I wrote a C# console application to consume a local WCF service using NetNamedPipeBinding. The WCF service I consume is running as a local Windows application. My WCF client works fine as a console application. However, when I implement essentially the same WCF client not as a console application but as a Windows service, my WCF client cannot find the local WCF endpoint and throws System.ServiceModel.EndpointNotFoundException exceptions.
Why would a WCF client run fine as a console application and then throw EndpointNotFoundException when the client is running as a Windows service?
This is how I create the channel factory in the client code:
// Define some local variables needed to create the channel factory
string strendpoint = string.Format("net.pipe://localhost/{0}", BluehillAPIService.ServiceName);
EndpointAddress endpoint = new EndpointAddress(strendpoint);
NetNamedPipeBinding binding = new NetNamedPipeBinding();
InstanceContext instanceContact = new InstanceContext(this);
// Create the channel factory
ChannelFactory = new DuplexChannelFactory<IBluehillAPIService>(instanceContact, binding, endpoint);
Then I create the channel like this:
_bluehillAPIService = ChannelFactory.CreateChannel();
No errors so far, but when I try to actually use the channel as follows, I get an exception:
if (!_bluehillAPIService.APIHeartbeat()) ...
The call to _bluehillAPIService.APIHeartbeat() in my WCF client generates a System.ServiceModel.EndpointNotFoundException when this code is running as a Windows service logged in as Local System but works fine when essentially identical code is running as a console application.
Because the LocalSystem account presents anonymous credentials when accessing network resources, network applications running in that context may not operate as expected.
Specify an appropriate account on your service's "Log On" tab -- an account where you can log in and run the application without error: