How to find bad endpoints before?

Question

When I try to connect to an inaccessible machine, I get an EndpointNotFoundException, but it takes too much time (about 20 seconds). Setting closeTimeout, openTimeout, receiveTimeout, or sendTimeout does not affect. Can I get this exception earlier?

Answer 1

We use the EnterpriseLibrary ConnectionMonitor block, which works quite well, with it you can define your own strategy for determining the availability of the connection, but we just use the one that comes in the box.

This default code (which runs in the background thread ... handled by the block) uses this inside:

public bool IsAlive(string hostnameOrAddress) { bool alive = false; try { Uri address = new Uri(hostnameOrAddress); HttpWebRequest request = (HttpWebRequest) HttpWebRequest.Create(address); request.Timeout = 5000; using (HttpWebResponse response = (HttpWebResponse) request.GetResponse()) { alive = DoesResponseStatusCodeIndicateOnlineStatus(response); } } catch (WebException wex) { alive = DoesWebExceptionStatusIndicateOnlineStatus(wex); } return alive; } 

Look at the block itself, see if you can use it in your project or get some ideas on how to solve your specific problem. (from memory, the unit is part of the Smart Client Software SCSF Factory software)

My understanding, however, is that you will need to do some background threads or wait for a timeout on your own. WCF does not know that the endpoint does not exist before the call expires.

Answer 2

You can always try to connect in a separate thread and have a timer with the desired timeout in the main thread. If your workflow does not complete within your timeout, you can assume that it will not respond.

Answer 3

The solution found is a combination of villintehaspam and wallismark answers . I created a local method that asynchronously calls the remote void IsOk () method and waits a few seconds. If it takes too much time, I interrupt the flow.