WCF - convert HTTP to Named Pipe

Question

Guys I've been looking at a ton of blogs, SO posts this week and I am still unsure as to how I convert my WCF service from HTTP bindings to using Named Pipes. I think there are different ways to do it, but I am using the web.configs and using a service reference in my code.

Rather than detail everything here I've tried, can I ask this question?

What are the steps I need to take to go from HTTP Binding to Named Pipes?

Do I need this MEX thing I see mentioned in (some) blogs/SO posts? I know I need to set IIS to enabled protocols: net.pipe... and that IIS Express doesn't support this (that took an afternoon!)

Some relevant code, what I have right now:

in IEmployeeData:

namespace Mobile.ServiceLayer {
[ServiceContract]
public interface IEmployeeData
{ ... }

Calling the WCF service:

string endpointConfigName = "BasicHttpBinding_IEmployeeData";
        EmployeeSvcRef.EmployeeDataClient edc = new EmployeeSvcRef.EmployeeDataClient(endpointConfigName);
        EmployeeSvcRef.EmployeeListResponse emp = edc.EmployeeList();

WCF service web.config:

 <services>
  <service name="Mobile.ServiceLayer.EmployeeData">
    <host>
      <baseAddresses>
        <add baseAddress="http://localhost:62734/EmployeeData" />
      </baseAddresses>
    </host>
  </service>

...

<behaviors>
  <serviceBehaviors>
    <behavior>
      <!-- To avoid disclosing metadata information, set the value below to false before deployment -->
      <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true" />
      <!-- To receive exception details in faults for debugging purposes, set the value below to true.  Set to false before deployment to avoid disclosing exception information -->
      <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="false" />
    </behavior>
  </serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>
<serviceHostingEnvironment multipleSiteBindingsEnabled="true" />

client web.config:

<bindings>
  <basicHttpBinding>
    <binding name="BasicHttpBinding_IEmployeeData" />

...

<client>
  <endpoint address="http://localhost:62734/EmployeeData.svc" binding="basicHttpBinding"
    bindingConfiguration="BasicHttpBinding_IEmployeeData" contract="EmployeeSvcRef.IEmployeeData"
    name="BasicHttpBinding_IEmployeeData" />

Like I said I've looked at SO posts and blogs but there's always a piece of the puzzle missing it seems!

EDIT: Client web.config after wizard:

<endpoint address="net.pipe://localhost/EmployeeData.svc/" binding="netNamedPipeBinding"
    bindingConfiguration="NewBinding0" contract="IEmployeeData"
    name="" kind="" endpointConfiguration="">
    <identity>
      <certificateReference storeName="My" storeLocation="LocalMachine"
        x509FindType="FindBySubjectDistinguishedName" />
    </identity>
  </endpoint>

Right click on the service Web.config file and select "Edit WCF Configuration". You'll see a Binding folder, right click on it and create a new one netNamedPipeBinding, then go to Client->Endpoints, right click on your existing one or create a new one and tell it to use your NamedPipe Binding. — MaxSC
I have not read about this tool. When I go to the Client -> Endpoints folder in the treeview, there are no existing endpoints to choose from. If I create a new one, how do I tell it to use my NamedPipe binding? I cannot type the name into Binding. — VictorySaber
Your NamedPipe Binding should have its own BindingConfiguration Name, you just need to select the right one in the dropdownlist of available Binding Configurations while setting your EndPoint — MaxSC
well, it depends whether your exposing multiple endpoints. Did you try WcftestClient? — MaxSC
If your NamedPipe binding is correctly set uo server side, go to the consumer web site, right click on "Edit WCF Configuration", right click on the Client folder and create a new one. There's a manual step by step procedure that will let you pick up your wcf service DLL (in the /bin folder of your wcf project) and write the right configuration for you. — MaxSC

VictorySaber VictorySaber · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-21T16:58:58

Ok this is what I did. You may find it easier to use the built-in tools mentioned in Max's comments. Right click on a web.config and choose Edit WCF Configuration. Get the WCF service done first and, providing the endpoints are set up, running this on the client (right click it's web.config) will present you with a wizard.

SERVER WEB.CONFIG

Service name is the fully-qualified name of the interface e.g. Mobile.ServiceLayer.IEmployeeData

The base address changes to

net.pipe://localhost/EmployeeData.svc

. Notice the port number is removed and the .svc is present(!)

Create an endpoint, the contract being your interface and binding of type netNamedPipeBinding.

Add a second endpoint for MEX which is MetadataEXchange.

Set ServiceMetaData httpGetEnabled to false.

<system.serviceModel>
<services>
  <service name="Mobile.ServiceLayer.IEmployeeData">
    <host>
      <baseAddresses>
        <add baseAddress="net.pipe://localhost/EmployeeData.svc" />
      </baseAddresses>
    </host>
    <!-- NetPipe -->
    <endpoint
      address=""
      binding="netNamedPipeBinding"
      contract="IEmployeeData" name="MyNetPipe" />
    <!-- Mex (Net.Tcp / Net.Pipe ) -->
    <endpoint name="EmployeeDataNetPipeMex" address="mex" binding="mexNamedPipeBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" />
  </service>
</services>
<behaviors>
  <serviceBehaviors>
    <behavior>
      <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="false" />
      <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="false" />
    </behavior>
  </serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>
<serviceHostingEnvironment multipleSiteBindingsEnabled="true" />
</system.serviceModel>

CLIENT WEB.CONFIG

Remove the binding entry from 'basicHttpBinding'

Add the section with an entry named NetNamedPipeBinding_IEmployeeData Inside 'client' add an endpoint with the address

net.pipe://localhost/EmployeeData.svc

the contract being the 'referencename'.'interface'

    <bindings>
  <basicHttpBinding>
  </basicHttpBinding>
  <netNamedPipeBinding>
    <binding name="NetNamedPipeBinding_IEmployeeData" />
  </netNamedPipeBinding>
</bindings>
<client>
  <endpoint address="net.pipe://localhost/EmployeeData.svc" binding="netNamedPipeBinding"
    bindingConfiguration="NetNamedPipeBinding_IEmployeeData" contract="EmployeeSvcRef.IEmployeeData"
    name="NetNamedPipeBinding_IEmployeeData" />
    </client>

WCF - convert HTTP to Named Pipe

1 Answers