BizTalk BRE InvalidCastException

Question

Hello

I have configured a new VM (MS Virtual Server running Windows Server 2003) as a copy of an existing VM hosting BizTalk server 2006. I have run into a problem with BRE processing. The policy is deployed and vocabulary published exactly as on the working VM.

An orchestration calls a helper component which in turn makes use of the BRE components. The last line in the helper component that seems to execute is:

Policy workflowPolicy = new Policy(policyName)

I have pasted the stack trace from the event log below:

**Exception type: InvalidCastException Source: Microsoft.RuleEngine Target Site: Int32 GetInt32(System.String, Int32) The following is a stack trace that identifies the location where the exception occured at Microsoft.RuleEngine.Configuration.GetInt32(String key, Int32 defaultValue) at Microsoft.RuleEngine.ReteTranslator.RuleSetToReteTranslatorImpl.Translate(RuleSet ruleset, Int32 duration) at Microsoft.RuleEngine.ReteTranslator.RuleSetToReteTranslator.Translate(RuleSet ruleset, Int32 duration) at Microsoft.RuleEngine.RuleEngine..ctor(RuleSet ruleSet, Boolean doOptimizations) at Microsoft.RuleEngine.RuleEngineCache.Allocate(String rulesetName, Int32 majorRevision, Int32 minorRevision, TrackingConfiguration& trackingConfig) at Microsoft.RuleEngine.RuleEngineCache.Allocate(String rulesetName, TrackingConfiguration& trackingConfig) at Microsoft.RuleEngine.Policy..ctor(String policyName) at Tesco.BRE.Services.PolicyServices.Direct.OrderWorkflowServices.Commands.GetNextTaskList.Execute() at Tesco.DataSources.Integration.Common.CommandBase.CommandDecorators.CommandLoggingDecorator1.Execute() at Tesco.DataSources.Integration.Common.CommandBase.CommandUtilities.GetCommandResponse[T](CommandBase1 command) at Tesco.BRE.Services.PolicyServices.Direct.OrderWorkflowServices.OrderWorkflowOperations.GetNextTaskList(String currentTaskName, String currentTaskStatus, XmlDocument order) at Tesco.Direct.OrderManagement.Orchestrations.FollowTaskResult.segment2(StopConditions stopOn) at Microsoft.XLANGs.Core.SegmentScheduler.RunASegment(Segment s, StopConditions stopCond, Exception&**

It looks like Microsoft.RuleEngine.Configuration.GetInt32 is being passed a value that cannot be cast to an Int32?

I have tried un-configuring / re-configuring the BRE. As far as I can tell everything on the new server is configured exactly as per the working server.

Any help, gratefully receive - I've been stuck with this all day!

Thanks

Rob.

Answer 1

Hi Rob,

If one follow the stack trace one could read "cache" and "tracking". I would try to restart the host and uncheck any rule tracking in HAT.

Kind Regards
Martin Bring
http://martinbring.blogspot.com

Answer 2

Thanks for your response Martin. I have now fixed the issue. The problem was user error (mine) in making a registry change. I had to create a reg setting as follows

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\BusinessRules\3.0\StaticSupport (DWORD), value 2

in order to enable the BRE to make use of static methods. This is described at: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd298814.aspx

Although I had made the addition when configuring the server, I had inadvertently used a string rather than a dword. Since this cost me over a day to figure out - I won't be making the same mistake any time soon!