Marcus Rosen.NET

If you need to deploy a BizTalk solution in an automated fashion using MSBuild take a look at the following:

Microsoft SDC Tasks - http://www.codeplex.com/sdctasks/

Contains MSBuild tasks for BizTalk deployment tasks like:

• Removing/Adding BizTalk Applications
• Starting/Stopping Application
• Terminating Host Instances
• And whole heap of other goodies..

BizTalk Build Generator - http://www.codeplex.com/BizTalkMsBuildTool/

• Generates a complete set of MSBuild scripts for your BizTalk Application. Very easy and quick to use and gives a very good basis for your own customised build scripts.

Combining these two tools give you a lot of flexibility and clean build scripts if you want /need to stick with MSBuild.

The only things that is missing in my opinion is a task to Restarting the BizTalk Host Instance. To do this manually (using NET START/STOP) through MSBuild you can use the following target:

<PropetyGroup>
   <BizTalkServiceName>BTSSvc$BizTalkServerApplication</BizTalkServiceName>  
</PropertyGroup>

<Target Name="RestartBizTalkHostService">
   <Message Text="Stopping the BizTalk Service.." />
   <Exec Command="NET STOP $(BizTalkServiceName)" />

   <Message Text="Starting the BizTalk Service.." />
   <Exec Command="NET START $(BizTalkServiceName)" />
</Target>

You can obtain the value of BizTalkServiceName from the Service Console.