In BizTalk 2006, if you do not want to create a BizTalk group, yet would still like to use BAM. You can create the BAM infrastructure is supported without having to configure BizTalk. The steps are as follows:

1. Define a Bam Configuration file. The following is an example of what it may look like, including an optional section on configuring BAM alerts which requires Microsoft SQL Notification Services to be installed. Note that CubeUpdateDTS, Bam Star Schema and Analysis databases are also optional. Replace “yourServer” with the server/s which you want to install the databases and share as well as “yourEmailAddress” with the address which you want the email alerts to be sent from.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<BAMConfiguration xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/BizTalkServer/2004/10/BAM">

  <DeploymentUnit Name="PrimaryImportDatabase">

    <Property Name="ServerName">yourServer</Property>

    <Property Name="DatabaseName">BAMPrimaryImport</Property>

  </DeploymentUnit>

  <DeploymentUnit Name="StarSchemaDatabase">

    <Property Name="ServerName">yourServer</Property>

    <Property Name="DatabaseName">BAMStarSchema</Property>

  </DeploymentUnit>

  <DeploymentUnit Name="AnalysisDatabase">

    <Property Name="ServerName">yourServer</Property>

    <Property Name="DatabaseName">BAMAnalysis</Property>

  </DeploymentUnit>

  <DeploymentUnit Name="ArchivingDatabase">

    <Property Name="ServerName">yourServer</Property>

    <Property Name="DatabaseName">BAMArchive</Property>

  </DeploymentUnit>

  <DeploymentUnit Name="CubeUpdateDTS">

    <Property Name="ConnectionTimeOut">120</Property>

    <Property Name="UseEncryption">0</Property>

  </DeploymentUnit>

  <DeploymentUnit Name="DataMaintenanceDTS">

    <Property Name="ConnectionTimeOut">120</Property>

    <Property Name="UseEncryption">0</Property>

  </DeploymentUnit>

  <DeploymentUnit Name="Alert">

    <Property Name="DBServer">yourServer</Property>

    <Property Name="ApplicationDatabaseName">Application</Property>

    <Property Name="InstanceDatabaseName">BAMAlerts</Property>

    <Property Name="GeneratorServerName">yourServer</Property>

    <Property Name="ProviderServerName">yourServer</Property>

    <Property Name="DistributorServerName">yourServer</Property>

    <Property Name="SmtpServerName">yourServer</Property>

    <Property Name="AlertMailFrom">yourEmailAddress</Property>

    <Property Name="FileDropUNC">\\yourServer\alerts</Property>

  </DeploymentUnit>

2. Run "bm.exe setup-databases -ConfigFile:BamConfiguration.xml -NSUser:myDomain\myNSUser" When prompted, enter the password for the user. This will setup the databases as well as the SQL NS services for BAM alerts.

You can then instrument your application and use Direct or Buffered EventStream API to monitor your business. Refer to the programmer's reference for use of this API:

http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/sdk/htm/frlrfmicrosoftbiztalkbameventobservation.asp

Note that the BAM portal is not yet set up with the above steps. Refer to my blog "BAM without BizTalk configuration (Part 2)" on how to set up the BAM portal.