This book will teach you all about Windows Server AppFabric (code-named “Dublin”), a set of extensions to Windows Server that allow it to function as a lightweight, application server. The combination of Windows Server and AppFabric provides an easy-to-manage platform for developing, deploying, and reliably hosting middle-tier WCF/WF services. Windows Server AppFabric fills an important vacuum left in the wake of COM and COM+’s demise as the .NET platform has risen to prominence. Provided as an extension to Internet Information Services (IIS), the built-in application server frees you from having to create your own Windows services to perform application hosting. Instead, you can take advantage of plumbing and infrastructure that Microsoft provides for you, freeing you to focus on just your business logic while still being able to deploy n-tier solutions on Windows Server. In this way, Windows Server AppFabric solves the problem of developing, deploying, and reliably hosting middle-tier WCF/WF services. If you’re an experienced developer, you’ll want to learn about Windows Server AppFabric fast, without a lot of reading. And that’s what this book is all about. It cuts to the chase and shows you the simplicity and elegance that combine to form Windows Server AppFabric, getting you up to speed fast, so that you can take advantage of all the platform has to offer. What you’ll learn Deploy Windows Server AppFabric (aka “Dublin”) as your middle-tier application host. Incorporate Windows Server AppFabric"s built-in functionality into your WCF- and WF-based .NET applications. Design your applications to scale and perform in highly available environments, and learn use advanced Windows Server AppFabric features such as content-based and forward routing, long-running transactions, message activity monitoring and tracking. Understand Windows Server AppFabric’s architecture, and know when it is best used, and when you should look at other solutions, such as BizTalk Server. Understand the Windows Server AppFabric roadmap and how AppFabric relates to other new Microsoft technologies such as .NET 4.0, Oslo, and WCF/WF 4.0 Upgrade existing applications to Windows Server AppFabric and take advantage of its architecture and features. Who this book is for .NET developers (including WCF and WF developers) BizTalk developers This book is aimed at .NET and BizTalk Server developers who desire a middleware application server platform that simplifies the deployment, configuration, management, and scalability of composite applications while allowing developers to use their existing skills with Visual Studio, the .NET Framework, and Internet Information Services (IIS). The book is especially applicable to those who want to leverage the .NET Framework 4.0 and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) technologies. Table of Contents Introduction Choosing AppFabric Laying the Foundation Understanding the Architecture Configuring AppFabric Developing WCF Applications with AppFabric Developing WF Applications Hosting in AppFabric Deploying AppFabric Applications Advanced Concepts Monitoring and Tracking Implementing High Availability Upgrading to AppFabric