Scalability

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Any system these days should be scalable. Your BizTalk server is no exception. Basing your system on a scalable transport protocol infrastructure such as HTTP is a good way to start. Placing business logic in a middle tier and accessing it internally by using an intranet and thin clients is another way to assure scalability from an internal user's perspective.

Your BizTalk server should also be able to handle the expected number of transactions in a given day, multiplied by a factor for growth. However, when you plan for growth, your focus shouldn't be on how many companies you're doing business with today but rather on the potential number of companies you'll be working with in the future. When you consider the explosive expansion of the Web in the short time it has been available, it's easy to imagine the potential for growth in the electronic transmission of B2B information. The low cost of using XML and BizTalk—compared to the high cost and complexity of traditional electronic data interchange (EDI) approaches—means that you will probably use electronic messaging that employs platform-independent standards such as XML and BizTalk with more of your current business partners. You might also be able to create relationships with even more business partners because of the low cost of electronic transactions.