Remote RTD server

[NewToDotNet]

Hi All,

I am trying to develop a RTD server, which I have developed using standard .Net libraries. It works fine as a class library, however we want to deploy it on a remote server, whcih means it should run as a server as a single process and everyone from their machine access the same instance of the RTD server. I am new to the whole thing but I think it is possible, please correct me if I am wrong.

So when I convert my solution to a console based and try registering it on remote server, it does not work and I am not able to get it working.

is this possible with Excel-DNA? and so is there a sample code/instructions I can get my hands on?

 Many thanks for your help.

Regards
Akhil

[Govert van Drimmelen]

Hi Akhil,

 

I think the remote RTD scenario is really hard to get right. I don’t have much experience with it myself, but my impression is that the Distributed COM protocol is hard to configure and make reliable on recent versions of Windows. I don’t have any samples or guides for getting it to work.

 

So I would strongly recommend you not to do this, but rather make an RTD server (based on the ExcelRtdServer base class) that runs in-process, and uses your own communication mechanism to communicate with the remote server (http / tcp / WCF / etc.)

 

If you do want to explore the DCOM remote server approach further, then Excel-DNA won’t interfere (or help) with this. Note that:

·         You won’t be able to use the ExcelRtdServer base class from Excel-DNA – this won’t support the remoting approach.

·         You won’t be able to use the late-registration approach (where you call the RTD function as XlCall.RTD(…)).

·         You will have to make the RTD call directly via the Excel RTD function, as XlCall.Excel(xlfRtd, progid, server, topic1, topic2). This is equivalent to the worksheet function =RTD(…)

 

Once you have it working from a worksheet directly via the =RTD(…) function, and you then have any problems related to the add-in , I’m happy to help.

But I would not expect problems getting it to work with your add-in, once you have the basic remote functionality working from Excel.

 

Regards,

Govert

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[NewToDotNet]

Thanks Govert, Much appreciated your input. As I mentioned, I have it working as a local DLL but not able to get it working as a remote RTD server (exe) - which like you said is quite difficult to work out and there seems to be no help available. Main reason to have RTD on a remote server was to have control over who can or cant access it.  We have a pretty flat network and giving dll to people allows pretty much anyone to receive the information.