BizTalk: Add multiple files to a Zip archive

To compress multiple files into a single archive an existing send pipeline built with the Zip pipeline component can be invoked from an orchestration.

A sample project can be downloaded here. Within the project you will see a simple pipeline project using the Zip pipeline component, as well as an orchestration. Within the orchestration messages are gathered in a loop and added to a list. Then the pipeline is invoked from within an expression shape.

Orchestration Design:

Expression Shape:

To use the example project, compile and deploy the orchestration. Next create a file receive location and file send port and bind them to the orchestration. Both should have the default pass through pipeline specified since the orchestration will actually be creating the zip file by invoking the send pipeline.

This particular orchestration accumulates 6 messages and adds each to a zip file. Drop 6 files in your outgoing directory (corresponding to the receive location that was set up) and a single zip file will be created containing all files.