Hosting WCF service over net.tcp protocol in IIS7 (WAS)

There are several articles showing how to host non-http protocols on IIS7. Some steps are like black box while others could easily be misconfigured.

The tasks is complicated additionally by obscured error messages returned in the browser :)

So let’s started (the example below is in Windows Server 2008. In Vista/Windows7 is similar but not exactly same):

Phase 1: Prepare server (prerequisites)

1. Add Web Server Role

• Select following features as a minimum:
• Common HTTP Features - all
• Application Development
• ASP.NET
• .NET Extensibility
• ISAPI extensions
• ISAPI Filters
• Security – all

2. Add Application Role

Add Application Server role and select all features (confirm all dependencies):

With this Phase 1 is complete. We should be able to navigate to Internet Information Services (IIS) Manage console in Administrative tools.

Phase 2: Deploying WCF application

1. Build WCF application with netTcpBinding :) (kindda obvious). For service endpoints leave address relative or empty.

   1: <services>

   2:   <service name="Microsoft.Test.Service" behaviorConfiguration="Service.ServiceBehavior">

   3:     

   4:     <endpoint name="netTcp" address="" binding="netTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="bigMessages" contract="Microsoft.Test.IService" />

   5:     <endpoint name="mexNetTcp" address="mex" binding="mexTcpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange"/>

   6:   service>

   7: services>

2. Create website that will host it in IIS

Since it is not a challenge to create it via IIS Manager here is how it can be achieved via script (JS). This can be used as custom action in WiX/MSI as well

   1: var adminManager = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager');

   2: adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST";

   3:  

   4: var sitesSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.applicationHost/sites", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST");

   5:  

   6: var sitesCollection = sitesSection.Collection;

   7:  

   8: var siteElement = sitesCollection.CreateNewElement("site");

   9: siteElement.Properties.Item("name").Value = "WcfNetTcp";

  10: siteElement.Properties.Item("id").Value = 7;

  11:  

  12: var bindingsCollection = siteElement.ChildElements.Item("bindings").Collection;

  13:  

  14: var bindingElement = bindingsCollection.CreateNewElement("binding");

  15: bindingElement.Properties.Item("protocol").Value = "http";

  16: bindingElement.Properties.Item("bindingInformation").Value = "*:80:";

  17: bindingsCollection.AddElement(bindingElement);

  18:  

  19: var siteCollection = siteElement.Collection;

  20:  

  21: var applicationElement = siteCollection.CreateNewElement("application");

  22: applicationElement.Properties.Item("path").Value = "D:\\Hosting\\WcfApp";

  23: applicationElement.Properties.Item("applicationPool").Value = "DefaultAppPool";

  24: siteCollection.AddElement(applicationElement);

  25:  

  26: sitesCollection.AddElement(siteElement);

  27:  

  28: adminManager.CommitChanges();

  29:  

3. Add net.tcp protocol:

Here is how it should look from GUI:

And the script for it

   1: var adminManager = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager');

   2: adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST";

   3:  

   4: var sitesSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.applicationHost/sites", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST");

   5:  

   6: var sitesCollection = sitesSection.Collection;

   7:  

   8: var siteElementPos = FindElement(sitesCollection, "site", ["name", "WcfNetTcp"]);

   9: if (siteElementPos == -1) throw "Element not found!";

  10: var siteElement = sitesCollection.Item(siteElementPos);

  11:  

  12:  

  13: var bindingsCollection = siteElement.ChildElements.Item("bindings").Collection;

  14:  

  15: var bindingElement = bindingsCollection.CreateNewElement("binding");

  16: bindingElement.Properties.Item("protocol").Value = "net.tcp";

  17: bindingElement.Properties.Item("bindingInformation").Value = "809:*";

  18: bindingsCollection.AddElement(bindingElement);

  19:  

  20: adminManager.CommitChanges();

4. Enable net.tcp for website (Virtual Application) that hosts Wcf Service – in this example we’re hosting in the root of website

And of course the script:

   1: var adminManager = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager');

   2: adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST";

   3:  

   4: var sitesSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.applicationHost/sites", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST");

   5:  

   6: var sitesCollection = sitesSection.Collection;

   7:  

   8: var siteElementPos = FindElement(sitesCollection, "site", ["name", "WcfNetTcp"]);

   9: if (siteElementPos == -1) throw "Element not found!";

  10: var siteElement = sitesCollection.Item(siteElementPos);

  11:  

  12: var siteCollection = siteElement.Collection;

  13:  

  14: var applicationElementPos = FindElement(siteCollection, "application", ["path", "/"]);

  15: if (applicationElementPos == -1) throw "Element not found!";

  16: var applicationElement = siteCollection.Item(applicationElementPos);

  17:  

  18: applicationElement.Properties.Item("enabledProtocols").Value = "http,net.tcp";

  19:  

  20: adminManager.CommitChanges();

Warning: Do not put any spaces in “Enabled Protocols” field. Although it might works for HTTP it doesn’t for net.tcp.

5. (Optional) Run in elevated mode (As Administrator):

   1: “%WINDIR%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.0\Windows Communication Foundation\ServiceModelReg.exe" –i

I will cover why it is optional in next posts.

Note: Scripts are generated using IIS 7.5 IIS Management console and Windows 7

SOURCE:http://www.galcho.com/Blog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=2f8e0253-970d-4e8e-b1db-d2dcd4c80cee