AspNetCore.Docs/aspnetcore/fundamentals/websockets.md

title	author	description	monikerRange	ms.author	ms.custom	ms.date	no-loc	uid
WebSockets support in ASP.NET Core	rick-anderson	Learn how to get started with WebSockets in ASP.NET Core.	>= aspnetcore-1.1	riande	mvc	11/12/2019	ASP.NET Core Identity cookie Cookie Blazor Blazor Server Blazor WebAssembly Identity Let's Encrypt Razor SignalR	fundamentals/websockets

WebSockets support in ASP.NET Core

By Tom Dykstra and Andrew Stanton-Nurse

This article explains how to get started with WebSockets in ASP.NET Core. WebSocket (RFC 6455) is a protocol that enables two-way persistent communication channels over TCP connections. It's used in apps that benefit from fast, real-time communication, such as chat, dashboard, and game apps.

View or download sample code (how to download). How to run.

SignalR

ASP.NET Core SignalR is a library that simplifies adding real-time web functionality to apps. It uses WebSockets whenever possible.

For most applications, we recommend SignalR over raw WebSockets. SignalR provides transport fallback for environments where WebSockets is not available. It also provides a simple remote procedure call app model. And in most scenarios, SignalR has no significant performance disadvantage compared to using raw WebSockets.

Prerequisites

• ASP.NET Core 1.1 or later

• Any OS that supports ASP.NET Core:

  • Windows 7 / Windows Server 2008 or later
  • Linux
  • macOS

• If the app runs on Windows with IIS:

  • Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 or later
  • IIS 8 / IIS 8 Express
  • WebSockets must be enabled (See the IIS/IIS Express support section.).

• If the app runs on HTTP.sys:

  • Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 or later

• For supported browsers, see https://caniuse.com/#feat=websockets.

::: moniker range="< aspnetcore-2.1"

NuGet package

Install the Microsoft.AspNetCore.WebSockets package.

::: moniker-end

Configure the middleware

Add the WebSockets middleware in the Configure method of the Startup class:

[!code-csharp]

::: moniker range="< aspnetcore-2.2"

The following settings can be configured:

• KeepAliveInterval - How frequently to send "ping" frames to the client to ensure proxies keep the connection open. The default is two minutes.
• ReceiveBufferSize - The size of the buffer used to receive data. Advanced users may need to change this for performance tuning based on the size of the data. The default is 4 KB.

::: moniker-end

::: moniker range=">= aspnetcore-2.2"

The following settings can be configured:

• KeepAliveInterval - How frequently to send "ping" frames to the client to ensure proxies keep the connection open. The default is two minutes.
• xref:Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder.WebSocketOptions.ReceiveBufferSize - The size of the buffer used to receive data. Advanced users may need to change this for performance tuning based on the size of the data. The default is 4 KB.
• AllowedOrigins - A list of allowed Origin header values for WebSocket requests. By default, all origins are allowed. See "WebSocket origin restriction" below for details.

::: moniker-end

[!code-csharp]

Accept WebSocket requests

Somewhere later in the request life cycle (later in the Configure method or in an action method, for example) check if it's a WebSocket request and accept the WebSocket request.

The following example is from later in the Configure method:

[!code-csharp]

A WebSocket request could come in on any URL, but this sample code only accepts requests for /ws.

When using a WebSocket, you must keep the middleware pipeline running for the duration of the connection. If you attempt to send or receive a WebSocket message after the middleware pipeline ends, you may get an exception like the following:

System.Net.WebSockets.WebSocketException (0x80004005): The remote party closed the WebSocket connection without completing the close handshake. ---> System.ObjectDisposedException: Cannot write to the response body, the response has completed.
Object name: 'HttpResponseStream'.

If you're using a background service to write data to a WebSocket, make sure you keep the middleware pipeline running. Do this by using a xref:System.Threading.Tasks.TaskCompletionSource%601. Pass the TaskCompletionSource to your background service and have it call xref:System.Threading.Tasks.TaskCompletionSource%601.TrySetResult%2A when you finish with the WebSocket. Then await the xref:System.Threading.Tasks.TaskCompletionSource%601.Task property during the request, as shown in the following example:

app.Use(async (context, next) => {
    var socket = await context.WebSockets.AcceptWebSocketAsync();
    var socketFinishedTcs = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();

    BackgroundSocketProcessor.AddSocket(socket, socketFinishedTcs); 

    await socketFinishedTcs.Task;
});

The WebSocket closed exception can also happen if you return too soon from an action method. If you accept a socket in an action method, wait for the code that uses the socket to complete before returning from the action method.

Never use Task.Wait(), Task.Result, or similar blocking calls to wait for the socket to complete, as that can cause serious threading issues. Always use await.

Send and receive messages

The AcceptWebSocketAsync method upgrades the TCP connection to a WebSocket connection and provides a WebSocket object. Use the WebSocket object to send and receive messages.

The code shown earlier that accepts the WebSocket request passes the WebSocket object to an Echo method. The code receives a message and immediately sends back the same message. Messages are sent and received in a loop until the client closes the connection:

[!code-csharp]

When accepting the WebSocket connection before beginning the loop, the middleware pipeline ends. Upon closing the socket, the pipeline unwinds. That is, the request stops moving forward in the pipeline when the WebSocket is accepted. When the loop is finished and the socket is closed, the request proceeds back up the pipeline.

::: moniker range=">= aspnetcore-2.2"

Handle client disconnects

The server is not automatically informed when the client disconnects due to loss of connectivity. The server receives a disconnect message only if the client sends it, which can't be done if the internet connection is lost. If you want to take some action when that happens, set a timeout after nothing is received from the client within a certain time window.

If the client isn't always sending messages and you don't want to timeout just because the connection goes idle, have the client use a timer to send a ping message every X seconds. On the server, if a message hasn't arrived within 2*X seconds after the previous one, terminate the connection and report that the client disconnected. Wait for twice the expected time interval to leave extra time for network delays that might hold up the ping message.

WebSocket origin restriction

The protections provided by CORS don't apply to WebSockets. Browsers do not:

• Perform CORS pre-flight requests.
• Respect the restrictions specified in Access-Control headers when making WebSocket requests.

However, browsers do send the Origin header when issuing WebSocket requests. Applications should be configured to validate these headers to ensure that only WebSockets coming from the expected origins are allowed.

If you're hosting your server on "https://server.com" and hosting your client on "https://client.com", add "https://client.com" to the AllowedOrigins list for WebSockets to verify.

[!code-csharp]

[!NOTE] The Origin header is controlled by the client and, like the Referer header, can be faked. Do not use these headers as an authentication mechanism.

::: moniker-end

IIS/IIS Express support

Windows Server 2012 or later and Windows 8 or later with IIS/IIS Express 8 or later has support for the WebSocket protocol.

[!NOTE] WebSockets are always enabled when using IIS Express.

Enabling WebSockets on IIS

To enable support for the WebSocket protocol on Windows Server 2012 or later:

[!NOTE] These steps are not required when using IIS Express

1. Use the Add Roles and Features wizard from the Manage menu or the link in Server Manager.
2. Select Role-based or Feature-based Installation. Select Next.
3. Select the appropriate server (the local server is selected by default). Select Next.
4. Expand Web Server (IIS) in the Roles tree, expand Web Server, and then expand Application Development.
5. Select WebSocket Protocol. Select Next.
6. If additional features aren't needed, select Next.
7. Select Install.
8. When the installation completes, select Close to exit the wizard.

To enable support for the WebSocket protocol on Windows 8 or later:

[!NOTE] These steps are not required when using IIS Express

1. Navigate to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off (left side of the screen).
2. Open the following nodes: Internet Information Services > World Wide Web Services > Application Development Features.
3. Select the WebSocket Protocol feature. Select OK.

Disable WebSocket when using socket.io on Node.js

If using the WebSocket support in socket.io on Node.js, disable the default IIS WebSocket module using the webSocket element in web.config or applicationHost.config. If this step isn't performed, the IIS WebSocket module attempts to handle the WebSocket communication rather than Node.js and the app.

<system.webServer>
  <webSocket enabled="false" />
</system.webServer>

Sample app

The sample app that accompanies this article is an echo app. It has a web page that makes WebSocket connections, and the server resends any messages it receives back to the client. Run the app from a command prompt (it's not set up to run from Visual Studio with IIS Express) and navigate to http://localhost:5000. The web page shows the connection status in the upper left:

Select Connect to send a WebSocket request to the URL shown. Enter a test message and select Send. When done, select Close Socket. The Communication Log section reports each open, send, and close action as it happens.