Determine Whether Computer is Using Remote Coordinator and Resolve Existing Transactions

Introduction

In today's article you will learn how to determine whether a computer is using the Remote Coordinator and resolve existing transactions.

Distributed Transaction Coordinator fully supports the Window Backup and Restore feature but this Backup and Restore feature can only be used on local Computer. If a transaction spand various computers then it's consistency cannot be granted. To avoid this problem we need to ensure that no current transaction is in an active mode during a Restore or Backup operation.

For ensuring that all these things take place we should check two things:

1. Checking whether the Coordinator is a Local Coordinator or a Remote Coordinator.
2. Checking whether any transaction is in the Incomplete mode and then resolving it.

So now we will first check whether the Coordinator is a Local Coordinator or Remote Coordinator.

Step 1

First of all Logon to your Windows Server 2012 as Administrator. Now go to the Start Menu and search for the "Component Services".

Now as you open the Component Services, this type of Window will appear in front of you.

Here you will get an option named as "Computers", double click on this option to open it.

Step 2

In Computers you will find your Computer name (as I have "My Computer"), right-click on your computer name to open it's properties.

Now it's property window will be opened, here you must click on the MSDTC tab.

Step 3

In the MSDTC tab you will see whether your system is using a Remote Coordinator or not. If the "Use Local Coordinator" is checked then it's not using any Remote Coordinator otherwise the Remote Coordinator name will be shown as the Remote Coordinator Host Name.

We have now determined whether our system is using a Remote coordinator.

Now we will proceed to determine whether any transaction is in the Incomplete mode or not.

For that you need to use the following steps:

Step 1

Go back to "My Computer (Computer Name)" and double-click on it to open it.

Here you will find an option named as "Local DTC", again double-click on it to open it as well.

Step 2

Here two options will be available named Transaction List and Transaction Statistics. You need to open the Transaction List to see the Incomplete Transactions.

As you can see that right now I don't have a transaction pending so no transactions are shown here.

But if your system have a transaction pending then you can right-click on it and then click on the "Resolve" button. Then you can select this Transaction to Commit, Abort or Forget.