Announcing: Unleash AI Innovation with a Modern Integration Platform and an API-First Strategy
As AI technologies continue to evolve, they offer businesses a unique opportunity to modernize operations, accelerate innovation, and unlock new growth potential. To stay ahead of the curve, organizations need a comprehensive integration and API strategy that seamlessly connects data, applications, and AI across their entire ecosystem. We’re excited to announce the "Unleash AI Innovation with a Modern Integration Platform and an API-First Strategy" event. Over two action-packed days, you'll gain valuable insights from Azure leaders, industry analysts, and enterprise customers about how Azure Integration Services and Azure API Management are driving efficiency, agility, and fueling business growth in the AI-powered era. Why Attend? From security to development, customer success stories to expert analyst insights, this event will highlight why APIs and integration are critical for success now and in the future. Get exclusive industry insights: Gain expert perspectives from IDC’s Shari Lava, Azure product leaders, and Forrester consultant Andrew Nadler on the latest trends shaping enterprise integration and API strategies. Learn from real-world customer stories: Hear firsthand from organizations like DocuSign, Visa, LyondellBasell, Metcash, Khoj, Brisbane City Council, Moneris, Heineken, Transcard, and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield on how they are transforming operations with Azure Integration Services and Azure API Management. Accelerate your AI and integration strategy: Learn how Azure Logic Apps make AI-driven automation more accessible than ever, and how Azure API Management empowers businesses to securely scale AI-powered APIs. Event Highlights Day 1: Drive Business Growth with a Modern Integration Platform In today’s competitive landscape, businesses must seamlessly connect data, applications, and AI. On Day 1, you'll explore how Azure Integration Services help organizations break down data silos, unlock real-time insights, and optimize operations. Learn how connected data streams enable smarter, faster decision-making, while AI-powered workflows reduce complexity and drive operational efficiency. We’ll also explore how businesses are modernizing legacy systems by migrating from BizTalk and other on-premises integration solutions to Azure Integration Services, providing greater scalability, agility, and business continuity. Day 2: Power AI and Enterprise Innovation with an API-First Strategy On Day 2, you'll dive deep into how APIs are the backbone of modern digital ecosystems. APIs enable businesses to scale faster, enhance developer experiences, and create new revenue streams. Learn how Azure API Management helps you secure, manage, and monetize APIs while accelerating AI adoption. You’ll also discover best practices for securing and governing APIs across distributed environments, ensuring that your AI-powered ecosystem remains secure, scalable, and compliant. Streamed Live Across Multiple Time Zones Join us no matter where you are! We’re streaming live across multiple time zones, so you can participate at a time that works best for you. US/Canada: Reserve your seat today! Day 1: Tuesday, 29 April 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM PDT Day 2: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM PDT Australia/New Zealand: Reserve Your Seat Today! Day 1: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM AEDT Day 2: Thursday, 1 May 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM AEDT Europe: Reserve Your Seat Today! Day 1: Tuesday, 29 April 2025 | 9:00am – 12:30pm BST Day 2: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 | 9:00am – 12:30pm BST Ready to Future-Proof Your Integration and API Strategy? Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to learn from industry experts, Azure leaders, and top enterprises. Discover how to future-proof your integration and API strategy to drive AI-powered growth and business success.
🚀 General Availability: Enhanced Data Mapper Experience in Logic Apps (Standard)
We’re excited to announce the General Availability (GA) of the redesigned Data Mapper UX in the Azure Logic Apps (Standard) extension for Visual Studio Code. This release marks a major milestone in our journey to modernize and streamline data transformation workflows for integration developer. What's new The new UX, previously available in public preview, is now the default experience in the Logic Apps Standard extension. This GA release reflects direct feedback from our integration developer community. We’ve resolved blockers that we heard from customers and usability issues that impacted performance and stability, including: Opening V1 maps in V2: Seamlessly open and edit existing maps you have already created with latest visual capabilities. Load schemas on Mac: Addressed schema-related crashes on macOS for a smoother experience. Function documentation updates: Improved guidance and examples for built-in collection functions that apply on repeating nodes. Stay connected We would love to hear your feedback. Please use this form link to let us know if there are any missing gaps or scenarios that are not yet coveredAnnouncing the BizTalk Server 2020 Cumulative Update 6
The BizTalk Server product team has released the Cumulative Update 6 for BizTalk Server 2020. The Cumulative Update 6 contains all released functional and security fixes for customer-reported issues for BizTalk Server 2020. Also, CU6 includes support for the following new Microsoft platforms: Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Microsoft Windows 11 BizTalk Server 2016 is currently out of support with its end of life in 2027. If you are running BizTalk 2016, or earlier versions of the product, you must upgrade to BizTalk Server 2020 CU6 or strongly consider migrating to Azure Logic Apps. Please fill this survey: https://aka.ms/biztalklogicapps. More Information about the CU6: This cumulative update includes all the product components. However, only those components that are currently installed on the system are updated. This CU6 includes fixes for the following areas: BizTalk Server Adapters Updates WCF-SAP adapter SFTP adapter BizTalk Server Administration Tools and Management APIs Lost changes to SQL Server Agent jobs You can obtain the software from the Microsoft Download Center, at https://aka.ms/BTS2020CU6. For more information about the BizTalk Server 2020 CU6, read the Microsoft Knowledgebase article posted to https://aka.ms/BTS2020CU6KB.🔁 Public Preview Refresh: More Power to Data Mapper in Azure Logic Apps
We’re back with a Public Preview refresh for the Data Mapper in Azure Logic Apps (Standard) — bringing forward some long-standing capabilities that are now fully supported in the new UX. In our initial announcement, we introduced a redesigned experience focused on usability, error handling, and improved mapping for complex schemas. As we continue evolving the tool, we’re working to bring feature parity with the classic experience, while layering in modern enhancements along the way. With this update, several existing capabilities from the legacy Data Mapper are now available in the new preview version — so you can bring your advanced scenarios forward with confidence. 🛠️ Run XSLT Inside Your Data Map The ability to apply XSLT has long been a powerful feature in Logic Apps, and we’re excited to bring Run XSLT support into the new UX. You can now invoke reusable transformation logic from your map, including: Enterprise-grade XSLT Predefined templates or logic from your BizTalk workflows How to try it out: Create a new data map. Right-click on the MapDefintions or Maps folder and click Create new data map Store the XSLT file under Artifacts -> DataMapper/Extension -> InlineXslt. Open the data map and search for Run XSLT in the functions panel. Select the function and simply select the function you want to run from the dropdown Connect to desired destination node. In my case, the function simply adds a "Placeholder" value for the Name node at destination, alongside an "EmployeeType" node. Note that you do not need to connect any source node to the XSLT function given this is custom XSLT logic that will be applied directly at destination node. Upon testing the map, right value is generated in the destination schema 🔍 Execute XPath to Extract Targeted Values Execute XPath is now supported in the new experience, giving you control to extract specific values from nested XML structures. This function is particularly useful for: Accessing attributes and nested elements Applying logic based on the structure or content of incoming data How to try it out: Search for Execute XPath in the functions panel. Select the function and add the expression you want to extract Map it to destination node. Here is what the map will look like: The test payload correctly creates multiple Address nodes at destination based on the Address node at source. 🧩 Use Custom XML Functions Custom XML functions allow you to define and reuse logic across your map. This helps reduce duplication and supports schema-specific transformations. Now that support is available in the new UX, you can: Wrap complex logic into manageable components Handle schema-specific edge cases with ease How to try it out: Add the .xml function file under Artifacts -> DataMapper/Extension -> Functions Open the data map and under Utility category of functions, select the new function. In our case, the xml function is called Age Connect function input to Date_of_Birth node at source and output to Age node at destination. The map will look something like this Test the map and notice that the age is calculated correctly at the destination node 🌒 Dark Mode Support in VS Code The new UX now respects Dark Mode in VS Code, giving you a visually cohesive and low-contrast authoring experience — perfect for long mapping sessions. No extra steps needed — Dark Mode works automatically based on your VS Code theme settings. ⚙️ How to Enable the New Experience If you haven’t yet tried the new UX: Open your Logic Apps (Standard) project in VS Code Go to Logic Apps (Standard) extension → Settings → Data Mapper Select Version ~2 You’ll find detailed walkthroughs in the initial preview announcement blog. 💬 We’d Love Your Feedback We’re continuously evolving the Data Mapper, and your feedback is key to getting it right — especially as we bring more advanced transformation scenarios into the new experience. 👉 Submit your feedback here 🐛 Found an issue or have a specific feature request? Let us know on GitHub Issues Thanks again for being part of the journey — more updates coming soon! 🚀Announcing the BizTalk Server 2020 Cumulative Update 7
The BizTalk Server product team has released the Cumulative Update 7 for BizTalk Server 2020. The Cumulative Update 7 contains all released functional and security fixes for customer-reported issues for BizTalk Server 2020. Also, CU7 includes support for the following new Microsoft platforms: Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Microsoft Windows 11 BizTalk Server 2016 is currently out of support with its end of life in 2027. If you are running BizTalk 2016, or earlier versions of the product, you must upgrade to BizTalk Server 2020 CU6 or strongly consider migrating to Azure Logic Apps. Please fill this survey: https://aka.ms/biztalklogicapps. More Information about the CU7: This is an optional update only if you require VS 2022. If you don’t need VS2022, you can continue running on BizTalk Server CU6. CU7 requires that you re-create BizTalk groups for BizTalk Server instances that already were part of a BizTalk group before the installation. Existing BizTalk groups can't have different instances at different cumulative update level. We will provide support to our CU6 and CU7 customers. You can obtain the software from the Microsoft 365 admin center or the Visual Studio Subscriber site. For more information about the BizTalk Server 2020 CU7, read the Microsoft Knowledgebase article posted to https://aka.ms/BTS2020CU7KB .Transform Your Integration Strategy with Azure Integration Services
Still on Microsoft BizTalk Server or other legacy integration solutions? If you're relying on BizTalk or other legacy systems, you're already feeling the pain: rising costs, performance bottlenecks, and limited scalability. These outdated systems are holding you back, but the good news? The time to modernize is NOW and we’ve got the event that will show you how. Join us at "Unleash AI Innovation with a Modern Integration Platform and an API-First Strategy", where industry leaders like Visa, LyondellBasell, and Metcash share how they reimagined their integration landscape with Azure. This is your blueprint for moving beyond the limitations of legacy systems and unlocking innovation with a cloud-native, AI-ready approach. By attending, you’ll gain exclusive insights into how leading organizations have turned integration challenges into competitive advantages, positioning themselves for future growth with Azure. Real Stories, Real Impact Visa: Revolutionizing Operations with Azure Logic Apps Visa’s journey from BizTalk to Azure Logic Apps isn’t just a story of modernization—it’s a game-changer. By automating complex workflows and managing over 100 HR systems, Visa reduced manual intervention and slashed infrastructure costs by 95%. With Azure, Visa is now set to scale operations and leverage AI for continued growth. Discover the details of how Visa is preparing for tomorrow’s challenges today. LyondellBasell: Scaling Beyond BizTalk LyondellBasell, a global leader in chemicals, broke free from BizTalk’s limitations. Azure Integration Services empowered them with hybrid connectivity and real-time visibility, enabling them to streamline workflows and boost developer efficiency by 50%. Learn how they unlocked faster decision-making and stronger business outcomes. Brisbane City Council: From Legacy to API-First Agility Brisbane City Council, Australia’s largest local government, faced limitations with legacy integration solution. With Azure, they cut data processing times from 1 hour to under 5 minutes. The shift to an API-first approach future-proofed their strategy. Find out how this local government innovated without disruption. Metcash: Peak Retail Performance, Zero Downtime After moving to Azure Integration Services, Metcash, an Australian wholesaler, processed 8.65 million API calls in 48 hours during a major retail event without a single minute of downtime. With Azure, they achieved unrivaled resilience and scalability, all while slashing costs. See how Metcash’s transformation can serve as your blueprint for success. What You’ll Learn: How to cut costs and modernize your integration landscape Ways to scale with cloud-native solutions and AI-driven automation Strategies to secure every API with enterprise-grade governance Real-world migration paths from BizTalk and other platforms Choose Your Region and Register Now US/Canada: Reserve your seat today! Day 1: Tuesday, 29 April 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM PDT Day 2: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM PDT Australia/New Zealand: Reserve Your Seat Today! Day 1: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM AEDT Day 2: Thursday, 1 May 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM AEDT Europe: Reserve Your Seat Today! Day 1: Tuesday, 29 April 2025 | 9:00am – 12:30pm BST Day 2: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 | 9:00am – 12:30pm BSTHybrid Logic Apps deployment on Rancher K3s Kubernetes cluster
K3s is a lightweight Kubernetes distribution, certified by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and originally developed by Rancher. It is optimized for on-premises environments with limited resources, making it ideal for edge computing and lightweight hybrid scenarios. Unlike a full Kubernetes distribution, K3s reduces overhead while maintaining full Kubernetes API compatibility. This makes K3s an ideal choice for hosting Logic Apps Standard near your data sources—such as on-premises SQL Server or local file shares—when you have lightweight workloads. There are 5 steps which are followed to setup the Hybrid Logic Apps including infrastructure which is illustrated in the following diagram. Most of these 5 steps are same as discussed in the Hybrid Logic Apps doc except the K3s Setup part Set up your own infrastructure for Standard logic app workflows - Azure Logic Apps | Microsoft Learn. Step 1: Prepare the K3s Cluster Docker desktop setup - In this case, the host machine is Windows 11 so decided to user Docker with WSL2 to setup the containers. Install the docker desktop using WSL2 Docker Desktop: The #1 Containerization Tool for Developers | Docker and make sure we select WSL2 Install K3s on your infrastructure and create single node cluster using k3d. #Install choco , kubectl and Helm Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1')) powershell choco install kubernetes-cli -y choco install kubernetes-helm -y choco install k3d -y k3d cluster create "k3d-rancher" # open in new powershell window powershell k3d cluster create # deleting the default load balancer Traefik as it conflicts with 80 and 443 port - we can configure the load balancer to other ports if needed kubectl delete svc traefik -n kube-system kubectl delete deployment traefik -n kube-system Next two steps are same as given Set up your own infrastructure for Standard logic app workflows - Azure Logic Apps | Microsoft Learn Step 2: Connect the Kubernetes cluster to Azure Arc Step 3: Setup the Azure Container Apps extension and environment You need to skip the core DNS setup required for Azure Local as given in Update CoreDNS Step 4: Conduct the Storage Configuration for SQL and SMB SQL Database (Runtime Store): Hybrid Logic Apps use SQL database for runtime operations and run history. In this scenario I used on-premise SQL server using SQL Authentication. I setup the SQL Server 2022 on the Windows host machine, enabled SQL server authentication and added new SQL admin user. Please follow the link for more details.. The SQL connection string can be validated using following PowerShell script $connectionString = "Server=<server IP address>;Initial Catalog=<databaseName>;Persist Security Info=False;User ID=<sqluser>;Password=<password>;MultipleActiveResultSets=False;Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;Connection Timeout=30;" try { $connection = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection $connection.ConnectionString = $connectionString $connection.Open() Write-Host "✅ Connection successful" $connection.Close() } catch { Write-Host "❌ Connection failed: $($_.Exception.Message)" } SMB is used as local file share on Windows host machine; it is advised to use a new user for the Windows SMB share $Username = "k3suser" $Password = ConvertTo-SecureString "<password complex>" -AsPlainText -Force $FullName = "K3s user" $Description = "Created via PowerShell" # Create the user New-LocalUser -Name $Username -Password $Password -FullName $FullName -Description $Description Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Users" -Member $Username Once the above user is created you can use Windows hosted machine to create Artifacts folder and allow read and write access. Please follow the link for more details Step 5: Create your Logic App (Hybrid) With all prerequisites and infrastructure in place for creating Hybrid Logic Apps, the next step is to build the Logic Apps using the specified connection string and SMB share path. This can be accomplished through the Azure Portal, as outlined below. Now you can create Logic Apps workflows using the designer and execute the Logic Apps workflow.Q1’2025: Azure Integration Services Quarterly Highlights and Insights
From reinventing hybrid integration to unlocking AI-powered productivity and simplifying API management across ecosystems, the first quarter of 2025 was all about making integration smarter, faster, and more accessible for everyone. Whether you're a developer modernizing legacy workflows, an IT pro securing mission-critical APIs, or a business technologist building intelligent automations, Azure Integration Services and Azure API Management are moving at the speed of innovation. Here’s what stood out this quarter and how these updates can help accelerate your next move. Product Announcements We’ve been hard at work delivering powerful new capabilities across Azure Logic Apps and Azure API Management designed to help you move faster, modernize smarter, and innovate with confidence. Here’s what’s new: Azure Logic Apps Hybrid Deployment Model [Public Preview Refresh] The public preview of the Logic Apps hybrid deployment model has been refreshed, allowing you to run Logic Apps on your own infrastructure, whether that’s on-premises, at the edge, or across multi-cloud environments. New highlights include: .NET Framework custom code support on Linux containers – Bring over BizTalk-style transformations without a rewrite. SAP built-in connector now supported on Linux containers – Run SAP workflows anywhere you deploy Hybrid Logic Apps. New Rabbit MQ built-in connector – Seamlessly connect to on-premises message brokers for hybrid queueing scenarios. Read the full update. Data Mapper in Azure Logic Apps (Standard) [Public Preview Refresh] The updated Data Mapper in Logic Apps (Standard) is now even more powerful, bringing forward critical BizTalk-era capabilities with a modern UX: Run enterprise-grade XSLT logic from reusable templates Extract values from complex XML using XPath Build and reuse custom XML functions within your maps Dive into the details. Azure API Center Continues to Evolve Azure API Center continues to evolve as the single source of truth for your organization’s APIs. Two key updates now in public preview: Managed API Center Portal – A turnkey developer portal to explore, customize, and govern APIs with Microsoft Entra integration. Set up instructions for the API Center portal. ️Amazon API Gateway integration – Automatically import and keep APIs in sync from AWS into API Center. No manual updates. No drift. Learn about the integration. Developer tooling: A better Azure API Management experience in VS Code We’ve released a new version of the Azure API Management VS Code extension, focused on making it easier to draft, debug, and explain API policies fueled by GitHub Copilot and AI enhancements. It’s all about helping developers move faster and smarter. Learn more. Your AI and modernization playbooks for Logic Apps Bring AI into your workflows with the Logic Apps AI Playbook Ready to infuse intelligence into your apps, bots, or business processes? Our AI Playbook for Azure Logic Apps gives you a practical guide to building smarter workflows fast. Whether you're starting from scratch or scaling existing automations, you’ll find step-by-step examples to accelerate your journey: Build conversational apps using Azure OpenAI and Azure AI Search Automate document intelligence with built-in connectors to Azure AI Document Intelligence Power real-time retrieval with RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) patterns Create intelligent agents using Semantic Kernel and Logic Apps orchestration Explore AI scenarios and examples. Still running mainframe workloads? We've got a playbook for that too. Modernizing mission-critical systems doesn’t have to mean starting over. With our Mainframe and Midrange Modernization Playbook, Logic Apps helps you replatform legacy workloads with less risk and more flexibility. Discover how to connect to existing systems, orchestrate modern services, and unlock agility without rewriting everything. Explore the mainframe modernization guide. Partnership Announcements Azure API Management comes with a powerful, fully integrated developer portal built to help teams publish APIs, onboard developers, and manage access with enterprise-grade scalability and security. For many organizations, this out-of-the-box portal offers exactly what they need. But some businesses need more advanced branding, tailored onboarding journeys, or completely bespoke developer experience. That’s why we’re partnering with Pronovix and ApiBoost, two industry leaders in custom API portals. These partnerships give customers even more flexibility to extend and personalize their API programs. Customer Success Stories Telefônica Brasil is transforming call center operations for 115M+ users using Azure OpenAI and Azure API Management. With AI-driven insights and secure API access for 33,000 employees, they’ve cut average handling time by 9% and accelerated innovation. Read the story. Intermountain Health has saved thousands of hours by integrating Azure API Management, OpenAI, and Arize AI into their cloud AI infrastructure. Responsible AI deployment meets real-time observability for better patient outcomes. Learn more. Delta Dental of California unified its integration architecture across APIs, messaging, and app delivery using Azure API Management, App Gateway, Redis, and more—streamlining operations and unlocking agility. Explore the case study. NTT Communications uses Azure Logic Apps to automate threat response as part of its Microsoft Sentinel-powered security stack, enabling faster correlation of security signals across systems. Read the story. What’s coming up: Events you won’t want to miss Unleash AI Innovation with a Modern Integration Platform and an API-First Strategy Join us for a dynamic two-day virtual event April 29-30 where we’ll explore how Azure Integration Services and Azure API Management are powering intelligent, connected experiences. Hear directly from Azure product leaders, industry analysts, and enterprise customers as they share how they’re using Azure to scale AI-driven innovation, modernize integrations, and build API-first strategies that unlock new business value. This global event is designed to fit your schedule, with live sessions tailored for key regions: US/Canada: Reserve your seat today! Day 1: Tuesday, 29 April 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM PDT Day 2: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM PDT Australia/New Zealand: Reserve Your Seat Today! Day 1: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM AEDT Day 2: Thursday, 1 May 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM AEDT Europe: Reserve Your Seat Today! Day 1: Tuesday, 29 April 2025 | 9:00am – 12:30pm BST Day 2: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 | 9:00am – 12:30pm BST Microsoft Build 2025 Whether you're joining us in Seattle or tuning in online, Microsoft Build is your front-row seat to the future of technology. Taking place May 19–22, this year’s conference will showcase groundbreaking innovations across cloud, AI, developer tools, and of course APIs and integration. Session catalog is live. Stay Connected! Q1 2025 set the stage for even bolder moves in the integration space. With hybrid flexibility, next-gen mapping, cross-cloud API management, and AI in every layer, Azure Integration Services and Azure API Management are ready to power what’s next. Stay tuned and subscribe to the Azure Tech Community blog.
