The Cloud: Windows Server AppFabric will bring Azure to your servers
This was by far the number 1 request I got when talking about the Windows Azure Platform. Will I get a version of the Fabric that I can run on my own servers so I can very easily move applications from my datacenter to the cloud and back?
The answer is now, yes you will get that! It will be called The Windows Server AppFabric: https://msdn.microsoft.com/nl-be/windowsserver/ee695849(en-us).aspx
You can download and test the beta 1 today. I guess Windows Server is starting to get really interesting for developers now, isn’t it?
This is the AppFabric in a nutshell:
AppFabric is a set of symmetric application services that support building and managing composite applications, available whether you are running your application on-premises with Windows Server or in the cloud with Windows Azure. It includes the capabilities from projects “Dublin” and “Velocity,” as well as the Service Bus and Access Control services that were formerly under the “.NET Services” brand (today, these services are now called Windows Azure platform AppFabric Service Bus and Windows Azure platform AppFabric Access Control services). AppFabric delivers pre-integrated, higher level application services that enable developers to more easily deploy and manage composite applications and services spanning server and cloud, including:
· Out-of-box experience targeting Web and composite apps
· Management and monitoring of services and workflows
· Distributed, in-memory application cache
· Enhanced Visual Studio design and development tools
But remember, it’s a long term vision:
Initially, AppFabric will offer support for on-premise deployments with Windows Server AppFabric. In 2010, we will be offering CTPs of Windows Azure platform AppFabric to provide these capabilities into our cloud platform.
So for full symmetry between on-prem and cloud, you will need to wait just a little longer.