Understanding WCF

Windows Communication Foundation(WCF) that is part of .NET Framework 3.0 is in the line of Microsoft(MS) classic work of abstraction. MS have been innovator in providing abstraction over various technologies from many years. In the same tradition I do believe WCF is another achievement. Undoubtedly they understand the difficulties in any technologies being faced by technology implementors and then they use their experience to nake the technology simple by intoroducing the layer of abstraction.

Let me talk about WCf in particular now

1. It was always challenge from many years to talk to remote objects.
2. Many technologies have come and gone or become extinct as dinosors.
3. To name a few will be CORBA or DCOM.
4. But there was always problem with the technology itself and its implementation.
5. Web Service was the most pouplar of all the technology and it still one of the best for such communication.
6. The problem comes when we want to expose a remote object interface with multiple protocol interface such as HTTP, TCP etc.
7. The problem with existing technology is that we have create multiple interface for the remote object i.e. each specific to each protocol.
8. This really become a stumbling block while deciding on the protocol to be used as creating multiple interface results in maintainence overhead.
9. So if we want a complete interoperable solution we need a web service based interface but if its standalone system the same Web Service interface becomes a performance bottleneck.
10. WCF really becomes a great help for such scenario. It allows developer to create interface irrespective of the protocol to use.
11. Developer can then configure the so called end points to decide on which protoocl to used for communication.
12. The developer will create the interface and implement it. It will then expose the interface using multiple end points i.e. HTTP, TCP, Named Pipes.
13. The client using the interface then can use the appropriate end point based their need.
14. WCf as infrastructure takes care all overheads related to messaging etc