Question

A single Biztalk Server can have multiple Host processes. Is it possible to create an application config file for each host process? For example I would like to use Unity or log4net or whatever which needs such a configuration file.

Edit: Thanks at David Hall. To elaborate a bit more: We have 12 Biztalk Servers in a group each running between 5 and 10 host processes. Some things the host processes run are unique to each process, but they also share a lot of code on the library level. The trigger for my question was the need to configure for example trace levels for the one system part (equivalent to host process) that currently gives trouble.

As an alternative it would help if I could figure out in which host process the current code is running, but I’ll post that to a different question.

Answer 1

If I interpret your question correctly, you want to be able to have a separate version of the BTSNTSvs.exe.config file for each host instance?

So as well as the BizTalkServerApplication host instance, you have YourHostInstance host instances that you want to have a separate config for?

I don’t 100% know that you cannot do this, but I am almost sure that it is not possible.

The reasons I’m fairly sure this isn’t possible are:

1. The BTSNTSvc.exe.config file attaches to the main executable BTSNTSvc.exe
2. Config changes placed in BTSNTSvc.exe.config apply to all host instance regardless of their names.

I’ve just flipped through the BizTalk books I have to hand as well as some of the good web resources and can’t find any mention of someone doing what you want.

So as far as I know, you will need to put the config settings for things like log4net into the BTSNTSvc.exe.config file, and have them the same for each host instance.

One way to get close to what you want would be to load application specific settings from the rules engine.