Learning WCF

OperationContext

OperationContext is a type from the System.ServiceModel namespace that provides access to the execution context for a service request. OperationContext.Current provides access to this context for the lifetime of a request. You used the OperationContext in Chapter 3 to access the callback channel for duplex communications, but there are other properties that will be useful in this chapter and in subsequent chapters. Here are a few of the key properties exposed by the OperationContext:

Host

Provides access to the ServiceHost instance associated with the service type. Through this reference, you can access information about service endpoints, the service description, and service behaviors associated with the request channel.

Channel

Provides access to the callback channel if applicable. In this case, the channel reference is returned as an IContextChannel reference. When you invoke GetCallbackChannel<T>( ), a method exposed by OperationContext, the strongly typed channel is returned (see Chapter 3).

SessionId

Provides access to the session identifier if the request is part of a session. This will be put to use in this chapter.

ServiceSecurityContext

Provides access to the security context for the request, which means you can access information about the authenticated caller among other security details to be discussed in Chapter 7.