Administration

SQL Enterprise Manager provides a graphical interface for managing and configuring Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MS DTC). By using this interface, an administrator can start and stop MS DTC, view current MS DTC statistics and traces, force the outcomes of in-doubt transactions, and set various global MS DTC options.

The management interface consists of three windows:

• MS DTC Transactions
• MS DTC Trace
• MS DTC Statistics

These windows provide information for you to monitor MS DTC performance. The MS DTC Configuration dialog box allows you to specify MS DTC view and log behavior and to start and stop MS DTC. Each interface component is described in the following sections.

Note The management interface is available to client and server computers running Windows NT. The management interface is not available to client computers running Windows 95.

    To open the management interface

1. From the Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 group, choose SQL Enterprise Manager.
2. If you have not yet registered the server you want to use, from the Server menu, choose Register Server to do so.
3. From the Server Manager window, choose the plus sign (+) beside the server group that you want to open.
4. Click the right mouse button on the server you want to use.

   A shortcut menu appears.

5. From the shortcut menu, choose Start.
6. In the Server Manager window, click the plus sign (+) beside the name of the server that hosts the MS DTC you want to start.

   The available Server services display.

7. Right-click the Distributed Transaction Coordinator icon to display this shortcut menu:
   1. 
8. To start MS DTC either:
   • Choose Start. The Distributed Transaction Coordinator icon turns green once MS DTC has started.
   • Or
   • Choose Configure. When the MS DTC Configuration dialog box displays, choose the Start button.
9. Right-click the Distributed Transaction Coordinator icon.
10. Choose the window you want to open: Transactions, Trace, Statistics, or Configure. These windows are described in the following sections.

Note You can repeat the above procedure to open, one-by-one, the management interface on several servers; that is, you can display the management interface for server 1, server 2, server 3, and so on. This allows system-wide administration of all transaction participants from a single location.

For example, a system administrator can see that a transaction is shown as committed on one participating server and in doubt on another. The administrator can diagnose the problem (perhaps a failed connection between the commit coordinator and the in-doubt server) and take the appropriate action to resolve the transaction.