.NET Framework Server-Side Code Migration

By now, it is known that the final release of the complete Framework series is .NET Framework 4.8. This means that Microsoft will cease to create new features, improvements, or updates for it.

It is no wonder that Microsoft is putting a huge percentage, if not all, of its efforts into .NET 6 and later, with .NET 8 being the current long-term support (LTS) release. The .NET 8 framework offers an enormous feature set, improved performance, and more flexibility than the .NET Framework.

NCache offers servers for .NET Framework (4.8) and .NET 6+ and recommends its users to upgrade to the latest versions of .NET. If you are using any of the server-side features of NCache on a .NET Framework server, then this blog is for you. Otherwise, the migration is seamless, as you just have to install an NCache .NET Core server and start using it.

Why Migrate from a .NET Framework Server to a .NET Core Server?

Microsoft considers .NET 8, and its later versions, as the foundation of modern application development. The company is thus prioritizing its resource allocation towards .NET 8, considering that the .NET Framework is gradually being phased out. Instead of waiting until it is completely outdated, it is best to start migrating now.

Besides, .NET Core brings so much to the table that .NET Framework doesn’t. The following list of features benefit .NET Core over .NET Framework:

Cross-platform support: .NET Core code can run on Windows, Linux, and macOS. This means that your NCache .NET Core servers are platform (OS) independent. The .NET CLI can also be used across all supported platforms.
Improved performance: .NET 8 delivers significantly better performance, making applications faster and more efficient.
Long-term support (LTS): .NET 8 provides long-term stability and security updates.
Containerization support: .NET 8 integrates better with modern deployment strategies like Docker and Kubernetes.
Better memory management: .NET 8 includes enhancements such as improved garbage collection and reduced memory footprint.

How to Deploy Your .NET Framework Code on a .NET Core Server

The best option for migrating your existing .NET Framework code base to a .NET 8 server involves first migrating it into .NET Standard 2.0 or migrate it directly into .NET 8. So, NCache now encourages users to develop applications using .NET 8 and especially for development of new application.

You can adopt one of the following approaches to convert your .NET Framework code into .NET Core code:

Start from scratch.
If your project uses the new .csproj format, update the TargetFramework tag to net8.0.
If your project uses the old .csproj format, migrate it to the new format.

Since the first and the second approaches are straightforward, let’s focus on the third approach with detailed steps.

Note: This conversion will not work if your .NET Framework provider depends on a DLL that explicitly requires .NET Framework and does not have a .NET Standard or .NET 8 equivalent.

Step 1: Unloading the Project

The first step is to unload your project from Visual Studio:

1. Open Solution Explorer in Visual Studio.
2. Right-click on your project and select Unload Project.

Step 2: Replacing the Content of the Project File

Open the .csproj file in a code editor of your choice and replace its content with the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<TargetFramework>netstandard2.0</TargetFramework>

</PropertyGroup>

</Project>

Step 3: Adding Dependencies

In this step, add your dependencies:

To add direct references to external libraries, modify the .csproj file with:

<HintPath>path\NCache.ReadThru.Provider.dll</HintPath>

</Reference>

</ItemGroup>

To add NuGet package dependencies, include:

</ItemGroup>

Step 4: Reloading Your Project

Once changes are made, reload your project in Visual Studio:

Go to Solution Explorer.
Right-click on the unloaded project.
Select Reload Project.

Step 5: Removing duplication from AssemblyInfo.cs

Your project won’t run properly unless you remove duplicate entries in the AssemblyInfo.cs file, located under Properties. Open this file and remove redundant information, ensuring it looks like this:

[assembly: AssemblyTitle("NCache.ReadThru.Provider")]

[assembly: AssemblyVersion("1.0.0.0")]

[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("1.0.0.0")]

Step 6: Building and Deploying Your Provider

After completing the steps above, build your project and deploy the compiled provider on a .NET 8 NCache Server.

Benefits of This Migration

While migrating from .NET Framework to .NET 8 may require effort, it brings several advantages:

Guaranteed future support and updates by Microsoft.
Ability to run on Windows, Linux, and containers.
Access to modern .NET features, including improved performance and cloud-native capabilities.

Conclusion

NCache is an efficient and scalable distributed cache solution for the specific .NET, Java, and Node.js frameworks. The blog does not suggest that NCache will stop supporting.NET Framework servers. Nonetheless, it strongly advocates for a shift to .NET 8 in order to realize long-term advantages and hence be compatible with future updates and improvements in Microsoft’s technology.