The AB Suite Client Framework WCF Gateway acts as a single access point for different client technologies. It allows remote clients, such as .NET, Silverlight, Windows 8 (WinRT) Store Apps, and others, that do not support direct COM/DCOM connectivity to communicate with the runtime system by using the Client Framework access layer infrastructure. The WCF gateway exposes a WCF service that allows client applications to communicate with the AB Suite runtime system over the network by using Windows Communication Foundation.

The WCF Gateway is installed as a service with the AB Suite Runtime software. It can also be executed within a self-hosted application named Client Framework WCF Gateway Host, which is supplied with the AB Suite Developer software. This allows developers to use the WCF Gateway service on a machine that does not have the AB Suite Runtime software installed. It exposes the same service on a development machine so that you can develop and test your client applications.

The WCF Gateway exposes an endpoint named AccessServiceEndPoint. This endpoint implements the IGateway interface that offers a full-duplex asynchronous pattern allowing you to run colon commands, report, and receive unsolicited messages from the runtime system. In conjunction with the Remote Access Layer API, you can use this WCF service to implement rich client applications by using technologies that support a full-duplex WCF binding. For example, .NET Framework applications, Windows Store apps, Silverlight, and others.

To interface with the Gateway service you must use the Client Framework Remote connector assemblies that expose the same Access Layer API as the direct connect assemblies. You can install the Remote connector assemblies by using the Client Framework Remote Connect NuGet package.