BAM Alerts issue while installing BizTalk Server 2009

Problem:


While configuring BizTalk Server's BAM Alerts, you might get the following error:

Microsoft (R) Business Activity Monitoring Utility Version 3.8.368.0
Copyright (C) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
ERROR: Failed to set up BAM database(s).
There was a failure while executing nscontrol.exe. Error:"Microsoft Notification Services Control Utility 9.0.242.0
Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved.

Analysis:

This happens when the notification services are not properly installed in this environment. The real problem is that – Notification services is not part of the SQL Server 2008 installation, unlike SQL Server 2005.

http://sqlblog.com/blogs/tibor_karaszi/archive/2007/08/03/no-notification-services-in-sql-server-2008.aspx

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sqlnotificationservices/thread/03cb63a9-7fe7-408d-b194-7ff3d14e682a

So, products like BizTalk will eventually rely on a different mechanism to notify ( for alerts). I also found few blog postings which might of some help to you.

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/biztalkgeneral/thread/7f4c1060-c47c-4467-8ada-778bb47f7c1c

http://msinnovations.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!62E68922E47BC425!609.entry

The person who posted this could finally make the installation work by taking the following steps:

“VM Base: Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2, SQL 2008, VS 2008 (minus SQL Express) installed in this order.
VM Diff:
• Don't use the SQL 2005 SSNS RC1 linked in the 2009 beta install guide. Use a SQL 2005 full version.
• Install SQL 2005 as a named instance (installing after SQL 2008 was the default instance worked fine for me), install the database services, notification services, and analysis services.
• Run SQL 2005 SP2. If you forget this step, the BAM Alerts tells you the current SQL 2005 instance is not supported.
• Install BizTalk 2009 full
• Configure BizTalk 2009, use the named instance of SQL 2005 for all of the BAM databases. “

Another way could be –

“I have been able to get SQL Notifications working with Biztalk 2009 and SQL Server 2008. In the installation doc for BizTalk 2009 under the "Install SQL Notification Services" section there are a couple of hotfixs to download. SQLServer2005_XMO and Yukon_SP2_CU9_SNAC. You receive an email with the download link and a password. The Install doc say to leave the password blank. Enter the password and an msi will be extracted to your directory. Install the msi and for each of the 2 downloads. Extract and install the Yukon_SP2_CU9_SNAC first.

Once this section of the doc is complete you can now configure the BAM Alerts (Which will create the Databases. You will have to ensure that your BAM users (BAM Notifications Services User, BAM Management Web Servcies User) have the correct access to the database tables. Check out this link for windows groups and user accounts (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa577661.aspx)”

My suggestion:

“BAM Alerts “ are not the most critical for BizTalk’s primary function. It is just an add on feature that most of the clients do not use. Bam Alerts basically use SQL Server’s Notification services to send alerts to BizTalk Notification subscribers. So far, I have not seen this feature being used by any of the clients I have worked with.