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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-05-27T10:12:26+00:00

I need to evaluate SOA architecture between WCF Data Services vs WCF RIA Services

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I need to evaluate SOA architecture between WCF Data Services vs WCF RIA Services. Following are some of my parameters:

  1. Multiple Client (HTML5/iOS/Android/Windows 8 Metro/Windows Phone 7)
  2. Disconnected and offline operation
  3. Validation engine
  4. Performance
  5. Network data compression
  6. Support for Cloud Environment

Could anyone help me to gather some data for my evaluation. Also, is there any other good option available for SOA implementation.

I am aware of DevForce.

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    Both expose entities via OData, but RIA Services is specifically targeted to:

    • Silverlight consumption
    • Poor man’s services – they’re easier to get up and running with little effort

    WCF Data Services are far more powerful and configurable. The biggest difference (IMO) is that RIA services require one host type per entity, whereas WCF Data Services can automatically host an entire content (a type with multiple IQueryable properties).

    That said, both implementations are pretty half baked (again IMO only) and not really well thought out or implemented. …You may be better off with traditional WCF operations hosted with WebGet/WebInvoke attributes…or using the WCF Web API.

    I wouldn’t go with DevForce only because it mainly really target Silverlight implementations (if I recall correctly). That said, they’re package is pretty cool and far more feature complete than RIA or WCF Data Services.

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