Salvete! I want to write a vb.net application that will run on my desktop coputer that accesses my emailserver (hMailServer) on the Windows Server (2003) across the LAN. hMailServer has an accessible COM interface. I have administrative rights everywhere.
I have read in other places that this involves a process called DCOM, and that is “nigh to difficult”, but I want to try it anyway.
- I have already added a reference to the dll in my project, and with the object model and the com documentation for hMailServer, I am able to write functions.
- I have already assured that I am compiling for target CPU of x86.
- I have already assured permissions as in this thread, and this
thread, and this excellent thread. - I tried placing the dll in my bin folder and also in system32.
- Here is my thread in the hMailServer forum.
How do I get this to work over the LAN?
Hmmm! I must have asked a toughie, because after a whole day there weren’t even any nibbles!
Anyway, I found some clues.
First, hMailServer communicates over the LAN using DCOM, for sure. hMailServer’s COM interface does not include the DCOM functionality – that is, it does not make the connection to the server for you! This is the real crux of the answer. If you want to follow up on my hMailServer thread, it is here. After you connect to hMailServer on another computer (a server, perhaps) using DCOM, then you can send your COM commands.
There are two articles at codeproject on how to attempt this.
D-CM D-Mystified
Com Port Made Simple