Microsoft Transaction Server Features at a Glance

Feature Description
Application server development
Accessible three-tier application model Developers build distributed business solutions from software components.

Services separate network programming and basic server functionality from business logic.

Applications can be built as "single user" but deployed  as "multiuser."

ActiveX language support Transaction Server supports tools that produce ActiveX DLLs, including Visual C++, Visual Basic, and Visual J++.
Two new APIs and two new interfaces ActiveX developers already skilled in COM must learn only two new APIs to deploy solutions in the Transaction Server run-time environment.

Extensive knowledge of COM APIs and the Win32® application programming interface is not required.

Supports CoCreateInstance and Create Object, the two common ActiveX APIs used in Visual C++ and Visual Basic, respectively.

Automatic thread and process management Developers do not have to create processes or threads as part of their application.
Object instance management Provides just-in-time object activation, allowing server resources to be used efficiently in high-performance applications.
Component packaging Packages provide an easy mechanism to collect components into a single application unit, with common security, management, and deployment characteristics.
Database connection pool Manages a pool of database connections that can be shared by multiple clients.
Shared Property Manager Multiple concurrent users can easily share global resources.
Sample applications as learning tools Sample bank is a simple transactional database application that demonstrates how to use Microsoft Transaction Server APIs.

Hockey is a simple multiuser game that shows nontransactional components managing shared state.

Mainframe-class reliability
Automatic transactions through MS DTC Integration with the Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator provides a robust transaction management infrastructure.

This transaction processing infrastructure enables high-performance server applications.

Transaction support is transparent to the programmer.

Process isolation Administrators can configure components across systems processes for enhanced integrity.
Distributed security service Transaction Server leverages Windows NT security to control application access and use.
Deployment choices
Integration with DCOM Developers and administrators can deploy distributed component applications using standard technology.
Integration with Microsoft Internet Information Server Developers can build distributed applications using HTML, HTTP, and Active Server Pages.
Support for multiple databases and resource managers The architecture supports multiple types of resource managers, including relational databases from different software vendors, file systems, and document storage systems.
Integration with Microsoft SQL Server Microsoft SQL Server supports the OLE transactions two-phase commit protocol, for fast Transaction Server applications.

Integration of MS DTC with SQL Enterprise Manager provides common management for SQL Server and Transaction Server applications.

"Fat" and "thin" client support Transaction Server applications can be accessed by Win32 "fat" clients and HTML "thin" clients at the same time.
No client footprint Client applications require no client libraries or client run time.
Dynamic configuration New clients and servers can be dynamically added and dropped from a distributed application.
Management
Transaction Server Explorer GUI management console

Easy deployment, with the ability to:

  • Create packages

  • Install components

  • Install packages

  • Export packages across servers

  • Configure transaction support

  • Configure security

Easy management, with the ability to:

  • Manage transactions

  • Monitor transactions

  • Resolve transactions

  • View transaction statistics

  • View trace messages

  • Manage components