"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss

And let me pick this back up! After many weeks of working on many other things I should now be able to devote time to this project and will actually have the pressure of having this done within 3 weeks!

Certifications

So today I found out there's currently two main certifications from Microsoft for BizTalk

MCTS: BizTalk Server 2006 R2, Custom Applications
Exam 70-241

MCTS: BizTalk Server 2006
Exam 70-235

While they sound very "similar" they award different certifications and their skills measurement is completely different. I am predispose to only do Exam 70-241 but who knows I might end up doing both (or none if 2009 comes out with a consolidation of both)

Comparing them;

Exam 70-235

Measured Skills

Planning a BizTalk application

• Identify the application requirements
  
• Plan the BizTalk Server environment for reliability and scalability
  
• Design schemas
  
• Identify the security requirements
  
• Install BizTalk Server 2006 for a development environment
  

Developing and debugging an integration application

• Create a schema
  
• Create a map
  
• Create a pipeline
  
• Configure connectivity
  
• Configure message subscriptions
  
• Track a message
  

Developing and debugging a business process application

• Create and debug an orchestration
  
• Configure correlation
  
• Identify persistence points
  
• Configure exception handling
  
• Create business transactions
  
• Consume and publish Web service
  
• Create and configure role links
  

Implementing business rules

• Compose business rules
  
• Publish and deploy business rules
  

Enabling business activity monitoring

• Identify the steps required to enable business activity monitoring
  
• Link the event source to the activity definition
  

Deploying a BizTalk application

• Choose a deployment method for distributing an application
  
• Create a deployment package
  
• Start an application
  
• Test the deployment
  

Exam 70-241

Measured Skills

Configuring a Messaging Architecture

• Set up and manage ports.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: add a map, ordered delivery, send ports, send port groups, starting vs. enlisting, receive ports, receive locations, subscriptions
  

• Plan for and implement secure messaging.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: certificates, signing, encryption, port authentication, encoding
  

• Configure core adapters.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: HTTP, SQL, POP3, SMTP, FTP, File
  

• Configure content-based routing.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: set a filter that uses a promoted property
  

• Implement messaging patterns.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: normalizing/canonical messages, splitter, large messages
  

Developing BizTalk Artifacts

• Create schemas.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: create a flat-file schema, create a property schema, enveloping, promoted/distinguished properties, MessageType, schema re-use (import/include)
  

• Create maps.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: functoid scripting, XSLT, pass a parameter to a map, multiple schemas, looping
  

• Create pipelines.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: disassembling, create a custom pipeline, create a pipeline component, XML validation
  

• Develop orchestrations.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: work with transactions and persistence, integrate with Microsoft .NET assemblies, parameters, shapes
  

• Configure orchestration bindings.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: direct, dynamic, self correlating
  

• Configure correlation.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: listener shape, parallel shape, correlation sets
  

• Construct messages.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: multi-part, untyped, construct messages in .NET, construct messages in orchestrations, context properties
  

• Implement orchestration patterns.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: convoys, aggregator, splitter
  

Debugging and Exception Handling

• Handle exceptions in orchestrations.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: compensation, scope shapes, throw exceptions, long-running transactions
  

• Route errors.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: port configuration, recoverable interchange
  

• Debug orchestrations
  
• Validate and test artifacts.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: schemas, maps, pipelines
  

Integrating Web Services and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) Services

• Configure a WCF adapter.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: WS*, custom bindings
  

• Expose orchestrations by using publishing wizards.
  
• Consume services.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: Web port type, add a Web/Service reference, consuming from orchestrations or pure messaging
  

• Handle Web exceptions.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: delivery notifications, catching SOAP exceptions
  

Implementing Extended Capabilities

• Create and deploy Business Rules Engine (BRE) components.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: work with the Business Rules Composer, deploy Business Rules policies, call from an orchestration, develop vocabularies
  

• Develop EDI solutions.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: trading partner setup, batching, acknowledgments, importing schemas
  

• Configure AS2.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: party configurations, pipelines, ports, certificates
  

• Implement an RFID solution.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: handle events, configure RFID devices, manage and configure event sink endpoints
  

• Plan and implement Business Activity Monitoring (BAM).
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: BAM alerts, tracking profile editor, BAM workbook, activities, views, deployment
  

Deploying, Tracking, and Supporting a BizTalk Solution

• Install and configure a multi-server BizTalk environment.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: trusted vs. untrusted environments, Active Directory groups
  

• Deploy BizTalk applications.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: MSI deployment, versioning, resources, multiple staging environments such as development, test, and production
  

• Partition a BizTalk solution.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: hosts, host instances, handlers, groups, multiple message boxes
  

• Export and import binding files
  
• Configure tracking.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: orchestrations, schemas, ports, pipelines, policies
  

• Manage BizTalk solutions by using the Administration Console.
  

  This objective may include but is not limited to: query for instances, terminate, resume
  

• Audit BizTalk solutions by using Health and Activity Tracking (HAT).
  

This objective may include but is not limited to: querying, saving messages, creating custom fields, policy execution

I should probably do both, any recommendation?

Let the BizTalking begin.

So today I've decided to become a fluent BizTalk developer for both technological and monetary interest. I’ve decided to put my iPhone developer dreams on hold for now and started watching videos and reading everything I could on the web about BizTalk. My main goal is to become certified in MCTS: BizTalk Server 2006 R2, or who knows maybe by the time I actually take the test it will be MCTS: BizTalk Server 2009 (hopefully).

The main purpose of this blog is for me to share my path to becoming certified, and hopefully get help while I build my own education plan.

Hope to get be writing soon! Wish me luck!