Timeout a Web Api request?

Question

Like MVC WebApi runs on the asynchronous ASP.NET pipeline, meaning execution timeout is unsupported.

In MVC I use the [AsyncTimeout] filter, WebApi does

Answer 1

Make your life easier, in your base controller add the following method:

    protected async Task RunTask(Task action, int timeout) {
        var timeoutTask = Task.Delay(timeout);
        var firstTaskFinished = await Task.WhenAny(timeoutTask, action);

        if (firstTaskFinished == timeoutTask) {
            throw new Exception("Timeout");
        }

        return action.Result;
    }

Now every controller that inherits from your base controller can access the method RunTask. Now in your API call the RunTask method just like that:

    [HttpPost]
    public async Task MyAPI(RequestModel request) {
        try {
            return await RunTask(Action(), Timeout);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            return null;
        }
    }

    private async Task Action() {
        return new ResponseModel();
    }