BizTalk General

Biztalk Azure Adapters SDK 1.0 is out...!!!

Vishal — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:01:20 GMT

Hey Guys,

The BizTalk Azure Adapters SDK is out and you can download it from Codeplex.

Below is the link:

http://btsazureadapters.codeplex.com/

Thanks,

Vishal Mody

BizTalk Server 2009 on Windows 7 Ultimate.

Vishal — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:47:06 GMT

Hello All,

Recently I installed Microsoft new Windows 7 Ultimate the version7600 on my machine . This RC version is going to be almost identical to the final release from Microsoft. I installed the trial version of it, downloaded from Microsoft site here. The trial version can be extended for 120 days of trial period. It can be done following the steps shown here.

Now my goal was to install the BizTalk Server 2009.

The steps I followed.

Installed Visual Studio 2008 and later installed Service Pack 1 for it. Trial version can be downloaded here.

Installed SQL Server 2008. Trial version can be downloaded here.

Finally BizTalk Server 2009 and that’s it. Trial version can be downloaded here.

I know the steps are pretty straight forward but I was skeptical about everything getting installed perfectly. I have Sony Vaio VGN N250 E-Series and even before installing the Windows 7 I was skeptical that my Vaio drivers would work or not because my particular machine is like very choosy about the OS. I had got it when Windows Vista was first introduced in Jan 2007 I suppose. At that time I tried installing XP on my machine but no. There were no drivers software available for my machine anywhere and finally I had to reinstall Vista. Nothing worked at that time like sound drivers, wireless, etc. Now Sony does have drivers for XP for my machine. I did not bother much to do workaround at that time.

Anyways, so what I feel is Windows 7 is way better than Vista so far. I haven’t done yet any development with BizTalk or any other testing so if I just talk about usability, performance, looks than I felt its very good. It consumes so less memory than Vista. I have a 3GB RAM on my machine but when there was Vista it was always above 60%. Now even after installing all other software’s like KLCodec, Itunes, VLC Player, MS Office, few Messengers etc and the above 3 giant ones still Windows 7 does not consume so much memory. Even CPU usage is comparatively way efficient than Vista. I have became a fan of Windows 7 Ultimate.

Lets see if I can install the ESB 2.0 Toolkit on Windows 7 as according to its prerequisites it can be installed on Windows Server only. I ll try for some workaround this weekend and keep you guys posted.

Till than happy BizTalkinggg...!!!!

Thanks,

Vishal

BizTalk Server Interview Questions...!!!!!

Vishal — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:34:39 GMT

BizTalk Interview Questions for a senior level positions. Basically for a position in which one is involved in Designing and later develop the Solution himself.

1. What is Biztalk Server? Since when are you working on BizTalk?

2. What versions of Biztalk Server have you worked on?

3. What is the difference between 2004, 2006 and 2006R2?

4. Did you get chance to work on BizTalk 2009 version? If yes what difference you saw in it from R2 and what enhancements Microsoft has made in it?

5. Tell me about BizTalk Server architecture?

6. Tell me about any engagement which you rate top most while working as BizTalk developer and why?

7. Most Imp: Tell about a project which was most challenging to you and how you overcame it?

8. What do you hate about BizTalk Solution development and which you would like to improve in upcoming versions?

9. How you do testing with your BizTalk Solutions and what tools or methods you use?

10. How do you debug any errors occurring in BizTalk Solution?

11. How do you debug an assembly used in Orchestration?

12. Which way you find most efficient debugging Biztalk Solutions and why?

13. Were you involved in designing BizTalk Solutions? If yes than what kinds of architecture you have designed?

14. What design patterns you follow for designing solutions with BizTalk in it?

15. What do you know about Itinerary based routing architecture?

16. Did you ever got chance to work on ESB's? If yes, tell me more about it?

17. Tell about BizTalk Solution development lifecycle?

18. What kinds of Integrations you have done with BizTalk Server?

19. What challenges you faced while designing and developing a Biztalk solution which involved multiple non MS platform technologies? How did you overcome them?

20. What different kinds of Adapters you have worked on?

21. Have you worked on SAP Adapters? Why did you opt using SAP adpaters instead of communicating with Web Services?

22. Have you worked on Salesforce.com integration in any of your engagements? If than tell me more about it.

23. What challenges you faced while working with Salesforce.com?

24. Have you worked on EDI documents? What kind of EDI documents have you worked on?

25. What different types of industries you have worked on? Which one you found most challenging and why?

26. Were you involved in developing Custom components for BizTalk Solutions? If yes than what were those?

27. Have you developed and used any Custom Pipeline Components? If yes than how did you develop them and later used in BizTalk Solution? Challenges you faced using custom pipeline components?

28. What kind of environments you have worked on?

29. Have you worked on environments containing multiple BizTalk box installed? If yes than what different kinds of configurations were there?

30. Were you involved in administrating Biztalk solutions?

31. Tell me how you deploy your BizTalk solutions? Do you use any tools or API's for deployment?

32. How do you deploy your solution on multiple BizTalk boxes easily and efficiently? What issues have you faced doing that?

33. Have you worked with Business Rules Engine? Tell me about the BRE architecture?

34. How does a rule gets actually fired or processed in an orchestration?

35. Have you worked with Business Rules apart from using them in Orchestrations?

36. What are the different ways you can call a Business Rule in Orchestration? Which way you find most efficient and why?

37. Have you worked with BAM? What is BAM and why did you use in your particular project?

38. How did you develop a Biztalk solution with BAM in it?

39. What deployment steps you apply to deploy BAM?

40. Which are different BAM Databases? Have you manually deleted any BAM data? If yes than how?

41. What is the easiest way to develop a schema from an given XML message?

42. Have you worked on a architecture having WCF Services? If yes than tell me more about that architecture?

43. How would you rate using Web Services over WCF Services in BizTalk solution? Why?

44. Have you ever exposed you BizTalk Solution as a Service? How?

45. Have you ever felt that using BizTalk at a place wasn’t a good option?

46. What types of different capabilities of BizTalk Server you have worked on?

47. What do you know about transactions in BizTalk Solutions? What is Atomic/Long Running transaction? When do you use them and when not?

48. How do you handle your exceptions occurring in BizTalk Solutions? Do you follow any particular standard to handle exceptions?

49. What are the most important things to keep in mind while designing BizTalk Solution Architecture?

50. What size of architectures you have worked on and how many multiple Enterprise Systems were involved in it? How much time it took for you to design and develop it? What was the team structure for that engagement?

More of them are here.

Looking forward for Pro BizTalk 2009.

Vishal — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:03:33 GMT

Hello All,

I found the Pro BizTalk 2006 book really good and now since Microsoft have released the BizTalk 2009 version I was thinking that new books should come pretty soon.

And here it is. The Pro BizTalk 2009 will be soon in the market. Its by authors George Dunphy, Harold Campos, Stephen Kaufman, Peter Kelcey, Sergie Moukhnitishi, Davi Peterson.

Also the Book Pro Mapping in BizTalk 2009 looks good at first glance. I am reading that and I ll post hows that. The Pro Mapping is from Jim Dawson and John Wainwright.

Some how I like all the Pro's by APress. Even the Wrox ones are good. I have a account in http://skillport.books24x7.com which is online books database and almost all the new released BizTalk books are there. Once I am done with the Pro Mapping one I will be reading the Pro BAM in BizTalk Server 2009 by Jeff Sanders and Geoff Snowman.

Till than Happy BizTalking....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks,

Vishal

Good Books to read about BizTalk Server 2006

Vishal — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:47:57 GMT

Hello All,

I was going through almost all the Biztalk Server books present in the Market but the book which I would suggest are the best are:

1. Pro BizTalk 2006

by George Dunphy, Ahmed Metwally

2. Professional BizTalk Server 2006

by Darren Jefford, Kevin B. Smith, Ewan Fairweather

Pretty good books and well explained the Architecture of the Server along with many real time senarios.