If youare building any applications in health, you should really be across the Microsoft CUI.
"The Microsoft Health Common User Interface (CUI) provides Design Guidance and controls which allow a new generation of safer, more usable and compelling health applications to be quickly and easily created. This site is aimed at user interface designers, application developers and patient safety experts who want to find out more about the benefits of a standardized approach to user interface design"
The home of the Microsoft Health Common User Interface - MSCUI.net – has been updated. Included in this update are:
· A video from one of our partners
· Updated design guidance
· New and updated controls and samples
Alongside this, R1.2 of the MSCUI Toolkit has also been released on the associated Codeplex site. This new release includes updates to 4 controls, and also the addition of a brand new ASP.NET control – MonthCalendar.
I had heard of the Imagine Cup in the past, but did not realise it's reach.
This from Nick Ellery (http://blogs.msdn.com/msozacademic)
"Imagine Cup is the world’s premier technology competition for students. Each year, students are provided with a theme – this year, the theme is extremely topical and relevant – “Imagine A World Where Technology Enables a Sustainable Environment”. Last year, we had over 100,000 students enter worldwide... " This year, students can go in the draw to win internships, trips to France, cash prizes, xbox 360’s, HTC touch mobile phones and internships at Readify Consulting. There are 9 categories students can enter:
Software Design – Games Development – IT Challenge – Algorithm – Project Hoshimi Programming Challenge – Photography – Short Film – Interface Design – Embedded Development
Visit: (http://www.microsoft.com/australia/imaginecup/) "
**Get onto some of this training next year**
Performance Point Server - 2 Days https://www.local.microsoft.com.au/australia/events/register/home.aspx?levent=849861&linvitation
Sydney - March 6 & 7th
Melbourne March 3 & 4th
Perth April 7 & 8th
SQL 2008 BI - JumpStart - 1 Day https://www.local.microsoft.com.au/australia/events/register/home.aspx?levent=941039&linvitation
Melbourne May-16
Canberra May-23
Perth May-20
Brisbane May-23
Sydney May-16
SQL 2008 : IT PRO Admin : 1 Day JumpStart https://www.local.microsoft.com.au/australia/events/register/home.aspx?levent=644598&linvitation
Melbourne May-15
Perth May-19
Adelaide May-30
Brisbane May-22
Sydney May-15
Canberra May-22
SQL 2008 for Developers - 2 Days - https://www.local.microsoft.com.au/australia/events/register/home.aspx?levent=663396&linvitation
Sydney May 26 & 27th
Canberra May 28 & 29th
Melbourne June 2 & 3rd
VSTS Upgrade to 2008 - 1 Day - https://www.local.microsoft.com.au/australia/events/register/home.aspx?levent=688714&linvitation
Sydney Feb 29th
Melbourne March 7th
Canberra April 3rd
Perth March 20th
Brisbane March 26th
Visual Studio 2008 Upgrade - 2 Days - https://www.local.microsoft.com.au/australia/events/register/home.aspx?levent=356298&linvitation
Sydney Feb 25 & 26th
Melbourne March 5 & 6
Perth March 17 & 18
Brisbane March 24 & 25
Canberra March 31 - April 1
https://www.local.microsoft.com.au/australia/events/register/home.aspx?levent=250304&linvitation
BizTalk RFID Workshop – End-to-End
This aim of this 2 day hands-on course is to take the student from the “nuts and bolts” of BizTalk RFID to enriching and utilizing BizTalk RFID information streams as part of Business Intelligence. The course also teaches the students how to integrate with external systems, create and call Business Rules, as well as put in place proactive monitoring around the end-to-end solution.
As part of the ‘student pack’ for this course, each student is provided with a real (non virtual) BizTalk RFID compatible RFID Reader that will be used throughout the course, which the student can take home at course completion.
The course will teach students how:
· Develop and implement low level BizTalk RFID Interfaces in implementing their own BizTalk RFID Providers and Process Components.
· Develop and incorporate Business Rules to help drive the BizTalk RFID process.
· Active solution Monitoring using Operations Manager 2007 and the BizTalk R2 Management Pack.
· Create and call an exposed WCF Service synchronously.
· Integrate with a BizTalk 2006 R2 environment.
· Enable End-To-End Business Activity Monitoring.
The course is aimed for developers and solution architects
Module 1 – Introduction to BizTalk RFID
This module introduces Microsoft BizTalk RFID and typical solutions it provides to common business problems. The module also looks at the BizTalk RFID architecture and discovers how BizTalk RFID operates under the hood.
Specifically this module covers:
- Introduction to RFID and innovative industry solutions
- BizTalk RFID architecture
- Topology – How BizTalk RFID services operate
- LAB: Design and discussion lab that highlights the key factors in determining small, medium and high Microsoft BizTalk RFID Services topologies (paper based - class discussion).
Module 2 - Installing BizTalk RFID
This module describes the types of installations supported, and guides us through installing BizTalk RFID for the first time. There is also a walk-through of the RFID Services Manager, which highlights the difference between physical and logical devices.
Specifically:
- BizTalk RFID components (e.g. RFID Server, RFID databases, RFID Manager)
- Planning security
- Types of installations and pre-requisites
- Troubleshooting and repairing an installation
- LAB: Installing and identifying the default settings of Microsoft BizTalk RFID
Module 3 - Examining Physical Devices
This module will explore the various types of RFID devices available. We will install your very own RFID device and get it up and running on your machine.
Specifically:
- Types of devices
- Installing physical devices
- Developing against device API’s
- LAB: Installing, configuring and testing your RFID Device. Also some sample code on complex read/write of tags using device’s native API – this will serve to highlight later the ease of writing tags through the DSPI layer.
Module 4 – BizTalk RFID Device Providers Explained
This module will look at the device provider’s role in the BizTalk RFID stack. We will look briefly at the DSPI and examine how it provides a unified way for our business applications to manage, configure, and communicate with various physical RFID devices. The module will show sample code using BizTalk RFID object model.
Specifically:
- The role of device providers
- Types of device providers
- Device Service Provider Interface (DSPI)
- Registering device providers
- Testing and monitoring device providers
- LAB: installing, configuring and testing the Device Provider for your RFID Reader. Reading and writing your first Tag using the BizTalk RFID Object model outside an RFID process. Examining the Read Tag Event structure.
Lab extension: Building your first DSPI provider class within Visual Studio (we will look into creating a provider that wraps a file system folder and exposes it as a ‘Provider’. Drop a file into the folder and this will simulate a Tag Read etc.)
Module 5 - Building RFID Processes
In BizTalk RFID we manage logical groups of components in RFID processes. In this module we will examine the types of components that make up an RFID process, understand the difference between logical and physical devices, and see how we use bindings to connect them. We will learn what an event pipeline is and take a look at the various out-of-the-box components that ship with BizTalk RFID.
Specifically this module covers:
- Components of a BizTalk RFID Process
- OOTB Components
- Binding BizTalk RFID Processes
- Starting a BizTalk RFID Process
- Deploying RFID Processes
- LAB: Creating, testing and logging your first RFID Process. Capturing the Read Tag Event. Writing to a DB table using the OOTB Sql Sink component.
Lab Extension: Create a SQL Reporting Services report to report on Tag event data in sqlsink db and display the enriched data (cool!)
Module 6 – Creating Custom RFID Event Handlers
This module will focus on the event processing pipeline, as we learn when and how to create our own event handler components to filter, enrich, and process tag event data.
We will examine the following topics:
- Asynchronous Event Processing - terminating, continuing components
- Filtering, Enriching, and Terminating event data
- Error Handling
- Deployment and registration
- LAB: Creating a simple custom component to enrich tag event data using a DB Lookup while adding custom properties to the tag Event data. The enriched data will be made available for downstream consumers. This lab highlights the importance of keeping the TagEvent data structure within these processes.
Module 7 - The Role of Business Rules
The Business Rules Engine allows for externalising key decision process points. This allows RFID processes to be more flexible and highly repeatable. In this module we will examine the OOTB rule engine policy executor component as well as looking at how we can call business rules from our custom event handlers.
The focus points are:
- Benefits of the Business Rules Engine (BRE)
- Why BRE is crucial for any RFID Process
- The RuleEnginePolicyExecutor component
- Calling business rules policy from custom event handlers
- LAB: extending your RFID Process to incorporate Business Rules.
Create a Business Rules. Use Rules to process business logic and output the results back to a DB Table. The results are posted to the SQL Sink database for further consumption.
Module 8 - Publishing and Consuming WCF Services in RFID
Enabling BizTalk RFID processes to consume WCF Services provides enormous value to upstream process consumers, such as Microsoft BizTalk Server. Integration and instrumentation of BizTalk RFID throughout the Enterprise provides rich, meaningful information ideally delivered to the user’s desktop, thus abstracting the actual process to another information stream within the Enterprise. This module will discuss consuming and publishing BizTalk RFID processes with WCF Services, essentially allowing for the ease of integration. Both Synchronous and Asynchronous message patterns will be examined.
We will cover the following:
- Consuming WCF Services - calling a WCF Service synchronously
- Topology options for reliable interfacing to BizTalk RFID
- Performance considerations
- LAB: Calling an existing WCF Service from within a RFID Process synchronously. Create a WinForm Application that hosts a WCF Service that is called synchronously. Here the operator deals with the scenario and the results are returned back to the RFID process in question. The user can see the results in the UI. Publishing a local WCF Service allowing for optimized consumption with integration partners, e.g. security considerations.
Module 9 - Consuming and BAM enabling End-To-End RFID processes in Microsoft BizTalk Server
This module will walk through the ease of integrating BizTalk RFID with Microsoft BizTalk Server and will integrate the BizTalk RFID processes with BizTalk Server allowing for the Orchestrating of BizTalk RFID processes within the larger Business Process and the Enterprise.
- A BizTalk Server’s perspective of BizTalk RFID
- Reliability, interoperability and performance considerations.
- Using WCF BAM Interceptor and custom BAM APIs from the BizTalk RFID environment.
- LAB: Building a simple BizTalk BizTalk Server Orchestration that processes published BizTalk RFID Tag Event data. This lab illustrates the basic framework required to integrate BizTalk Server. Using BizTalk Server 2006 R2 BAM WCF Interceptors and BAM API from within RFID, system components will report back BAM eventing information for further analysis.
Module 10 - Effective Monitoring + Performance Consideration for Microsoft BizTalk RFID Deployments
This module will discuss effective BizTalk RFID System and Process monitoring within different scenarios to actively monitor for better health from a Microsoft Operations Manager 2007 environment. The module also focuses on steps to take for proactive monitoring, rather than reactive. The student will also learn how to configure and setup this environment to ensure effect health monitoring of their BizTalk RFID Environment.
Specifically this module covers:
- Determining the health of BizTalk RFID through Operations Manager 2007, Alerts and key performance monitor counters.
- Packaging and deploying existing BizTalk RFID Processes - a closer look at RfidClientConsole.exe
- Performance considerations within BizTalk RFID Services and its processes.
- LAB: Package and deploy your existing RFID Process, examine performance monitor counters and highlight key performance factors within RFID Services.
Module 11 - BizTalk RFID Tips and Tricks
This module will cover key tips and tricks when implementing BizTalk RFID, with respect to maximising performance, optimising the BizTalk Rules Engine for performance, deployment and tweaking the IIS hosted BizTalk RFID Processes.
Specifically this module covers:
- IIS 6.0 considerations for BizTalk RFID - post install suggested tweaks.
- Getting the most out of your BizTalk Rules engine - determine rule set and fact cache policy durations.
- Best practices when packaging up your BizTalk RFID Processes and deciding whether to GAC or not additional BizTalk RFID artifacts.
- LAB: Create a new IIS Web Site to specifically host BizTalk RFID Processes. Setting the IIS Web Application Pool . Configuring the BizTalk RFID Server to use non-default IIS web site as well as adjusting some of the BizTalk RFID settings.
Our local Australian Microsoft Education account manager, Kevin, has been working hard on this little gem :-)
If you know anyone in a *government* (public) school environment here in Victoria (and that extends from Kindergarten to Year 12) then you can buy Office Professional for only $120 delivered (usually $299). There are also other products like Vista and Encarta that you can also buy cheap. Check it out here: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/management/ictsupportservices/software/microsoft/forstudents.htm
Just got this email from the user group.... get to it if you want to learn about MS RFID services.... (but more importantly, play some XBOX!!!!).
Hi Chris Vidotto,
Welcome to our last meeting of the year.
I know its Christmas soon and we're all checking out the best gifts to get.......well I got thinking..... why don't we have a 'try before you buy' session with a xbox360/media extender etc??
We also need to make it Educational as well, so here's the line up for next Dec 5th.
Where:
Microsoft, North Ryde
1 Epping Road
When:
6pm - Beer + Pizza
6.30pm - Kick off
Dec 5th 2007
(Add to calendar)
1. Introduction to BizTalk RFID Services - 101
Presenter: Scott Scovell - Scott has extensive experience in EDI and BizTalk RFID Services.
He has recently been part of a team that has created the Microsoft BizTalk RFID Courseware, and is always eager to share his knowledge and lend an ear.
Session Outline:
BizTalk RFID Services is new to the BizTalk Product Suite, being able to enable production lines, track and trace and various other scenarios with RFID technology is key for companies to maintain a competitive edge.
This presentation will cover:
1. Setting up and configuring BizTalk RFID Services
2. Plugging in a real RFID Reader Device
3. Reading/Writing Tags within a BizTalk RFID Process.
4. Extending and customising RFID Services.
2. XBOX 360 'Christmas Evaluation' Session
Come along and road test some XBOX 360's with us for Christmas!
We’re now just shy of 80 registered members – you guys are great! Well done and keep all the feedback coming.
I'm looking forward to a great meeting and hope to see you all there.
Many thanks,
Mick.
p.s. Let me know if you’re coming (so I know how many xbox controllers to put out)
Next week, we are holding a Business Intelligence Summit in Melbourne and Sydney. Check out the details here: http://www.microsoft.com/australia/business/bi/summit/default.aspx
We have laucnhed the *Windows Live Community Builder* service. It allows businesses, non-profit organisations or anyone who wants to create a community service to create customised, branded online experiences. It can include email services, member services, calendaring, contacts, mapping features etc
How much does it cost? $0, zilch, nada, nothing.
Check it out at: http://partner.live.com/communitybuilder.
Now here's an idea!!! Hosted and Managed Services for BizTalk! Why hasn't someone thought of this earlier in Aus ;-)
I've worked closely with both Bryn and Utilisoft over the last several years (in my old national BizTalk role) and they both have excellent capabilities in BizTalk. They have decided to partner up and develop this offering.
If you are in Melbourne on Friday 30th Nov, register for their session.
** Realised the print is hard to read: Register at: www.bryn.com.au or 03 9370 2414 **
Email from our internal readiness team...
Hi,
Aligned to the BizTalk Release 2, global launch in Australia, we have scheduled the training for Partners as per below.
Please ensure that your partners are aware of this and register: As always – thank you very much.
BizTalk R2
https://www.local.microsoft.com.au/australia/events/register/home.aspx?levent=478264&linvitation
Sydney - Oct 18 & 19
Brisbane - Oct 15 & 16
Melbourne - Oct 25 & 26
Perth - Oct 18 & 19
You have got to get to this! Register now. It's the one day launch.
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/servers/biztalk/event/default.mspx
C'mon.. what are you waiting for!
Yeah!! You're the man! Welcome to the blogsphere Rahul! This is awesome. Look forward to your posts... and your expertise here in Australia! Check it out here:
http://blogs.msdn.com/rgarg/
Got this from Katya at COVAST.
Chris Vidotto
As a professional in the Integration space, you know that many large organizations have already invested in a great B2B gateway!
HOWEVER, many small and medium sized Suppliers or Customers do not have the IT skills to connect to these large organizations.
BBot is THE solution:
Built on Microsoft technology:
Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2
Microsoft SharePoint Services V3
WE MAKE IT SIMPLE!
1) Covast publish a profile containing information about the supply chain processes and the types of documents exchanged by trading partners like EDI, XML or any other
2) The smaller trading partner installs a plug-and-play BBot that will automatically download the profile at first startup and instantly configure itself to exchange the published documents
A fully supported BBot is leased for a low monthly fee.
Do you want to know more about how BBot works and what it can do for you?
CLICK HERE
Covast looks forward to helping you in your projects to streamline the supply chain processes!
