Announcing BizTalk Server 2013 Virtual Labs

By Nick Hauenstein

IMPORTANT: With the release of the IaaS functionality in Windows Azure, the Virtual Machine templates for BizTalk Server 2013 have been updated and no longer include Visual Studio 2012. Due to this, it is not currently possible to complete these lab activities as provided. We will update this space with more information as it is available.

QuickLearn is pleased to announce the availability of two hands-on labs that you can run from within your BizTalk Server 2013 Beta virtual machines running on Windows Azure.

These labs, originally presented at the BizTalk Summit in December, will provide an early look at the new features coming with the BizTalk Server 2013 release, while demonstrating live integration with the Salesforce.com online CRM system.

To complete either of the activities, follow the instructions below:

Lab #1: Integrating BizTalk Server 2013 with Salesforce using a Windows Azure Service Bus Relay

  1. Create a Windows Azure Virtual Machine using the BizTalk Server 2013 Evaluation Template. All setup scripts assume that you are using the Evaluation template, and not the Standard or Enterprise editions.
  2. Start, and then Connect to the Windows Azure Virtual Machine once provisioned.
  3. Inside the image, launch Powershell
  4. At the powershell prompt, type and execute the following command to setup and start the lab:
    [sourcecode language=”powershell”]
    (New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString("http://labti.me/biztalksalesforce")| iex
    [/sourcecode]
  5. In the setup wizard, type the user name and password you used for the account that you created when provisioning the virtual machine, and then click Next.
  6. Once setup completes (5-15 minutes depending on image size selected), in the Internet Explorer window, type your First/Last/Email and then click Start Lab

Lab #2: Accessing Salesforce data through the REST API using the WCF-WebHttp Adapter

  1. Create a Windows Azure Virtual Machine using the BizTalk Server 2013 Evaluation Template. All setup scripts assume that you are using the Evaluation template, and not the Standard or Enterprise editions.
  2. Start, and then Connect to the Windows Azure Virtual Machine once provisioned.
  3. Inside the image, launch Powershell
  4. At the powershell prompt, type and execute the following command to setup and start the lab:
    [sourcecode language=”powershell”](New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString("http://labti.me/salesforcerest")| iex[/sourcecode]
  5. In the setup wizard, type the user name and password you used for the account that you created when provisioning the virtual machine, and then click Next.
  6. Once setup completes (5-15 minutes depending on image size selected), in the Internet Explorer window, type your First/Last/Email and then click Start Lab

If you would like to see a walkthrough of this process, you can watch the video below:

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/57249185 w=500&h=375]

Launching a QuickLearn Lab on Windows Azure from QuickLearn Training on Vimeo.

Introducing the Visual Studio ALM Rangers – Nicholas Hauenstein

By moniquebu

We would like to congratulate Nicholas Hauenstein, the most recent addition to the Visual Studio ALM Rangers! Nick was nominated for his subject matter expertise and contribution to the ALM community.

Nick is currently working on study materials for:

  • Exam 70-496: Administering Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2012
  • Exam 70-497: Software Testing with Visual Studio 2012
  • Exam 70-498: Delivering Continuous Value with Visual Studio 2012 ALM

More information on these study materials will be announced soon.

Nick joined the ALM Ranger because he wants everyone to succeed with their endeavors, and have the best guidance and tooling available in that pursuit. Nick says, “I’ve already gained immensely from ALM Ranger deliverables (e.g., the Branching and Merging guidance, and the Visual Studio Build Customization Guide), and am excited for the opportunity to give back where I am able.”

See Nick’s announcement and interview on Willy-Peter Schaub’s MSDN Blog.