Installation

Q: What do I have to install to support AppFabric?
A: Microsoft Windows, Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0, Microsoft IIS 7.0 Administration Pack, Windows Process Activation Services (WAS), Windows PowerShell V2, Microsoft SQL Express 2008, and the MSDeploy Web Deployment Tool 1.0. Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 is needed if developing WF and WCF applications for AppFabric.


Q: What is the relationship between the Application Server Role in WS2008 and AppFabric?
A: AppFabric extends the Application Server Role to support WCF/WF services. While we will initially release AppFabric on the web we are working on the integrated experience with the existing Server Manager tool.


Q: I am running all my web services hosted as NT services? Can I upgrade them to AppFabric and manage them using the AppFabric tools?
A: You will have to reconfigure the services for WAS hosting. After that you can fully leverage the AppFabric capabilities for these services. We are not planning to support automatic upgrade for this scenario.

Q: Is app server limited to the green field or will we provide migration for existing apps?
A: We will support existing applications, for example applications written in .Net 3.5. However, we cannot guarantee that AppFabric can provide the same level of management support for these applications.

Q: How do you deal with preserved workflows during version upgrades?
A: We expect that the users will want to keep the old version for a while until the existing instances have completed.


Q: Is silent or automated installation possible for AppFabric?
A: Yes, AppFabric enables automated electronic software distribution so an administrator does not have to monitor the installation and provide input. To perform a silent installation, use the command-line options provided to suppress all interaction and to provide parameters for all options.


Q: How do I know if a silent installation succeeds or not?
A: When you perform a silent installation, the installation program does not display messages. Instead, a log file captures the installation information that includes whether the installation was successful. You can then review the log file and determine the results of the installation.


Q: Can I install AppFabric on a server farm, and are there any special requirements?
A: Yes, server farm installation is available. However, this installation requires you to have at least one Active Directory machine as well as one SQL server machine in addition to the machines that will make up the AppFabric farm.