3 day class 

Course description

Overview: Visual Studio 6.0: Distributed Applications Design and Development is a hands-on instruction book that will introduce you to the learning objectives covered by Microsoft exam 70-176. The course emphasizes the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) as it is deployed through the Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS).

Prerequisites: You should have the following knowledge:

• Distributed Applications Design and Development
• Use an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer.
• Work with a database (preferably SQL).
• Use the Windows NT operating system.

Performanced-based objectives

• Recognize how distributed applications address the challenges of rapidly evolving business and computing needs.
• Describe design and development phases as they apply to distributed applications.
• Summarize the goals of the business, user, and technical analysis, and list the participants' questions and other research questions to address.
• Analyze various architecture and implementation methodologies and select the one best suited to your application.
• Describe the features of key Windows NT servers, including Internet Information Server (IIS), Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS), Microsoft SQL Server (MSQL), and Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ).
• Define the benefits of using modeling to design a complex application in an iterative fashion and describe how Visual Modeler assists in the process.
• Use entity-relationship modeling to create a logical database design and describe how normalization affects a database.
• Integrate the logical design of a database into a physical design and use Data View to review and use database files.
• Create COM modules and describe their features and attributes, including the use of Global Unique Identifiers (GUIDs).
• Address design considerations in the business tier, including state and scalability issues, and implement the business tier using MTS.
• Describe the features and benefits of the Microsoft Message Queue Server and implement MSMQ for synchronous and asynchronous processing.
• Integrate presentation requirements with user interface considerations into a presentation design and manage the development team's interaction with the application using Visual SourceSafe.
• Determine the factors that need to be taken into account when selecting the right technology for the development of the presentation tier and recognize how various Visual Studio tools (HTML, Active Server Pages, and so forth) can be used to build the presentation tier.
• Optimize and prepare your applications for deployment using the Package and Deployment Wizard and maintain them using the System Management Server (SMS).

Course Outline

Lesson 1: Introduction to Distributed Applications

• Understanding the Rapidly Changing World of Business Computing
• Understanding How Applications Have Evolved
• Addressing Efficiency, Reliability, and Scalability
• Challenges of Distributed Applications
• Key Features of Distributed Systems
• ESWAP

Lesson 2: Applying Design Concepts

• Introduction to the Development Process
• Designing in Phases
• Applying Design Techniques

Lesson 3: Analyzing Business Requirements

• Examining the Business Environment
• Evaluating Customer Requirements
• Assessing Technical Constraints
• Analysis Problems

Lesson 4: Evaluating Application Architecture

• Identifying Architecture
• Implementing the Business Logic
• Establishing the Data Services Layer

Lesson 5: Using Essential Windows Platform Services

• Windows NT Platform Services
• Using the Component Object Model (COM)
• Using the Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS)
• Using Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ)
• Using the Microsoft SQL Server

Lesson 6: Creating a Solution Design

• Identifying Technical Requirements
• Understanding Application Modeling
• Microsoft Visual Modeler
• Applying Visual Modeler to the ESWAP

Lesson 7: The Logical Design of the Database

• Developing a Logical Data Model
• Data Normalization

Lesson 8: The Physical Design of the Database

• Physical Database Design
• Using Visual Database Design Tools

Lesson 9: Building Components for Distributed Applications

• COM Concepts
• Applying MTS to Distributed Applications
• Building Components for MTS
• Deploying MTS Components

Lesson 10: Solving Network Problems Using Microsoft Message Queue Server (MSMQ)

• What Are MOMs and Why Do MSMQs Need Them?
• Synchronous Communication
• Understanding the MSMQ Server

Lesson 11: Presentation Design

• Presentation Considerations
• Visual SourceSafe and Change Management

Lesson 12: The Presentation Tier Implementation

• Selecting a Presentation Tier Technology
• Implementing the Presentation Tier

Lesson 13: Optimization, Deployment, and Maintenance

• Optimization and Performance Monitoring
• Preparing and Distributing a Desktop Application
• Preparing and Distributing a Web-based Application
• Applying Maintenance Concepts