Microsoft Professional Advisory Services is a support option that provides short-term, proactive, consultative support beyond break-fix product maintenance needs. This includes working with the same technician for assistance with issues like product migration, code review, or new program development and is a remote, phone-based support option. This service is typically used for shorter engagements, and is designed for developers and IT professionals who do not require the traditional onsite consulting or sustained account management services that are available from other Microsoft support options.

For additional information on Microsoft Advisory Services, including on how to engage, refer to this Microsoft web page:

http://support.microsoft.com/gp/AdvisoryService (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/AdvisoryService)

This Advisory Services scenario is designed to assist customers who are seeking assistance on sample code, or coding guidance to use Commerce Server API or to use Commerce Server features to accomplish very specific scoped tasks. This advisory service scenario is limited to advisory work less than 20 hours. This advisory service scenario does not provide production ready code for customer, nor entire eCommerce site using Commerce Server which usually cost 6 to 18 months for a development team.

Commerce Sample Code/Prototype Development Scope Questions

1. Commerce Server Version, and Edition?
2. OS version? .Net Framework version?
3. What you try to accomplish is in a web application or a windows application or any other type of application?
4. Do you need help on specific Commerce API or feature? If yes, what is it?
5. Do you get an error from a Commerce API or any Out-Of-Box Commerce Server feature? Do you need help on the error only? – go to break fix case if that’s the case.
6. Do you need sample code or coding guidance? (We do not write production code for customer. Sample code could be a modification of existing sample site which require customer to reference it as an example and modify their own site accordingly.)
7. Describe what you are trying to accomplish in this advisory case - maximum 20 hours work
8. Does the scoped work involve and 3rd party components / web services etc.?

Included with Scope

• Sample code to show how to use a specific Commerce API
• Coding guidance to use specific Commerce API or features, limited to scoped task.

Some examples

1. Sample code or coding guidance for special discount scenarios not covered by OOB Commerce Server features. (with scoped tasks)
2. Sample code or coding guidance of Extending Commerce Server Orders’ Schema (with scoped tasks).
3. Sample code or coding guidance to use Commerce Web Service in various applications (with scoped tasks)
4. Sample code or coding guidance of web application user authentication and profile management using Commerce Server. (with scoped tasks)
5. Sample code or coding guidance to create web parts or user controls using specific Commerce APIs (with scoped tasks)
6. Sample code or coding guidance of a custom pipeline component (depends what is required, could be split into multiple advisory case) (with scoped tasks)
7. Sample code or coding guidance of personalized email template using Commerce Server Direct Mailer (with scoped tasks)
8. Modification of Commerce Server Sample site for very limited specific task (with scoped tasks). Sample sites include CS2007 StarterSite, CS2009 DefaultSite, CS2009 ContemporarySite.
9. Design guidance of using Commerce Server features to accomplish specific business needs (with scoped tasks)

Note Each scenario could vary a lot with every customer, so even with specific scenarios, scope with each customer in specific tasks is very important and very necessary. For a complicated task in each scenario, it definitely will exceed 20 hour limit and thus must be scoped in less sub task or into multiple advisory cases. Coding Advisory Resources is also very limited so if there are more requests than limited resource can handle, the advisory requests will be delayed as the advisory priority is lower than break/fix support requests. Delay time will vary.

Out of Scope

• This deliverable will not include production ready code.
• This deliverable will not include implementation directly in custom application.
• This deliverable will not include functional test and performance test in custom application.
• This deliverable will not include 3rd party component / web service connection
• This deliverable will not include complete eCommerce site development or any request that requires longer than 20 work hour limit.
• This deliverable will not include advisory with any unsupported configuration.

Below is a list of self-help resources for this scenario. Microsoft Support Engineers may also use these resources during an Advisory Services engagement.

For Commerce Server 2009

Commerce Server 2009 Extensisbility Kit is included in CS2009 RTM release.

Microsoft Commerce Server 2009 Multi-Channel Foundation Samples

Commerce Server Development Community Wiki

MSDN Forums

Commerce Server 2009 MSDN Library

Commerce Server 2009 ASP.net sample site (NOT a release from Commerce Server Product Team)

For Commerce Server 2007

Commerce Server 2007 Starter Site - Release 2

Microsoft Commerce Server 2007 Partner Software Development Kit (SDK)