- 3 minutes to read

Recommended tracking settings for default pipelines

Never miss a message or fill your disks again! Nodinite ensures your BizTalk pipeline configuration is always optimized for reliable tracking and efficient operations.

The problem

Microsoft BizTalk Server offers built-in tracking, but with many configuration options and multiple administrators, you can easily end up with:

Missing data – risking business continuity
Full disks – causing performance issues and giving tracking a bad reputation
Invalid configuration – not aligned with your policies or intentions

All supported versions of BizTalk Server (2006 and later) are affected by these challenges, which often result from:

Administrators or consultants who may not fully understand the impact of pipeline tracking settings
Deployments using binding files with incorrect tracking options—a common and costly mistake

The following default pipeline components are especially prone to these issues:

Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.PassThruReceive
Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.PassThruTransmit
Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.XMLReceive
Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.XMLTransmit

Bad BizTalk Binding file

Below is an example of a problematic binding file:

...
<SendPort Name="Send.File.UnzippedXMLFile" IsStatic="true" IsTwoWay="false" BindingOption="1">
      <Description xsi:nil="true" />
      <TransmitPipeline Name="Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.PassThruTransmit" FullyQualifiedName="Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.PassThruTransmit, Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines, Version=3.0.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" Type="2" TrackingOption="ServiceStartEnd MessageSendReceive InboundMessageBody OutboundMessageBody" Description="" />

Sample binding file with too many tracking options checked for a default pipeline

If the <TransmitPipeline element in your binding file references any default pipeline, the settings apply globally—impacting all ports using that pipeline!

Good BizTalk Binding file

Here’s an example of a correct binding file:

...
<SendPort Name="Send.File.UnzippedXMLFile" IsStatic="true" IsTwoWay="false" BindingOption="1">
      <Description xsi:nil="true" />
      <TransmitPipeline Name="Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.PassThruTransmit" FullyQualifiedName="Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.PassThruTransmit, Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines, Version=3.0.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" Type="2" TrackingOption="ServiceStartEnd MessageSendReceive" Description="" />

Sample binding file with correct tracking settings for default pipelines

The solution

Nodinite solves these challenges with the Auto Healing feature, working seamlessly with the Microsoft BizTalk Server Monitoring Agent.

With Nodinite, you can automatically reset default tracking properties on selected BizTalk pipelines, ensuring compliance and peace of mind. The process is simple:

Verify the agent is configured to warn about invalid tracking settings for default pipelines.

Recommended settings for the BizTalk Monitoring Agent
Create a new Monitor View:
- Enable Remote Actions
- Add a link to this documentation in the Description field to inform your team
Select the following Resources (type: default, select BizTalk agent and category 'Pipeline'):
- Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.PassThruReceive
- Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.PassThruTransmit
- Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.XMLReceive
- Microsoft.BizTalk.DefaultPipelines.XMLTransmit
  
  Select default pipelines for monitoring and auto healing
Your Monitor View should now look like this:

Monitor view with default pipelines configured
Create an Auto Healing configuration for each Resource:
- Edit Resource
- Add Auto Healing from the Configuration tab, using settings like the following:
- Don’t forget to SAVE!
Confirm that an ambulance icon appears on all four rows in the Monitor View—this means Auto Healing is active.