Question

I am trying to create a WCF web service which will allow other applications to retrieve a string by making a http request to this service url. I tried publishing the service in IIS and when attempting to browse to it, using the url, it says it

' The resource cannot be found'

when I checked the path to the folder I used the url,
and I get the error

'No protocol binding matches the given address 
'http://localhost:xxxx/WcfSampleLibrary/Service1/mex.' 
 Protocol bindings are configured at the Site level in IIS or WAS configuration'

Here is the directory path of the published folder:

C:\inetpub\wwwroot\WcfServices\WcfSampleLibrary\WcfSampleLibrary.Service1
C:\inetpub\wwwroot\WcfServices\WcfSampleLibrary\Web.config
C:\inetpub\wwwroot\WcfServices\WcfSampleLibrary\bin\WcfSampleLibrary.dll

The web config file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>

<system.web>
    <compilation debug="true" />
</system.web>
<system.serviceModel>
<services>
  <service name="WcfSampleLibrary.Service1" behaviorConfiguration ="mex">
    <host>
      <baseAddresses>
        <add baseAddress = "http://192.xxx.x.xxx/WcfSampleLibrary/Service1/" />
      </baseAddresses>
    </host>
    <!-- Service Endpoints -->
    <endpoint address ="" 
      binding="wsHttpBinding"  contract="WcfSampleLibrary.IService1">
     <identity>
        <dns value="localhost"/>
      </identity>
    </endpoint>
    <!-- Metadata Endpoints -->
   <endpoint address="http://localhost:xxxx/WcfSampleLibrary/Service1/mex" name="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" />
  </service>
</services>
<behaviors>
  <serviceBehaviors>
    <behavior name="mex">
     <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="false"/>
      <!-- To receive exception details in faults for debugging purposes, 
      set the value below to true.  Set to false before deployment 
      to avoid disclosing exception information -->
      <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="true" />
    </behavior>
  </serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>

Answer 1

In IIS-hosted WCF services you don’t specify a full URI in the address. IIS decides the address. Also the baseAddresses element is completely ignored when hosting in IIS (so remove it from you Web.config). The service’s base address is determined by the web site & virtual directory into which your wcf service is placed.Do something like this:

  <endpoint
    address="mex"
    binding="mexHttpBinding"
    contract="IMetadataExchange"
  />

Then your address would be http://IIS.SERVER/SiteName/Folder/WcfSampleLibrary.Service1.svc. If you’re not sure what the address is, use your IIS Administration tool, select the site that has the service in it, Right-click and choose Advanced -> Browse Site.

Also, I’d turn on httpGetEnabled on your mex behavior–if you want to publish your WSDL. This makes it easier to consume your service as you are developing it:

<behaviors>
  <serviceBehaviors>
    <behavior name="mex" >
      <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true" />
    </behavior>
  </serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>

With httpGetEnabled being on, browsing to your service URI will give you an option to see the WSDL.