Custom fault exception causing a wcf timeout on the client

Question

I followed the same example on how to create a custom fault exception (by creating an Exception class and referencing it in the FaultContract), however every time I try to throw the exception from the server, I receive a connection timeout from the client and the connection is closest. The weird thing, if I use the default FaultException class to throw an error from the server, then the client receive it correctly.

here's a snippet:

[DataContract(Namespace = "http://MyApp.Common", Name = "WcfException")]
public class WcfException
{
    private string methodName;
    private string nameSpace;
    private string errorDescription;
    private string stackTrace;
    private System.Exception exCeption;

    public WcfException()
    {
        methodName = String.Empty;
        nameSpace = String.Empty;
        errorDescription = String.Empty;
        stackTrace = String.Empty;
        exCeption = null;
    }

    [DataMember]
    public System.Exception MethodException
    {
        get
        {
            return exCeption;
        }
        set
        {
            exCeption = value;
            errorDescription = exCeption.Message;
            stackTrace = exCeption.StackTrace;
        }
    } // and so on....

I initialize the server like this:

                Type serviceType = typeof(Proxy);
                Uri baseUri = new Uri(@"net.tcp://" + Environment.MachineName + ":8030/");
                NetTcpBinding Binding = new NetTcpBinding();
                serviceHost = new ServiceHost(serviceType, baseUri);

                ServiceMetadataBehavior behavior = new ServiceMetadataBehavior();
                serviceHost.Description.Behaviors.Add(behavior);

                ServiceDebugBehavior sdb = serviceHost.Description.Behaviors.Find<ServiceDebugBehavior>();
                sdb.IncludeExceptionDetailInFaults = true;

                Binding.Name = "ConfigurationHttpChannel";
                Binding.HostNameComparisonMode = HostNameComparisonMode.StrongWildcard;
                Binding.Security.Mode = SecurityMode.None;
                Binding.ReceiveTimeout = new TimeSpan(0, 10, 0);
                Binding.SendTimeout = new TimeSpan(0, 10, 0);
                Binding.OpenTimeout = new TimeSpan(0, 10, 0);
                Binding.CloseTimeout = new TimeSpan(0, 10, 0);
                Binding.MaxReceivedMessageSize = 65536;
                Binding.MaxBufferSize = 65536;
                Binding.MaxBufferPoolSize = 524288;
                Binding.TransferMode = TransferMode.Buffered;

                serviceHost.AddServiceEndpoint(typeof(IProxy), Binding, "MyApi");
                serviceHost.AddServiceEndpoint(typeof(IMetadataExchange), Binding, "mex");

                serviceHost.Open();

Any idea why I am getting a connection timeout Only when i use the custom exception?

Many thanks.

Answer 1

You should use a Fault Contract to send exceptions over WCF.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms733721.aspx

You can create custom fault exceptions

[OperationContract]
[FaultContract(typeof(MathFault))]
int Divide(int n1, int n2);