RemotingException is thrown when .NET Remoting receives a binary formatted custom message

This article resolves RemotingException that the sending application receives when Microsoft .NET Remoting receives a binary formatted custom message.

Original product version:   Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
Original KB number:   2935795

Symptoms

Consider the following scenario:

• You use Microsoft .NET Remoting to establish communication between applications.
• You use binary format to serialize the messages.
• An application sends a custom message type that's derived from the MarshalByRefObject object.

In this scenario, the sending application receives a RemotingException exception. This exception contains a NotSupportedException inner exception and the link https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=390633.

Cause

This issue occurs because .NET Remoting rejects custom messages that are derived from the MarshalByRefObject when you use binary format. This is default behavior for the following versions of the Microsoft .NET Framework:

• .NET Framework 1.1
• .NET Framework 2.0
• .NET Framework 3.0
• .NET Framework 3.5
• .NET Framework 4.0
• .NET Framework 4.5

Workaround

To configure .NET Remoting in order to accept custom MarshalByRefObject messages, follow these steps:

1. When you call ChannelServices.RegisterChannel() function, set the ensureSecurity argument to true. This makes sure that your remoting channel is secure.
2. Set the value of microsoft:Remoting:AllowTransparentProxyMessage key to true in the Web.config file or App.config file of the application that receives this custom message, as in the following example:

<configuration>
    <appSettings>
        <add key="microsoft:Remoting:AllowTransparentProxyMessage" value="true"/>
    </appSettings>
</configuration>

References

• <appSettings> Element

• The appSettings element (General Settings schema)

• Summary for the RegisterChannel method

• Authentication with the HTTP Channel

• Authentication with the TCP Channel

• Authentication with the IPC Channel