Chapter 6. API

So far, we've only looked at the graphical tools to interact with Windows Azure BizTalk Services (WABS). These have included Visual Studio for creating and deploying solutions as well as the BizTalk Services Portal (and Azure Management Portal) for management and monitoring of the deployed solutions. Underlying all these tools though is a REST-based API that allows easy integration with scripting tools as well as your own processes to facilitate automated actions such as deployment, testing, and management.

In this chapter, we'll look at the WABS API and how to interact with it using:

• RESTful web services

• PowerShell

• Custom code

While there are three methods in which the API can be used (portal, REST services, and PowerShell), each serves a different need, and although there is an overlap, there are also differences in functionality. The portal has been explored elsewhere in this book and provides an easy-to-access dashboard for system administrators. PowerShell is a familiar tool...