Making sure ASP.NET applications communicating with SQL Server via MS DTC can be a pain. To configure MS DTC, run the command ‘dcomcnfg’ from Start Menu => Run.
Other useful links:
- Configuring 2003 – http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/sql-server/how-to-configure-dtc-on-windows-2003/
- Configuring 2008 – http://pongsathonkeng.blogspot.com/2011/02/msdtc-setup.html
In case those sites disappear, here are the PDF copies.
dtc.windows.2008 DTC_Windows_2003
Remember the NETBIOS names need to be reachable in order for MS DTC to work. To test, use the DTCPing tool. Which can be found here. This tests RPC connectivity between two machines.
You can also download the DTC tester tool, which makes an actual transaction via DTC. It can be found here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/293799 . As noted above, to add a DSN to the system, go to System => Adminstration => ODBC.