Scenario: I want to let multiple (2 to 20, probably) server applications use a single database using ADO.NET. I want individual applications to be able to take ownership of sets of records in the database, hold them in memory (for speed) in DataSets, respond to client requests on the data, perform updates, and prevent other applications from updating those records until ownership has been relinquished.

I'm new to ADO.NET, but it seems like this should be possible using transactions with Data Adapters (ADO.NET disconnected layer).

Question part 1: Is that the right way to try and do this?

Question part 2: If that is the right way, can anyone point me at any tutorials or examples of this kind of approach (in C#)?

Question part 3: If I want to be able to take ownership of individual records and release them independently, am I going to need a separate transaction for each record, and by extension a separate DataAdapter and DataSet to hold each record, or is there a better way to do that? Each application will likely hold ownership of thousands of records simultaneously.