Two way communicating server/client architecture?

Question

I'm trying to figure out which client/server technology (i.e. which part of the .NET Framework) to use for our new application. We will be writing the app in C# using .NET 3.5 SP1.

It is going to consist of a central Service that will be running as a "server", and several client applications spread out on several machines. The client application is a trayapp application that is going to receive notifications from the server, and will also send some information back to the server. The communication will therefore be two-way, and it needs to be fast. The server will need to know which client to send the notifications to.

I've been thinking that I could use Sockets. I've also come across the TcpListener and TcpClient classes. Another alternative is to do something with WCF, but I'm not sure how to do fast two-way communication with it.

Answer 1

Without knowing how much data you're planning to exchange, it's difficult to make a precise recommendation. I use both WCF and TCP sockets to exchange data between my UI and my Windows service. Here are the considerations I made.

I use WCF for what I refer to as aperiodic data exchange. For example, when an event occurs in my Windows service, I communicate the event to the UI using WCF. Specifically for this event-based mechanism, I would highly recommend Juval Lowy's Publish-Subscribe Framework, which is available for free here. I also use WCF to communicate configuration changes from the UI to the Windows service. WCF is a perfect solution for this kind of data exchange for me.

When the user tells my Windows service to perform some action, a lot of data is sent from the Windows service to the UI. For this, I use TCP sockets. I know WCF has a streaming capability, and I strongly considered using it. I just did not have time to get comfortable with it before I had to make a decision, so I went with what I knew.

While I wish I was using WCF across the board for symmetry, i.e., for aperiodic and streaming data, this hybrid approach has served me well.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

WCF with NetTcp binding.

You should write a duplex service.

Answer 3

I would avoid sockets if I were you since there is a lot to know about them. Just look at all socket questions here at SO. It can be a nightmare if you do not know how to use them properly.

WCF will take care of all lower levels for you.