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COM Macro Architecture Topology - Servers

Joao C. Morais

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24 Jul 2001

An article about COM Architecture, COM Servers, COM DLL Servers and the Registry

Overview

Purpose

This article shows how to implement a COM Server in 3 different configurations:

The COM Server as an executable.
2 DLLs, one is the COM DLL Server and the other the Proxy/Stub DLL.
1 single DLL in which the COM Server and the Proxy/Stub are merged into.

Although Servers seem different, mostly steps to build and implement COM objects and interfaces into them are common.

Here I will not explain how to make a COM Server as a Windows NT service. In fact, you can see this option in the same way as a COM Executable Server with:

More functions in order to register the service with the operating system.
Some restrictions when you register your COM Server.
Some restrictions in using the Windows API.

For Further information, have a look at the section Other points at the end of this article.

Requirements

All the code in these samples have been written in C++, using Visual C++ 6.0 (sp4) under Windows 2000. They also use the Active-X Template Library (ATL v3.0).

COM Servers

General

All the Server presented in this article are composed of one COM class (or CoClass) called CoMacroTopo. It exposes two COM interfaces:

IMacroTopoDisp, it is a dispatch interface.
IMacroTopoCustom, it is a custom interface.

Both interfaces expose these two simple methods:

ShowHello(), which displays a message box within it the "Hello" message.
Add(A, B) : C, which adds "A" and "B" (numbers) and return the result in "C".

The exact method's name for the custom interface are ShowHelloCustom() and AddCustom().

Steps list

In order to make a Server, here you are the list of the steps:

Choose a Server Type such as an Executable, 2 DLLs or 1 DLL allowing proxy merged.
Edit project settings (for 1 DLL allowing proxy merged, click here).
Create the CoClass definition.
Add methods to IMacroTopoDisp..
Add the new interface IMacroTopoCustom.
Build the project.
Register the server (Executable, 2 DLLs or 1 DLL allowing proxy merged).
Configure the security for your Server.
Unregister the server (Executable, 2 DLLs or 1 DLL allowing proxy merged).

Only steps 1.), 2.), 7.) and 9.) are different from servers' configurations.

The "copy files to target machine" and the "remove files from the target machine" process have not been taken into account in this article. Obviously, in real situation you should consider them: the former will be just after Step 6 and the latter after Step 9.

The Executable configuration

To build the COM Server as an executable, follow the steps define in the General's section.

Step 1 - Choose the Server Type

To create the server, you have to follow the steps below :

Start the Visual C++ IDE and Select File, New and fill in like below:

You want to create an Executable Server so choose Server type's option like that:

Server / ATL COM Appwizard - Step 1 of 1

After that, the ATL COM wizard will create these files :

Workspace: macrotoposerver_exe.dsw
Project: macrotoposerver_exe.dsp
Initialisation code in macrotoposerver_exe.cpp and macrotoposerver_exe.h
IDL source in macrotoposerver_exe.idl
and files for the Proxy/Stub DLL:
- macrotoposerver_exeps.mk
- macrotoposerver_exeps.def

The final COM Server name is MACROTOPOSERVER_EXE.EXE .

Step 2 to 6 and 8 - Common part

Follow the common steps: step 2, step 3, step 4, step 5, step 6, and step 8.

Step 7 - Register your Server

As you have used the ATL Wizard to generate your project, it automatically added the command to register your server (in the Project Settings window, in the tab of the Custom build). However, it does not do anything for the Proxy/Stub DLL, so you have to do it yourself.
You also have to consider that generally the build machine is different from the client or server machine.

Local consideration

To register manually, in your build machine, do like that (in this order):

To register the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL):
- Open a DOS-Command window and go to your project's directory,
- type the command ">regsvr32 macrotoposerver_exeps.dll".
To register the COM server file (MACROTOPOSERVER_EXE.EXE):
- Open a DOS-Command window and go to your project's directory,
- go to your built directory (e.g. \Debug)
- type the command ">MACROTOPOSERVER_EXE.EXE -RegServer".

Remote consideration

In this case, you have to perform two installations: one on the client machine and the other on the server machine. Here are the instructions for both:

On the client machine
- Register the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL)
  using the command line ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL".
- Register the remote server entries.
  Generally we do not want (and we do not need) to register the full Server component on the Client machine. In that case, we need to create a registry file to add the necessary keys to enable the remote access of our component on the Server machine. So, create a new text file with the extension ".reg" (e.g. registry_client_exe.reg) and add these lines to it:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{12345678-0000-0000-0000-abababababab}]
@="CoMacroTopo Class"
"AppID"="{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_ATL}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_ATL}]
@="macrotoposerver_exe"
"RemoteServerName"="myservercomputer"
```
  "myservercomputer" is the machine name where the COM Server is installed.
  
  The AppID "{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_ATL}" has been generated by the ATL wizard and you can find it (not the same value) on your resource files (e.g. CoMacroTopo.rgs or macrotoposerver_exe.rgs). So, keep with the same value because it is now part of your Executable file.
  
  If you have more than one COM Class object in your server (here, you have only CoMacroTopo), you have to repeat the first 3 lines for each CLSID you have. Nevertheless, keep with the same value for the "AppID" key:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{<another COM Class ID>}]
@="CoAnother Class"
"AppID"="{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_ATL}"
...
```
  Now you have to register all this information on the registry. Using Windows Explorer, double-click on your file. The registry will ask you if you want to add this information to the current registry (if you have the administrator rights) click "Yes" and that is it.
On the server machine
- Register the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL)
  by using the command line ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL".
- Register the server entries stored in your executable file (MACROTOPOSERVER_EXE.EXE)
  by using the command line ">MACROTOPOSERVER_EXE.EXE -RegServer".

Step 9 - Unregister your Server

Local consideration

To unregister manually do like that:

Unregister the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL):
- Open a DOS-Command window and go to your project's directory,
- type the command ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL"
Unregister the COM server file (MACROTOPOSERVER_EXE.EXE):
- Open a DOS-Command window and go to your project's directory,
- go to your built directory where is your registered file (e.g. \Debug)
- type the command ">MACROTOPOSERVER_EXE.EXE -UnregServer"

Remote consideration

To unregister manually do like that:

On the client machine
- Unregister the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL)
  by using the command line ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL".
- Unregister the remote server entries.
  You have to remove them manually using the information you have used during the registration step (the registry file created with the extension ".reg").
  So, launch the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE), then look for the entries you added before (at least 2) like these:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_ATL}]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{CLSID_value}]
```
  And remove them.
  
  If you have more than one COM Class object in your server (here, we have only CoMacroTopo) you might have added more than one CLSID. In this case, you should remove all these entries.
On the server machine
- Unregister the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL)
  by using the command line ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL".
- Unregister the server entries stored in your server machine registry by
  using the command line ">MACROTOPOSERVER_EXE.EXE -UnregServer".

The 2 DLLs configuration

To build the COM Server as 2 DLLs, follow the steps define in the General's section.

Step 1 - Choose the Server Type

To create the server, you have to follow the steps below :

Start the Visual C++ IDE and Select File, New and fill in like below:

You want to create a DLL Server without merging the Proxy/Stub code, so choose Server type's option like that:

After that, the ATL COM wizard will create these files :

Workspace: macrotoposerver_dll_psdll.dsw
Project: macrotoposerver_dll_psdll.dsp
Initialisation code in macrotoposerver_dll_psdll.cpp and macrotoposerver_exe.h
IDL source in macrotoposerver_dll_psdll.idl
and files for the Proxy/Stub DLL:
- macrotoposerver_dll_psdllps.mk
- macrotoposerver_dll_psdllps.def

The final COM Server name is MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLL.DLL .

Step 2 to 6 and 8 - Common part

Follow the common steps: step 2, step 3, step 4, step 5, step 6, and step 8.

Step 7 - Register your Server

Local In-process consideration

To register manually, in your build machine, do like that (in that order):

To register the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL):
- Open a DOS-Command window and go to your project's directory,
- type the command ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL"
To register the COM DLL server file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLL.DLL):
- Open a DOS-Command window and go to your project's directory,
- go to your built directory (e.g. \Debug)
- type the command ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLL.DLL"

Remote consideration

In this case, you have to perform two installations: one on the client machine and the other on the server machine. Here are the instructions for both:

On the client machine
- Register the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL)
  using the command line ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL".
- Register the remote server entries.
  Generally we do not want (and we do not need) to register the full Server component on the Client machine. In that case, we need to create a registry file to add the necessary keys to enable the remote access of our component on the Server machine. So, create a new text file with the extension ".reg" (e.g. registry_client_exe.reg) and add these lines to it:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{12345678-0000-0000-0000-abababababab}]
@="CoMacroTopo Class"
"AppID"="{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}]
@="MacroTopoServer_2dlls"
"RemoteServerName"="myservercomputer"
```
  "myservercomputer" is the machine name where the COM Server is installed.
  
  If you have more than one COM Class object in your server (here, you have only CoMacroTopo), you have to repeat the first 3 lines for each CLSID value you have. However, keep with the same value of AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU for the "AppID" key:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{<another COM Class ID>}]
@="CoAnother Class"
"AppID"="{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}"
...
```
  Now you have to register all this information on the registry. Using Windows Explorer, double-click on your file. The registry will ask you if you want to add this information to the current registry (if you have the administrator rights) click "Yes" and that is it.
On the server machine
- Register the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL)
  by using the command line ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL".
- Register the server entries stored in your server file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLL.DLL)
  by using the command line ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLL.DLL".
- Register the server entries indicating the use of the DLL surrogate application.
  You need to create a registry file to add the necessary keys to enable the management of our component by the DLL Surrogate application. So, create a new text file with the extension ".reg" (e.g. registry_server_exe.reg) and add these lines to it:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{12345678-0000-0000-0000-abababababab}]
"AppID"="{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}]
@="MacroTopoServer_2dlls"
"DllSurrogate"=""
```
  The main point is to permit our COM DLL server to be launched using the surrogate application. Here, the value is an empty field "" which means that COM will use the default one provided with by the system (e.g. the default surrogate application on Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 is DLLHOST.EXE).
  
  If you have more than one COM Class object in your server (here, you have only CoMacroTopo), you have to repeat the first 3 lines for each CLSID you have. However, keep with the same value for the "AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU" key:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{<another COM Class ID>}]
@="CoAnother Class"
"AppID"="{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}"
...
```
  Now you have to register all this information on the registry. Using Windows Explorer, double-click on your file. The registry will ask you if you want to add this information to the current registry (if you have the administrator rights) click "Yes" and that is it.

The "AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU" value is a GUID. You have to generate it (e.g. use the GUIDGEN.EXE tools delivered with MS-Dev Studio). It must be the same value used on both sides: Client and Server.

Local Surrogate consideration

You can as well look for a variant configuration that uses your COM DLL Server on the same machine as your client application but outside of the client process.
Nonetheless, a DLL can never run without a parent process. COM provides a default DLL surrogate application that can load your COM DLL Server and provide it a process environment.

In order to do like that, you have just to do the same things as explain on the section above (Remote Consideration) and follow the instructions below "On the server machine".
Of course you have to execute them on the Server machine, i.e. in this case the same as your Client machine (here we are interested in the Local Surrogate consideration).

Now, you have to change your client code and ask explicitly for loading the COM DLL Server in a separate process space (runs on the same machine but in a different process) using the DLL Surrogate application.
To indicate to COM that you want to create your object in the different process space you have to use the Flag CLSCTX_LOCAL_SERVER (and only this flag) on the CoCreateInstance() call, CoCreateInstanceEx() call or on the ATL Interface smart pointer constructor like this:

...
IMacroTopoDispPtr    pDisp(__uuidof(CoMacroTopo), NULL, CLSCTX_LOCAL_SERVER);
long                 lA(500), lB(114);
long                 lResultat = pDisp->Add(lA,lB);
...

A remark about the relation between a COM DLL server and a DLL surrogate application. COM DLL servers are loaded, by default, into their own surrogate process. If for some reasons, you need to load other COM DLL servers into an existing surrogate process, so it supports more than one COM DLL servers, there are two requirements:

The COM DLL servers must have the same AppID value.
The security context of the COM DLL servers must be the same. This means that they have matching security identities.

If 2 COM DLL servers are to be launched under different security identities, they must be in different surrogate processes, regardless of whether or not their AppID's match.

Step 9 - Unregister your Server

Local In-process consideration

To unregister manually do like that:

Unregister the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL):
- Open a DOS-Command window and go to your project's directory,
- type the command ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL"
Unregister the COM DLL server file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLL.DLL):
- Open a DOS-Command window and go to your project's directory,
- go to your built directory where is your registered file (e.g. \Debug)
- type the command ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLL.DLL"

Remote consideration

To unregister manually do like that:

On the client machine
- Unregister the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL)
  by using the command line ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL".
- Unregister the remote server entries.
  You have to remove them manually using the information you have used during the registration step (the registry file created with the extension ".reg").
  So, launch the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE), then look for the entries you added before (at least 2) like these:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{CLSID_value}]
```
  And remove them.
  
  If you have more than one COM Class object in your server (here, we have only CoMacroTopo) you might have added more than one CLSID. In this case, you should remove all these entries.
On the server machine
- Unregister the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL)
  by using the command line ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLLPS.DLL".
- Unregister the COM DLL server entries stored in your server machine registry by
  using the command line ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_DLL_PSDLL.DLL".
- Unregister the Surrogate server entries.
  You have to remove them manually using the information you have used during the registration step (the registry file created with the extension ".reg").
  So, launch the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE), then look for the entry AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU you added before :
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}]
```
  And remove it. You do not need to remove the CLSID_value key(s):
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{CLSID_value}]
```
  because when you unregister your COM DLL server it will do it for you.

Local Surrogate consideration

In order to do like that, you have just to do the same things as explain on the section above (Remote Consideration) and follow the instructions below "On the server machine".
Of course you have to execute them on the Server machine, i.e. in this case the same as your Client machine (here we are interested in the Local Surrogate consideration).

The Single DLL configuration (or merged)

To build the COM Server as a single DLL, you have to follow the steps define in the General's section (1 DLL).

Step 1 - Choose the Server Type

To create the server, you have to follow the steps below:

Start the Visual C++ IDE and Select File, New and fill in like below:

You want to create a DLL Server with merging the Proxy/Stub code, so choose Server type's option like that:

After that, the ATL COM wizard will create these files :

Workspace: macrotoposerver_dllmerged.dsw
Project: macrotoposerver_dllmerged.dsp
Initialisation code in macrotoposerver_dllmerged.cpp and macrotoposerver_exe.h
IDL source in macrotoposerver_dllmerged.idl
and files for the Proxy/Stub DLL:
- macrotoposerver_dllmergedps.mk
- macrotoposerver_dllmergedps.def

Now, I can see in your eyes the question "What do we get again a separated makefile for the Proxy/Stub DLL file ?" rising. The answer is that in some cases it is more at your convenience to have only 1 DLL to register than 2. However, this convenience is just available when your component is to be used as an in-process server. Otherwise, as an out-of-process server (Local or Remote) you still need the Proxy/Stub code (more the Proxy than the Stub) insides the Client application.
Therefore, although you have asked to have the Proxy/Stub code merged you get the necessary code to build a Proxy/Stub DLL file.

The final COM Server name is MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGED.DLL .

Step 2 - Edit project settings

You have to follow the general instructions at Common Step 2 - Edit project settings.

Although you have checked the checkbox "allow merging of Proxy/Stub code", this is not enough to build your COM DLL Server with the merged code.
So, In the project settings do as follow:

Choose "All configurations", be sure that the project node is selected.
In the C++ tab:
- In the Pre-processor definitions go to the end, append a comma and add _MERGE_PROXYSTUB

Select the dlldatax.c file and always for All configurations.
In the General tab:
- Uncheck the Exclude file from build.

Now, go to the C++ tab:
- Select Precompiled Headers in the Category drop down list-box.
- Select the Not using precompiled headers choice.
- And press OK.

The file dlldatax.c includes dlldata.c and file(s) called like "your_idl_filename_p.c". The former contains code for the necessary COM entry points for the COM DLL Server, such as DllGetClassObject. The latter contains code to marshal (i.e. the Proxy/Stub code) all Interfaces defined in the IDL file. These files are generated by the MIDL compiler (Microsoft IDL compiler) deliver with the Win32 SDK.

Step 3 to 6 and 8 - Common part

Follow the common steps: step 3, step 4, step 5, step 6, and step 8.

Step 7 - Register your Server

Local In-process consideration

To register manually, in your build machine, do like that:

To register the COM DLL server file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGED.DLL):
- Open a DOS-Command window and go to your project's directory,
- go to your built directory (e.g. \Debug)
- type the command ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGED.DLL"
Here, the Proxy/Stub code is register at the same time.

Remote consideration

In this case, you have to perform two installations: one on the client machine and the other on the server machine. Here are the instructions for both:

On the client machine
- Register the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGEDPS.DLL)
  using the command line ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGEDPS.DLL".
- Register the remote server entries.
  Generally we do not want (and we do not need) to register the full Server component on the Client machine. In that case, we need to create a registry file to add the necessary keys to enable the remote access of our component on the Server machine. So, create a new text file with the extension ".reg" (e.g. registry_client_exe.reg) and add these lines to it:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{12345678-0000-0000-0000-abababababab}]
@="CoMacroTopo Class"
"AppID"="{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}]
@="MacroTopoServer_dllmerged"
"RemoteServerName"="myservercomputer"
```
  "myservercomputer" is the machine name where the COM Server is installed.
  
  If you have more than one COM Class object in your server (here, you have only CoMacroTopo), you have to repeat the first 3 lines for each CLSID value you have. However, keep with the same value of AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU for the "AppID" key:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{<another COM Class ID>}]
@="CoAnother Class"
"AppID"="{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}"
...
```
  Now you have to register all this information on the registry. Using Windows Explorer, double-click on your file. The registry will ask you if you want to add this information to the current registry (if you have the administrator rights) click "Yes" and that is it.
On the server machine (in that order)
- Register the server entries stored in your server file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGED.DLL)
  by using the command line ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGED.DLL".
- Register the server entries indicating the use of the DLL surrogate application.
  You need to create a registry file to add the necessary keys to enable the management of our component by the DLL Surrogate application. So, create a new text file with the extension ".reg" (e.g. registry_server_exe.reg) and add these lines to it:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{12345678-0000-0000-0000-abababababab}]
"AppID"="{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}]
@="MacroTopoServer_dllmerged"
"DllSurrogate"=""
```
  The main point is to permit our COM DLL server to be launched using the surrogate application. Here, the value is an empty field "" which means that COM will use the default one provided with by the system (e.g. the default surrogate application on Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 is DLLHOST.EXE).
  
  If you have more than one COM Class object in your server (here, you have only CoMacroTopo), you have to repeat the first 3 lines for each CLSID you have. However, keep with the same value for the "AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU" key:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{<another COM Class ID>}]
@="CoAnother Class"
"AppID"="{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}"
...
```
  Now you have to register all this information on the registry. Using Windows Explorer, double-click on your file. The registry will ask you if you want to add this information to the current registry (if you have the administrator rights) click "Yes" and that is it.

Local Surrogate consideration

Register the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGEDPS.DLL)
by using the command line ">regsvr32 MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGEDPS.DLL".

Now, you have to change your client code and ask explicitly for loading the COM DLL Server in a separate process space (runs on the same machine but in a different process) using the DLL Surrogate application.
To indicate to COM that you want to create your object in the different process space you have to use the Flag CLSCTX_LOCAL_SERVER (and only this flag) on the CoCreateInstance() call, CoCreateInstanceEx() call or on the ATL Interface smart pointer constructor like this:

...
IMacroTopoDispPtr    pDisp(__uuidof(CoMacroTopo), NULL, CLSCTX_LOCAL_SERVER);
long                 lA(500), lB(114);
long                 lResultat = pDisp->Add(lA,lB);
...

The COM DLL servers must have the same AppID value.
The security context of the COM DLL servers must be the same. This means that they have matching security identities.

If 2 COM DLL servers are to be launched under different security identities, they must be in different surrogate processes, regardless of whether or not their AppID's match.

Step 9 - Unregister your Server

Local In-process consideration

To unregister manually do like that:

Unregister the COM DLL server file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGED.DLL):
- Open a DOS-Command window and go to your project's directory,
- go to your built directory where is your registered file (e.g. \Debug)
- type the command ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGED.DLL"

To unregister manually do like that:

On the client machine
- Unregister the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGEDPS.DLL)
  by using the command line ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGEDPS.DLL".
- Unregister the remote server entries.
  You have to remove them manually using the information you have used during the registration step (the registry file created with the extension ".reg").
  So, launch the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE), then look for the entries you added before (at least 2) like these:
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{CLSID_value}]
```
  And remove them.
  
  If you have more than one COM Class object in your server (here, we have only CoMacroTopo) you might have added more than one CLSID, In this case, you should remove all these entries.
On the server machine
- Unregister the COM DLL server entries stored in your server machine registry by
  using the command line ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGED.DLL".
- Unregister the Surrogate server entries.
  You have to remove them manually using the information you have used during the registration step (the registry file created with the extension ".reg").
  So, launch the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE), then look for the entry AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU you added before :
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{AppID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU}]
```
  And remove it. You do not need to remove the CLSID_value key(s):
```
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{CLSID_value}]
```
  because when you unregister your COM DLL server it will do it for you.

Local Surrogate consideration

Unregister the Proxy/Stub file (MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGEDPS.DLL)
by using the command line ">regsvr32 /u MACROTOPOSERVER_DLLMERGEDPS.DLL".

Common steps

Step 2 - Edit project settings

In the project settings, I generally do those changes in order to avoid launching a makefile from the command line for the Proxy/Stub DLL:

Choose "All configurations",
In the Post-build step's tab:
- Write a Post-build description,
- Create a new Post-build command as " nmake -f " + the Proxy/Stub DLL makefile (e.g. macrotoposerver_exeps.mk),
- And press OK.

Step 3 - Create the CoClass definition

Now lets insert our COM object and its Interface.

Select Insert and New ATL Object :

Double click on simple object (or click on Next) and in the Names' tab:
- Enter the Short Name as CoMacroTopo
- Enter the Interface name as IMacroTopoDisp

In the Attributes' tab:
- Choose Both as value for Threading model,
- Dual (default) as value for Interface,
- Yes (default) as value for aggregation,
- Add Support ISupportErrorInfo,
- And press OK.

Step 4 - Adding methods to `IMacroTopoDisp`

Now lets insert our methods.

Go to the ClassView's tab in the Workspace window,
Select the IMacrotTopDisp item (the one from the root node and not from the CCoMacroTopo node),
using the right click mouse button, select Add method... from the popup menu.

Enter the Method Name as ShowHello
And press OK.

Let's do the same for the second method:

do the same steps as before to open the "Add method dialog box",
Enter the Method Name as Add
Enter the Parameters as [in] long A, [in] long B, [out, retval] long* C
And press OK.

To edit the code implementation of those methods you have to:

Go to the ClassView's tab in the Workspace window,
Open the CCoMacroTopo node item,
Open the IMacrotTopDisp node item,
Double-click on ShowHello() item.

Write the function's body like that:

STDMETHODIMP CCoMacroTopo::ShowHello()
{
 // Display a message box.

 ::MessageBox(NULL,
              _T("Hello world ;~) - Dispatch"),
              _T("CoMacroTopoServer - Executable"),
              MB_OK);

 return(S_OK);
}

Do the same for the <CODE>Add() method and write the function's body like that:

STDMETHODIMP CCoMacroTopo::Add(long A, long B, long *C)
{
 // Add : A + B.

 *C = A + B;

 return(S_OK);
}

Step 5 - Adding a new Interface `IMacroTopoCustom`

You will do it by hand as ATL wizard can not do it (except if you want to create a new ATL CoCalss with a new Interface). The first thing you must do is to edit the IDL file to add the new interface (For further information look at "Learning DCOM" [Bi3]). The most relevant part of the IDL file is:

...

[
	object,
	uuid(IID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU),
	helpstring("IMacroTopoCustom Interface")
]
interface IMacroTopoCustom : IUnknown
{
};

...

coclass CoMacroTopo
{
	[default] interface IMacroTopoDisp;
	interface IMacroTopoCustom;
};

You must use the GUID Generator (GUIDGEN.EXE) in order to obtain your unique IID_GUIDGEN_BY_YOU (Interface ID).

Just remember you that a custom Interface can not be used from an Automated environment like VBScript. Custom interface does not inherit from IDispatch.

Edit the declaration file for the CCoMacroTopo class (CoMacroTopo.h) and add the code in bold:

class ATL_NO_VTABLE CCoMacroTopo : 
	public CComObjectRootEx<CComMultiThreadModel>,
	public CComCoClass<CCoMacroTopo, &CLSID_CoMacroTopo>,
	public ISupportErrorInfo,
	public IDispatchImpl<IMacroTopoDisp,
	                     &IID_IMacroTopoDisp,
	                     &LIBID_MACROTOPOSERVER_EXELib> ,
	public IMacroTopoCustom
public:
	CCoMacroTopo()
	{
	}

DECLARE_REGISTRY_RESOURCEID(IDR_COMACROTOPO)

DECLARE_PROTECT_FINAL_CONSTRUCT()

BEGIN_COM_MAP(CCoMacroTopo)
	COM_INTERFACE_ENTRY(IMacroTopoDisp)
	COM_INTERFACE_ENTRY(IDispatch)
	COM_INTERFACE_ENTRY(ISupportErrorInfo)
	COM_INTERFACE_ENTRY(IMacroTopoCustom)
END_COM_MAP()

...
};

Save the files (".idl" and ".h"). Visual will detect automatically these changes and updates interfaces and CoCLass objects in the ClassView's tab in the workspace window. So, now repeat the step for adding methods to an Interface (as you have done for the IMacroTopoDisp interface). Be careful, remember to select the Interface node item before. Doing this, change the name of the methods like that:

ShowHello() to ShowHelloCustom(),
Add() to AddCustom().

Implement them with the same implementation as for IMacroTopeDisp.

STDMETHODIMP CCoMacroTopo::ShowHelloCustom()
{
 // Display a message box.

 ::MessageBox(NULL,
              _T("Hello world ;~) - Custom"),
              _T("CoMacroTopoServer - Executable"),
              MB_OK);

 return(S_OK);
}

STDMETHODIMP CCoMacroTopo::AddCustom(long A, long B, long *C)
{
 // Add : A + B.

 *C = A + B;

 return(S_OK);
}

Step 6 - Compilation & Linking

Ok, now you can compile and link:

our COM Server (e.g. MACROTOPOSERVER_EXE.EXE)
our Proxy/Stub DLL (e.g. MACROTOPOSERVER_EXEPS.DLL)

At this stage Visual C++ has already registered your COM Server (DLL or Executable) but not your Proxy/Stub (Look in the Project Settings / Custom Build tab).

Microsoft IDL compiler

Proxy/Stub DLL build

Step 8 - Configure the security of your Server

To build and test the COM Server describe in this article you do not need to do anything if your are using them as Local servers (in-process or out-of-process). However, if you are testing them as Remote servers you need at least to enable them to run with the Interactive user account. This is due to display the Dialog box when you call ShowHello().
To enable the COM Server to use the Interactive user for activation launch DCOMCNFG.EXE application (you can use as well OLEVIEW.EXE):

Scroll down the Applications list until finding your COM application and select it (e.g. MacroTopoServer_dllmerged).
Click on Properties...

Select the Identity tab.

In the user account radio buttons, choose the Interactive User.
Click on Ok and close the application.

Now, your component will be launched with the Interactive user account. This means also that if no one is connected, your component can not be launched as well. However, here we just need an account to test our component.

Other points

CoClass and Interface name
CoClass and Interface (human readable) names are the same for the 3 servers. COM documentation refers these names at Logical name (e.g. IMacroTopoDisp). However, each server has its own unique set of GUIDs (for Library ID, Interface ID and CoClass ID) which are different. COM documentation refers these names at Physical name (e.g. {12345678-ABCD-FEDC-A1B2-F1F2F3F4F5D5}). For further information about COM GUIDs, click here.
To have the same logical name as another Interface or CoClass might happen, but does not matter since you have different Physical names, because COM will look after the Physical names. There is an exception with the ProgID as COM will look for a text name, but at the end, this logical name is coupled to a physical name (i.e. a CLSID).
That is one of the main concepts in COM: to be able to identify uniquely your coclasses and interfaces.
COM Server as a Windows NT Service
- Currently only a single instance of a Win32 service may be running at a given time on a machine. COM services must therefore register their class objects on launch using REGCLS_MULTIPLEUSE to support multiple clients.
- A COM Server running as a service has some API restrictions such as: it can not display dialog boxes or windows.

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

COM Macro Architecture Topology - Servers

Overview

Purpose

Requirements

Other articles in this series

COM Servers

Step 2 to 6 and 8 - Common part

Local consideration

Remote consideration

Local consideration

Remote consideration

Step 2 to 6 and 8 - Common part

Local In-process consideration

Remote consideration

Local Surrogate consideration

Local In-process consideration

Remote consideration

Local Surrogate consideration

Step 3 to 6 and 8 - Common part

Local In-process consideration

Remote consideration

Local Surrogate consideration

Local In-process consideration

Local Surrogate consideration

Microsoft IDL compiler

Proxy/Stub DLL build

License