The handle is invalid - Cancellation token source

Question

once upon a time when calling CancellationTokenSource Cancel() method I am getting an exception: The handle is invalid.

   at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
   at System.Threading.EventWaitHandle.Set()
   at System.Threading.CancellationTokenSource.NotifyCancellation(Boolean throwOnFirstException)
   at System.Threading.CancellationTokenSource.Cancel()
   at .CancelProcess(Object obj) in proj\ViewModels\WorkflowContainerViewModel.cs:line 162
   at DelegateCommand.Execute(Object parameter) in proj\Commands\DelegateCommand.cs:line 32
   at MS.Internal.Commands.CommandHelpers.CriticalExecuteCommandSource(ICommandSource commandSource, Boolean userInitiated)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Primitives.ButtonBase.OnClick()
   at System.Windows.Controls.Button.OnClick()
   at System.Windows.Controls.Primitives.ButtonBase.OnMouseLeftButtonUp(MouseButtonEventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.OnMouseLeftButtonUpThunk(Object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Input.MouseButtonEventArgs.InvokeEventHandler(Delegate genericHandler, Object genericTarget)
   at System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs.InvokeHandler(Delegate handler, Object target)
   at System.Windows.RoutedEventHandlerInfo.InvokeHandler(Object target, RoutedEventArgs routedEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(Object source, RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean reRaised)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.ReRaiseEventAs(DependencyObject sender, RoutedEventArgs args, RoutedEvent newEvent)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.OnMouseUpThunk(Object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Input.MouseButtonEventArgs.InvokeEventHandler(Delegate genericHandler, Object genericTarget)
   at System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs.InvokeHandler(Delegate handler, Object target)
   at System.Windows.RoutedEventHandlerInfo.InvokeHandler(Object target, RoutedEventArgs routedEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(Object source, RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean reRaised)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEventImpl(DependencyObject sender, RoutedEventArgs args)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseTrustedEvent(RoutedEventArgs args)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEvent(RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean trusted)
   at System.Windows.Input.InputManager.ProcessStagingArea()
   at System.Windows.Input.InputManager.ProcessInput(InputEventArgs input)
   at System.Windows.Input.InputProviderSite.ReportInput(InputReport inputReport)
   at System.Windows.Interop.HwndMouseInputProvider.ReportInput(IntPtr hwnd, InputMode mode, Int32 timestamp, RawMouseActions actions, Int32 x, Int32 y, Int32 wheel)
   at System.Windows.Interop.HwndMouseInputProvider.FilterMessage(IntPtr hwnd, WindowMessage msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
   at System.Windows.Interop.HwndSource.InputFilterMessage(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
   at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
   at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(Object o)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler)

I couldn't find anything anywhere. Any ideas?

Answer 1

The problem, (as figured out in the comments), is that the CancellationToken was being serialized and then deserialized again.

The CancellationTokenSource (a CancellationToken creates one if you instantiate it directly) holds a reference to a non-managed kernel event (using EventWaitHandle), and internally holds a reference to that handle.

When the CancellationTokenSource gets disposed, it releases that non-managed reference... so if you serialize the token, it'll get serialized with that handle... afterwards, you are not using the CancellationTokenSource anymore so the garbage collector collects it, and it releases the kernel event (so the handle is no more valid).

Now upon deserializing, the EventWaitHandle gets the values back, but it doesn't create the kernel event again (because upon deserializing, you are only assigning the values to the fields, not going through the construction logic again), but it retains the old handle... so when you want to cancel it, it'll try to use a handle to that kernel event that is not valid anymore: thus, your exception.

Possible solutions:

1. Do not serialize/deserialize the CancellationToken... instead, construct a different one upon deserializing.
2. If that's not possible (because you need to use that one, and can't use other), then keep a reference of the CancellationTokenSource somewhere so that it doesn't get garbage-collected, and it never releases the kernel event, so the handle is still valid when deserializing