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Rating: 
Summary: This is an excellent book.
Review: After being confused by multiple books on Windows DNA I was very happy to see a book that actually showed and an entire application which utilized this technology. Part I of the book offers a very concise explanation of MTS and COM without getting too deep into the subjects. Part II showed examples of components that the sample project utilized. I enjoyed the fact that the author used both VB and VC++ in her examples. Beyond the examples, the author also offered very good insight into component design and tool selection. It was enough to get you up to speed so that you can look into deeper books on the subject.
Rating:
Summary: This is THE book
Review: An excellent book about Microsoft COM and Microsoft Transaction Server. A real 'Must Read' for anybody who wants to develop multi-tiered apps on the COM/MTS platform. The book explains on 400 pages how COM works (the roles of the interfaces are described with just enough detail to understand the functioning of the Transaction Server), how theMicrosoft Transaction Server manages objects, transactions and database resources, how to use COMTI to connect to SNA, CICS, CICS Link, LU 6.2, IBM Message Queue and IMS, how to connect to XA Transaction Providers etc. The book is a sound mix between background information and hands-on examples. The examples use both VC++ and VB ++. The book leads through the systematic design of data objects, business objects and the different ways to connect to the presentation layer (ASP, RDS w. disconnected recordsets from the client, using the 'OBJECT' tag in IE 4, remote invocation of application layer objects from the browser). The differences between 'simple COM' objects and COM objects that are 'MTS aware' is explained in detail (its fairly simple, but essential to take advantage of the resource and transaction management framework). The book also discusses component packaging, deployment, security and performance considerations. The book takes the 3-2-1 view (3 tier application, developed by 2 people in 1 months). For those that have struggled (or tried to) through technical descriptions of COM, this will be very rewarding reading because Mary Kirtland never forgets about the bigger picture when describing technology details. Finally, the book gives a preview on COM+ (integral part of Windows 2000) and highlights what the major differences between COM and COM+ will be. Its the best explanation of how to build for Microsoft DNA that I have read so far.
Rating:
Summary: Ready For A COM+ Version
Review: Mary Kirtland has written a terrific resource for those who wish to know more (i.e. go from basic to advanced) on how to program with COM and MTS. I found the example code (and companion CD-ROM) very useful and relatively bug free. Some of the chapters include:Windows DNA (now .NET) COM (101) Data Access Fundamentals MTS ASP Extending MTS Application Definition and Modeling Building Data/Business Objects Packaging Building the Presentation Layer Debugging and Troubleshooting (an excellent chapter on a tricky subject) Performance Validation Deploying Extending the Application COM+ (pretty good for when this was written, it is time to update the book with the latest and greatest, however). Most of the information here is still relevant, especially to those with a smattering of COM or MTS under their belt and are hungry for more. Everything is wrapped up well with a comprehensive index. Well worth the purchase price. Definitely a must along with "Programming Distributed Apps with MS COM+ and MS VB."
Rating:
Summary: Ready For A COM+ Version
Review: Mary Kirtland has written a terrific resource for those who wish to know more (i.e. go from basic to advanced) on how to program with COM and MTS. I found the example code (and companion CD-ROM) very useful and relatively bug free. Some of the chapters include: Windows DNA (now .NET) COM (101) Data Access Fundamentals MTS ASP Extending MTS Application Definition and Modeling Building Data/Business Objects Packaging Building the Presentation Layer Debugging and Troubleshooting (an excellent chapter on a tricky subject) Performance Validation Deploying Extending the Application COM+ (pretty good for when this was written, it is time to update the book with the latest and greatest, however). Most of the information here is still relevant, especially to those with a smattering of COM or MTS under their belt and are hungry for more. Everything is wrapped up well with a comprehensive index. Well worth the purchase price. Definitely a must along with "Programming Distributed Apps with MS COM+ and MS VB."
Rating:
Summary: A very cool introduction to Microsoft DNA
Review: This book is a very good introduction of the complete DNA architecture from Microft and about how programs should be designed (from start to finish) to better exploit this architecture. Mary is one of the leading people at Microsoft regarding the COM and DNA architecture and so she knows what she speaks about but, despite this, the coverage of facts is never so deep. The books is about the Island Hopper sample that is available from Microsoft site, explaing it from design to programming to later expansion, covering all the major technologies involved (MTS, MSMQ, IIS, ASP and so on), with samples in Visual Basic and Visual C++. The only major flaw about this book is that is not deep enough and some of the sample explains the same thing over and over, with details about how making things that a professional programmer (the target of this book according to its cover) should know pretty well (like creating VB projects and so on). Beside that I believe this is a must have book for anyone involved in programming related to COM and DNA and should be purchased for its first 100 pages alone, which contains the best overall explanation of the complete DNA architecture and COM that I've ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: Good coverage of MTS, and 3-tiered design
Review: This book is overall a good introductory 3-tier design book. I recommend it. However the author (Lady who leads COM stuff in MS) apparently did not write the example codes in it herself, because in every piece of code there is a different coding style and taste. A programmer would not code different parts of his program with different coding conventions. Maybe she wrote part of it, that I do not know. This is why she does not explain why she did certain things the way she did it, because obviously she did not do it. Apparently she used the resources of being a manager in MS.
Rating:
Summary: Good coverage of MTS, and 3-tiered design
Review: This book is overall a good introductory 3-tier design book. I recommend it. However the author (Lady who leads COM stuff in MS) apparently did not write the example codes in it herself, because in every piece of code there is a different coding style and taste. A programmer would not code different parts of his program with different coding conventions. Maybe she wrote part of it, that I do not know. This is why she does not explain why she did certain things the way she did it, because obviously she did not do it. Apparently she used the resources of being a manager in MS.
Rating:
Summary: Best overview of DNA
Review: This is an excellent overview of Microsoft's DNA and the technologies that make up DNA. The pieces of the DNA puzzle are clearly defined individually and the way they relate to the others. The Island Hopper application sample (maintained up-to-date on MSDN) is a great hands-on intro to the topic. The amount of coverage on topics like COM, MTS, MSMQ, etc. is just right: technically deep enough to help you understand the concepts, short enough to prevent you from shifting your focus from the architecture to technologies contributing to the architecture. You may try to surf Microsoft's DNA pages to understand the topic (and potentially get lost in the amount of links that span hundreds of different Microsoft technologies) or get this "one" book to really understand what Mr. Gates is talking about for the last couple of years.
Rating:
Summary: Best overview of DNA
Review: This is an excellent overview of Microsoft's DNA and the technologies that make up DNA. The pieces of the DNA puzzle are clearly defined individually and the way they relate to the others. The Island Hopper application sample (maintained up-to-date on MSDN) is a great hands-on intro to the topic. The amount of coverage on topics like COM, MTS, MSMQ, etc. is just right: technically deep enough to help you understand the concepts, short enough to prevent you from shifting your focus from the architecture to technologies contributing to the architecture. You may try to surf Microsoft's DNA pages to understand the topic (and potentially get lost in the amount of links that span hundreds of different Microsoft technologies) or get this "one" book to really understand what Mr. Gates is talking about for the last couple of years.
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