'  This function takes arguments for 2 connection strings and commands to create a transaction 
'  involving two SQL Servers. It returns a value > 0 if the transaction is committed, 0 if the 
'  transaction is rolled back. To test this code, you can connect to two different databases 
'  on the same server by altering the connection string, or to another RDBMS such as Oracle 
'  by altering the code in the connection2 code block.
Public Function CreateTransactionScope( _
  ByVal connectString1 As String, ByVal connectString2 As String, _
  ByVal commandText1 As String, ByVal commandText2 As String) As Integer

    ' Initialize the return value to zero and create a StringWriter to display results.
    Dim returnValue As Integer = 0
    Dim writer As System.IO.StringWriter = New System.IO.StringWriter

    ' Create the TransactionScope to execute the commands, guaranteeing
    '  that both commands can commit or roll back as a single unit of work.
    Using scope As New TransactionScope()
        Using connection1 As New SqlConnection(connectString1)
            Try
                ' Opening the connection automatically enlists it in the 
                ' TransactionScope as a lightweight transaction.
                connection1.Open()

                ' Create the SqlCommand object and execute the first command.
                Dim command1 As SqlCommand = New SqlCommand(commandText1, connection1)
                returnValue = command1.ExecuteNonQuery()
                writer.WriteLine("Rows to be affected by command1: {0}", returnValue)

                ' If you get here, this means that command1 succeeded. By nesting
                ' the using block for connection2 inside that of connection1, you
                ' conserve server and network resources as connection2 is opened
                ' only when there is a chance that the transaction can commit.   
                 Using connection2 As New SqlConnection(connectString2)
                    Try
                        ' The transaction is escalated to a full distributed
                        ' transaction when connection2 is opened.
                        connection2.Open()

                        ' Execute the second command in the second database.
                        returnValue = 0
                        Dim command2 As SqlCommand = New SqlCommand(commandText2, connection2)
                        returnValue = command2.ExecuteNonQuery()
                        writer.WriteLine("Rows to be affected by command2: {0}", returnValue)

                    Catch ex As Exception
                        ' Display information that command2 failed.
                        writer.WriteLine("returnValue for command2: {0}", returnValue)
                        writer.WriteLine("Exception Message2: {0}", ex.Message)
                    End Try
                End Using

            Catch ex As Exception
                ' Display information that command1 failed.
                writer.WriteLine("returnValue for command1: {0}", returnValue)
                writer.WriteLine("Exception Message1: {0}", ex.Message)
            End Try
        End Using

        ' The Complete method commits the transaction. If an exception has been thrown,
        ' Complete is called and the transaction is rolled back.
        scope.Complete()
    End Using

    ' The returnValue is greater than 0 if the transaction committed.
    If returnValue > 0 Then
        writer.WriteLine("Transaction was committed.")
    Else
       ' You could write additional business logic here, for example, you can notify the caller 
       ' by throwing a TransactionAbortedException, or logging the failure.
       writer.WriteLine("Transaction rolled back.")
     End If

    ' Display messages.
    Console.WriteLine(writer.ToString())

    Return returnValue
End Function

// This function takes arguments for 2 connection strings and commands to create a transaction 
// involving two SQL Servers. It returns a value > 0 if the transaction is committed, 0 if the 
// transaction is rolled back. To test this code, you can connect to two different databases 
// on the same server by altering the connection string, or to another RDBMS such as Oracle 
// by altering the code in the connection2 code block.
static public int CreateTransactionScope(
    string connectString1, string connectString2,
    string commandText1, string commandText2)
{
    // Initialize the return value to zero and create a StringWriter to display results.
    int returnValue = 0;
    System.IO.StringWriter writer = new System.IO.StringWriter();

    // Create the TransactionScope to execute the commands, guaranteeing
    // that both commands can commit or roll back as a single unit of work.
    using (TransactionScope scope = new TransactionScope())
    {
        using (SqlConnection connection1 = new SqlConnection(connectString1))
        {
            try
            {
                // Opening the connection automatically enlists it in the 
                // TransactionScope as a lightweight transaction.
                connection1.Open();

                // Create the SqlCommand object and execute the first command.
                SqlCommand command1 = new SqlCommand(commandText1, connection1);
                returnValue = command1.ExecuteNonQuery();
                writer.WriteLine("Rows to be affected by command1: {0}", returnValue);

                // If you get here, this means that command1 succeeded. By nesting
                // the using block for connection2 inside that of connection1, you
                // conserve server and network resources as connection2 is opened
                // only when there is a chance that the transaction can commit.   
                using (SqlConnection connection2 = new SqlConnection(connectString2))
                    try
                    {
                        // The transaction is escalated to a full distributed
                        // transaction when connection2 is opened.
                        connection2.Open();

                        // Execute the second command in the second database.
                        returnValue = 0;
                        SqlCommand command2 = new SqlCommand(commandText2, connection2);
                        returnValue = command2.ExecuteNonQuery();
                        writer.WriteLine("Rows to be affected by command2: {0}", returnValue);
                    }
                    catch (Exception ex)
                    {
                        // Display information that command2 failed.
                        writer.WriteLine("returnValue for command2: {0}", returnValue);
                        writer.WriteLine("Exception Message2: {0}", ex.Message);
                    }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                // Display information that command1 failed.
                writer.WriteLine("returnValue for command1: {0}", returnValue);
                writer.WriteLine("Exception Message1: {0}", ex.Message);
            }
        }

        // The Complete method commits the transaction. If an exception has been thrown,
        // Complete is not  called and the transaction is rolled back.
        scope.Complete();
    }

    // The returnValue is greater than 0 if the transaction committed.
    if (returnValue > 0)
    {
        writer.WriteLine("Transaction was committed.");
    }
    else
    {
        // You could write additional business logic here, for example, you can notify the caller 
        // by throwing a TransactionAbortedException, or logging the failure.
        writer.WriteLine("Transaction rolled back.");
    }

    // Display messages.
    Console.WriteLine(writer.ToString());

    return returnValue;
}