Visual Studio 2008 Connected Systems: Windows Communication Foundation

Target Audience
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to build and configure a Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) solution. It is intended for application developers who know how to build and consume Web services in .NET 2.0 and how to use the common features of the base class library.

Pre-Requisites
Before attending this course, students must have the following pre-requisites:Experience developing applications using previous versions of Microsoft Visual Studio.

Purpose
After completing this course, students will be able to build a simple WCF service and client; create and configure a service as a managed application and select an appropriate hosting option; expose a WCF service over different endpoints and add runtime functionality using behaviours; improve debugging capabilities by examining messages and service activity; define service, operation, and data contracts to meet application requirements; add error handling to a WCF application; address service quality issues such as performance, availability, concurrency, and instance management; implement security in a WCF application; protect data integrity through correct use of transactions.

Course outline

1. Getting Started with Windows Communication Foundation
2. Configuring and Hosting WCF Services
3. Endpoints and Behaviours
4. Debugging and Diagnostics
5. Designing and Defining Contracts
6. Handling Errors
7. Improving WCF Service Quality
8. Implementing WCF Security
9. Implementing Transactions

Supplementary InformationThis is a Preliminary Course Syllabus. Some parts of the course are currently in development, so some elements of this syllabus are subject to change. Module 1:Getting Started with Windows Communication Foundation

• This module explains how to build a simple WCF service and client.
• Designing an Application to be Part of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
• Overview of WCF Architecture
• Using a Language-Level Interface As a Service Contract
• Implementing a Simple WCF Service in Visual Studio 2008
• Consuming a simple WCF service in Visual Studio 2008
• Lab: Creating a Simple Service

• Explain how to design an application as part of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA).
  
• Describe the main parts of the WCF architecture.
  
• Create a simple service contract for a WCF service.
  
• Implement a simple WCF service in Visual Studio 2008.
  
• Consume a simple WCF service in Visual Studio 2008.
  

Module 2:Configuring and Hosting WCF Services

• This module explains how to create and configure a WCF service as a managed application and select an appropriate hosting option.
• Programmatically Configuring a Managed Application to Host a WCF Service
• Programmatically Configuring a Managed Application to Call a WCF Service
• Defining Client and Service Settings by Using File-Based Configuration
• Selecting a Hosting Option for a WCF Service
• Deploying a WCF Service
• Lab: Configure and Host a WCF Service

• Create a programmatically-configured managed application that hosts a WCF service.
  
• Call a WCF service hosted in a managed application by using programmatic configuration.
  
• Define WCF service settings by using external configuration.
  
• Select the best hosting option for a WCF service.
  
• Deploy a WCF service onto a remote host.
  

Module 3:Endpoints and Behaviours

• This module explains how to expose a WCF service over different endpoints and add runtime functionality using behaviours.
• Exposing WCF Services Over Different Endpoints
• Adding Behaviours to Services and Endpoints
• Interoperating with Non-WCF Web services
• Lab: Changing Service Endpoints and Behaviours

• Expose WCF services by using different bindings.
  
• Add behaviours to services and endpoints.
  
• Create WCF clients and services that interoperate with different types of Web services.
  

Module 4:Debugging and Diagnostics

• This module explains how to improve debugging capabilities by examining messages and service activity.
• Logging Messages
• Activity Tracing
• Lab: Message Logging and Activity

• Log WCF messages.
  
• Trace WCF service activity.
  

Module 5:Designing and Defining Contracts

• This module explains how to define service, operation, and data contracts to meet application requirements.
• Designing a Coherent and Cohesive WCF Service Interface
• Defining a Service Contract
• Defining Operations on a Service
• Defining a Data Contract
• Lab: Contracts for Services and Data

• Design a coherent and cohesive service contract.
  
• Define a service contract.
  
• Define operations on a service.
  
• Define a data contract.
  

Module 6:Handling Errors

• This module explains how to add error handling to a WCF application.
• Relating .NET Exceptions to Service-level Faults
• Using Faults in a Service
• Handling Faults and Exceptions on Client
• Lab: Error Handling

• Explain how .NET exceptions relate to service-level faults.
  
• Define fault information in a service contract.
  
• Handle service exceptions on clients.
  

Module 7:Improving WCF Service Quality

• This module explains how to address service quality issues such as performance, availability, concurrency and instance management.
• Managing WCF Service Instances
• Managing Concurrency Issues
• Improving WCF Service Performance
• Lab: Improving WCF Service Quality

• Manage WCF service instances.
  
• Manage concurrency issues.
  
• Improve WCF service performance.
  

Module 8:Implementing WCF Security

• This module explains how to implement security in a WCF application.
• Overview of Security in WCF
• Applying Overall Security Requirements to a Binding
• Specifying Required Client and Service Credentials
• Working With Security Information
• Lab: Implementing WCF Security

• Explain the process for implementing security in WCF.
  
• Apply overall security requirements to a binding.
  
• Specify required client and service credentials.
  
• Work with security information.
  

Module 9:Implementing Transactions

• This module explains how to protect data integrity through correct use of transactions.
• Overview of Transactions in a Service-Oriented Application
• Creating Transactional Service Operations
• Enabling the Flow of Transactions from Client to Service
• Lab: Implementing Transactions for a Service

• Explain how transactions work in a service-oriented application.
  
• Create transactional service operations.
  
• Control transaction flow from client to service.