Update configuration and restart self-hosted ASP.NET Web API 2 on HTTP request

Question

I have a self-hosted OWIN web app running ASP.NET Web API 2.2, which is executed as a windows service. I want to achieve a remote configuration scenario: from a client, I want to make an HTTP request and in the called Web API action, I want to update a configuration file (e.g. to change a DB connection string) and then restart the service (so that the new configuration is loaded). However, here is the tricky part:

If I simply call Environment.Exit, then the respone won't finish and the client won't get the message that it worked. Is there any way to write to the response stream and finish it before restarting the service from within a Web-API action? Or should I use something else for this, maybe a filter? Or is there any other way that you would rather suggest?

I am not interested in any security discussion - the service is only available in an intranet and the corresponding Web API action is secured with authentication and authorization.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Restarting the service is a very heavy-handed way of solving this problem. Have you considered making your components capable of responding to configuration changes? — Paul Turner
– Paul Turner, Commented Nov 22, 2017 at 15:24
@PaulTurner Thanks for your response - I'm aware that your solution would be way better (reinitialize the application in the composition root) but unfortunately, I cannot do this in the amount of time I have left. — feO2x
– feO2x, Commented Nov 22, 2017 at 15:32

Anton Gorbunov · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-22 17:49:22Z

3

Look like sucker punch, but it works:

[HttpGet]
public async Task<IHttpActionResult> ActionMethod()
{
    var httpActionResult = Ok(); //some work instead it
    new Thread(() =>
    {
        Thread.Sleep(500);
        Environment.Exit(1);
    }).Start();
    return httpActionResult;
}

I not shure, but if you exit with exitCode != 0, then services subsystem will think, that your service crashed and try restat it (If you setup it in service settings)

answered Nov 22, 2017 at 17:49

Anton Gorbunov

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