I'm a newbie to WCF. So here's the thing : I have two systems, one running the wcf service and the other running the client.
I'm able to ping the IP of the service, and also able to see the link when I put it into my browser. (It shows me the service is up and running).
Howver, when I try to run wcftestclient from cmd, it gives me this error :
Error: Cannot obtain Metadata from http://172.16.70.125:8080/Service If this is a Windows (R) Communication Foundation service to which you have access, ...
I've been trying this all day, and its says the same thing.
Could someone please let me know what's wrong and how to fix this?
Thanks,
Thothathri
The WcfTestClient utility depends on the WSDL being available for the service. The WSDL is provided by the Metadata Exchange (or 'mex') endpoint. You are probably missing that endpoint. Look for something like this in your config, or add it if it is missing:
<service ... >
<endpoint ...(your usual endpoint for the service)... />
<endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" />
</service>
Has your service exposed a metadata endpoint? Only relevent portions of config included
<services>
<service behaviorConfiguration="metadataBehavior" name="MyService">
<endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" />
</service>
</services>
<behaviors>
<serviceBehaviors>
<behavior name="metadataBehavior">
<serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true" />
</behavior>
</serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>
Do you have metadata exchange enabled on your service? Your service should provide a mex endpoint for metadata in order for WcfTestClient to work AFAIK.
MSDN: How to: Publish Metadata for a Service Using a Configuration File
Related
Background
I have created ASMX web services in the past and have been able to access the service from the web browser and Ajax GET requests using the address convention: MyService.asmx/MyMethod?Param=xxx
I just got started using WCF and created a new web service in my ASP.NET project. It creates a file with the .svc extension such as MyService.svc.
Current Situation
I am able to consume the service using the WcfTestClient that comes with VS2008. I am also able to create my own WCF Client by either adding a service reference in another project or using the svcutil.exe commandline to generate the proxy and config file.
The Problem
When I try to use the service from a browser using MyService.svc/MyMethod?MyParam=xxx, I get a blank page without any errors.
What I have tried
I have already added a basicHttpBinding to the web.config and made it HttpGetEnabled in the behavior configuration. I also added the [WebGet(UriTemplate = "MyMethod?MyParam={MyParam}")] attribute to my operation contract.
I have already followed the information in this other stack overflow question:
REST / SOAP EndPoints for a WCF Service
However, I either get a blank page or an HTTP 404 Error after following those steps. There's nothing special about the code. I am just taking in a string as a parameter and returning "Hello xxx". This is a basic "Hello WCF World" proof-of-concept type thing.
UPDATE - Here's the relevant code
[ServiceContract]
public interface IMyService
{
[WebGet(UriTemplate = "MyMethod/MyParam={MyParam}")]
[OperationContract]
string MyMethod(string MyParam);
}
Web.Config - system.serviceModel Section
<system.serviceModel>
<behaviors>
<serviceBehaviors>
<behavior name="MyServiceBehavior">
<serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true" />
<serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="true"/>
</behavior>
</serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>
<services>
<service behaviorConfiguration="MyServiceBehavior" name="MyService">
<endpoint address=""
binding="wsHttpBinding" contract="IMyService" />
<endpoint address="MyService.svc"
binding="basicHttpBinding" contract="IMyService" />
<endpoint address="mex"
binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange"/>
</service>
</services>
</system.serviceModel>
Looking at your web.config serviceModel section, I can see that you need to add a webHttpBinding and associate an endPointBehavior that includes webHttpGet.
Your operation contract is correct. Here's how your system.serviceModel config section should look in order for you to be able to consume the service from a GET HTTP request.
<system.serviceModel>
<behaviors>
<serviceBehaviors>
<behavior name="MyServiceBehavior">
<serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true" />
<serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="true"/>
</behavior>
</serviceBehaviors>
<endpointBehaviors>
<behavior name="WebBehavior">
<webHttp />
</behavior>
</endpointBehaviors>
</behaviors>
<services>
<service behaviorConfiguration="MyServiceBehavior" name="MyService">
<endpoint address="ws" binding="wsHttpBinding" contract="IMyService"/>
<endpoint address="" behaviorConfiguration="WebBehavior"
binding="webHttpBinding"
contract="IMyService">
</endpoint>
<endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange"/>
</service>
</services>
</system.serviceModel>
Be sure to assign a different address to your wsHttpBinding endpoint, otherwise you will get an error saying that you have two endpoints listening on the same URI.
Another option is to leave the address blank in the wsHttpBinding, but assign a different address to the webHttpBinding service. However, that will change your GET address as well.
For example, if you assign the address as "asmx", you would call your service with the address "MyService.svc/asmx/MyMethod?MyParam=xxxx".
The normal WCF requests are always SOAP requests - you won't be able to get this going with just your browser, you'll need the WCF Testclient for that.
There is an add-on for WCF called the WCF REST Starter Kit (which will also be included in WCF 4.0 with .NET 4.0), which allows you to use GET/POST/PUT/DELETE HTTP commands to query WCF services and such. You need to write your services specifically for REST, though - you can't have SOAP and REST on the same service call.
Marc
As marc_s says, the REST Starter Kit can help, but you should also be aware that .NET 3.5 has support for REST services directly in it. It's not quite as complete as what you can do with the starter kit, but it is useful.
The way it works is that you put a [WebGet] attribute on your operations to indicate where in the URL the various parameters should come from:
[WebGet(UriTemplate = "helloworld/{name}")]
string Helloworld(string name);
See this portal for tons of information.
Note, you can have the same service exposed as both SOAP and REST if you specify multiple endpoints/bindings in the configuration.
I am trying to create a WCF service that is accessible through both webHttpBinding and netTcpBinding. I have been successful in getting the webHttpBinding to be accessible through a Java client and now I'm working on trying to get the netTcpBinding working.
I have set up the configuration like this;
<system.serviceModel>
<behaviors>
<endpointBehaviors>
<behavior name="httpBehavior">
<webHttp/>
</behavior>
</endpointBehaviors>
<serviceBehaviors>
<behavior name="">
<serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true" />
<serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="true" />
</behavior>
</serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>
<serviceHostingEnvironment multipleSiteBindingsEnabled="true" />
<services>
<service name="MR_Jukebox_Service.JukeboxService">
<host>
<baseAddresses>
<add baseAddress="http://localhost:8732/Design_Time_Addresses/MR_Jukebox_Service/"/>
<add baseAddress="net.tcp://localhost:8523/Design_Time_Addresses/MR_Jukebox_Service/net/"/>
</baseAddresses>
</host>
<endpoint address=""
behaviorConfiguration="httpBehavior"
binding="webHttpBinding"
contract="MR_Jukebox_Service.IJukeboxService" />
<endpoint address="mex"
binding="mexHttpBinding"
contract="MR_Jukebox_Service.IJukeboxService" />
<endpoint address="net.tcp://localhost:8523/Design_Time_Addresses/MR_Jukebox_Service/net"
binding="netTcpBinding"
bindingConfiguration=""
contract="MR_Jukebox_Service.IJukeboxService" />
</service>
</services>
</system.serviceModel>
In the same solution, I have a test application that I wish to connect to the netTcpBinding, I've right clicked on "Service References" and chosen "Add Service Reference...".
When I click on "Discover" it finds the service although says;
There was an error downloading 'http://localhost:8732/Design_Time_Addresses/MR_Jukebox_Service'.
The request failed with HTTP status 404: Not Found.
Metadata contains a reference that cannot be resolved: 'http://localhost:8732/Design_Time_Addresses/MR_Jukebox_Service'.
There was no endpoint listening at http://localhost:8732/Design_Time_Addresses/MR_Jukebox_Service that could accept the message. This is often caused by an incorrect address or SOAP action. See InnerException, if present, for more details.
The remote server returned an error: (404) Not Found.
If the service is defined in the current solution, try building the solution and adding the service reference again.
But I am also unable to see the netTcpBinding in order for me to create a service reference to it.
I was wondering whether anyone can see what I am doing wrong as its probably something rather simple, but due to my lack of experience with WCF haven't noticed.
Thanks for any help in advance.
Try changing your mex endpoint to this:
<endpoint address="mex"
binding="mexHttpBinding"
contract="IMetadataExchange" />
You were using your service's contract for the mex endpoint, which I don't believe will work.
You can set up a similar one for the NetTcpBinding:
<endpoint address="net.tcp://localhost:8523/Design_Time_Addresses/MR_Jukebox_Service/net/mex"
binding="mexTcpBinding"
contract="IMetadataExchange" />
I have been successful in getting the webHttpBinding to be accessible through a Java client and now I'm working on trying to get the netTcpBinding working.
Are you trying to get the netTcpBinding to work with a java client ? Because, netTcpBinding only works with a .net client.
NetTcpBinding is not designed for interop, it's designed for performance when both the server and client are .net
I have a WCF service (in 3.0) which is running fine with wsHttpBinding. I want to add netTcpBinding binding also to the same service. But the challenge that I am facing is in adding behaviorConfiguration.
How should I modify the following code to enable the service for both the bindings? Please help…
<service name="Lijo.Samples.WeatherService"
behaviorConfiguration="WeatherServiceBehavior">
<host>
<baseAddresses>
<add baseAddress="http://localhost:8000/ServiceModelSamples/FreeServiceWorld"/>
<add baseAddress="net.tcp://localhost:8052/ServiceModelSamples/FreeServiceWorld"/>
<!-- added new baseaddress for TCP-->
</baseAddresses>
</host>
<endpoint address=""
binding="wsHttpBinding"
contract="Lijo.Samples.IWeather" />
<endpoint address=""
binding="netTcpBinding"
contract="Lijo.Samples.IWeather" />
<!-- added new end point-->
<endpoint address="mex"
binding="mexHttpBinding"
contract="IMetadataExchange" />
</service>
</services>
<behaviors>
<serviceBehaviors>
<behavior name="WeatherServiceBehavior">
<serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true"/>
<serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="False"/>
</behavior>
</serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>
Please see the following to see further details
WCF using windows service
Thanks
Lijo
I don't completely understand what your problem or issue is - from what I'm understanding, you're unsure how to apply service behaviors?
Two things you need to consider:
a service behavior can be applied to the entire <service> tag - so these things like metadata support etc. will affect the service per se - regardless of which endpoint you connect to
an endpoint behavior can be applied to an endpoint, so that will affect only those endpoints that this behavior is applied to (and not others)
So in your case, the WeatherServiceBehavior will be applied to the service and thus affect all endpoints (e.g. no matter which endpoint your client connects to, it will have metadata support and debug details turned off).
So again: what exactly is your issue? Where are you "blocked" or what are you trying to do that doesn't work??
You should specify the address of the net tcp endpoint, at the endpoint level, not as a base address.
Also test if first with just nettcp binding to make sure that that works, before you try to configure for both.
I have developed an ASP.NET application that includes a WCF service. This service needs to be consumed by third party applications. This service has worked fine while testing in my development environment. My development environment is using IIS 7.0 on Window 7 RC 1. However, I cannot use the service once it is in my staging / production environment. My staging / production environment is a Windows Server 2003, IIS 6 environment.
When I attempt to reference the service when it is in the IIS 6 environment, I receive an error that says:
Error: Cannot obtain Metadata
...
Interesting, I noticed a subtle, but I believe important, difference in my testing an staging/production environments.
In my test environment, I noticed that I can access the Service page via a url with the following template:
http://localhost/MyApp/services/myService.svc
I also noticed that in my test environment, I can see the WSDL information if I visit a url with the following template:
http://localhost/MyApp/services/myService.svc?wsdl
However, in my staging / production environment, I cannot see the WSDL information. Oddly enough, I can see the Service page though.
Here are the configuration settings related to my services in my production environment.
<system.serviceModel>
<behaviors>
<serviceBehaviors>
<behavior name="myServiceBehavior">
<serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true" />
<serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="false" />
</behavior>
</serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>
<serviceHostingEnvironment aspNetCompatibilityEnabled="true"/>
<services>
<service behaviorConfiguration="myServiceBehavior" name="myService">
<endpoint address="" binding="basicHttpBinding" contract="myService" />
<endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding"
contract="IMetadataExchange" />
</service>
</services>
</system.serviceModel>
Why would I be able to see the Service page but not the WSDL page in the Windows Server 2003 IIS 6.0 environment?
Thank you!
Have you enabled metadata exchange?
<serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled = "true"/>
Have you defined the metadata exchange endpoint
<endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" bindingConfiguration=""
name="mexendpoint" contract="IMetadataExchange" />
To add to Shiraz's answer, the following MSDN article covers publishing service metadata in reasonable detail:
Publishing Metadata Endpoints (MSDN Library)
I'm trying to learn how to build RESTful services with WCF by recreating the project on this blog post by Anthony Steele. He uses the following XML in his config to setup the endpoint for the service.
<host>
<baseAddresses>
<add baseAddress="http://localhost:8080/greeter"/>
</baseAddresses>
</host>
However, when I try to do the same thing in my ASP.NET 3.5 web site's web.config, I am unable to navigate to my service. Here is the XML I'm using:
<system.serviceModel>
<behaviors>
<serviceBehaviors>
<behavior name="GreeterBehavior">
<serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true"/>
<serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="false"/>
</behavior>
</serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>
<services>
<service behaviorConfiguration="GreeterBehavior" name="Greeter">
<host>
<baseAddresses>
<add baseAddress="http://localhost:49268/TestREST/webapi/services/greeter"/>
</baseAddresses>
</host>
<endpoint address="" binding="wsHttpBinding" contract="IGreeter">
<identity>
<dns value="localhost"/>
</identity>
</endpoint>
<endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange"/>
</service>
</services>
</system.serviceModel>
I would imagine my configuration would allow me to navigate to http://localhost:49268/TestREST/webapi/services/greeter and see my service. All I get is a resource not found message - am I missing something?
Edit: Part of my problem was my binding was wsHttpBinding. Using webHttpBinding allowed me to use the service correctly - except, the baseAddress config section still has no effect.
My hunch is that the service endpoint is not being created successfully.
In the service "name" attribute you are not including the FQN (Fully Qualified Name) of the service type. Secondarily, in the endpoint "contract" attribute you are also not including the FQN to the contract type.
On the other hand, this MAY be a port issue. In order to be sure, try running the WcfTestClient.exe that is included in the Visual Studio 2008 distribution. If you can connect to http://localhost:49268/TestREST/webapi/services/greeter/mex, then you know it is not a port issue.
Supposing that you can connect via MEX, then try exercising some of the methods, which would presumably be mapped to http://localhost:49268/TestREST/webapi/services/greeter.
If you are operating on server, see some valuable details about HttpCfg.exe here:
WCF ServiceHost basicHttpBinding 503 error
If you need more details on WcfTestClient, look for them here:
Is it possible to make the WcfTestClient work for custom transport channels?
Just In Case: copy the sample verbatim and verify that it works as defined, including the config file, before making the slightest deviation from it.