Chapter 11. Transactional Services

In the world of distributed applications, transactions have always posed a difficult challenge. When updates are spread across multiple computers and multiple data stores, coordinating the updates in a manner that preserves the fundamental properties of a transaction is not an easy proposition. Windows Communications Foundation (WCF) has implemented an approach that minimizes the amount of technical knowledge developers require. This doesn’t mean that a developer can remain unenlightened about transactions, but WCF does take care of the details, enabling the developer to focus on the bigger picture. This chapter covers the features of WCF that coordinate one service’s updates with other services and applications.

Exam objectives in this chapter: