Running a command line app from a WebService (WCF) - Should it be done?

Asked Dec 10 '14 at 00:41

Active Dec 10 '14 at 00:41

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I need to create a webservice that will collect some information from a remote server, run some command line apps, and then append the output to a file. It would all be very easy, but I have a few hangups about the implementation.

I'm collecting information via command line apps (nslookup, tracert, etc.). My gut reaction is to say that it is bad practice to call a shell app from a webservice, but I'm not certain.

What are the implications of doing this? Is it bad practice? Only in certain situations? Or am I completely wrong and it is just fine?

More information if you need it:

We'll be running this on Windows Server 2012, using IIS 8, and it will be coded in C# as a WCF service.

This is all inside a corporate network, and we own the servers, so it is certainly possible to perform the tasks this way.

asked Dec 10 '14 at 00:41

ChrisG

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http://stackoverflow.com/questions/142614/traceroute-and-ping-in-c-sharp – Mitch Wheat Dec 10 '14 at 00:42
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5468348/how-to-perform-nslookup-host-server – Mitch Wheat Dec 10 '14 at 00:42
Thanks, but I'm not looking for ways to perform nslookup and tracert... I'm looking for an answer on best practice for calling command line apps from a webservice. – ChrisG Dec 10 '14 at 00:51
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that was the answer! you can do it from C# and stop worrying about "... a few hangups about the implementation." – Mitch Wheat Dec 10 '14 at 01:02
Thanks. I am still wondering about best practice though. – ChrisG Dec 10 '14 at 23:35

Running a command line app from a WebService (WCF) - Should it be done?

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