Even If you’re working as a BizTalk Admin, Developer SQL DBA or architect won’t matter as all the subjects are relevant to everyone. The class takes a deep dive into how BizTalk works and what happens, a walk through of best practices and performance optimizing are key areas, during the class you will be given theoretical and practical tests.

This course requires a basic knowledge of BizTalk administration and takes a deep dive into the following three topics in BizTalk

•  Health checks
• Performance optimizing
• Monitoring

The focus for this Deep Dive course will be to provide you with in-depth knowledge to locate bottlenecks and perform tuning of the BizTalk environment. It also covers how to utilize the resources available on the BizTalk servers to optimize performance and sustain a stable setup. It will provide you with the tools to stay ahead of an increase in traffic and load on your BizTalk environment. We will discuss how to set up an operation’s guideline, and best practices for requirements towards the development department.

As BizTalk grows, it is increasingly important to keep the server operational and ready for any unforeseen circumstances, making sure that the health of the BizTalk environment is good and within the recommended values. The importance of being proactive, and act on any issues that may occur in BizTalk. This course will provide you with the tools you need to identify any difficulties regarding the current state of your BizTalk environment; it will also give you a good overview of how to predict the future health of the installed system.

Cost reducing initiatives, is one of the main factors when considering optimizing the performance of a BizTalk environment. This course will provide you with the ability to tune the environment to perform better and provide a more reliable throughput in BizTalk server. In addition you will learn how to tune the environment, this topic also covers how to tune down an application in order to give high latency but with a low throughput

Monitoring the BizTalk environment on a regular basis is important, not only during error situations. It is important to become aware of any issue that could occur. In addition to the health check, this topic will cover how to properly monitor and calculate time frames different messages should complete within. It will also provide you with information on how to use the real-time monitoring tools included with BizTalk..

Duration: 3 days

The course is updated for BizTalk 2013.

The price is 4495USD per attendee

Sign up here:

In the BizTalk administration console scroll down and open up the hosts and right-click and choose settings, the first windows you’ll see will be like this:

The “Show performance counters for” will give you three options “Messaging”, “Orchestration” and “Active Service”. Changing this is important for the performance counters and to give you the correct information during a collect.

This problem occurs in BizTalk 2009, 2010 and 2013 and Microsoft is aware of it.

The cumulative updates for all these versions mess up the tracking for pipelines, when I say mess up it basically turns of the tracking for these. so if you suddenly see a loss of tracking data you should run in and check the artifact tracking for the pipelines. It should look like this:

I hope this clarifies a lot of confusion out there!

Happy BizTalkin’!

The BizTalk Boot Camp is free and a technical event to provide people with a deep-dive into the new offerings in BizTalk Server 2013, Windows Azure BizTalk Services and the BizTalk Server in the VM role in Azure. The following subjects will be covered over the two days:

• BizTalk Server throttling
• BizTalk Server messaging, including databases and tracking
• BizTalk Server Diagnostics and troubleshooting
• New cloud-based BizTalk Server adapters
• Windows Azure BizTalk Services EDI and the new portal
• Windows Azure BizTalk Services hybrid applications with on-premise Line Of Business (LOB) systems
• Configuring a BizTalk virtual machine in the VM Role

This is a great opportunity to learn about the BizTalk family of products and services while also learning about common BizTalk issues from the experts.

Target audience: BizTalk technical audience, including MVPs, administrators, and developers.

I do hope to see you there, for more information check out Mandi Ohlingers blog post here.

If you want to jump to registration you can do it here.

If you want to read what’s new and the wonderful features Microsoft have developed take a look here.

I really wanted to share this with you all. I assume this will end up as a white paper at the end as well with a lot more information. As of now there are just steps without any good explanation. I started this paper not too long ago, and I’m sure there are many more steps that could be added. But use this as a guideline as it covers most of the aspects that needs to be done correctly for a good BizTalk installation and configuration.

Setting up a new BizTalk 2010 Environment

This is the case if you have clean machines, the first tasks should be done to all machines within the BizTalk Environment.

General before Installation of BizTalk and SQL machine

• Install and run the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
• Install updates for Windows (update.microsoft.com)
• Verify that all clusters are installed and only needed resources are clustered.
• Move TEMP and TMP folders
• Move Pagefile: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307886
• Enable IIS
• Install WCF for IIS
• Configure IIS to NLB or Cluster
• Install Network COM+ under application server (roles)
• BAM Specific: Install SQL Mgmt. Studio (full)
• BAM Specific: Install SQL Server 2005 Notification Services
• MQ Specific: Install prerequisites for MQSeries Agent
• MQSC Specific: Install the MGSC Adapter before you install the WebSphare MQ Client
• MQSC Specific: Install WebSphere MQ Client version 7.1 http://biztalkadmin.com/installation-of-the-mqsc-adapter-in-biztalk/
• Install .NET Framework 4 and 3.5 SP1
• SharePoint Specific: Install SharePoint Services 3.0 SP2
• SharePoint Specific: Configure the SharePoint Service
• SharePoint Specific: Extend default web sites as a virtual server
• Disable shared memory protocol
• Join local Administrator Group
• Install and configure MSDTC
  • Verify DTC with DTC Tester
  • Disable real-time scanning on Antivirus (or add exceptions)
  • Disable all unused windows services
  • Add exceptions to firewall (external and internal)
  • Configure Event logs (size, duration of storage etc.).
  • Registry changes:
    • Update the LanManWorkstation parameters in the registry
    • Disable short-filename
    • DontVerifyRandomDrivers
    • NTFSDisableLastAccessUpdate
    • AdditionalDelayedWorkerThreads should be 16
    • AdditionalCriticalWorkerThreads should be 16
    • For Secure Intranets: Disable LDAP client signing requirements for computers
    • NtfsMftZoneReservation
      • 1 if volumes typically store fewer files.
      • 2 or 3 if volumes typically store a moderate number of files.
      • 4 if volumes typically store a large number of files.
• MaxWorkItems should be 8192
• Read more here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee377058%28v=BTS.10%29.aspx

 SQL Server Installation

• Install SQL Server 2008 R2
  • Features:
    • Database Engine Service
      • SQL Server Replication
      • Full-Text Search
    • Analysis Service
    • Reporting Services
    • Shared Features
      • Client Tools Connectivity
      • Integration Services
      • Management Tools – Basic
        • Management Tools – Complete
        • Install any updates CUs or SP for SQL Server (MBSA)
        • Configure parallelism = 1
        • Enable TCP/IP and Named Pipes
        • Install Enterprise Single sign On
        • Configure Enterprise Single Sign on and SQL to work with the windows cluster
        • Add Master Secret Server to the SQL Cluster

Install BizTalk

• Install BizTalk Server on all of the BizTalk machines
• Adapter Pack Specific: Install BizTalk Adapter Pack if requested or required
• Install ALL CUs and SP for BizTalk
• Adapter Pack Specific: Install BizTalk Adapter Pack CUs and SP
• Configure the first server remember to Join SSO
  • Remember to change the names of the default hosts Recommended in-process host is send
• Other server should just join group

After installation

SQL

• Split log files and data files for the following databases on separate disk
  • BizTalkDTADb – two separate disks
  • BizTalkMsgBoxDb – Two separate disks
  • BizTalkMgmtDb and SSO – Share two disks
  • TempDb – two spearte disks, this database should be split into 10mb files
  • Turn off auto update and creation of statistics for the following databases
    • BizTalkDTADb
    • BizTalkMsgBoxDb
    • Set predefined size and auto growth for all databases
• SQL Agent Jobs
  • Configure Backup job
  • Configure DTA Purge and Cleanup job
  • Clean up script: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Powershell-script-to-ed34c5f9

BizTalk

• Configure all hosts according to best practice and naming conventions.

Naming convention: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/6607.biztalk-naming-convention-en-us.aspx#Hosts

• Update and fix all adapters (add the ones the client is going to use)
• Verify that event tracking is set on the pipelines.
• Verify windows cluster by clustering the hosts that should be clustered
• Run Message Box Viewer
• Run BizTalk Best Practice Analyzer
• Test and verify that the cluster for hosts works
• Set all hosts to delayed startup (only in stand-alone)
• SMTP ONLY: Add default SMPT address under adapters
• Set up Performance logging on all machines and point them to a file share
• Configure PAL to run these logs once a week (PowerShell and Schedule Task)
• Verify environment by using BizTalk Benchmark Wizard
• Check Event Log for any errors
• Check performance logs with PAL
• Perform log shipping from SQL database
• Install Enterprise Single Sign on to the new SQL Server or BizTalk Server
• Mount BizTalk towards new Enterprise single sign on server
• Verify solution by running a simple “pass thru” application.
• Then fail back again.
• Advice clients to do this once a year.
• Delete all third-party testing tools
• Clean message box
• Clean Tracking database
• Do a manual backup (right click message box choose backup)
• Update ForceUpdate to value 1 (messageboxDb -> adm_BackupSettings)
• Execute BizTalk Backup SQL Agent Job
• Verify BizTalk Administration Guidelines
  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/7234.biztalk-administrator-guidelines.aspx
• Hand over environment

General

• Set up Performance logging on all machines and point them to a file share
• Configure PAL to run these logs once a week (PowerShell and Schedule Task)
• Verify environment by using BizTalk Benchmark Wizard
• Check Event Log for any errors
• Check performance logs with PAL
• Perform log shipping from SQL database
• Install Enterprise Single Sign on to the new SQL Server or BizTalk Server
• Mount BizTalk towards new Enterprise single sign on server
• Verify solution by running a simple “pass thru” application.
• Then fail back again.
• Advice clients to do this once a year.
• Delete all third-party testing tools
• Clean message box
• Clean Tracking database
• Do a manual backup (right click message box choose backup)
• Update ForceUpdate to value 1 (messageboxDb -> adm_BackupSettings)
• Execute BizTalk Backup SQL Agent Job
• Verify BizTalk Administration Guidelines
  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/7234.biztalk-administrator-guidelines.aspx
• Hand over environment

Disaster Recovery

• Perform log shipping from SQL database
• Install Enterprise Single Sign on to the new SQL Server or BizTalk Server
• Mount BizTalk towards new Enterprise single sign on server
• Verify solution by running a simple “pass thru” application.
• Then fail back again.
• Advice clients to do this once a year.

Set up environment ready for use

• Delete all third-party testing tools
• Clean message box
• Clean Tracking database
• Do a manual backup (right click message box choose backup)
• Update ForceUpdate to value 1 (messageboxDb -> adm_BackupSettings)
• Execute BizTalk Backup SQL Agent Job
• Verify BizTalk Administration Guidelines
  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/7234.biztalk-administrator-guidelines.aspx
• Hand over environment

A normal (basic) high available setup consist of a clustered BizTalk setup as an Active / Active cluster and a SQL Active/Passive cluster. The reason for the active / Active BizTalk cluster is the fact that you want to utilize all resources available have load balancing and cluster the single host adapters, even if we would set it up as active / passive you still have to pay for the licenses on the passive node. Keeping them as an active / active cluster we also get the benefit of having more resources available. after all we are only clustering the single host adapters (Like FTP, POP3 etc.).

BizTalk uses MSDTC for different communication and it’s therefor important that this is configured correctly, depending on the clustering method. For active / passive we have to cluster the DTC. But when it comes to an active / active cluster we need to make sure all active machines have their own versions of MSDTC running, it should not be a part of the cluster as a resources. If you do have it as a resource you will end up with errors during configuration of BizTalk, these errors usually states problem with communication for different databases or services like analysis server or other elements during configuration that requires DTC.

So for everyone working within medical / hospital / healthcare Microsoft has really put together something great for us!

We all know the MLLP Adapter and the different problems around it. The biggest one is the performance. There are many uses of the MLLP adapter, a lot of companies around the world using the MLLP adapter requires ordered delivery. In the existing adapter it simply consumes one message and ensure it finishes the instance before it starts a new one. A lot like a singleton or a queue.

This is where the changes come. In BizTalk 2013 the BizTalk MLLP Adapter can handle multiple files and still provide ordered delivery. In Microsofts test it shows 300-500% better performance.

This shows the commitment from Microsoft on health care and HL7.

If you haven’t had the time yet go ahead and download BizTalk2013 and play around with it.

There are a lot more performance optimization and configuration improvements, I’ll blog more about this as soon as BizTalk 2013 is officially released since a lot of this still is NDA.

With the soon release of BizTalk 2013 things are really getting exciting. So I wanted to highlight the importance of paying attention, being prepared and ready for new technology!

The BizTalk Crew, 5 Microsoft Integration MVPs Nino Crudele, Saravana Kumar, Steef-Jan Wiggers, Sandro Pereira and me are continuing the tours to share BizTalk knowledge. We have already been on stage once this year at the BizTalk Summit in London this January and we are ready to announce the new country now. Next stop will be Portugal March 14th. I believe this will be one of the best events so far. Sandro have really put a lot of effort into organization lots of BizTalk stuff, including a sightseeing after the event in Oporto. Wow! The great thing is that it’s not just for the people in Portugal but for anyone in the world interested in some new knowledge on BizTalk and to build connections and network.

You will have the opportunity to meet up with key people in the community with insights of what’s happening with BizTalk the coming months and years.

With the soon release of my white paper regarding BizTalk Proactivity (in two weeks or so) I’ll do a presentation on how to be proactive!

So sign up now at the official page:
http://obid.devscope.net/

I hope to see you there, and if you do don’t hesitate to come and talk to me! I’m a very nice guy, I’m not kidding!!

If you have any questions please let me know!

In most enterprise companies security is important and get a lot of focus. However BizTalk is often left to itself since the structure around it may be in the hands of someone with little or no BizTalk experience, as it grows so may the support team and the tasks to resolve all errors have to commence. I hope this blog post highlights some of the benefits, to help avoid the possible scenario of processing test data in production.

So here we go. It’s vital to enforce good password policy. Not only the password policy but ensuring that you have good control or the different environments and operation in BizTalk. So what do I mean by this?

We are moving into “user naming convention”. So we make sure to split up users as test users, quality assurance users and production users. But this is not all. We should also ensure to have different users for different tasks. Remember that the users you make never have full admin rights to the machine, they don’t need it and shouldn’t have it.

A good example would be something like this

Sending for my Test, QA and Production environment this would be the users, but you can make groups and go even more in-depth but in this scenario we focus on the users:
BizTalk_Test_SendUser
BizTalk_QA_SendUser
BizTalk_Prod_SendUser

The same would go for receiving and processing (which would be orchestration etc).

so BizTalk_xx_ReceiveUser, BizTalk_xx_ProcUser. and one of the most important users would be for the dedicated tracking host. BizTalk_xx_TrackingUser.

This is common sense but you may forget it every now and then. So I’ve seen a few environments where a good user policy is not enforced good enough, that is why I’ve written this post. This will prevent test data to reach production and the other way around since the production users shouldn’t have access to test shares, servers, databases etc. and vice-versa.