32bit and 64bit config settings mixed up

Question

We have two Tridion CMS environments running with Tridion 2011 SP1. One was upgraded from 2009, the other one was a clean install.

The clean install is using all the 64 bit configuration (and dll's) where necessary. Such as TcmServiceHost.exe.config and TcmPublisher.exe.config.

On the upgrade somehow it is still using the 32 bit configs and dll's for the above two examples (TcmServiceHost_x86.exe.config and TcmPublisher_x86.exe.config).

Where and what process/config/setting in Tridion makes it use the 32 or 64 bit variant. I can't seem to figure out where exactly to look. I have a feeling that is has something to do with jar files, but which ones...

Answer 1

The config files you mention are .NET config files of the TCM Service Host and Publisher Windows Services, respectively (so, completely unrelated to Java). TcmServiceHost.exe is compiled with AnyCPU flag, meaning that it will be 32 bits on a 32 bit Windows and 64 bits on 64 bits Windows. TcmServiceHost_x86.exe is compiled with x86 flag, meaning that it will always be 32 bits, regardless of Windows "bitness".

In some versions of Tridion, we have provided these _x86.exe (forced 32 bits) variants as a possible work-around for issues in customizations (templates, event handlers) that relied on 32 bit processes (e.g. using 32 bit COM components).

I forgot how customers were supposed to switch to these forced 32 bits variants (was documented), but if you're saying that the _x86.exe.config files are being used, that implies that the _x86.exe files are executed. Assuming that these files are executed by the Windows Service Control Manager, that implies that its should be configured in the Windows Registry.