Use Signalr with SharePoint Webparts

Update 1: Download sample source code at https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ao7Q-78sQy60gcdrmHFyndmR_HWEMQ

Last month I got a task to make Signalr working on SharePoint environment. As all developers used to do on starting new tasks, I started my task with a search on Google to know how people made this task. I have found a lot of blogs speaks about that , however I didn’t get my answer as all people use SharePoint App-part in doing such scenario but no one made it on SharePoint web-part

It is totally different scenarios to use Signalr in app-part and web-part. App part simply is a separated ASP.NET and you can easily configure it away from SharePoint environment. To use Signalr in web-part or SharePoint user control you have to make extra configurations for Signalr and OWIN that are configured by default on ASP.NET web application. This made me deep dive into Signalr and OWIN architecture and make it work on SharePoint

To run Signalr at SharePoint web-part or user-control follow the following steps:

1. Add Signalr NuGet package and follow the ordinary steps for Signalr to be runned on ASP.NET this includes defining hubs and OWIN startup class and write you client side code that consume the hub.

   You can check full signalr getting started tutorial at http://www.asp.net/signalr/overview/getting-started/tutorial-getting-started-with-signalr 

2. Remove startup attribute ( [assembly: OwinStartup(typeof(xxx))] ) from OWIN startup class. because this made conflict with point 4

3. Add the following line of code on the OWIN startup class
   

   GlobalHost.DependencyResolver. 
   Register(typeof(Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.Hubs.IAssemblyLocator),  
   () => new AssemblyLocator());
   

   Here is the complete code for OWIN startup class
   

   namespace Code
   {  
       public class OWINStartup
       {
           public void Configuration(IAppBuilder app)
           {
               app.MapSignalR();
               GlobalHost.DependencyResolver.Register(typeof(Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.Hubs.IAssemblyLocator), () => new AssemblyLocator());
           }
       }
   }
   

4. Add the following httphandler that responsible for startup OWIN application in section Configurations > System.WebServer > Handlers of web.config as following:

   <add name=”Owin” verb=”*” path=”/signalr” type=”Microsoft.Owin.Host.SystemWeb.OwinHttpHandler, Microsoft.Owin.Host.SystemWeb, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35″ />

5. Add OWIN startup configuration app setting as following :

   <add key=”owin:appStartup” value=”MOFA.Notifications.Code.OWINStartup,MOFA.Notifications, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c7c61351043d379c” />

6. Comment trust configuration on the web.config as following:

   <!–<trust level=”Full” originUrl=”” legacyCasModel=”true” />–>

   this because Signalr use dynamic expersions in .NET framework 4 and this made conflict with this trust configuration

7. Add the following runtime configuration on web.config on Configuration > runtime  section as following:

   <assemblyBinding xmlns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1″> <dependentAssembly> <assemblyIdentity name=”Microsoft.Owin” publicKeyToken=”31bf3856ad364e35″ culture=”neutral” /> <bindingRedirect oldVersion=”0.0.0.0-3.0.0.0″ newVersion=”3.0.0.0″ /> </dependentAssembly> <dependentAssembly> <assemblyIdentity name=”Microsoft.Owin.Security” publicKeyToken=”31bf3856ad364e35″ culture=”neutral” /> <bindingRedirect oldVersion=”0.0.0.0-2.0.2.0″ newVersion=”2.0.2.0″ /> </dependentAssembly> </assemblyBinding>