WCF service has to be hosted in a Windows process called host process. Single host process can host multiple servers and the same service type can be hosted in multiple host processes. A WCF service can be hosted by using any ways given below,
- IIS Hosting
It stands for Internet Information Services. Its working model is similar to that of ASP.NET while hosting a WCF service. It uses the IIS features like recycling, idle shutdown, health monitoring and message based activation.
- Self-Hosting
When a WCF service is hosted in a managed application, it is known as self-hosting. Developers are always responsible for managing the lifecycle of host processes.You can host WCF service in different types of applications, like Console application, Windows form, etc.
- Windows Service Hosting
When a WCF service is hosted in Windows service, it is known as Windows Service Hosting. Service Control Manager can control the process lifecycle of WCF Service. However, it can be hosted on all versions of Windows.
- WAS Hosting
Hosting a WCF service in Windows Activation Service (WAS) is most advantageous because of its features such as process recycling, idle time management, common configuration system, and support for HTTP, TCP, etc. WAS is the new process activation service that is a generalization of IIS features, that works with non-HTTP transport protocols. WCF uses the listener adapter interface to communicate activation requests that are received over the non-HTTP protocols supported by WCF, such as TCP, named pipes, and Message Queuing.