Windows Server AppFabric Beta 2 for .NET Framework 4 RTM

Microsoft has refreshed the second Beta development milestone of Windows Server AppFabric, in order to tailor the release to the latest iteration of its development platform and tools. Appropriately labeled, Windows Server AppFabric Beta 2 Refresh, the technology follows the RTM of Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4. Microsoft is offering Windows Server AppFabric to customers building and managing composite applications designed to run on Internet Information Services. The set of integrated technologies also streamlines scaling apps created by leveraging ASP.NET, Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF).

“AppFabric Beta 2 Refresh is an update of AppFabric Beta 2 on top of the .NET Framework 4 RTM release. No big changes have been made since the Beta 2 release,” an excerpt from the Release Notes accompanying the Beta 2 Refresh build reads.

Essentially, Windows Server AppFabric Beta 2 Refresh has been made available for customers looking to take advantage of .NET Framework 4 RTM. Early adopters that have been testing the release already know that Windows Server AppFabric has swallowed technologies formerly codenamed “Dublin” and “Velocity.” Microsoft developed hosting and caching technologies (high-speed access, scale, and high availability) under the Velocity project, while the Dublin codename referred to WF and WCF app creation and management capabilities.

“The AppFabric upgrade program does not enable you to upgrade from a Beta 1 or Beta 2 version of AppFabric. Using the program, you can only upgrade from AppFabric Beta 2 Refresh to RTW. You must upgrade from AppFabric Beta 1 or Beta 2 by first uninstalling AppFabric, and then installing a later version,” it is added in the Release Notes.

Customers interested in testing Windows Server AppFabric Beta 2 Refresh will have to remove existent installations of Windows Server AppFabric. Early adopters have to uninstall Windows Server AppFabric Beta 1 and Windows Server AppFabric Beta 2, followed by.NET 4 Beta 2 or .NET 4 RC, and only then proceed to installing .NET 4 RTM and Beta 2 Refresh.

Windows Server AppFabric Beta 2 Refresh is available for download here.

Visual Studio 2010 Premium is available for download here.
Visual Studio 2010 Professional is available for download here.
Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate is available for download here.
Visual Studio Test Professional 2010 is available for download here.

.NET Framework 4 RTM is available for download here.