Hosting Environment
|
Common Scenarios
|
Supported Protocols
|
Platform
|
Key Benefits and Limitations
|
Managed Application
("Self-Hosted")
|
Console applications used
during development.
Rich WinForm and WPF client
applications accessing services.
|
HTTP,
net.tcp,
net.pipe,
net.msmq
|
Windows XP, Windows
Server 2003, Windows Vista,
Windows Server 2008
|
Flexible.
Easy to deploy.
Not an enterprise solution
for services.
|
Windows Services (formerly
known as NT services)
|
A long-running WCF service
hosted outside of IIS.
|
HTTP,
net.tcp,
net.pipe,
net.msmq
|
Windows XP, Windows
Server 2003, Windows Vista,
Windows Server 2008
|
Service process lifetime
controlled by the operating system, not message-activated.
Supported by all versions
of Windows.
Secure environment.
|
IIS 5.1, IIS 6.0
|
Running a WCF service
side-by-side with ASP.NET content on the Internet using the HTTP protocol.
|
HTTP
|
Windows XP/ Windows Server 2003
|
Process recycling.
Idle shutdown.
Process health monitoring.
Message-based activation.
HTTP only.
|
Windows Process Activation
Service (WAS)
|
Running a WCF service
without installing IIS on the Internet using various transport protocols.
|
HTTP,
net.tcp,
net.pipe,
net.msmq
|
Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008
|
IIS is not required.
Process recycling.
Idle shutdown.
Process health monitoring.
Message-based activation.
Works with HTTP, TCP, named
pipes, and MSMQ.
|
IIS 7.0
|
Running a WCF service with
ASP.NET content.
Running a WCF service on
the Internet using various transport protocols.
|
HTTP,
net.tcp,
net.pipe,
net.msmq
|
|
WAS benefits.
Integrated with ASP.NET and
IIS content.
|