Monteverdi
Note: Although focusing on only Microsoft may seem too Microsoft-centric in an academic sense, one of the themes of this web site is that the issues that Microsoft is struggling to solve are generic to the industry as a whole. Moreover this new emerging industry of distributed computing is becoming the major force in our economy. Whether Microsoft is right or wrong, successful or unsuccessful, good or evil, it will benefit anyone involved in this new industry to understand their vision, strategies and implementation methods.
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Roger Session's book, COM and DCOM, Microsoft's Vision for Distributed Objects, was an extremely useful source for my understanding Microsoft's vision. It deals with the big picture with useful examples so that the reader has a technology map before getting lost in the details. The book focuses on Microsoft, it has an admitted bias towards them, and it is already somewhat dated. Nevertheless it was a valuable primer for helping me to understand some of the core concepts of next generation distributed systems. For example, the section on clusters (code name Microsoft Wolfpack) creates an excellent analogy to help understand the issues and benefits of replacing single super mainframe computers with multiple pooled cheap PCs.
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Microsoft has a free developers seminar series that addresses many of the topics discussed here from an applications point of view. Topics include COM, DCOM, MTS, MSQS and various other topics involved with promoting their architectural solutions model. Half day sessions are conducted in downtown Chicago and the suburbs. For more information, go to the Microsoft Midwest Developers Series Web Site.
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Get hands on experience building a DCOM server and ActiveX control with this Microsoft tutorial. The application is simple, but quite challenging. Also note there are lots of bugs in the code. Here's what you will build:
TheServer/ThePusher/TheControl Tutorial
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Beginning ATL COM Programming by Dr. Richard Grimes, Alex Stockton, George Reilly, and Julian Templeman
This was more advanced than a beginners book. It was an indespensible reference when going through TheServer/ThePusher/TheControl Tutorial. It's a good source for the basics on COM, using ATL, ATL architecture, Automation, Marshaling, Threading, and Connection Points.
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Professional DCOM Programming by Dr. Richard Grimes
More advanced book on DCOM. Handles issues such as security in very comprehensive way. Definitely an important book for serious developers.
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Inside Visual C++ by David Kruglinski
The classic trade book on Visual C++. It was my first introduction to COM, ActiveX controls, Automation, and use of the wizards.
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This was my second source on trying to understand the details and design of COM. It is discribed as "The C++ Programmer's Key to the Distributed Architecture of the Future: ActiveX Controls, OLE Components, Reusable Objects, Automation." Although I got lost in the details after my first read, it is beginning to become more understandable with more exposure to this subject. It is an excellent basic reference book for understanding the technology.
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DirectX, RDX, RSX, and MMX Technology, A Jumpstart Guide to High Performance APIs by Rohan Coelho and Maher Hawash
Intel trade book written by two Intel software architects who I had the pleasure of meeting during my work with REALVision in Seattle and Hillsboro. The book gives a good overview of using Components for multimedia applications. It helped to further stimulate my interest in COM as a serious and effective technology for software engineering applications.
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Visual C++ Developers Journal, February/March 1999 issue.
This is an excellent resource for detailed information of Microsoft technologies. The February/March 1999 issue is the most up-to-date information that I was able to find on DNA and COM+. Many of In general the answers in Questions and Answers sections are extremely well thought out.
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Gopalan Suresh Raj is a software developer and enthusiastic proponent of distributed system technology. He is a practitioner with experience with DCOM and CORBA. His web site is very up-to-date and informative.
Welcome to the World of Distributed Components...
Gopalan also has included some very insightful book reviews and recommendations.
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Check out this link to Roger Session's ObjectWatch, Inc. "We specialize in offering training and consulting on Microsoft's distributed component architectures, including Java, COM, DCOM, MTS, Falcon, and Wolfpack. This web site is a valuable source of information about Microsoft's distributed object architectures, the architecture that Microsoft calls DNA (Distributed interNet Applications). Enjoy your visit!" (Check out the newsletters.)
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Dr. GUI series on ATL, Components, and COM. This is a "How to" series explaining theory with hands on implementation.
Dr. GUI and ATL, Part 1: A Very Simple ATL Component
Dr. GUI and ATL, Part 2: Components and Multiple Interfaces
Dr. GUI on components, COM, and ATL, Part 3: Getting objects and interfaces
Dr. GUI on components, COM, and ATL, Part 4: The Class Object and Class Factory
Dr. GUI on Components, COM, and ATL, Part 5: Implementing an Object
Dr. GUI on COM, Part 6: Using Our Object for Visual Basic and Visual J++
Dr. GUI on COM, Part 7: Using Our Object from Visual C++
Dr. GUI on COM, Part 8: Get Smart! Using Our COM Object with Smart Pointers
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Yi-Min Wang of AT&T Labs - Research is a researcher and implementer of DCOM technology. His sixty-seven page slide presentation is a very comprehensive presentation on the subject.
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