New ASP.NET Charting Control:

Another great article on ScottGu's Blog.

Microsoft recently released a cool new ASP.NET server control - <asp:chart /> - that can be used for free with ASP.NET 3.5 to enable rich browser-based charting scenarios:

• Download the free Microsoft Chart Controls
• Download the VS 2008 Tool Support for the Chart Controls
• Download the Microsoft Chart Controls Samples
• Download the Microsoft Chart Controls Documentation
• Visit the Microsoft Chart Control Forum

Check out the article for more information on dowloading the free chart control, samples and documentation:

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2008/11/24/new-asp-net-charting-control-lt-asp-chart-runat-quot-server-quot-gt.aspx

"<asp:chart /> supports a rich assortment of chart options - including pie, area, range, point, circular, accumulation, data distribution, ajax interactive, doughnut, and more.  You can statically declare chart data within the control declaration, or alternatively use data-binding to populate it dynamically.  At runtime the server control generates an image (for example a .PNG file) that is referenced from the client HTML of the page using a <img/> element output by the <asp:chart/> control.  The server control supports the ability to cache the chart image, as well as save it on disk for persistent scenarios.  It does not require any other server software to be installed, and will work with any standard ASP.NET page."

Hosting options for WCF services

"These hosting options range from running inside a console application to server environments such as a Windows service running within a worker process managed by Internet Information Services (IIS) or by Windows Process Activation Service (WAS). Developers choose the hosting environment that satisfies the service's deployment requirements. These requirements might derive from the platform on which the application is deployed, the transport on which it must send and receive messages, or on the type of process recycling and other process management required to ensure adequate availability, or on some other management or reliability requirements."

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms730158.aspx

 

The article above provides some great information on how to use the different hosting services and explains in detail the key benefits and limitations to each.

 

For more specific information about each hosting service check out the following links also referenced in the above article:

 

- Self-Hosting in a Managed Application
- Managed Windows Services
- Internet Information Services (IIS)
- Windows Process Activation Service (WAS)

 

These links were very helpful in understanding the different hosting options available for WCF services and more importantly understanding the right hosting environment to use based on  "... the version of Windows on which it is deployed, the transports it requires to send messages and the type of process and application domain recycling it requires."

Creating your first WCF service

If you are just getting started with Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) here's a great resource with videos that really help get you moving in the right direction.

 

The videos will make more sense if watched in the following order:

 

http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/Endpoint/Endpoint-Screencasts-Creating-Your-First-WCF-Service/
 
http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/Endpoint/Endpoint-Screencasts-Configuring-Services-with-Endpoints/
 
http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/Endpoint/Endpoint-Screencasts-Hosting-WCF-Services-in-IIS/
 
http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/Endpoint/Endpoint-Screencasts-Self-hosting-WCF-Services/

 

The videos demonstrate the following:

 

- Creating a WCF service

- Configuring a WCF service with various endpoints

- How to host a WCF service in IIS

- How to self-host a WCF service in your own applications

 

For additional information on WCF, check out the WCF Dev Center on MSDN and the .NET Endpoint team blog.