By default, each system uses its local Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC) transaction manager for initiating and coordinating transactions. However, you can configure your computer to use the DTC transaction manager of another system as the default transaction coordinator. The DTC transaction manager on the specified system is used as the transaction coordinator whenever a client on the local system begins a DTC transaction and that client does not explicitly specify a transaction coordinator. The default transaction coordinator coordinates all transactions that are initiated by COM+ or any other client that uses transactions. The default transaction coordinator also serves as the transaction coordinator for all resource managers on the local system that enlist in any DTC transaction.

The system that you select as the default transaction coordinator should be reliable. The network connection to the default transaction coordinator system should also be reliable. Otherwise, specification of a default transaction coordinator might reduce the availability of the DTC on your local system.

If you decide to use a remote default transaction coordinator, both your computer and the remote transaction coordinator must be configured to allow network DTC access. To allow network DTC access, see Configure DTC Security.

Membership in Administrators, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review the details in "Additional considerations" in this topic.

To designate a remote system as the default transaction coordinator

  1. Open Component Services.

  2. In the Component Services snap-in, right-click the computer whose transaction coordinator settings you want to change (for example, My Computer), and then click Properties.

  3. In the properties dialog box for the computer, click the MSDTC tab.

  4. Clear the Use local coordinator check box.

  5. In Remote coordinator host name, type the remote system name. If you are not sure of the exact name, click Select to display a list of all computers on the network, and then select the computer that you want in the list.

  6. Click OK.

Additional considerations

  • Component Services is no longer in Administrative Tools. To open Component Services, click Start. In the search box, type dcomcnfg, and then press ENTER.

  • To configure the default transaction coordinator, you must have administrator credentials on both the local system and the system that you are designating as the default coordinator. This makes it possible for the local DTC system to retrieve the appropriate information from the system registry on the default transaction coordinator system.

To designate the local system as the default transaction coordinator

  1. Open Component Services.

  2. In the console tree, right-click the computer that you want to designate as the default transaction coordinator, and then click Properties.

  3. In the properties dialog box for the computer, click the MSDTC tab.

  4. Select the Use local coordinator check box.

  5. Click OK.

Additional considerations

  • Component Services is no longer in Administrative Tools. To open Component Services, click Start. In the search box, type dcomcnfg, and then press ENTER.

  • To configure the default transaction coordinator, you must have administrator credentials on both the local system and the system that you are designating as the default coordinator. This makes it possible for the local DTC system to retrieve the appropriate information from the system registry on the default transaction coordinator system.

Additional references

  • Manage Distributed Transactions
  • Configure DTC Tracing