COM monitoring and methodology

[John Olbert]

We are having problems debugging a Client/Server COM situation where two
Exe's communicate via a COM interface. Two questions.

1. Is there a white paper or technical article(s) on the inner workings of
COM. I remember reading a paper maybe 7 years ago that indicated that the
technology used by COM to communicate between two Exe's was Window's messages
(as RPC is used between two computers). Could you recommend some detail
technical documentation on the nuts and bolts of COM?

2. Is there a spy or monitoring program (similar to Netmon for networks)
that allows one to view the communication stream between two Exe's
communicating via COM? Either freeware, shareware or commercial would be fine.

Any help on these two questions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

--John Olbert

[Oleg Starodumov]

Post by John Olbert
1. Is there a white paper or technical article(s) on the inner workings of
COM. I remember reading a paper maybe 7 years ago that indicated that the
technology used by COM to communicate between two Exe's was Window's messages
(as RPC is used between two computers). Could you recommend some detail
technical documentation on the nuts and bolts of COM?

On MSDN (offline), search for "Essential COM" (you will find an excerpt from the book
with the same name) and read Chapter 5 ("Apartments").

Also take a look at "DCOM architecture":
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms809311.aspx

Post by John Olbert
2. Is there a spy or monitoring program (similar to Netmon for networks)
that allows one to view the communication stream between two Exe's
communicating via COM? Either freeware, shareware or commercial would be fine.

Unfortunately I don't know of such tools, but I remember that one of Richard Grimes' books
(probably it was "Professional DCOM Programming") said something about it
(I am not 100% sure, but if you can find this book, take a look).