Introduction

This list is intended as a simple checklist to verify the installation and configuration of your BizTalk environment. The intentions of this are to have an easy way of installing and configure a BizTalk environment to avoid any possible errors during configuration. It may be a recommendation to print this out for each server and then check each point as it's finished for each server to ensure that all steps are followed and completed.

General information regarding updating this article

It is recommended that the information on this list is very general and that it will be a necessary addition to the current list. Any company-specific information should not be on this list. Avoid removing any points unless you are 100% certain it's an error in the article.

General advice before Installation of BizTalk and SQL machine

• Install and run the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
  The reason for this is to verify that the machines have all necessary updates for the machine, you don't want to install BizTalk on an old machine that has not been patched.
• Install updates for Windows (update.microsoft.com)
  Install any missing updates on the machines.
• Verify that all clusters are installed and only needed resources are clustered.
  If you have multi-server environment and some of the resources are clustered verify that all necessary elements are clustered at this point, for instance on the SQL machines where you may have an active/passive configuration the MSDTC should be clustered. Any disks that are needed should also be in the cluster group.
• Move TEMP and TMP folders
  Move all TEMP and TMP folders on its own disks. This is to relief the windows disks to have it's own available I/O for BizTalk and Windows only.
• Move Pagefile
  Move the pagefile away from the system disk to its own disk, this may be shared with the TMP and TEMP folders, see more at Microsoft Support for information regarding the movement of the pagefile http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307886/en-us
• Enable IIS
  BizTalk will most likely use IIS, you need to enable this on all BizTalk machines, there is no need to do this on the SQL machines.
• Install WCF for IIS
  Make sure the WCF is installed and configured correctly for IIS.
• Configure IIS to NLB or Cluster
  If you are using a lot of web services and you have a multi-server environment it may be necessary to configure the machines through NLB.
• Install Network COM+ under application server (roles)
  You need to install the network COM+ for all server.
• BAM Specific
  • Install SQL Mgmt. Studio (full)
  • Install SQL Server 2005 Notification Services
• MQ Specific
  • Install prerequisites for MQSeries Agent
• MQSC Specific
  • Install the MGSC Adapter before you install the WebSphere MQ Client
  • Install WebSphere MQ Client version 7.1 http://biztalkadmin.com/installation-of-the-mqsc-adapter-in-biztalk/
• Install .NET Framework 4 and 3.5 SP1.
• SharePoint Specific (note that some of these elements are not for BizTalk 2013)
  • Install SharePoint Services 3.0 SP2
  • Configure the SharePoint Service
  • Extend default web sites as a virtual server
• Disable shared memory protocol
• Join local Administrator Group
• Install and configure MSDTC
  • Verify DTC with DTC Tester
    You want to do this so you can eliminate any potential MSDTC problems during configuration of BizTalk.
  • Disable real-time scanning on Antivirus (or add exceptions)
    BizTalk Works a lot and generates a lot of traffic, you do not want the real-time scanning to slow down processing. If disabling is impossible you may want to add exceptions to known file extensions that you are going to use.
  • Disable all unused windows services
    This is a classic, like the print spooler, is not needed on the BizTalk or SQL machines.
  • Configure Event logs (size, duration of storage, etc.).
    To prevent uncontrolled build up and slow performance.
  • Registry changes:
    • Update the LanManWorkstation parameters in the registry
    • Disable short-filename
    • DontVerifyRandomDrivers
    • NTFSDisableLastAccessUpdate
    • AdditionalDelayedWorkerThreads should be 16
    • AdditionalCriticalWorkerThreads should be 16
    • For Secure Intranets: Disable LDAP client signing requirements for computers
    • NtfsMftZoneReservation
      • 1 if volumes typically store fewer files.
      • 2 or 3 if volumes typically store a moderate number of files.
      • 4 if volumes typically store a large number of files.
• MaxWorkItems should be 8192
• Read more here regarding registry settings: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee377058%28v=BTS.10%29.aspx

 SQL Server Installation

• Install SQL Server 2008 R2
  • Features:
    • Database Engine Service
      • SQL Server Replication
      • Full-Text Search
    • Analysis Service
    • Reporting Services
    • Shared Features
      • Client Tools Connectivity
      • Integration Services
      • Management Tools – Basic
        • Management Tools – Complete
        • Install any updates CUs or SP for SQL Server (MBSA)
        • Configure parallelism = 1
        • Enable TCP/IP and Named Pipes
        • Install Enterprise Single Sign On
        • Configure Enterprise Single Sign-on and SQL to work with the windows cluster
        • Add Master Secret Server to the SQL Cluster

Install BizTalk

• Install BizTalk Server on all of the BizTalk machines
• Adapter Pack Specific: Install BizTalk Adapter Pack if requested or required
• Install ALL CUs and SP for BizTalk
• Adapter Pack Specific: Install BizTalk Adapter Pack CUs and SP
• Configure the first server remember to Join SSO
  • Remember to change the names of the default hosts Recommended in-process host is send
• Another server should just join the group

After installation

SQL

• Split log files and data files for the following databases on a separate disk
  • BizTalkDTADb – two separate disks
  • BizTalkMsgBoxDb – Two separate disks
  • BizTalkMgmtDb and SSO – Share two disks
  • TempDb – two separate disks, this database should be split into 10mb files
  • Turn off auto update and creation of statistics for the following databases
    • BizTalkDTADb
    • BizTalkMsgBoxDb
    • Set the predefined size and auto growth for all databases
• SQL Agent Jobs
  • Configure Backup job
  • Configure DTA Purge and Cleanup job
  • Clean up script: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Powershell-script-to-ed34c5f9

BizTalk

• Configure all hosts according to best practice and naming conventions.
  Naming convention: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/6607.biztalk-naming-convention-en-us.aspx#Hosts
• Update and fix all adapters (add the ones the client is going to use)
  You don't want to leave a halfway done environment to the client.
• Verify that event tracking is set on the pipelines.
  Some of the CU's disables this and it has to be turned back on manually.
• Verify windows cluster by clustering the hosts that should be clustered
  You should always verify that the cluster on the BizTalk machines is working by doing a simple failover on one of the BizTalk nodes.
• Run Message Box Viewer
  This is to ensure you didn't forget anything.
• Run BizTalk Best Practice Analyzer
  It's important to run this, even though these applications overlap each other on a lot of aspects they do hold different information.
• Test and verify that the cluster for hosts works.
• Set all hosts to delayed startup (only in stand-alone)
• Only for windows server 2008R2 and newer.
• SMTP ONLY
  • Add default SMPT address under adapters
• Set up Performance logging on all machines and point them to a file share.
• Configure PAL to run these logs once a week (PowerShell and Schedule Task).
• Verify environment by using BizTalk Benchmark Wizard
  • You want to make sure the environment passes the tests
• Check Event Log for any errors.
• Check performance logs with PAL.
• Perform log shipping from SQL database
  This is to verify the disaster recovery methods and routines at the company.
• Install Enterprise Single Sign on to the new SQL Server Cluster or BizTalk Server if you are running a stand-alone machine.
• Mount BizTalk towards new Enterprise single sign-on server.
• Verify solution by running a simple “pass thru” application.
• Then fail back again the entire environment from the disaster recovery machines.
• Advice clients to do this once a year
  You should always run a disaster recovery test at least once a year.
• Delete all third-party testing tools
  You don't want to leave any traces that you've played with the environment.
• Clean message box.
• Clean Tracking database.
• Do a manual backup (right click message box choose backup).
• Update ForceUpdate to value 1 (messageboxDb -> adm_BackupSettings)
• Execute BizTalk Backup SQL Agent Job
• Verify BizTalk Administration Guidelines
  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/7234.biztalk-administrator-guidelines.aspx
• Hand over the environment to the client.

See Also

Another important place to find a huge amount of BizTalk related articles is the TechNet Wiki itself. The best entry point is BizTalk Server Resources on the TechNet Wiki.