0

We have a asmx web service that has been around for over 10 years that is being redesigned. These changes will create cascading changes to some of the applications calling the web service. This service is deployed internally and not exposed externally. Many of the calling applications (85%) have been developed within our division. The problem is identifying the other applications

Is there any way I can retrieve the client information server-side within the service to track who is calling the service. I am not hopeful, it appears the calling applications would need to be modified to send additional information in each of the calls.

trouta
  • 426
  • 3
  • 12
  • What do you mean by *client information*? – Vano Maisuradze Apr 28 '15 at 17:02
  • @VanoMaisuradze He means caller information. He wants to know the applications that are calling his web service (computer name, IP, application name, etc) – basher Apr 28 '15 at 17:04
  • To get client IP address, check this: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19453559/how-to-get-client-ip-address-in-a-one-way-asmx-web-service – Vano Maisuradze Apr 28 '15 at 17:08
  • Change it, see who complains :) – Ron Beyer Apr 28 '15 at 17:19
  • In all seriousness though, is it not possible to leave legacy interface in place and extend with new functionality? Backwards compatibility is a huge plus if designed right in the first place. – Ron Beyer Apr 28 '15 at 17:21
  • can you not open the projects that you have and do a global search to see what programs are consuming the web service.. or find a tool that will look into each file to see where the web service .asmx name is being used..? if I am understanding you correctly.. also sounds like a lack of good documentation issue as well.. – MethodMan Apr 28 '15 at 17:23
  • @RonBeyer Backward compatibility has been the goal the last few years, but we've reach the end due to a data source changing and the original design making it difficult to map to the new data source – trouta Apr 28 '15 at 18:35
  • @MethodMan Yes, we used some grep tools to find all methods against the source control, the issue comes into apps that were developed by others – trouta Apr 28 '15 at 18:38
  • @VanoMaisuradze The IP address would be helpful and the link is interesting in what to do in the next release of the service, but it requires modifying the client – trouta Apr 28 '15 at 18:41
  • can you not get at the source code or have the src from the other developers..? – MethodMan Apr 28 '15 at 18:49

1 Answers1

0

You could track it via an IP Address, you can have the hosted domain of the service track the actual IP Address. This would allow your C# Application to grab this header assigned, incredibly simple. Then you could see the frequency in which the service is called, you could also then identify the out of network addresses still calling the service. Then the IT Department would know how to either lookup or meet your criteria for said client.

Greg
  • 11,302
  • 2
  • 48
  • 79