VTS manages connections among workstations in remote applications using a global service called the RPC Manager. The RPC Manager begins running at the same time as VTS. It is used extensively by VTS and is available to both standard and scripting applications.
The RPC Manager works automatically in the background while VTS is running, establishing connections between your workstation and the other workstations on your network and managing the transfer of remote procedure calls among the workstations. The RPC Manager:
• Sends remote procedure calls to other workstations; and
• Receives and executes remote procedure calls from other workstations.
In other words, the RPC Manager allows your workstation to access application files and data belonging to a remote application running on other workstations, and vice versa. This allows data to be shared among all copies of VTS on a network, including entire applications.
VTS uses remote procedure calls (RPC) to communicate with copies of VTS on other workstations. Controlled by the RPC Manager, these remote procedure calls enable:
• Remote monitoring and control of equipment;
• Live data networking; and
• Synchronized (up-to-date) application code and data.
As discussed earlier in this section, when you initially configure a remote application, the workstation that is the primary configuration server for your application becomes the primary server (see Primary Service Servers) for the RPC Manager service and all VTS services; however, you can change this configuration by editing the [RPCManager-Servers] section of the Config.INI configuration file for your application (see Designate Primary and Backup Service Servers).
For the purposes of this documentation, it is important only that you are aware that the RPC Manager and remote procedure calls are used to communicate among all workstations running a remote application. The RPC Manager, remote procedure calls, and the RPC diagnostics tool that enables you to troubleshoot network communications are advanced features of VTS and are therefore discussed in greater detail in "VTS Programmer's Guide: Introduction to the RPC Manager".