Changing Default BAM Alerts From Email

By default, the BAM alerts installed out of the box are set up to be mailed with a from address of BAM@microsoft.com This is a security concern for clients, not to mention kind of silly.

I kept looking for a while for the steps to change this, so I'm posting this so I can remember for next time.

General info on the script used is documented in MSDN:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa560641.aspx

These steps came from a user named Kent Weare on a BizTalk R2 General forum, but I am reposting his response in case it becomes unavailable in the future. The steps look to be copy-pasted from documentation somewhere, which I have yet to find an original source for. Note: there is no step 1.

Step 2: Retrieve the current BAMAlerts Application Definition File
(ADF)

1. On the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server 2005, point to Notification Services, and then click Notification Services Command Prompt to open a Notification Services Command Prompt window.
2. C:\Program Files\Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006\Tracking>cscript ProcessBamNSFiles.vbs -Get config.xml adf.xml BAMPrimaryImport

Step 3: Modify Application Definition File (ADF)

1. Copy adf.xml to ClusterAdf.xml
2. Change SMTP from info: from ‘BAM@Microsoft.com’ to ‘’.
4. Save ClusterAdf.xml

Step 4: Update the current BAMAlert Application Definition File (ADF)

1. C:\Program Files\Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006\Tracking>cscript ProcessBamNSFiles.vbs -Update config.xml ClusterAdf.xml
BAMPrimaryImport

Don't worry about the "ClusterAdf.xml" naming convention. We clustered the Bam alerts service hence us calling the file that.

Event Log error on BTSHTTPReceive.dll

This posting also helped me figure out why I got event log errors indicating IIS could not find a file in the C:\Windows\Temp directory. 

 

Always make sure the application pool worker service account has Read access to the windows Temp directory!

 

http://www.biztalkgurus.com/blogs/biztalksyn/archive/2006/08/01/BizTalk-HTTP-Adapter-_2800_BtsHttpReceive.dll_2900_-Error.aspx

 

Successful Configuration of the BAM Portal

This post helped me work out a HTTP 401 error I was receiving on the BAM Portal.  I only had to do the first step he recommended (setting authentication to use NTLM) which can be missed, especially if (as I have) created a whole new website to host BAM.

 

http://biztalkwithshashikant.blogspot.com/2007/08/rules-for-successful-bam-implementation.html

 

BizTalk Deployment Framework: Add Reference to Application

I wish I had found this before - I had not previously found a way to script the adding of a reference to another application, and thus used workarounds (like including assemblies from other projects).

http://blogs.sqlxml.org/bryantlikes/archive/2007/07/18/creating-biztalk-application-references-with-nant.aspx

This is particularly useful if you have a separate application defined for a common Exception Handling framework (for instance using the ESB Guidance package: http://www.codeplex.com/esb).

Thanks Bryant!

The Starbuckian Handbook from Hog Blog

For those of us admitted users of a local coffee shop for times we don't need to work at the office but need to get out of the house, someone has drawn up a reasonable code of ethics for the 'Starbuckian'. 

http://www.radicalcareering.com/hogblog/?p=80

So You Want to Learn BizTalk... (Part II)

With the fundamental concepts of BizTalk server under your belt, you are ready to get your hands dirty.

Labs

While especially easy to use if you do not have a development machine setup, these labs provide a relatively superficial demonstration of the core BizTalk features. Can be useful for a quick demo to a non-developer though.

Microsoft Virtual Labs
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/virtuallabs/aa740373.aspx

Tutorials

What's better are the tutorials that are part of the documentation and SDK. This is where a developer really goes 'aha!' for the first time and starts to see he or she can begin to use BizTalk Server. These are not optional ;)

BizTalk Tutorials:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa560270.aspx

Training

If you or your employer are part of the Microsoft Partner program, you have access to perhaps the most valuable and comprehensive self-training package out there - the Classroom-in-a-Box. It includes training videos and slides, whitepapers, more hands-on labs and a VPC with every possible BizTalk core feature installed and configured. It can be accessed under the Partner Resources in the BizTalk product area:
https://partner.microsoft.com/US/40012176

Books

I don't claim to have read many of the books out there on the product. From experience however I can safely say that this book has proved valuable numerous times both as a first read a reference on projects:
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/item/books-978159059699/0/Pro+Biztalk+2006

You can read my review of it here:
http://asonofmartha.blogspot.com/2006/11/pro-biztalk-2006.html

Additional titles can be found here:
http://btob.barnesandnoble.com/index.asp?sourceID=0041631635&btob=Y

Blogs

With prior versions of BizTalk Server, the best place to get answers to real-world problems was always through blogs. Now, MSDN is typically the authority on the "How-To" and plenty of books exist for the product, however there continue to be scores of bloggers discussing their challenges and successes implementing BizTalk solutions. Too many to list in fact, and so here are some links to discover those blogs:

http://www.squidoo.com/bts06

http://www.biztalkgurus.com/

http://www.biztalkgurus.com/blogs/

My del.icio.us BizTalk links:

http://del.icio.us/zutroyquixote/BizTalk

Newsletters and Publications

BizTalk Gurus offers a periodic newsletter called The BizTalker with useful "news from the front":
http://www.biztalkgurus.com/newsletter/index.aspx

There is also a quarterly publication now on its third release called BizTalk HotRod

Where to next...

At this point, you should be well-armed to assist in new or existing BizTalk projects. However, if you are expected to start or lead a project on your own you will do well to fill out your training with additional reading and possibly formal training (including certification).

Coming Up Next:

Part III: Beyond the basics

Previously:

Part I: