SignalR is a library for ASP.NET developers that simplifies adding real-time web functionality. It uses various techniques like WebSockets, server-sent events, and long polling to enable real-time communication. Developers create Hubs or PersistentConnections classes to define messaging endpoints and methods clients can call. SignalR handles all of the client connection handling and protocol complexities.

1. SignalR and ASP.NET
Welcome to the Real-Time Web
Tuesday, March 26, 13

2. Who am I?
I am a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer and I’ve
been developing software since 1979. Since 2009, I have
been focused on developing mobile applications, for
iPhone, Android, the mobile web, and Windows Phone 7.
Tuesday, March 26, 13

3. Free mobile tutorials with source
code @ therockncoder.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 26, 13

4. Want more? Follow me, new tutorials are
announced on Twitter first:
@therockncoder
Tuesday, March 26, 13

5. Source code for my tutorials hosted on
GitHub @
https://github.com/Rockncoder
Tuesday, March 26, 13

6. Check out my videos:
www.youtube.com/rockncoder
Tuesday, March 26, 13

7. Our Agenda
• A Brief History of the Web
• What is ASP.NET SignalR?
• Under the Hood
• Building DIRTy Apps
• Debugging
• Handling Success
Tuesday, March 26, 13

8. A Brief History of Web
• 1990’s - The Static Web
• 2000’s - The Age of Ajax
• 2010’s - The Real-Time Web
Tuesday, March 26, 13

9. 1990’s - The Static Web
• HTML versions 2.0 - 4.01
• (There never was a version 1.0)
• Request/Response
Tuesday, March 26, 13

10. 2000’s - The Age of Ajax
• XMLHttpRequest object
• Prototype
• jQuery
Tuesday, March 26, 13

11. 2010’s - The Real-Time
Web
• Comet
• WebSocket
• Real-Time Libraries
Tuesday, March 26, 13

12. Comet
• Holding open an HTTP connection via a
variety of techniques like...
• Hidden IFrame
• Periodic Polling
• Long Polling
• Lots of Plumbing
Tuesday, March 26, 13

13. What is SPDY?
• An open network protocol
• Developed by Google
• Goal is to reduce page load time
• Does not replace HTTP
• Modifies HTTP for performance
Tuesday, March 26, 13

14. WebSocket
• Full-duplex communication over a single
TCP connection
• Port 80 or 443
• A low level protocol
• Great, but no backwards compatibility
Tuesday, March 26, 13

15. Real-Time Libraries
• Cramp
• django-sse
• sse
• Socket.io/Now.js
• SignalR
Tuesday, March 26, 13

16. What is ASP.NET
SignalR?
ASP.NET SignalR is a new library for
ASP.NET developers that makes it incredibly
simple to add real-time web functionality to
your applications.
Tuesday, March 26, 13

17. ASP.NET SignalR
• Create as an open source project by two
Microsoft employees: David Fowler &
Damien Edwards
• Adopted by Microsoft, but remains open
source - source is on GitHub
• Like jQuery for communications
• Distributed via NuGet
Tuesday, March 26, 13

18. Under the Hood
• WebSockets
• Server Sent Events, Event Source
• Forever Frame (IE only)
• Ajax long polling
• Only WebSockets is true full duplex
Tuesday, March 26, 13

19. Installing SignalR
• The project exists on GitHub but
• NuGet is the best way to install it
• Install Microsoft ASP.NET SignalR
Tuesday, March 26, 13

20. What’s in the Package?
• SignalR Core - Server side stuff
• SignalR JS - JavaScript library
• SignalR Owin - An OWIN adapter
• SignalR SystemWeb - To host on IIS
Tuesday, March 26, 13

21. Other Packages
• SignalR Client - .NET client
• SignalR Sample - A fake stock ticker
• LCSK - Live chat app
• SignalR.EventStream - Monitor your site
• ElmahR.Elmah - ELMAH
• and lots more
Tuesday, March 26, 13

22. What is OWIN?
• Open Web Interface for .NET
• A specification for the communication
between .NET Web Server and Web App
• IIS isn’t the only .NET Web Server, there is
HttpListener, server.dll, Kayak, and
potentially others
• SignalR depends on OWIN for hosting
Tuesday, March 26, 13

23. What’s It Good For?
• dashboards
• monitoring
• collaborative anything
• job progress
• real-time forms
• gaming...
Tuesday, March 26, 13

24. http://shootr.signalr.net
Tuesday, March 26, 13

25. https://jabbr.net
Tuesday, March 26, 13

26. Building DIRTy Apps
• Data Intensive Real-Time(y) Apps
• Two main classes:
• PersistentConnections
• Hubs
Tuesday, March 26, 13

27. Connections
• The raw connection in SignalR
• Can connect with 1 - n clients
• Is an IHTTP handler
• Requires route to be defined
• Limited to sending message
Tuesday, March 26, 13

28. Connection Demo
Tuesday, March 26, 13

29. Hubs
• Built on top of PersistentConnection
• Can connect with 1 - n clients
• Routes automatically mapped
• Can send messages and call methods
• SignalR defines the protocol
Tuesday, March 26, 13

30. Hub Demo
Tuesday, March 26, 13

31. Debugging
• With Chrome
• With Fiddler
Tuesday, March 26, 13

32. Clients
• JavaScript (as a jQuery plugin)
• .NET 4.0/4.5
• Silverlight 5
• Windows Store Apps
• iOS (community)
• MonoTouch (community)
Tuesday, March 26, 13

33. Clients
• Windows Phone 8
• MonoTouch (official)
• MonoDroid (official)
• iOS (official)
• .NET Micro Framework
• Java
Tuesday, March 26, 13

34. Handling Success
• Scale-out via the backplane
• Azure ServiceBus
• Redis
• SQL Server
Tuesday, March 26, 13

35. Gotchas
• Documentation is limited
• Documentation may be out of date
• But finally a released product!
Tuesday, March 26, 13

36. Resources
• http://signalr.net/
• https://jabbr.net
• https://github.com/SignalR/SignalR/wiki
• http://www.asp.net/signalr/overview/getting-
started/tutorial-getting-started-with-signalr
Tuesday, March 26, 13

37. Summary
ASP.NET SignalR makes it incredibly easy to
add real-time capabilities to your web app.
Tuesday, March 26, 13