How To Deploy Visual Basic Transaction Server Components from Alpha Servers to x86 Clients (239453)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Transaction Server 2.0, when used with:
    • the hardware: Intel x86
    • the hardware: DEC Alpha
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 6.0
This article was previously published under Q239453

SUMMARY

This article describes how to generate a client installation executable for Visual Basic components when the server is an Alpha platform and the clients are x86 computers.

The main issue lies in the fact that the .dll files residing on the server will be different from the .dll you will need in clients (EXEs and DLLs have different internal contents for Alpha and x86 computers). Therefore, additional steps must be performed for the deployment to occur smoothly.

MORE INFORMATION

When exporting a Transaction Server package for client deployment, you get an executable to be distributed to client computers within a "Clients" subfolder of the one specified for export. When running this executable, the clients will correctly configure the component to run on the server.

However, because the DLLs for Alpha and x86 architectures are different, the following steps must be taken to successfully deploy:
  1. Build the DLL from Visual Basic on an x86 computer.
  2. Copy this DLL to the Alpha computer.
  3. Reopen the Visual Basic project from Visual Basic for Alpha and set the Project Compatibility to Binary (on the Component tab of the Properties box, which is accessible from the Project menu), specifying the DLL built on the x86 computer as a compatibility reference. Then recompile it.
  4. Create your package on the Alpha computer so it uses this DLL.
  5. Build a package on a computer with Transaction Server that is equivalent to the one that you want to export to clients of the Alpha computer.
  6. Right-click My Computer in the Transaction Server Explorer snap-in. Click Properties on the pop-up menu and select Options. Set Remote Server Name to the network name of the Alpha computer.
  7. Export the package you created under My Computer as usual. At this point, the client executable will have the DLL for x86 computers but will correctly register itself pointing to the Alpha computer.
If you follow these steps and redistribute the EXE generated to your clients, your application will use the components on the Alpha server.

NOTE: Setting the Remote Server Name will cause all client executables generated to point to the specified server, so to avoid confusion you might want to remove this setting after using it in this particular deployment.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/1/2004
Keywords:kbhowto kbSysAdmin KB239453
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