setup QA/production environment for BizTalk project

See here (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B273269C-97E0-411D-8849-5A8070698E4A&displaylang=en) for the install guides which call out the software prereqs you need.

 Basically, you need Windows, SQL, .NET Framework, and optionally IIS and SharePoint.  You do NOT want VS.NET on the QA server, as the BTS 2006 Admin Console has all the management capabilities that used to be in VS.NET.  Most IT depts. don't like dev tools on the server, and now you don't need it.

You can choose to install only the components you want (e.g. no BAM, no BAS, no EDI, etc).

You'll probably have to look at scripting (WMI) the parties update if you want that done automatically.

If you're running BizTalk Server 2004.

 You need the same components from DEV installed in QA and PROD.  The microsoft site describes all the components required to install BizTalk Server 2004.  You will also need VS in QA and PROD, ofcourse you wont be doing development, and the developers will not have access to these two environments.

 When you deploy an interface from DEV to QA, all you need to move is the CurrentVersion folder, and deploy the assemblies using the Deployment Wizard.

That's pretty much how we have it, and it is rock solid.  Production and QA never break.  DEV is always broken thanks to my developer friends. 🙂

Also, do you know anyone who has installed SP2 for BTS2K4?  We want to install it, but we want to make sure it doesn't bring our environments down.  I tried a virtual, and I'm not sure if the results I'm seeing are because of the SP2 or just the Virtual Build.

 Thanks,

Rene