Extending ServiceHost and the Service Model Layer

The service model layer is responsible for pulling incoming messages out of the underlying channels, translating them into method invocations in application code, and sending the results back to the caller. Service model extensions modify or implement execution or communication behavior and features involving dispatcher functionality, custom behaviors, message and parameter interception, and other extensibility functionality.

Extending Bindings

Bindings are objects that describe the communication details required to connect to an endpoint. Binding extensions or custom bindings implement custom communication functionality required to support application features.

Extending the Channel Layer

The channel layer sits beneath the service model layer and is responsible for the exchange of messages between clients and services. Channel extensions can implement new protocol functionality, such as security. Channel extensions also transport functionality, such as implementing a new network transport to carry SOAP messages.

Extending Security

Security in WCF consists of transfer security (integrity, confidentiality, and authentication), access control (authorization) and auditing. The classes found in the IdentityModel namespace are used by WCF for access control. Understanding the security architecture allows you to create custom claim types to accommodate custom access control systems.

Extending the Metadata System

The WCF metadata system is a group of classes and interfaces that represent metadata required to implement service-based applications. Modify or extend the classes or implement and configure the interfaces to export and import custom metadata such as Web Services Description Language (WSDL) extensions or custom WS-PolicyAttachments assertions.

Extending Encoders and Serializers

Encoders and serializers translate data from one form to another. The topics in this section discuss how to extend the supplied classes to meet special requirements.

Extending PeerChannel

The peer-to-peer networking features of WCF can be extended for additional capability, as discussed by the topics in this section.

System.ServiceModel

System.ServiceModel.Channels

System.ServiceModel.Description

System.IdentityModel.Claims

System.IdentityModel.Policy

System.IdentityModel.Selectors

System.IdentityModel.Tokens

Basic WCF Programming

WCF Feature Details

Guidelines and Best Practices