BizTalk Server is a large and complicated product. We all know that. And those who are just starting, will know it soon enough. So how do you learn it all? Where do you start? Depending on your situation, you may have to resort to self-study. If that is the case, start with the documentation! It is a large (1+ million words), technically deep, and very thorough doc set. With tutorials, walkthroughs, samples, and architectural content available, you can learn a great deal. What’s even better is the various formats…online at MSDN, a downloadable chm or PDF format. In addition to the documentation, there is a thriving community around BizTalk Server with newsgroups and Blogs.
If you can score a spot in a BizTalk Server training class, sign up for Pluralsight’s Applied BizTalk Server 2006, a 4 day class on learning how to leverage BizTalk Server 2006 to connect heterogeneous systems. I had a chance to sit in on this course this past week and wished I had this training when I was a “noob”. Aaron and Matt are both seasoned instructors with a ton of knowledge in .NET, Web Services, and BizTalk Server. In December, they will be offering a course on BizTalk Server 2006 R2 that includes the coverage of WF and WCF and the new features in R2. It’s nice to see a company delivering what I call “training on the edge”.
Don’t miss it!
For more information and to sign up for training, see http://www.pluralsight.com.