Setting up SlinkX to use DCOM

DCOM is a distributed version of COM which allow COM clients and servers to be on different machines. This means that your ActiveX-based Slink-e programs do not have to be running on the same machine that the Slink-e is plugged into. This document outlines the steps you need to take in order to get DCOM set up for SlinkX. DCOM is relatively new, and was not provided at the time Windows 95 was released. In order to use DCOM in Win95, you must download and install DCOM95 and its configuration utility DCOMCNFG from the Microsoft web site. If you are serious about using DCOM, you really should be using Windows NT4.0 or Windows 2000.

Once you have DCOM running on you system, you will need to take the following steps:

For both the server and client machine:

• Make sure the SlinkX control is fully installed and functional when running locally
• Run the DCOMCNFG utility (some of the options show here are not available in the Win95 version):

  On the Default Properties tab (server and client):

  • Enable DCOM
  • Set the Default Authentication Level to none
  • Set the Default Impersonation Level to impersonate

  On the Applications tab (server and client):

  • Select the Nirvis.SlinkeClient application
  • Hit the properties button to edit its properties

  On the Nirvis.SlinkeClient Properties Location tab (server only):

  • Check only Run application on this computer

  On the Nirvis.SlinkeClient Properties Location tab (client only):

  • Check  Run application on the following computer
  • Type or Browse for the server machine name in box below. Or can also type in an IP address.

  On the Nirvis.SlinkeClient Properties Security tab (server and client):

  • This is a bit tricky. Both machines need to allow access to any users which may be acting as servers or clients. The following approach is poor from a security standpoint, but is good for insuring that you get everything to work right away. You can come back later and see how you can restrict access without breaking the server / client connection.
  • For all three permissions settings, select use custom access permissions, and allow all users full access.

  On the Nirvis.SlinkeClient Properties Identity tab (server):

  • Select The interactive user as the account to use to run the application. This will allow you to see slinkeserv running on the server machine if you are logged into it. Unfortunately, if no one is logged into the server machine, slinkeserv will be unable to start. If this poses a problem, you can instead select This user and specify a user. Slinkeserv will now run in a separate window session which will not be visible to the interactive user, but will always be able to start. This disadvantage of this is that the server may post an error message and be waiting for a user reply. the interactive user has no way of responding to this and the server will remain suspended.

  Apply all changes and close the configuration utility

• Log in to both the server and client machines and try running a SlinkX application on the client. You should see slinkeserv appear on the server desktop.

Notes for Windows 95/98

• DCOM appears to not be able to start Slinkeserv automatically on the server machine. You will need to start Slinkeserv manually on the server, or put it in your startup folder.