WCF Mex End Points for Multiple Snaps

Question

I am creating a WCF service that will show the BasicHttp and NetTcp bindings. I also added two corresponding Mex endpoints, i.e.

<service name="WCFTest.CalculatorService" behaviorConfiguration="WCFTest.CalculatorBehavior"> <host> <baseAddresses> <add baseAddress = "http://localhost:8000/WCFTest/CalculatorService/" /> <add baseAddress = "net.tcp://localhost:9000/WCFTest/CalculatorService/" /> </baseAddresses> </host> <endpoint address ="basicHttpEP" binding="basicHttpBinding" contract="WCFTest.ICalculatorService"/> <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange"/> <endpoint address ="netTcpEP" binding="netTcpBinding" contract="WCFTest.ICalculatorService"/> <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexTcpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange"/> </service> 

Do I really need to add a NetTcp Mex endpoint as well as a BasicHttp Mex endpoint? Will clients not always use the Http mex endpoint to isolate metadata regardless of whether they are going to communicate using tcp or not?

thanks

Answer 1

Yes, you can only use the HTTP mex endpoint. I think it is assumed that your client can communicate through HTTP.

Answer 2

No, the assumption in your code is that the communication channel can either http or net tcp.

If you do not declare this, it means that you prohibit the service / client from contacting only one binding.