Proble with ClientSponsor

Question

I use IIS to host my CAO. And run WinForms App as a client. Everything is fine except my server instance becomes unreachable after approximately 5 minutes of client being idle. Now I’m trying to use ClientSponsor to solve the problem but it doesn’t work. What is wrong in my code? Server config file: Client code: IDictionary props = new Hashtable(); props["credentials"] = CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials; props["port"] = 4001; props["useDefaultCredentials"] = "true"; props["typeFilterLevel"] = "Full"; HttpChannel channel = new HttpChannel(props, new BinaryClientFormatterSinkProvider(), new BinaryServerFormatterSinkProvider()); ChannelServices.RegisterChannel(channel); ActivatedClientTypeEntry atEntry = new ActivatedClientTypeEntry(typeof(ServerClass), "http://localhost:80/Server"); RemotingConfiguration.RegisterActivatedClientType(atEntry); ServerClass instance = new ServerClass(); ClientSponsor sponsor = new ClientSponsor(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5)); if (!sponsor.Register(instance)) throw(new Exception("Couldn't register sponsor.")); instance.Connect();

pl1 · Answer

This is the right solution! My app now runs well. Thank you for the help! Sergey.

shimtanny · Answer

Ok, i got it... really. I try to explain. The server app. register a channel. The channel has two formatters, a client and a server formatter. Now, if the server app. hosts the remote object, calls from the client app. will be deserialized with the server formatter. But... we register a client sponsor, which allows the server app. to call from time to time the client app. (-> Renewal method). This call will be serialized with the client formatter in the server app. Now, in my test app. i register both formatters with the following code: BinaryClientFormatterSinkProvider clientSinkProvider = new BinaryClientFormatterSinkProvider(); BinaryServerFormatterSinkProvider serverSinkProvider = new BinaryServerFormatterSinkProvider(); And that is exactly what be have to do in our config file: So, i hope this is the final step get it working... :-)) By the way, it worked with soap and http, or binary and tcp because these are the default combinations...

pl1 · Answer

But http channel with binary formatter works well being configured in code. It stops to call sponsor's renewal only when I use file for configuration. It obvious that problem is in wrong configuration file settings. Don't you agree? Sergey

shimtanny · Answer

Hey Sergey I think i got the problem... :-)) Use one of these combinations: a.) tcp channel with binary formatter b.) http channel with soap formatter I don't know why, maybe i'll find a hint on the web. It seems to me, that this "rules" are only important, if you are working with client sponsors. Simon

pl1 · Answer

Hi Yes, you were right, the problem is somewhere in the config file. I ran your Server.exe with the configuration file and it stopped to call Renewal. But now the remote object destructor is never called either! After some short period of client idleness attempt to call remote Method() rises an exception. If I call the Method() regularly remote object responds fine. I send you the modified app by mail. I would try to configure IIS host programmatically but don’t know how. Is that possible? Sergey.

shimtanny · Answer

Hi Do you configure your remote object/ environment on IIS siede with a config file? If so, i propose to try it programatically, i mean only for tests. Or the otherway round, try my test app to configure with config files. Maybe i have time on the weekend to make some test on a iis installation. Cheers Simon

pl1 · Answer

I ran your app unmodified and it works just fine! But my doesn't :( First of all I switched from Tcp to HttpChannel in your app. It still works! Well, next I moved your RemoteObject class from console app to IIS host. And now the problem persists: Renewal method is never called. So that was a significant difference bitween our applications: I hosted in IIS and you - in console. Would you please try IIS hosting? This is web.config wich I used:

pl1 · Answer

Her is my mail: pl1@yandex.ru

shimtanny · Answer

Hi Yes, i have implemented my own client sponsor. The thing is, that i never use this config file... i alway configure it programatically. But anyway, if you post your mail, i will send you my test app. Cheers Simon

pl1 · Answer

Thank you for trying to help me Simon! I did the change to my server config but it didn’t help. How did you recognize that Renewal() was never called? Have you implemented you own sponsor or experiment with standart ClientSponsor? Please let me know more details about your test app. This is the updated web.config:

shimtanny · Answer

Hi You're right... it doesn't matter in which way you register the sponsor... I've build the scenario similar like your's and had the same problem... I recognized, that the method Renewal() of the sponsor was never called... I found, that this depends on the polling cycle of the lease manager.... and finally the solution was to adjust this cycle by adding the following section to the server config file: MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cpgenref/html/gnconlifetime.asp In the case leaseManagerPollTime="10S", the lease manager calls Renewal() every 10sec. I hope i helped. Cheers Simon

pl1 · Answer

As I understand, ClientSponsor.Register method does it behind the scene. But I’ve already tried what you suggest – nothing has changed. Are there any means to debug this issue? How can I understand where the problem is located? Sergey

shimtanny · Answer

Hi I'm not sure, but it seems to me, that you have to register the sponsor on the cao (now it's the other way round). ILease lease = (ILease)RemotingServices.GetLifetimeService(instance); lease.Register(sponsor); Please tell me if it works this way... Cheers Simon