Today while doing a BAM POC to one of my clients, I found a number of problems/errors, some of them unexpected and uncommon, while trying to deploy my BAM definition file.
In order to contextualize the problem, for this POC we are using only one BizTalk Server machine with BAM Portal, one dedicated SQL Server, and Analysis Server and Integration Server in another dedicated server. So, more or less a simple Multi-Computer Environment.
In this post I will address the most unusual of them:
Deploying Activity… Done.
Deploying View… ERROR: The BAM deployment failed.
Could not load file or assembly ‘Microsoft.SqlServer.ASTasks, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91’ or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
Cause
Well, the cause is quite obvious by its description. Microsoft.SqlServer.ASTasks assembly is missing or some of its dependencies, although, the environment has been installed, configured and functioning correctly, i.e., everything was working properly with the exception of BAM deployment.
My first suspicion (which ultimately turned out to be right), and because, as I told before, SQL Server is remote was that not all the SQL Server Client Tools components were installed on the BizTalk Server machine.
This suspicion was confirmed when I open the SQL Server 2014 Management Studio console. Because the machine only had the “Management Tools – Basic” feature installed.
The “differences” between basic and complete are:
- Management Tools – Basic: includes support for the Database Engine and SQL Server Express, SQL Server command-line utility (SQLCMD) and SQL Server PowerShell provider
- Management Tools – Complete: as the name implies, you get it all. It adds support Reporting Services, Analysis Services, and Integration Services technologies.
Because support for Analysis Services is required in BizTalk Server machines while deploying the view definition, this error occurs.
Solution
To solve this problem, you must install also, on the BizTalk Server machine, the “Management Tools – Complete” shared feature. To do that you need:
- Clicking on “Compatibility View” button that appears in the Address bar to display the site in Compatibility View.
- Run SQL Server 2014 setup program.
- On the SQL Server Installation Center, click Installation.
- Click New Installation or Add Features to an Existing Installation.
- Review the information on the Setup Support Rules screen, and then click OK.
- On the Product Key screen, enter your product key and click Next.
- On the License Terms screen, select I accept the license terms and then click Next.
- On the Setup Support Files screen, click Install.
- On the Feature Selection screen, select the following features, and then click Next.
- Shared Features
- Management Tools – Basic
- Management Tools – Complete
- Shared Features
Once “Management Tools – Complete” is installed, you will be able to deploy your BAM definition file.
With BizTalk 2016 and SQL Server 2016, it appears the BizTalk server must now have SQL Server Management Studio and the Client shared features from the “SQL Server Installation Center” installed. Oh, and SQL XML 4.0. Is that correct?