Working with Named Pipes in WCF, PipeException thrown?

Question

Despite many searches and read articles such as this: Exploring the WCF Named Pipe Binding - Part 1(part 2 and 3 inclusively), I haven't been able to make my service work properly.

Here's my config:

<system.serviceModel>
  <client>
    <endpoint address="net.pipe://localhost/GlobalPositioningService"
              binding="netNamedPipeBinding" 
              contract="GI.Services.GlobalPositioning.Contracts.IGlobalPositioning" />
  </client>
  <services>
    <service name="GI.Services.GlobalPositioning.Services.GlobalPositioningService">
      <endpoint address=""
                binding="wsHttpBinding"
                contract="GI.Services.GlobalPositioning.Contracts.IGlobalPositioning">
        <identity>
          <dns value="localhost" />
        </identity>
      </endpoint>
      <endpoint address="net.pipe://localhost/GlobalPositioningService"
                binding="netNamedPipeBinding"
                contract="GI.Services.GlobalPositioning.Contracts.IGlobalPositioning" />
      <host>
        <baseAddresses>
          <add baseAddress="http://localhost:8080/GlobalPositioningService/"/>
        </baseAddresses>
      </host>
    </service>
  </services>

Then, I try to test my service through Named Pipes:

[TestFixture]
public class GlobalPositioningServiceTests {
    [TestFixtureSetUp]
    public void SetUpHost() {
        var channelFactory = new ChannelFactory<IGlobalPositioning>(binding, new EndpointAddress(address));
        channelFactory.Open();
        service = channelFactory.CreateChannel();
    }

    private const string address = "net.pipe://localhost/GlobalPositioningService";
    private static readonly Binding binding = new NetNamedPipeBinding();
    private static IGlobalPositioning service;
}

And I have also tried another way using a ServiceHost instance:

    [TestFixtureSetUp]
    public void SetUpHost() {
        host = new ServiceHost(typeof(GlobalPositioningService));
        host.AddServiceEndpoint(typeof(IGlobalPositioning), binding, address);
        host.Open();
        service = new GlobalPositioningService();
    }

And I always obtain this error with stack trace:

Error 2 Test 'GI.Services.GlobalPositioning.Services.Tests.GlobalPositioningServiceTests.GetGlobalPositionWorksWithDiacriticsInMunicipalityName("143, rue Marcotte, Sainte-Anne-de-la-P\x00E9rade",46.5736528d,-72.2021346d)' failed: System.ServiceModel.EndpointNotFoundException : There was no endpoint listening at net.pipe://localhost/GlobalPositioningService that could accept the message. This is often caused by an incorrect address or SOAP action. See InnerException, if present, for more details. ----> System.IO.PipeException : The pipe endpoint 'net.pipe://localhost/GlobalPositioningService' could not be found on your local machine.

Server stack trace: at System.ServiceModel.Channels.PipeConnectionInitiator.GetPipeName(Uri uri) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.NamedPipeConnectionPoolRegistry.NamedPipeConnectionPool.GetPoolKey(EndpointAddress address, Uri via) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.CommunicationPool`2.TakeConnection(EndpointAddress address, Uri via, TimeSpan timeout, TKey& key) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ConnectionPoolHelper.EstablishConnection(TimeSpan timeout) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ClientFramingDuplexSessionChannel.OnOpen(TimeSpan timeout) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.CommunicationObject.Open(TimeSpan timeout) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.OnOpen(TimeSpan timeout) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.CommunicationObject.Open(TimeSpan timeout) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.CallOpenOnce.System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.ICallOnce.Call(ServiceChannel channel, TimeSpan timeout) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.CallOnceManager.CallOnce(TimeSpan timeout, CallOnceManager cascade) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.EnsureOpened(TimeSpan timeout) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.Call(String action, Boolean oneway, ProxyOperationRuntime operation, Object[] ins, Object[] outs, TimeSpan timeout) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannelProxy.InvokeService(IMethodCallMessage methodCall, ProxyOperationRuntime operation) at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannelProxy.Invoke(IMessage message)

Exception rethrown at [0]: at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg) at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type) at GI.Services.GlobalPositioning.Contracts.IGlobalPositioning.GetGlobalPosition(String mailingAddress) at GI.Services.GlobalPositioning.Services.Tests.GlobalPositioningServiceTests.GetGlobalPositionWorksWithDiacriticsInMunicipalityName(String address, Double latitude, Double longitude) in C:\Open\Projects\Framework\Src\GI.Services\GI.Services.GlobalPositioning.Services.Tests\GlobalPositioningServiceTests.cs:line 27 --PipeException C:\Open\Projects\Framework\Src\GI.Services\GI.Services.GlobalPositioning.Services.Tests\GlobalPositioningServiceTests.cs 27

For your information, I'm using:

1. Visual Studio 2010
2. Windows 7
3. NUnit

And my service is contained within a WCF Service Library.

Answer 1

It seems that you are attempting to do integration testing with a running instance of your service using the netNamedPipesBinding. To do this, you need to have both a service host providing an instance of your service and a service proxy instance to use for making calls to the service. You could try combining both the code in both of your sample TestFixtureSetup methods so that you are instantiating both the service host and the service proxy (the result of the CreateChannel method). For an example of how to do this, look at this blog post.