Implementing web service with WCF 4.0 with authentification

Question

I am starting development of the new project and since I am new in the WCF world I want to ask your advice.

I am going to implement web-service which will provide data for WPF client and for ASP.NET site. Web site and web service should be hosted in the Windows share hosting (not didicated server) and this fact is bothering me. WPF client and web site will provide almost the same functionality for the user, so I want to implement all logic inside web service not to duplicate it in the client and web site.

Not sure what is the best way to implement such web-service - REST, SOAP or something else? Please, help me with selecting technology for web-service creation, I just want to get direction for optimal solution. 10x.

Update : Sorry I did not wrote details. Service will be something like on-line shop with admin panel, so web service will be used for getting products and for adding new product to the system. It does not support tons of customers, it's just solution for small web-shops.

Answer 1

since you are developing a Web based solution and a WPF client, i would recommend the following options for your WCF services:

1. REST Option - This option is good if you have some complex Ajax architecture on the client using Json and stuff, or if you want to expose your services publicly. In this case the option is to expose an HTTP endpoint using webHttpBinding on your service. Since your deployment will be on a shared web server, you can host your service inside IIS. I would recommend considering a SSL option for security.

2. Soap Option - This options is the easy one, and should be more familiar to most developers, since it acts like a usual web service. In this case i would use an HTTP endpoint with wsHttpBinding on the service for enhanced security. Since your deployment will be on a shared web server, you can host your service inside IIS. I would recommend considering a SSL option for security.

Whatever solution you choose you will be able to accomplish your goal to have simple SOA architecture in place and will have centralized services for your CRUD operations.

I hope this answered your question.