Setting Thread.CurrentPrincipal with async/await

Question

Below is a simplified version of where I am trying to set Thread.CurrentPrincipal within an async method to a custom UserPrincipal object but the custom object is getting lost after leaving the await even though it's still on the new threadID 10.

Is there a way to change Thread.CurrentPrincipal within an await and use it later without passing it in or returning it? Or is this not safe and should never be async? I know there are thread changes but thought async/await would handle synching this for me.

[TestMethod]
public async Task AsyncTest()
{
    var principalType = Thread.CurrentPrincipal.GetType().Name;
    // principalType = WindowsPrincipal
    // Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId = 11

    await Task.Run(() =>
    {
        // Tried putting await Task.Yield() here but didn't help

        Thread.CurrentPrincipal = new UserPrincipal(Thread.CurrentPrincipal.Identity);
        principalType = Thread.CurrentPrincipal.GetType().Name;
        // principalType = UserPrincipal
        // Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId = 10
    });
    principalType = Thread.CurrentPrincipal.GetType().Name;
    // principalType = WindowsPrincipal (WHY??)
    // Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId = 10
}

Answer 1

You could use a custom awaiter to flow CurrentPrincipal (or any thread properties, for that matter). The below example shows how it might be done, inspired by Stephen Toub's CultureAwaiter. It uses TaskAwaiter internally, so synchronization context (if any) will be captured, too.

Usage:

Console.WriteLine(Thread.CurrentPrincipal.GetType().Name);

await TaskExt.RunAndFlowPrincipal(() => 
{
    Thread.CurrentPrincipal = new UserPrincipal(Thread.CurrentPrincipal.Identity);
    Console.WriteLine(Thread.CurrentPrincipal.GetType().Name);
    return 42;
});

Console.WriteLine(Thread.CurrentPrincipal.GetType().Name);

Code (only very slightly tested):

public static class TaskExt
{
    // flowing Thread.CurrentPrincipal
    public static FlowingAwaitable<TResult, IPrincipal> RunAndFlowPrincipal<TResult>(
        Func<TResult> func,
        CancellationToken token = default(CancellationToken))
    {
        return RunAndFlow(
            func,
            () => Thread.CurrentPrincipal, 
            s => Thread.CurrentPrincipal = s,
            token);
    }

    // flowing anything
    public static FlowingAwaitable<TResult, TState> RunAndFlow<TResult, TState>(
        Func<TResult> func,
        Func<TState> saveState, 
        Action<TState> restoreState,
        CancellationToken token = default(CancellationToken))
    {
        // wrap func with func2 to capture and propagate exceptions
        Func<Tuple<Func<TResult>, TState>> func2 = () =>
        {
            Func<TResult> getResult;
            try
            {
                var result = func();
                getResult = () => result;
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                // capture the exception
                var edi = ExceptionDispatchInfo.Capture(ex);
                getResult = () => 
                {
                    // re-throw the captured exception 
                    edi.Throw(); 
                    // should never be reaching this point, 
                    // but without it the compiler whats us to 
                    // return a dummy TResult value here
                    throw new AggregateException(edi.SourceException);
                }; 
            }
            return new Tuple<Func<TResult>, TState>(getResult, saveState());    
        };

        return new FlowingAwaitable<TResult, TState>(
            Task.Run(func2, token), 
            restoreState);
    }

    public class FlowingAwaitable<TResult, TState> :
        ICriticalNotifyCompletion
    {
        readonly TaskAwaiter<Tuple<Func<TResult>, TState>> _awaiter;
        readonly Action<TState> _restoreState;

        public FlowingAwaitable(
            Task<Tuple<Func<TResult>, TState>> task, 
            Action<TState> restoreState)
        {
            _awaiter = task.GetAwaiter();
            _restoreState = restoreState;
        }

        public FlowingAwaitable<TResult, TState> GetAwaiter()
        {
            return this;
        }

        public bool IsCompleted
        {
            get { return _awaiter.IsCompleted; }
        }

        public TResult GetResult()
        {
            var result = _awaiter.GetResult();
            _restoreState(result.Item2);
            return result.Item1();
        }

        public void OnCompleted(Action continuation)
        {
            _awaiter.OnCompleted(continuation);
        }

        public void UnsafeOnCompleted(Action continuation)
        {
            _awaiter.UnsafeOnCompleted(continuation);
        }
    }
}