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            TRANSDBG             A Microsoft DTC Transactions Trace Viewer-Debugger.

     

      A transactions network consists of a tree of transaction nodes.  Each node is identified by its own instance implementation of the ITransaction interface.  The tree structure of the transactions network expresses a dependency for success/failure hierarchy.  An Upstream (parent) node will fail if any downstream (child) node on which it is dependent fails.

 

The idea of using a Resource Manager as a debug tracer for a MSDTC (Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator) transactions network stems from DTC's uniform treatment of all enlisted Resource Managers.  Failure of a transaction node can be deduced from an enlisted Resource Manager's receipt of a call to ITransactionResourceAsync::AbortRequest().  Transaction node failure can also be deduced if an enlisted Resource Manager receives no ITransactionResourceAsync callbacks at all including ITransactionResourceAsync::PrepareRequest().

 

It also follows that a parent node Resource Manager's successful receipt of a call to ITransactionResourceAsync::CommitRequest() implies that all downstream child nodes have committed successfully.

 

      Thus the listing of callbacks received by TransDbg provides a complete chronology of the behavior of the transactions in which TransDbg has been enlisted.

 

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      You may view the TransDbg run-time screens.

 

      The Readme file that downloads with the TransDbg software contains information on how to use TransDbg.

 

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      MSDN Online, "Resource Manager's View of Transactions" provides an outline of the role and function of MSDTC Resource Managers.

 

 

      The following articles offer an overview of MSDTC transactions.  The article by Ted Pattison is particularly informative.

 

      Dave Reed, Tracey Trewin, Mai-lan Tomsen, "Microsoft Transaction Server Helps You Write Scalable, Distributed Internet Apps," Microsoft Systems Journal, August 1997.

 

      David Chappell, "How Microsoft Transaction Server Changes the COM Programming Model," Microsoft Systems Journal, January 1998. 

 

      Ted Pattison, "Writing MTS-style Transactions with Visual Basic and SQL Server 7.0," Microsoft Systems Journal, October 1999.

 

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