To configure BizTalk Server with script you need a configuration file that describes your choices. You can export it from an existing environment or run Configuration.exe do your selections and export. To reuse the file, you will need to edit it to match the new environment. Generally, I create template files with tokens that I replace at configuration time. You can read about the configuration framework here.

The configuration files differ slightly between the first server in which you create the group and the secondaries that joins the group. In the image below you see that the Selected Attribute differs. The same kind of change for SSO if you create the group on the first server.

Handling secrets

In the configuration files you will enter passwords for service accounts and SSO Backup. One alternative could be to use KeePass files that are encrypted or Azure KeyVault. That said at some point you will have secrets in clear text so ensure you delete the configuration file when you’re done. Below a sample function to extract the secrets from a KeePass database using the PoShKeePass module. You can find information extracting KeyVault secrets here.

The execution itself is quite straight forward starting Configuration.exe with /S parameter

Other configurations

Something I see quite often is that customers forget to configure Backups and DTA Purge jobs in a timely manner which leads to unnecessary database growth. You don’t need many lines of code to configure them.

Other potential targets are to register the BizTalk PowerShell provider, WinSCP setup for the SFTP adapter and third-party software.

Sample scripts can be found here: https://github.com/skastberg/biztalkps/tree/master/ScriptedInstallSamples