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Send Ports Category

Understanding Send Ports Monitoring

Send Ports are the exit points for messages leaving your BizTalk Server environment. Each Send Port delivers messages to external systems via specific protocols (HTTP, FTP, File, MSMQ, SFTP, etc.). If a Send Port is stopped, unenlisted, or has a bad subscription filter, messages cannot be delivered—orders won't reach ERPs, invoices won't reach partners, and critical notifications won't reach downstream systems.

Why Send Ports monitoring is critical:

  • Routing failures cause suspended instances – A Send Port with no matching subscription filter creates "routing failure" suspended instances (not resumable). Every message intended for that endpoint suspends with "no subscriber found." This is one of the most common causes of production incidents.
  • Business transaction failures – Stopped Send Port = messages never delivered. Orders don't reach fulfillment, invoices don't reach accounting, API responses never return to callers. Partners and customers experience silent failures.
  • SLA violations – Unenlisted Send Port means zero messages processed. File exports don't appear on partner SFTP sites, EDI documents don't reach trading partners, web service calls time out without explanation.
  • Financial impact – Failed deliveries mean lost revenue (orders not fulfilled), compliance penalties (regulatory filings not submitted), and partner chargebacks (SLA breaches).
  • Operational blindness – BizTalk doesn't alert when someone stops a Send Port in BizTalk Admin Console. You discover the problem only when thousands of suspended instances accumulate or partners complain.
  • Configuration errors – Bad filter expressions (typos in promoted properties, wrong operator precedence) mean Send Port appears running but never receives messages. Subscriptions silently fail.

Common scenarios requiring Send Port monitoring:

  • Subscription conflicts – Multiple Send Ports subscribe to same message types, causing duplicate deliveries or routing ambiguity
  • No subscriber found – Send Port filter doesn't match message properties; all messages suspend as "routing failure (not resumable)"
  • Adapter failures – FTP credentials expire, HTTP endpoints return 500 errors, file share permissions denied, SFTP host key changes
  • Accidental stops – Developer stops port during troubleshooting and forgets to restart; maintenance extends beyond planned window
  • Enlisted but stopped – Port subscribes but doesn't process; messages dehydrate and pile up in MessageBox, degrading performance
  • Tracking configuration – Tracking disabled to "improve performance" but violates audit requirements for financial/regulated data

The Nodinite BizTalk Monitoring Agent monitors BizTalk Send Ports from all BizTalk Applications. The monitoring agent automatically detects and manages new or removed Send Ports, ensuring your environment is always up to date.

  • Send Ports in BizTalk are listed within Nodinite as resources where the name is the send port name.
  • Nodinite uses the same notion of an Application, providing a 1:1 mapping with its BizTalk Application.
  • Send Ports are grouped by the Category Send Ports.

Send Port Category
Here's an example of a Monitor View filtered by the 'Send Ports' category.

Info

All User operations within Nodinite are Log Audited, supporting your security and corporate governance compliance policies.

What are the key features for Monitoring BizTalk Server Send Ports?

  • Remote Actions – Execute remote actions directly from Nodinite.
  • State Evaluation – Monitor and evaluate the run-time state of your Send Ports.

What is evaluated for BizTalk Send Ports?

The table below describes the different evaluated states for any Send Port:

State Status Description Actions
Unavailable Resource not available Evaluation of the 'BizTalk Send Ports' is not possible either due to network or security-related problems Review prerequisites
Error Unenlisted An Unenlisted Send Port renders as state 'Error' Start
Enlist
Warning Enlisted/Stopped Send port is enlisted/stopped and does not process (send) messages Start
Unenlist
Warning Send Port has a bad filter configuration View Details for additional information
OK Enabled and running Send port is operational, and no other problems are detected Details
Tracking

Tip

The evaluated state can be reconfigured using the Expected State functionality on every Resource within Nodinite.

Actions

The following Remote Actions are available for the Send Port Category:
Send Port Actions Menu
Here's an example of the available actions for Send Ports.

  • Start – Start sending messages (also enlists the send port)
  • Stop – Stop sending messages
  • Enlist – Start subscribing for messages to send when started
  • Unenlist – Stop the port and stop subscribing
  • Tracking – Change Tracking Settings
  • Details – Displays detailed information

Filter Send Ports

The BizTalk Monitoring Agent supports filtering unwanted resources; see Configuration for details so they do not appear as monitored Resources.

Tip

Use the filter functionality to remove temporary send ports that should not be part of your business-critical monitoring with Nodinite

For information about subscription filters on BizTalk Server Send Ports, please visit the Details user guide.

Next Step

Monitor Views
Configuration

Start
Stop
Enlist
Unenlist
Tracking
Details
Add or manage a Monitoring Agent Configuration
Monitoring Agents
Administration
BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent