This document describes Software AG's EntireX DCOM. This product is available on a wide range of non-Windows platforms, including several UNIX derivates.
For news of the availability of EntireX DCOM on a particular platform, please refer to the Software AG web site at www.softwareag.com.
The EntireX DCOM distribution kit contains major functionality for developing and using DCOM plug-and-play components in a heterogeneous networking environment.
The documentation provided with EntireX DCOM provides information on a variety of topics such as installation, development tools and examples. It also describes differences that you should be aware of between the current Microsoft and Software AG releases.
This document covers the following topics:
EntireX DCOM brings the DCOM programming model to non-Microsoft platforms in a manner that is true to the original programming model and wire protocol. DCOM offers sufficient technical and semantic advantages over existing communications solutions to justify the effort of bringing it to platforms such as UNIX.
EntireX DCOM allows transparent access to in-process, local out-of-process or remote objects in a heterogeneous distributed environment. Like Windows, EntireX DCOM supports object naming with monikers, hierarchical object storage using compound files, binary re-use via COM aggregation, and accessibility from interpretive/scripting environments via Automation.
EntireX DCOM provides the object-oriented systems-programming services available in DCOM and interacts efficiently with native programming styles and idioms.
EntireX DCOM is an implementation of the non-graphical part of Microsoft's DCOM technology. EntireX DCOM allows DCOM-enabled applications running on non-Windows platforms to communicate with DCOM components in a heterogeneous network, i.e. a network with mixed architectures. With EntireX DCOM, DCOM-enabled server applications running on UNIX can be accessed by DCOM clients on Windows, and vice versa.
EntireX DCOM consists of the following main parts:
Runtime environment
Software Development Kit (SDK)
In order for DCOM applications and components to run and communicate, it is necessary to have an EntireX DCOM runtime environment. This consists of a set of shared libraries (DLLs) and tools to monitor and manage the DCOM multiuser environment.
The EntireX DCOM runtime environment is described in detail in its own section, Runtime Environment with EntireX DCOM.
The SDK is a collection of tools, libraries and examples which enable the DCOM developer to produce DCOM applications.
For more information, see EntireX DCOM Software Development Kit (SDK).
The software is made available solely for use according to the License Agreement. Any reproduction or redistribution of the software not in accordance with the License Agreement is expressly prohibited by law, and may result in severe civil and criminal penalties. Violators will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible. You may not copy the documentation and/or other written materials accompanying the Software without the written permission of Software AG.
If you are interested in more detailed information concerning DCOM, look at the DCOM documentation that Microsoft provides in the distribution kits for Windows, or on Microsoft's internet site. Some useful books on the subject are:
Essential COM, by Don Box, Addison-Wesley Press
Inside COM, by Dale Rogerson, Microsoft Press
Inside OLE, Second Edition, by Kraig Brockschmidt, Microsoft Press
Understanding ActiveX and OLE, by David Chappell, Microsoft Press
Professional DCOM Programming, by Dr Richard Grimes, Wrox Press
COM - The Component Object Model, by Don Box, Addison-Wesley Press
IMPORTANT: This documentation assumes that you are already familiar with DCOM technology. In general, Software AG's documentation for EntireX DCOM is restricted to the information required for installing and using EntireX DCOM, and to the differences between the current Microsoft and Software AG releases.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the content of this document, but some inaccuracies might have escaped our notice. Therefore we would appreciate any constructive feedback you may have.
Software encryption provided by DDS of Auckland, New Zealand.
