An envelope encapsulates electronic business data for transport. An envelope typically consists of header and footer information, or of header information only. The envelope properties that you specify provide Microsoft BizTalk Server 2000 with information that the server needs to either open inbound interchanges or create outbound interchanges. When you create an envelope, you specify an envelope format; for certain types of formats, you also can select an envelope specification.
The envelope formats supported by BizTalk Server 2000 are custom XML, ANSI X12, UN/EDIFACT, flat file (delimited and positional), custom, and reliable. The reliable format processes envelopes that are compliant with BizTalk Framework 2.0. For more information about BizTalk Framework 2.0, go to the Microsoft BizTalk Web site (www.microsoft.com/biztalk/). If you specify a custom envelope format, you must create and register a custom parser component to process inbound envelopes or a custom serializer component to process outbound envelopes. For more information, see Using the IBizTalkParserComponent Interface and Using the IBizTalkSerializerComponent Interface.
To enable BizTalk Server 2000 to process inbound interchanges with a custom XML or flat-file format, you must create envelopes with a matching format. To enable BizTalk Server 2000 to process inbound interchanges with a custom format, you must create and register a custom parser component. BizTalk Server 2000 can process inbound interchanges with ANSI X12, UN/EDIFACT, or reliable formats without using an envelope created by using BizTalk Messaging Manager.
To process outbound documents with any format, you must create an envelope and select it in a messaging port to create an interchange with the required envelope format and header information. BizTalk Server 2000 places only one document in each outbound interchange.
When you select an envelope with an X12 or EDIFACT format in a messaging port, you must also specify delimiters and an interchange control number. These EDI properties apply only to the envelopes selected for use with that messaging port. When you select an envelope with a custom format, then delimiters and an interchange control number are optional and depend on the requirements of your custom parser or serializer components. When you create a channel for a messaging port that uses an X12, EDIFACT, or custom envelope, you can specify a functional group control number that applies only to documents processed by that channel and messaging port combination.
The format of an envelope that you select in a messaging port must agree with the format of the outbound document that it contains. The format of the outbound document is determined by the specification referred to in the outbound document definition of a channel. For example, if you choose an envelope with an X12 format for a messaging port, when you create a channel for that messaging port you must select an outbound document definition that points to a specification that also has an X12 format.
If you do not specify an envelope when creating a messaging port, the data is sent in XML format without any header.
.gif)
Note
- When processing envelopes that are compliant with BizTalk Framework 2.0, BizTalk Server 2000 should be considered the endpoint with regard to the expiration time. When BizTalk Framework 2.0–compliant documents are submitted to BizTalk Server 2000, either from an application or a trading partner, the following fields are overwritten if present, or created if absent:
- In the properties subsection:
<prop:identity>
<prop:sentAt>
<expiresAt>
- In the receipt information subsection:
<sendTo>
<address>
<sendReceiptBy>
The following topics are covered in this section:
Related Topics