extended Support phase follows Mainstream Support for products governed by the Fixed Policy. At the supported service pack level, Extended Support includes:
Security updates
Paid programs
BizTalk Server 2016
BizTalk Server 2016, Microsoft On-Premises Integration Platform, has been out of Mainstream Support since the 11th of January 2022, and Extended Support will end on the 11th of January 2027. One note about BizTalk Server 2016 is that Microsoft SQL Server 2016 will be out of Extended Support on the 14th of July, 2026.
BizTalk Server 2020
BizTalk Server 2020, Microsoft On-Premises Integration Platform, is going out of Mainstream Support on the 11th of April 2028 and out of Extended Support on the 9th of April 2030.
One caveat with this is that the original BizTalk Server 2020 install supported Windows Server 2019 and SQL Server 2019. Windows Server 2019 went out of Mainstream Support on the 9th of January 2024 and will go out of Extended Support on the 9th of January 2029. SQL Server 2019 will leave Mainstream Support on the 28th of February 2025 and goes out of extended support on the 8th of January 2030.
To get the full extended support for BizTalk Server 2020, you will need to install BizTalk Server 2020 Cumulative Update 6 and then upgrade to Windows Server 2022 and SQL Server 2022. Microsoft is currently working on support for Visual Studio 2022 (currently, BizTalk Server 2020 is only supported on Visual Studio 2019).
Migrating from BizTalk Server
One of the biggest challenges around migrating off BizTalk Server to Azure Integration Services is understanding what is being used in BizTalk and how that applies or relates to Azure Integration Services. Many times, it might be necessary to review your existing BizTalk Server Application to determine exactly what they are doing and then use that information to design how that maps to Azure Integration Services.
Microsoft has published some guidance on the migration process, and it can be found here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/biztalk-server-migration-overview
One new preview feature in Azure Logic App is the ability to use XML as the default instead of JSON, this will make the migration from the XML-based BizTalk Server easier and reduce the development time required. Some information about this announcement can be found here: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/integrationsonazureblog/announcing-the-public-preview-of-the-new-xml-compose-and-parse-with-schema-actio/4273434
Logic App Standard has a custom code feature that allows you to use maps with custom C# scripting and custom code helpers in C#, again making the migration from BizTalk to Azure Integration Services easier.
Conclusion
The SixPivot team has experience with BizTalk Server and Azure Integration Services to help your team through the review of the existing BizTalk Application and mapping those to Azure Integration Services.
Contact SixPivot for Assistance
Reach out to us at:
Email: sales@sixpivot.com
Phone: 1800 6 PIVOT
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Speaking: Bill Chesnut
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