Boost Your BizTalk IQ Using RSS by Stephen W. Thomas
This topic is not directly related to BizTalk but I think the concept is important to build a strong foundation using BizTalk Server and really any technology for that matter.
I was recently introduced to Really Simple Syndication or RSS. This is nothing more than a standardized method to pump data out as XML. But, what this can do is provide users a very easy interface into content and information.
The most common RSS feeds are those found on blog sites. RSS can expose blog content (usually only posts and not articles or comments) in RSS format so users or services can read it. This can allow a user to be sitting on their desktop and monitor blogs for new content without having to actually visit the sites.
Now finding the right RSS feeds to monitor is the hard part. There are several services that offer RSS Searching (or Blog Search) like http://blogsearch.google.com/ and http://www.technorati.com. These sites also provide RSS Read Tools to help you keep updated as new content is posted to feeds that might interest you.
Other sites provide paid services to send blog posts to your email or desktop. The service I use is http://www.newsgator.com. People can also share their list of tracked RSS feeds by exporting OPML files.
So how does all this impact you as a BizTalk Enthusiast? Well, there are lots of great BizTalk blogs out there with all kinds of content not covered any place else! And best of all, I’ve put together a list of over 80 top BizTalk related blogs!
How to get started:
- The easiest way is to use BizTalkGurus.com Syndicated Blog Site. This provides a web front end to over 80 BizTalk related blogs. It also has a simple search to search all of BizTalkGurus.com content. One downside of this is the online system does not support ATOM feeds so some of the great blogs on blogger.com are not included in this syndicated feed. Aggregated RSS feed is available here.
OR
- Download your own RSS Reader (http://www.rssreader.com/ has a nice free reader), subscribe to a service, or use Office 07/Yahoo Mail to track your own feeds. Then, get the OPML file I put together with over 80 BizTalk Blogs listed. Download the OPML file here.
It’s that simple! Of course, if you know of any BizTalk blogs not on my list please let me know.
Looking to have BizTalk consume RSS feeds? Check out the RSS Adapter for BizTalk 2004 on GotDotNet.
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Doing a Multi Computer Install of BizTalk 2006?
Neil Thompson has put together a script that will create the Active Directory Groups, Users, and Assign Users to Groups for a multi computer install of BizTalk 2006. This is a HUGE time saver! Get all the details on his blog article.
Dallas Area BizTalk Users Group Holds First Meeting
The Dallas BizTalk User Group held its first meeting on November 13th. Attendance was great and lots of head way was made to establishing a strong users group. Keep up to date of all the latest news and info on the next meeting on their web site.
Dot Net 3.0 is now RTM - Get Free Online Training from Microsoft Learning
Microsoft dot net 3.0 is now RTM and available for download at netfx3.com. Microsoft is also offering free online training for a limited time from Microsoft Learning. Get all the details here.
What are Binding Files anyway?
There is a lot of confusion around binding files - what they are used for and why. This is one topic the BizTalk 2006 Help Guide covers very well but you just need to know how to find the information. A search for "Binding Files and Application Deployment" yields a result with the same name in the 2nd position (may vary in your search). This topic covers all the how's and why's of Binding Files.
Comments or Suggestions?
I welcome comments, questions, and suggestions. After all, this newsletter is about delivering content you want to hear about! Feel free to contact me through the forum or via e-mail.
Until next time...
Stephen W. Thomas -
BizTalkGurus.com
The Bottom Line:
This October I spent almost three straight weeks at home in Texas. This is the most time I've spent at home in over three years. |
