The Start Orchestration shape is similar to the Call Orchestration shape, but you invoke another orchestration asynchronously with the Start Orchestration shape—that is, the flow of control in the invoking orchestration proceeds beyond the invocation, without waiting for the invoked orchestration to finish its work.

You can specify parameters that will be passed to the called orchestration. Parameters can be messages, variables, port references, role links, or correlation sets. Passed-in port references, role links, and correlation sets all perform like self-addressed envelopes: they supply the invoked orchestration information it can use to send information back to the enclosing orchestration. The Start Orchestration shape can only take in parameters; it cannot take out or reference parameters.

Caution  In this release, if you pass nonserializable objects such as XmlDocument or XmlNode as parameters to an orchestration, it will fail.

The Start Orchestration shape is the only shape in which you can reverse the polarity on a port being passed as a parameter—for example a uses port can be passed in to a started orchestration, but the started orchestration can be treated as an implements port. Note that this can only be done with ports that use direct binding.

To configure a Start Orchestration shape

1. Right-click the Start Orchestration shape and then click Configure.
2. Use the Start Orchestration Configuration dialog box to configure the Start Orchestration shape. For more information, see Start Orchestration Configuration Dialog Box.

   Caution  BizTalk Server 2004 does not support recursive orchestrations. If Orchestration A calls or starts Orchestration B, then Orchestration B cannot call or start Orchestration A directly, nor can it call or start any orchestration that directly or indirectly calls Orchestration A.

See Also

Adding Parameters to Orchestrations

Using the Call Orchestration Shape

Nesting Orchestrations