Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) Flashcards
7 cards from real MCTS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) flashcards as text
In IIS-hosted WCF services, what is the purpose of a .svc file?
Answer: It is the entry point that IIS uses to activate and route requests to the correct WCF service type
The .svc file provides the Factory and Service directives that tell IIS/WAS which class implements the WCF service and how to activate it.
Which WCF binding provides built-in support for WS-ReliableMessaging to guarantee ordered, exactly-once message delivery?
Answer: WSHttpBinding
WSHttpBinding supports WS-ReliableMessaging, which adds a reliability session layer ensuring messages arrive in order and exactly once even over unreliable networks.
What does the [OperationContract(IsOneWay = true)] attribute setting do for a WCF service method?
Answer: It configures the method so the client sends a message and does not wait for a reply
IsOneWay = true configures the operation as fire-and-forget; the client sends the message and immediately continues without waiting for any response from the service.
Which WCF configuration element controls the maximum number of concurrent calls, sessions, and instances a service can handle?
Answer: serviceThrottling
The serviceThrottling behavior lets you set MaxConcurrentCalls, MaxConcurrentSessions, and MaxConcurrentInstances to prevent resource exhaustion under load.
What interface must a class implement to create a custom WCF message inspector that inspects or modifies messages before they are processed?
Answer: IDispatchMessageInspector
IDispatchMessageInspector provides AfterReceiveRequest and BeforeSendReply hooks that allow you to inspect or modify incoming requests and outgoing replies at the service dispatcher level.
In WCF, which transport credential type should be used when clients authenticate with a Windows domain account over NetTcpBinding?
Answer: Windows
Windows credential type leverages Kerberos or NTLM for authentication, integrating seamlessly with Active Directory when both client and service are domain-joined.
Which WCF feature allows a service to route incoming messages to different backend service instances based on message content or headers?
Answer: Message Routing Service
The WCF Routing Service (System.ServiceModel.Routing) acts as an intermediary that inspects message content or headers and forwards messages to appropriate backend endpoints.