| 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." |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| "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:
Easy management, with the ability to:
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