Windows Server AppFabric Retiring Apr. 2016

Windows Server AppFabric support ends Apr. 2, 2016. Windows Server AppFabric is a free set of OS extensions for in-memory caching in Web applications, and for deploying and managing applications that use .NET workflow and Web service technologies. Developers who relied on these extensions for their applications will need to migrate to alternatives or implement AppFabric-like capabilities inside the applications. SharePoint Server 2013 and other Microsoft products rely on AppFabric technologies, so their customers might need new infrastructure for future versions. The retirement also highlights general considerations for server application architects using Microsoft platforms.

Replacing Caching and Hosting for Server Applications

Introduced in 2010, Windows Server AppFabric includes two major components with different replacement recommendations:

Caching (formerly code-named Velocity) is an in-memory caching system that stores copies of application data in memory on multiple servers, providing fast, scalable access to data by Web applications and enabling those applications to exploit much more physical memory than would be available on any single server. For applications that incorporate AppFabric caching, Microsoft recommends migration to Redis, an open source technology that Microsoft has ported to Windows Server and hosts as an Azure service.