BizTalk to Azure Integration Services: A Migration Story and Best Practices

This podcast episode explores the Journey of migrating to the cloud, specifically in the context of integration and innovation. This episode of the Azure on Air podcast delves into the experiences of Steef Jan Wigers, an expert in integration, as he shares his insights on migrating from on-premise systems to the cloud.

The Background

Steef Jan Wigers has been in the integration space for over 20 years, starting with BizTalk in the early days. He has worked with various technologies, including mainframes, web services, and cloud computing. His experience spans multiple industries, including retail, hospitality, and finance.

The Challenge

The company Steef Jan worked for had an on-premise solution called New Way, a message broker solution that was homegrown by a third-party vendor. The solution was becoming old, and the support team was no longer up-to-date. The company wanted to move to the cloud to modernize their integration broker and take advantage of the scalability and flexibility offered by cloud computing.

The Solution – Using Azure Integration Services

Steef Jan and his team decided to use Azure Integration Services, which includes Logic Apps, API Management, Storage, and Messaging capabilities. They started by setting up the platform and then migrated the interfaces one by one, starting with the less critical ones. They used a domain-based approach, dividing the interfaces into categories such as articles, pricing, and order flows.

The Journey of migrating to Azure Integration Services

The migration process took around three years, during which time the team learned a lot about the interfaces and how to make them observable. They also built new interfaces and solutions using Azure Integration Services. The team used Azure DevOps to manage the development process and implemented a shared package approach to reuse code.

The Benefits of migration to the cloud

The migration to the cloud brought several benefits, including:

• Increased flexibility and scalability
• Improved observability and monitoring
• Faster time-to-market for new integrations
• Reduced costs and improved efficiency

The Future

Steef Jan emphasizes the importance of continuous evolution and improvement, even after migrating to the cloud. He highlights the need to keep track of new features and capabilities in Azure Integration Services and to leverage them to improve the integration platform.

Conclusion

Migrating to the cloud is a journey that requires careful planning, execution, and continuous improvement. Steef Jan Wigers’ experience is a testament to the benefits of cloud computing and the importance of innovation and integration in today’s fast-paced business environment.

Key Takeaways

• Migrating to the cloud requires a careful approach, starting with the less critical interfaces
• Azure Integration Services offers a flexible and scalable platform for integration
• Continuous evolution and improvement are crucial to getting the most out of cloud computing
• Innovation and integration are key to staying ahead in today’s business environment

Recommendations

• Start by assessing your current integration landscape and identifying areas for improvement
• Consider using Azure Integration Services for your integration needs
• Develop a roadmap for migration and continuous improvement
• Stay up-to-date with the latest features and capabilities in Azure Integration Services