DCOM DLL vs EXE

[Dorothy]

In DCOM, How does a Activex DLL server differ from a Activex EXE other than that the earlier runs as a surrogate. When should one use a DLL server and When should one use a EXE server?

[Lethal]

ActiveX DLL - In-process Server
Component runs in the same process space as the calling client

ActiveX EXE - Out-of process Server
Runs in a seperate process than the calling client

Also, the dll only has to run in a surrogate process because it can not run as a stand alone executable.

[Dorothy]

Ok, Thanks for it. When should one use a DCOM DLL server and When should one use a DCOM EXE server?

[Lethal]

It all depends on your requirements. For example, if you want to access your business objects remotely, you could you an ActiveX EXE or import your dll into MTS or a surrogate. Now, if you want to use your business objects on the client side, I would create an activeX dll and register it locally. Also, activeX EXE are much slower than in-process components.