Cannot debug wcf-windows service

Question

Our application accesses a WCF service, which is hosted by a Windows Service on a single computer. The client application and service always will be on the same computer.

I've created a Windows Service that hosts a WCF service. To test my Windows Service code, I created a console application that contains the same app.config and code as my Windows Service. I start the console application in one debugging thread, and launch my client in another debugging thread. Everything works perfectly and I can easily use the debugger.

Now the rub...

So, I created an installer and installed my Windows Service. After successfully starting it, I successfully added the Service Reference to my client using http://localhost/VssService within Visual Studio 2010. I successfully attached to the service via "Attach To Process". I launched my client in a debugging thread, but when I try to step into a remote method, I get "Unable to automatically step into the server. The debugger failed to stop in the server process." This happens for both [NetNamedPipeBinding_IVssService] and [BasicHttpBinding_IVssService]. I have been struggling with this for hours and have run out of ideas, so I hope that you can help me. I've included the app.config files for my Windows Service and Client application. Hopefully they will help.

I appreciate your taking time to read this question and hope that you can help be to resolve this problem...

Mike

===================== SERVICE APP.CONFIG =============================

    <services>
        <service behaviorConfiguration="VssServiceBehavior" name="ClientSaver.VssService.VssService">
            <endpoint address="net.pipe://localhost/VssService/Pipe/" binding="netNamedPipeBinding"
                bindingConfiguration="" contract="ClientSaver.VssService.IVssService" />
            <endpoint address="http://localhost/VssService/" binding="basicHttpBinding"
                bindingConfiguration="" contract="ClientSaver.VssService.IVssService" />
            <endpoint address="http://localhost/VssService/MEX/" binding="mexHttpBinding"
                bindingConfiguration="" contract="IMetadataExchange" />
            <host>
                <baseAddresses>
                    <add baseAddress="http://localhost/VssService/" />
                </baseAddresses>
            </host>
        </service>
    </services>

  <behaviors>
    <serviceBehaviors>
      <behavior name="VssServiceBehavior">
        <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="True" policyVersion="Policy15" />
        <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="False" />
      </behavior>
    </serviceBehaviors>
  </behaviors>      
</system.serviceModel>

========================= CLIENT APP.CONFIG =============================

            <endpoint address="http://localhost/VssService/" binding="basicHttpBinding"
                bindingConfiguration="" contract="ClientSaver.VssService.IVssService" />                            
        </service>
    </services>

  <behaviors>
    <serviceBehaviors>
      <behavior name="VssServiceBehavior">
        <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true" policyVersion="Policy15" />
        <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="true" />
      </behavior>
    </serviceBehaviors>
  </behaviors>      
</system.serviceModel>

Seen this? social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-IE/asmxandxml/thread/… — Kangkan
For marking as an answer, Click on the icon which is like Tik (Nike's mark) in the left hand of one of an answers. — Saeed Amiri
Just a note: you can get through most of WCF initial development with tracing and event logging. Please check the following link: msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms733025.aspx . — casals
Please also check this thread: stackoverflow.com/questions/1447364/… . There's a link within the provided answer you might want to check. — casals

Preet Sangha Preet Sangha · Accepted Answer · 2010-11-25T23:12:00

Ok. One way I use when VS debugging stops working is to place a System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break() in a conventient place in the service code (say, constructor or method). This causes the JIT debugger to fire up and allows me to connect to the service with the code broken at that point with any VS instance I have.

Obviously you remove it from non debugging code.

Cannot debug wcf-windows service

5 Answers