Preface

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2010 is an exciting platform for developing middleware and integration solutions. As our computing ecosystem moves ever further away from monolithic mainframe style applications, we find ourselves spending an ever increasing amount of time integrating existing systems. This trend continues and increases as more of these systems move to the cloud. The book is broken into two major sections: an introduction to Microsoft BizTalk Server 2010 from a detailed technical perspective; and the story of a realistic enterprise embarking on the process of adopting Microsoft BizTalk Server 2010 to build solutions. Through this unified story line that mimics how many real-world development initiatives flow, readers will walk through creating solutions according to best practices that will expand and grow with the enterprise that they serve. The same patterns and practices presented here apply to any middleware or integration platform including the upcoming AppFabric ServiceBus.