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WCF Overview

Peter Himschoot
peter@u2u.net
Blog:http://www.u2u.info/Blogs/Peter
Agenda
• Shed some light on the many .NET versions
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• Understand WCF
– Why?
– Concepts
– Code
• Some features
– Client Callbacks
– Messaging
– JSON
A History of .NET

Framework Runtime Visual Studio C# VB.NET

1.0 1.0 2002 1.0 7.0

1.1 1.0 2003 1.0 7.0

2.0 2.0 2005 2.0 8.0

(generics) (generics)
3.0 2.0 2005 2.0 8.0
(WCF,WPF,WF)

3.5 2.0 2008 3.0 9.0

(LINQ) (LINQ)
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Why?
Questions We Hear a Lot…
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“How should I build “How can I send

service-oriented messages securely &
systems?” reliably?”

“How can I develop

interoperable “What API
applications?” should I use?”
MS Distributed Technologies
.NET 1.0/2.0

• System.Web.Services (ASMX)
– XML, HTTP, SOAP/WSDL/XSD
– Focused on interop
• System.EnterpriseServices (COM+)
– DCOM RPC, TCP
– Focused on high-performance transaction processing
• System.Messaging (MSMQ)
– Focused on durable transacted messaging
• System.Runtime.Remoting (.NET Remoting)
– HTTP or TCP, SOAP or Binary
– Tightly coupled to .NET type system
WCF’s goals
• Unify the developer experience for building distributed apps
– Consistent conceptual model across varying scenarios
– Common set of idioms + metaphors that work everywhere
• Scenario parity with the existing stacks
– Critical for adoption
• Architectural foundation for the future
– WS-* (.NET 3.0)
– Web-style services (.NET 3.5)
– Workflow Services (.NET 3.5)
– Distributed durable workflows
– Large-scale pub/sub
– <your scenario here>
WCF Fundamentals
• Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)
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– is a runtime for message based communication

– development API
• for creating systems that send messages between
services and clients
• unified API across different transport mechanisms
• For applications that communicate with other
applications
– on the same computer system
– on external computer system
– in another company accessible over the Internet.
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Concepts
Clients and Services

Client Service
Message

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Endpoints

Client Service
Message Endpoint

Endpoint Endpoint

Endpoint

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Address, Binding, Contract

Client Service
Message A B C

C B A A B C

A B C

Address Binding Contract

Where? How? What?

Endpoint

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Some Standard Bindings

BasicHttpBinding BP 1.1 TM
WsHttpBinding WS TM
WsDualHttpBinding WS TM
NetTcpBinding .NET TM
NetNamedPipesBinding .NET TM
NetMsmqBinding MSMQ TM
NetPeerTcpBinding Peer TM
T = Transport Security | M = Message Security | O = One-Way Only
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Coding with VS2008

Create Service Contracts
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WCF References
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[ServiceContract]
• Defines what the service can do
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Operation
• Operation =
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Response = f (Request)
[DataContract]
• Define the message
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Deeper Example
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[FaultContract]
• Operations can return errors (Fault msg)
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• Operations should say so

Implement the Service
• Add another WCF Service Library
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– Implementation should be loosely coupled

Throwing Errors
• FaultException<T>
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Host the Service
• Hosting should be loosely coupled
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WeatherService.svc
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<%@ ServiceHost
Service="WCF_ServiceImpl.WeatherServiceImpl"
%>
Web.config
• Add service endpoints
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– Contract
– Binding
– Address
Web.config with endpoint
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View in Browser…
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Add Meta Data
• Added through behavior
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Hosting Options
• IIS
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– Or Cassini for development

• Console
• Windows application
• WAS
– Windows Activation Service
• …
The WCF Client
• Client can be any kind of project
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– Console, Windows
– ASP.NET, Silverlight
–…
Create the Client
• Create client
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• Then Add Service Reference

Add Service Reference
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App.config
• Service reference also add .config
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Create Proxy
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From
.config
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Client Callbacks
WCF Message Patterns
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One Way

Client Service
Request-Reply

Duplex (Dual)

• One Way:
– Datagram-style delivery
• Request-Reply
– Immediate Reply on same logical thread
• Duplex
– Reply “later” and on backchannel (callback-style)
Contract: Callback
• Client can pass callback interface
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• Client becomes server

• Only possible on some bindings

– netTcpBinding, wsDualHttpBinding, …
Client Proxy Instantiation
• Client needs to pass itself to proxy
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• Typically implemented by a class

Server-side Callback
• Callback is passed in OperationContext
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Messaging
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ASP.NET, JSON, Silverlight