Hosting multiple WCF Services under a single Windows Service

I am often asked how to host multiple services under a single windows service and through trial and error have been streamlining this process for clients.

I thought I'd blog an example here for reference:

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1. class Program {  
2.     static void Main() {  
3.         if (Environment.UserInteractive) {  
4.             ServiceManager serviceManager = new ServiceManager();  
5.             serviceManager.OpenAll();  
6.             Console.ReadKey();  
7.             serviceManager.CloseAll();  
8.         }  
9.         else  
10.             ServiceBase.Run(new WindowsService());  
11.     }  
12. }  
13.   
14. public class WindowsService : ServiceBase  
15. {  
16.     public static string WindowsServiceName = "Windows Service Name";  
17.     public static string WindowsServiceDescription = "Windows Service Description";  
18.     public static string WindowsServiceUsername = @".\username";  
19.     public static string WindowsServicePassword = "password";  
20.   
21.     private readonly ServiceManager serviceManager = new ServiceManager();  
22.   
23.     private readonly IContainer components = new Container();  
24.   
25.     protected override void Dispose(bool disposing) {  
26.         if (serviceManager != null) serviceManager.CloseAll();  
27.         if (disposing && (components != null)) components.Dispose();  
28.         base.Dispose(disposing);  
29.     }  
30.   
31.     public WindowsService() {  
32.         ServiceName = WindowsServiceName;  
33.         CanStop = true;  
34.     }  
35.   
36.     protected override void OnStart(string[] args) {  
37.         base.OnStart(args);  
38.         serviceManager.OpenAll();  
39.     }  
40.   
41.     protected override void OnStop() {  
42.         serviceManager.CloseAll();  
43.         base.OnStop();  
44.     }  
45. }  
46.   
47. public class ServiceManager {  
48.     readonly List<servicehost> serviceHosts = new List<servicehost>();  
49.   
50.     public void OpenAll() {  
51.         OpenHost<service1>();  
52.         OpenHost<service2>();  
53.         ...  
54.     }  
55.   
56.     public void CloseAll() {  
57.         foreach (ServiceHost serviceHost in serviceHosts)  
58.             serviceHost.Close();  
59.     }  
60.   
61.     private void OpenHost<t>() {  
62.         Type type = typeof(T);  
63.         ServiceHost serviceHost = new ServiceHost(type);  
64.         serviceHost.Open();  
65.         serviceHosts.Add(serviceHost);  
66.     }  
67. }  
68.   
69. /// <remarks>  
70. /// Enables application to be installed as a Windows Service by running InstallUtil  
71. /// </remarks>  
72. [RunInstaller(true)]  
73. public class WcfServiceHostInstaller : Installer {  
74.     public WcfServiceHostInstaller() {  
75.         Installers.Add(new ServiceInstaller  
76.                            {  
77.                                StartType = ServiceStartMode.Automatic,  
78.                                ServiceName = WindowsService.WindowsServiceName,  
79.                                Description = WindowsService.WindowsServiceDescription  
80.                            });  
81.         Installers.Add(new ServiceProcessInstaller { Account = ServiceAccount.User, Username = WindowsService.WindowsServiceUsername, Password = WindowsService.WindowsServicePassword });  
82.     }  
83. }</t></service2></service1></servicehost></servicehost>  

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        if (Environment.UserInteractive) {
            ServiceManager serviceManager = new ServiceManager();
            serviceManager.OpenAll();
            Console.ReadKey();
            serviceManager.CloseAll();
        }
        else
            ServiceBase.Run(new WindowsService());
    }
}

public class WindowsService : ServiceBase
{
    public static string WindowsServiceName = "Windows Service Name";
    public static string WindowsServiceDescription = "Windows Service Description";
    public static string WindowsServiceUsername = @".\username";
    public static string WindowsServicePassword = "password";

    private readonly ServiceManager serviceManager = new ServiceManager();

    private readonly IContainer components = new Container();

    protected override void Dispose(bool disposing) {
        if (serviceManager != null) serviceManager.CloseAll();
        if (disposing && (components != null)) components.Dispose();
        base.Dispose(disposing);
    }

    public WindowsService() {
        ServiceName = WindowsServiceName;
        CanStop = true;
    }

    protected override void OnStart(string[] args) {
        base.OnStart(args);
        serviceManager.OpenAll();
    }

    protected override void OnStop() {
        serviceManager.CloseAll();
        base.OnStop();
    }
}

public class ServiceManager {
    readonly List serviceHosts = new List();

    public void OpenAll() {
        OpenHost();
        OpenHost();
        ...
    }

    public void CloseAll() {
        foreach (ServiceHost serviceHost in serviceHosts)
            serviceHost.Close();
    }

    private void OpenHost() {
        Type type = typeof(T);
        ServiceHost serviceHost = new ServiceHost(type);
        serviceHost.Open();
        serviceHosts.Add(serviceHost);
    }
}

/// 
/// Enables application to be installed as a Windows Service by running InstallUtil
/// 
[RunInstaller(true)]
public class WcfServiceHostInstaller : Installer {
    public WcfServiceHostInstaller() {
        Installers.Add(new ServiceInstaller
                           {
                               StartType = ServiceStartMode.Automatic,
                               ServiceName = WindowsService.WindowsServiceName,
                               Description = WindowsService.WindowsServiceDescription
                           });
        Installers.Add(new ServiceProcessInstaller { Account = ServiceAccount.User, Username = WindowsService.WindowsServiceUsername, Password = WindowsService.WindowsServicePassword });
    }
}

And some configuration:

- Here, the binding & behaviour configuration is shared across services but you may need different configurations for different types of services.
- I use different ports for different services, but you don't have to.

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1. <system.serviceModel>  
2.   <services>  
3.     <service behaviorConfiguration="DefaultBehavior" name="Namespace.Service1">  
4.       <endpoint address="" binding="netTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="TCPBindingConfig" name="TCPEndpoint" contract="Namespace.IService1" />  
5.       <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="" name="TcpMetaData" contract="IMetadataExchange" />  
6.       <host>  
7.         <baseAddresses>  
8.           <add baseAddress="net.tcp://localhost:8001/Namespace/Service1" />  
9.         </baseAddresses>  
10.       </host>  
11.     </service>  
12.     <service behaviorConfiguration="DefaultBehavior" name="Namespace.Service2">  
13.       <endpoint address="" binding="netTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="TCPBindingConfig" name="TCPEndpoint" contract="Namespace.IService2" />  
14.       <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="" name="TcpMetaData" contract="IMetadataExchange" />  
15.       <host>  
16.         <baseAddresses>  
17.           <add baseAddress="net.tcp://localhost:8002/Namespace/Service2" />  
18.         </baseAddresses>  
19.       </host>  
20.     </service>  
21.     ...  
22.   </services>  
23.   <bindings>  
24.     <netTcpBinding>  
25.       <binding name="TCPBindingConfig" maxBufferSize="5242880" maxReceivedMessageSize="5242880">  
26.         <readerQuotas maxStringContentLength="5242880" />  
27.         <security mode="None" />  
28.       </binding>  
29.     </netTcpBinding>  
30.   </bindings>  
31.   <behaviors>  
32.     <serviceBehaviors>  
33.       <behavior name="DefaultBehavior">  
34.         <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="false" />  
35.         <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="true" />  
36.         <serviceThrottling maxConcurrentCalls="21" maxConcurrentSessions="50" />  
37.       </behavior>  
38.     </serviceBehaviors>  
39.   </behaviors>  
40. </system.serviceModel>  

<system.serviceModel>
  <services>
    <service behaviorConfiguration="DefaultBehavior" name="Namespace.Service1">
      <endpoint address="" binding="netTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="TCPBindingConfig" name="TCPEndpoint" contract="Namespace.IService1" />
      <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="" name="TcpMetaData" contract="IMetadataExchange" />
      <host>
        <baseAddresses>
          <add baseAddress="net.tcp://localhost:8001/Namespace/Service1" />
        </baseAddresses>
      </host>
    </service>
    <service behaviorConfiguration="DefaultBehavior" name="Namespace.Service2">
      <endpoint address="" binding="netTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="TCPBindingConfig" name="TCPEndpoint" contract="Namespace.IService2" />
      <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="" name="TcpMetaData" contract="IMetadataExchange" />
      <host>
        <baseAddresses>
          <add baseAddress="net.tcp://localhost:8002/Namespace/Service2" />
        </baseAddresses>
      </host>
    </service>
    ...
  </services>
  <bindings>
    <netTcpBinding>
      <binding name="TCPBindingConfig" maxBufferSize="5242880" maxReceivedMessageSize="5242880">
        <readerQuotas maxStringContentLength="5242880" />
        <security mode="None" />
      </binding>
    </netTcpBinding>
  </bindings>
  <behaviors>
    <serviceBehaviors>
      <behavior name="DefaultBehavior">
        <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="false" />
        <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="true" />
        <serviceThrottling maxConcurrentCalls="21" maxConcurrentSessions="50" />
      </behavior>
    </serviceBehaviors>
  </behaviors>
</system.serviceModel>

Shuffle: an extension method of random uselessfulness

UPDATE: I have updated this method here: http://thegrenade.blogspot.com/2010/02/when-random-is-too-consistent.html

Have you ever needed to randomly sort a list in C#? Add this to your nifty extensions library:

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1. /// <summary>  
2. /// Shuffles the specified list (Extension Method for any IList<T>).  
3. /// </summary>  
4. /// <remarks>  
5. /// Algorithm described at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher-Yates_shuffle  
6. /// </remarks>  
7. /// <example>list.Shuffle();</example>  
8. public static void Shuffle<T>(this IList<T> list)  
9. {  
10.     Random rng = new Random();  
11.     int n = list.Count;  
12.     while (n > 1) {  
13.         n--;  
14.         int k = rng.Next(n + 1);  
15.         T value = list[k];  
16.         list[k] = list[n];  
17.         list[n] = value;  
18.     }  
19. }  

/// <summary>
/// Shuffles the specified list (Extension Method for any IList<T>).
/// </summary>
/// <remarks>
/// Algorithm described at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher-Yates_shuffle
/// </remarks>
/// <example>list.Shuffle();</example>
public static void Shuffle<T>(this IList<T> list)
{
    Random rng = new Random();
    int n = list.Count;
    while (n > 1) {
        n--;
        int k = rng.Next(n + 1);
        T value = list[k];
        list[k] = list[n];
        list[n] = value;
    }
}