Thursday, October 30, 2008

Just Released: Enterprise Library 4.1

clip_image001
Microsoft patterns & practices Team announced the latest addition to
the p&p library of software architecture guidance:
Enterprise Library 4.1
October 2008 Release
Quick Links:
– MSDN site: http://msdn.microsoft.com/entlib
– Community Forum: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=119312
– Community Extensions: http://codeplex.com/entlibcontrib
What is Enterprise Library?
Enterprise Library is a collection of reusable software components (application blocks) designed to assist software developers with common enterprise development challenges (such as logging, validation, caching, exception handling, and many others). Application blocks are a type of guidance encapsulating Microsoft recommended development practices; they are provided as source code, tests plus documentation that can be used "as is," extended, or modified by developers to use on complex, enterprise-level line-of-business development projects.
Goals for Enterprise Library
Enterprise Library is intended for use by developers who build complex, enterprise-level applications that are typically to be deployed widely and to interoperate with other applications and systems. In addition, they generally have strict security, reliability, and performance requirements. The goals of Enterprise Library are the following:
Consistency. All Enterprise Library application blocks feature consistent design patterns and implementation approaches.
Extensibility. All application blocks include defined extensibility points that allow developers to customize the behavior of the application blocks by adding their own code.
Ease of use. Enterprise Library offers numerous usability improvements, including a graphical configuration tool, a simpler installation procedure, and clearer and more complete documentation and samples.
Integration. Enterprise Library application blocks are designed to work well together or individually.
What’s New?
This release of Enterprise Library is a service release that includes the following:
– Unity interception mechanism and integration of the Policy Injection Application Block with the Unity Application Block
– Added support for generics in the Unity Application Block
– Added support for arrays in the Unity Application Block
– Performance improvements
– Usability improvements to the configuration tool
– Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 support
– Bug fixes
For the detailed list of all changes, see About This Release of Enterprise Library.
Note: existing public APIs (v3.1 and v4.0) are still supported.
Getting Started
If you are new to Enterprise Library:
− read the Introduction to the Enterprise Library;
− download, compile and run the QuickStart samples—study the code;
− read through the related QuickStart Walkthroughs and “Key Scenarios” sections of the documentation;
− practice the Hands-On Labs;
− review the source and unit tests for deeper understanding;
− view webcasts on Enterprise Library and Unity, review demo code.

If you already know and love Enterprise Library:
− check out the change log for this release;
− upgrade to V4.1—no code change is required—simply update the references to the corresponding application block assemblies and to the common assemblies;
− download the updated QuickStarts and run through the Unity-integrated examples to get the flavor of new dependency injection style of using the Enterprise Library;
− review the documentation on how to use interception with Unity;
− view webcasts on Enterprise Library and Unity, review demo code.
Information on Microsoft patterns & practices
– Visit us at http://msdn.microsoft.com/practices/ to see the full line of existing patterns & practices.
Source : http://msdn.microsoft.com/entlib

Saturday, October 25, 2008

New .NET Logos announced

Microsoft Announced its New Logo for .NET

NET_v_rgb_thumb

and for the horizontally inclined:

NET_h_rgb_thumb

you must be thinking “Why Change?”

here is the answer published by Chris Koenig on his blog.

Why change?  The original .NET logo was designed just before Forum 2000. It was designed to be attached to other Microsoft brands as a suffix. The result was a logo that did not stand well on its own and lacked impact.

“We needed a logo that was in sync with the key values that we want .NET to stand for: consistency, robustness and great user experiences. We also wanted a logo that conformed to the design principles that are driving Microsoft’s brand identity evolution and is reflected in newer brands such as Silverlight, Surface and more.  Finally, we needed a logo that is more strongly aligned with the portfolio of brands that .NET is most strongly aligned with: Silverlight, Visual Studio and our server products.”

Source: Chris Koenig’s Blog

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Installing and Configuring BizTalk RFID

Installing server products like BizTalk or SharePoint is always a painful work for me, as there are too many dependencies and prerequisites for these servers. It is not a simple installation like Office or Visual studio :)

When I decided to install BizTalk RFID on my machine, and as like everyone I was going through the installation guide at very first stage I was totally confused between BizTalk Server and BizTalk RFID. though BizTalk RFID is part of BizTalk Server 2006 R2, the most important thing I want say is , You don't need to install full BizTalk Server 2006 R2 on your machine to use BizTalk RFID, you can choose to install only BizTalk RFID.

you can install BizTalk RFID on:

  • Windows XP Professional with SP2 or higher
  • Windows Server 2003 with SP1or higher
  • Windows Vista
  • Windows Server 2008 ( I am not very sure about this as it is not mentioned officially anywhere on Microsoft website but I found one article on MS innovation blog which says that you can install it on windows server 2008 Enterprise edition.)

Now we are going to install BizTalk RFID (only)

Before actually start installation lets make a list of all prerequisites.

  1. Windows XP Professional with SP2 or Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or windows vista
  2. Internet Information Services (IIS)
  3. World Wide Web Publishing Service
  4. Microsoft Message Queuing service (MSMQ)
  5. Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 – Download
  6. Web Services Enhancements (WSE) 3.0 - Download
  7. Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 – Download
  8. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 with SP2, or Microsoft SQL Sever 2000 with SP4 – Download Express
  9. Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2 – Download Trial

 

Note: This article is not for Development Machine, so I am not considering Visual Studio, or any SDK required.

I have a Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 fresh installed machine with me.

make sure you are logged in as Administrator

Step 1: Install IIS, MSMQ, WWW Publishing services from Add Remove Program - Windows Components section.

IIS Install

Step 2: Install Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0

DotNEt30

Step 3: Install Web Services Enhancements (WSE) 3.0

Select Runtime or Administrative Tool option ( If you are installing BizTalk on Development machine and planning to use same machine for development then  select other option which requires Visual Studio 2005 pre-installed on machine.

WSE

Step 4: Install Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0

MMC

Step 5: Install SQL Server Express

Make sure you have windows installer 3.1 installed before starting SQL Express installation

SQlExpress

Now I am ready to install BizTalk RFID.

Step 6: Start Installing BizTalk RFID – Insert BizTalk Server 2006 R2 DVD and Select BizTalk RFID option.

BiztalkRFID-1

BiztalkRFID-2

click next, then accept License agreement and Provide Product key then

Select right type of installation

Setup allows you to choose from the following types of installation:

  • Typical. Installs the following features on your computer:
    • RFID Services
    • RFID Tools and Client Connector
  • Custom. Allows you to choose the features that you want to install:
    • RFID Services
    • RFID Tools and Client Connector
    • RFID SDK
  • Complete. Installs all three of the following features:
    • RFID Services
    • RFID Tools and Client Connector
    • RFID SDK

 

BiztalkRFID-3

If you select Complete installation with SDK then Visual studio 2005 must be installed before.

I am selected Typical but includes RFID Service and Tools.

Next select SQL Server details, you can install database on same machine or on remote machine, provide authentication details as per SQL server settings

BiztalkRFID-4

if you are installing BizTalk RFID on same machine second time then you may select check box “Overwrite contents of RFID configuration database

BiztalkRFID-5

Select RFID Service Account which will be used by RFID Service to run.

BiztalkRFID-6

you are DONE with setup click finish, this will popup Business Rule Configuration windows, enter Service account details and click configure, select basic configuration, it is recommended for new users.  for Windows XP and Windows Vista default service account is  RFIDSvcAcc

BiztalkRFID-7

Now your BizTalk RFID Server is ready to use. to check go to start menu-> in Microsoft BizTalk RFID select RFID Manager

it will show you following window with status of RFID Server, if it is started then you have successfully installed RFID Server and now can proceed to use it with devices

 

BiztalkRFID-Manager

Important Note:

1. RFID Services Port Number;
The port number that RFID Services uses has changed from 8081 (in the previous version) to 7891. You must add 7891 to the list of exceptions in Windows Firewall.

2. Before you install BizTalk RFID, uninstall any previous version, and delete the BizTalk RFID installation folder.

3.For BizTalk RFID, IIS must be configured to run in native mode. BizTalk RFID is not supported in IIS 5.0 Isolation mode

4.The SQL Server or MSDE database must be available and configured to support Windows authentication.

you may want Refer full installation guide publish by Microsoft at http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/a/9/8a947a42-4f44-4f9a-886a-2fe48f8ecc6e/Installation%20Guide%20for%20BizTalk%20RFID.htm

Microsoft Press - "Free E-Book of the Month" offer!

For 25 years, Microsoft Press books have focused on helping you take your skills and knowledge to the next level. Celebrate our 25th Anniversary with a "Free E-Book of the Month" offer! Simply sign up for the Microsoft Press Book Connection Newsletter for notification of offers, register, and download the selection of the month.

 

TCPIPEbook

Windows Server® 2008 TCP/IP Protocols and Services - http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urws8un4p7

RoboticsEbook

Programming Microsoft Robotics Studio http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urrs4gt63d

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Report Builder 2.0 released

On October 17th, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Report Builder 2.0 was released as part of the SQL Server 2008 Feature Pack.

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Report Builder 2.0 provides an intuitive report authoring environment for business and power users. It supports the full capabilities of SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services. including:

  • Flexible report layout capabilities of SQL Server 2008 Report Definition Language
  • Data Visualizations including charts and gauges
  • Richly formatted textboxes
  • Export to Microsoft Office Word format

Features specific to Report Builder 2.0 are focused on simplifying the process of creating and editing reports and queries and include the following:
  • Easy to use wizards for creating table, matrix and chart data regions
  • Support for directly opening and editing reports stored on the report server
  • Support for using server resources such as shared data sources
  • Query designers for multiple data sources including a Microsoft SQL Server-specific query designer

The download provides a stand-alone installer for Report Builder 2.0

Download here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9f783224-9871-4eea-b1d5-f3140a253db6

Reportbuilder2.0

Source: www.microsoft.com

Friday, October 17, 2008

ASP.NET MVC Beta Released

Microsoft announced beta of their new ASP.NET MVC framework.

You can download it from :

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A24D1E00-CD35-4F66-BAA0-2362BDDE0766&displaylang=en

This works with .NET3.5 and .NET 3.5 SP1 and Visual Studio 2008 and VS 2008 Express too.

you can check www.asp.net/mvc to learn more about this and can catch some nice tutorials about MVC there.