WorkflowRuntime.Dispose() doesn't clean up properly

Unfortunately, in the current RC5 build of Windows Workflow (the one that comes with .Net 3 RC1), calling Dispose() on the WorkflowRuntime does not clean up after itself properly. Specifically:

• it doesn't unload workflows in memory
• it doesn't reset the workflow performance counters

To do all that you have to call StopRuntime() first.

Try it for yourself:

          using(WorkflowRuntime workflowRuntime = new WorkflowRuntime())
          {
              workflowRuntime.AddService(new SqlWorkflowPersistenceService(Properties.Settings.Default.WorkflowPersistenceConnectionString));

              WorkflowInstance instance = workflowRuntime.CreateWorkflow(typeof(WorkflowConsoleApplication1.Workflow1));
              instance.Start();

              //workflowRuntime.StopRuntime(); // uncomment me to get the instance to be persisted
          }

This is particularly unfortunate given all of the samples for WF (and the boilerplate code that gets created in new WF projects) just allow the runtime to be disposed when it drops out of scope. And needless to say it goes against the grain of how Dispose() works in practice: as a 'clean up gracefully' rather than just a 'free unmanaged resources' (think SqlConnections getting closed, Transactions being rolled back etc...)

https://connect.microsoft.com/wf/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=224627