What Is Microsoft Transaction Server?

[This product will work only on Windows NT 4.0 versions and earlier. For Windows 2000 and later, see COM+ (Component Services).]

MTS is a component-based transaction processing system for building, deploying, and administering robust Internet and intranet server applications. In addition, MTS allows you to deploy and administer your MTS server applications with a rich graphical tool (MTS Explorer).

MTS provides the following features:

	The MTS run-time environment.
	The MTS Explorer, a graphical user interface for deploying and managing application components.
	Application programming interfaces and resource dispensers for making applications scalable and robust. Resource dispensers are services that manage non-durable shared state on behalf of the application components within a process.
	Three sample applications that demonstrate how to use the application programming interface (API) to build MTS components, and use scriptable administration objects to automate deployment procedures in the MTS Explorer.

The MTS programming model provides a framework for developing components that encapsulates business logic. The MTS run-time environment is a middle-tier platform for running these components. You can use the MTS Explorer to register and manage components executing in the MTS run-time environment.

The three-tiered programming model provides an opportunity for developers and administrators to move beyond the constraints of two-tier client/server applications. You have more flexibility for deploying and managing three-tiered applications because:

• The three-tier model emphasizes a logical architecture for applications, rather than a physical one. Any service may invoke any other service and may reside anywhere.
• These applications are distributed, which means you can run the right components in the right places, benefiting users and optimizing the use of network and computer resources.

See Also

MTS Documentation Roadmap