Overview

Chapters 1 and 2 present an overview of the requirements for server-based applications. Then, chapter by chapter, I discuss the APIs that allow Windows 2000 server-based applications to do what they must do. Chapter 3 discusses the Service API that allows you to create a true server-based applicationone that can run even when no one is logged in to the server. Here I introduce a C++ class to support server-based applications. Chapter 4 is an introduction to the impersonation APIs, including the security implications of the basic question, "Who are you?" Chapter 5 discusses event logging and integrates it into the C++ class introduced in Chapter 3.

Chapter 6 uses the Remote Access Server (RAS) API to create virtual networks using standard phone lines. Chapter 7 discusses the Telephony API (TAPI) and Messaging API (MAPI), with special emphasis on the potential pitfalls when integrating these technologies into a Windows 2000 service application. In Chapter 7, I expand the C++ service class introduced earlier to support integrating COM technologies, such as MAPI, or any feature that requires an application with a message pump.

Chapter 8 discusses Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) and creates a class to exploit ODBC-compliant data sources. While there are many spiffy new technologies for database access, ODBC has the advantage of speed and widespread availability. In Chapter 8, I also introduce several classes supporting ODBC. You'll use these classes throughout the balance of the book.

Once I've discussed the basics of creating Windows 2000 server-based applications and the Win32 APIs that support them, I move into a discussion of several Web technologies that enable you to create server-based applications for the Internet age. Using ASP in Chapter 9 and ISAPI in Chapters 10 and 11, I show how you can create cutting-edge applications that take the best of traditional server-based applications and marry them to Internet technologies. Chapter 12 describes client communication using both named pipes and WinSock, implemented using Win32 events as well as I/O completion ports. Chapter 13 looks at database access again, but this time SQL Server specifically , with an eye toward fully exploiting SQL Server's server-side application support. Finally, in Chapters 14 and 15, I present an example of a network monitoring system that can function as a stand-alone service application or work in concert with Web clients , using ASP and ISAPI.