Right way to implement Remote Automation ?

The concept is

Client application on Machine A,B,C etc. should be able to use a Server component on Server Machine Z. All this Machines A,B,C & Z are in the same Domain.

But only 1 instance of the Server Component should server all the client apps.

We did this in VB. Configured the DCOM properly. All the client machines are able to instantiate the Server Component.

BUT the requirement is that only one instance of the Server component should server all the client applications, here every client apps are getting different instance of the Server component.

We tried with SingleUse & GlobalMultiUse Instancing also but nothing worked out.

And somebody told us that this cannot be achieved by DCOM, but was not sure.

****** SO THE BIG QUESTION IS ******

Is DCOM the right way to implement remote automation ?
Or we need to look for some other alternative.

****** The Requirements ******

1. N number of Client components talk to the same Server Component.
2. Server component could Raise events that will be handled in every connected client app.
3. Server component also uses one database that is on the same machine as that of the Server Component.

WHAT CAN BE THE VARIOUS ALTERNATIVES TO IMPLEMENT THIS CONCEPT ? AND WHICH WOULD BE THE RIGHT WAY ?

try this reply and download the two zip files (the second one will help you i hope...)


http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...hreadid=265319


:lol:

Well, Multi-Threading is required but this does not solve the problem in hand.

Someone suggested to use Winsock. but in this one requires a server component running on the server to listen to the client application quires.

Well, the whole idea is to implement a video conferencing software. In this case one needs to have a single instance of the server component to server all the client component connected to it. Winsock does serve the purpose but as I said, one needs to start the server component. One solution here is to make a service that would loaded on the server.

Any better ideas ????

well ... u could write an Active X control with winsock in it ... infact u should have two versios : one .ocx for winsock server and the other is for the winsock client.
place the two .ocx files in your web site (personal or public).
one should enter to the web page (server or client .ocx) and the active X will be installed (depending in the browser settings).

The application I am making is not use a Browser interface.

For example, it is like MSN or Yahoo messenger. You install the application on your PC and you are off. This is how I am making it.

By the way, do you have any idea how this Messengers are implemented (I mean this professional ones.) How would they be communicating to the server component ??

Here is where I want Remote Automation to work. No user interfearance, The Server component loads and unloads as and when required.