//=============================================
//  PROBLEM
//=============================================
I am trying to understand the distribution and utilization of files in
an MTS environment.  What I am using is NT Workstation/NT Server 4.0 for
the client & server operating systems.  With the NT Option Pack Beta is
the latest version of Transaction Server (2.0), which I am also using.
It may be a configuration mistake on my part, or simply a lack of
understanding in the distinctions between in-process and out-of-process
..dll's.

I have a client and server component, with a seperation between user
interface - business logic - data services, ...the start of something
3-tier!    The server is a single-threaded ActiveX dll, and the client a
standard VB5 executable.

//=============================================
//  PERCEPTION
//=============================================
What I would think that I could do is register the .dll file which
resides on the server for reference in my VB5 client project.  This
means that I wouldn't have to load MTS on the client machine because all
of the transaction processing is taking place at the server.  I would
simply make calls which would be intepreted on the server component, but
that doesn't work.

What I am doing instead is registering (regsvr32) the server component
..dll file on the client machine (with an appropriate project reference
made to the now registered local component), and having to load MTS on
the client machine as well.  Then on the server, MTS is configured with
a "remote component" (remote to the server) which is a reference back to
the client machine.  In doing so, the MTS server makes a DCOM
"connection" with the client's MTS.

The question is two-fold: First, why can't I use an in-process .dll file
which resides on a remote server, why must an in-process .dll reside on
the local machine?

Second, am I configuring MTS correctly in that MTS must be loaded on
both the client and server?  Although I don't have a reference to the
MTS type library in my client project, I do have to have it loaded in
order to configure the server's remote MTS components.  Am I doing
something wrong or is this the "way it is?"
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//  END
//=============================================

Please respond to
jfbailey at
ix.netcom.com