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Exam 70-015:

Designing and Implementing Distributed Applications with Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0

Exam 70-015 has been available since September 30, 1999.

Skills Being Measured

This certification exam measures your ability to design and implement distributed application solutions by using Microsoft Visual C++ version 6.0.

Distributed Applications are client/server applications that use a network in a multi-tier architecture to distribute their presentation services, business logic, and data services. These applications often access many different data sources. The COM components contained in these applications typically participate in transactions, and they can be shared by multiple users and multiple applications.

Before you take the exam, you should be proficient in the job skills listed below.

Deriving the Physical Design

Explain the elements of an application that is based on the MFC framework.

• Identify differences between developing an MFC application for Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Windows 95, and Windows 98.
• Explain when to use the Platform SDK (SDK) for an MFC application and when to use the functionality provided by the MFC framework.
• Choose whether to use an MFC regular DLL or an MFC extension DLL.
• Explain how command messages are routed between a user interface object and a handler function.
• Describe the Document/View architecture.
• Explain the MFC drawing, printing, and print preview architecture.
• Explain how the MFC architecture supports multithreading.

Evaluate whether access to a database should be encapsulated in an object.

• Evaluate whether a database should be incorporated in the application.
• Identify which type of library to use. Valid libraries include MFC, ATL, and the SDK.
• Identify which type of object to use. Valid objects include ADO, ODBC, and RDO.

Design the properties, methods, and events of components.

Establishing the Development Environment

Establish the environment for source-code control by using Microsoft Visual SourceSafe. Issues include multiple user/multiple location development and versioning of the source code.

Install the Visual C++ development tools that are necessary for developing a distributed application on various platforms. Platforms include Windows NT Workstation, Windows NT Server, Windows 95, and Windows 98.

Install and configure server services. Services include Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS), SQL, and MSMQ.

Configure a client computer to use an MTS component.

Creating the User Interface

Implement the navigation for the user interface.

• Create and integrate toolbars in an MFC application.
• Implement tool tips for toolbar buttons.
• Implement and write to the status bar in an MFC application.
• Given a scenario, select the appropriate options to create a new application by using the MFC AppWizard.
• Create and edit user interface objects by using the resource editors.
• Create a new class by using ClassWizard.
• Add member variables by using ClassWizard.
• Add a message handler for an event by using ClassWizard.

Create data input forms and dialog boxes.

• Create a static menu by using the Menu editor.
• Create a dialog box by using the Dialog editor.
• Create property sheets by using ClassWizard.
• Create dialog box classes and members by using ClassWizard.
• Use the CFormView class to create a view that contains controls.

Validate user input.

• Validate user input by using DDV.
• Validate user input by using ClassWizard.

Process user input from a form or a dialog box by using DDX.

Use an ActiveX user interface control.

• Insert a control into a project by using the Component Gallery.
• Handle an event from an ActiveX user interface control.
• Dynamically create an ActiveX user interface control.

Use the MFC AppWizard to create an ISAPI DLL that can dynamically change Web content.

Incorporate existing code into an application by using wizards and scriptlets.

Create or modify an MFC application to store and retrieve personalized user settings from the registry.

Display data from a data source.

• Implement remote data sources by using CSocket.
• Implement standard serialization by using Serialize.
• Implement persistence by using CFile.
• Display data by using CArchive.
• Connect a recordset to dialog box controls.

Instantiate and invoke a COM component.

Add asynchronous processing.

• Create secondary threads.
• Download ActiveX user interface controls.

Implement online user assistance in an application.

• Implement status bars.
• Implement tool tips.
• Implement context-sensitive Help.
• Create Help for an application that provides links to a Web page that contains Help files.

Implement error handling.

• Implement exception handling.
• Given an error, determine how to handle the error.

Use an active document.

Creating and Managing COM Components

Create a COM component that implements business rules or logic.

• Create a COM component by using ATL.
• Create a COM component by using the SDK.
• Create a COM component by using MFC.
• Create an ATL COM in-process COM component and an ATL COM client to access it.
• Create an ATL COM out-of-process COM component and an ATL COM client to access it.

Create ActiveX user interface controls.

• Create an ActiveX user interface control by using ATL.
• Create an ActiveX user interface control by using the SDK.
• Create an ActiveX user interface control by using MFC.

Create a COM component that reuses existing components.

• Explain the difference between aggregation and containment.

Add error handling to a COM component.

Log errors into an error log.

Create and use an active document.

Create a COM component that can participate in a transaction.

Sign a COM component.

Debug a COM component.

Create a COM component that supports apartment-model threading. Models include single-threaded apartment, multithreaded apartment, or both.

Create a package by using the MTS Explorer.

Add components to the MTS package.

Use role-based security to limit use of an MTS package to specific users.

Creating Data Services

Access and manipulate data by using ad hoc queries. Methods include ODBC, ADO, DAO, RDO, and data source control.

Access data by using the Stored Procedure model.

Manipulate data by using different cursor locations.

Manipulate data by using different cursor types.

Handle database errors.

Manage transactions to ensure data consistency and recoverability.

Write SQL statements that retrieve and modify data.

Write SQL statements that use joins to combine data from multiple tables.

Write SQL statements that create views or queries.

Use appropriate locking strategies.

• Implement pessimistic locking.
• Implement optimistic locking.

Create a stored procedure that returns information.

Create triggers that implement rules.

Create reports that use summary data.

• Display data in a customized sorted format.

Create stored procedures to enforce business rules.

Create user-defined procedures and system-stored procedures.

Creating a Physical Database

Implement a data storage architecture by creating and managing files, file groups, and transaction logs.

Create databases, and create database tables that enforce data integrity and referential integrity.

Create and maintain indexes.

Populate the database with data from an external data source.

Testing and Debugging the Solution

Determine appropriate debugging techniques.

• Use library debug support.
• Use the IDE.
• Use Depends.
• Use Spy++.
• Given a scenario, describe the type of debugging support Visual C++ provides for resolving programming errors.
• Step through code by using the integrated debugger.
• List and describe the MFC macros used to debug applications.

Identify and describe the elements of a test plan. Elements include beta testing, regression testing, unit testing, integration testing, and stress testing.

• Evaluate the need for beta testing.

Deploying an Application

Create a Setup program that installs an application and registers the COM components.

Register a component that implements DCOM.

Configure DCOM on the client computer and on the server computer.

Use .cab files to package and distribute an application.

Plan floppy disk-based deployment or compact disc-based deployment for an application.

Plan Web-based deployment for an application.

Plan network-based deployment for an application.

Given a scenario, evaluate the use of Microsoft Systems Management Server as an aid to deploying a solution.

Create a Setup program that installs an application and allows for the application to be uninstalled.

Evaluate Zero Administration for Windows (ZAW) as an aid to deploying a solution.

Maintaining and Supporting an Application

Implement static load balancing.

Fix errors, and take measures to prevent future errors.

Deploy application updates.

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