Windows Server AppFabric Caching: What It Is and When You Should Use It

1. SESSION CODE: ASI313 Windows Server AppFabric Caching:What It Is and When You Should Use It Jon Flanders

2. Outline • Why caching? • Introduction to Windows Server AppFabric Cache • Overview of Cache features

3. Typical Web Architecture

4. Why use caching? • Most applications end up needing • Robustness • Speed • Scalability • This is especially true in the web world • Need to scale can sneak up quickly • Almost any web application can benefit from caching • Services can benefit as well

5. Core caching concepts • Caching • Storing a copy of data closer to application logic, away from its source • Distributed Caching • A set of nodes in a farm that coordinate to create a unified view of a cache to a caching client • Expiration • When an object is removed from the cache because of staleness • Eviction • When an object is removed from the cache due to low memory conditions

6. What is the AppFabric Cache? • A Distributed cache for “data” • In-memory cache • Uses an explicit API • The “Data” can be • CLR Object • XML • Binary data • Optimized for the cache-aside pattern in this version • Programming against the cache is explicit • Changing the cache doesn’t update the original data store

7. What is Windows Server AppFabric? • A set of technologies and capabilities integrated into Windows Server and IIIS • Designed to make building, managing, and scaling IIS applications easier • Ships as part of Windows Server AppFabric 2010 Wave 1 • Part of Windows Server • HA requires Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or DataCenter Editions. • Requires .NET 4.0 WORKFLOW HOSTING MONITORING CACHING ACCESS CONTROL SERVICEHOSTING

8. AppFabric architecture • Cache runs on N nodes • Nodes that share configuration are part of a single Cache Cluster • Runs as a Windows Service (one service per server node) • Typically not the same servers as the client (web) tier • More memory is better • In-memory copy cache is optional setting (“Local Cache”) • All the cache nodes in a cluster are part of a fabric • Share configuration • Communicate • Cooperate • Same algorithms that support Windows Azure’s fabric

9. Stripped memory across server nodes CacheServer#1 obj#4 obj#2 obj#3 CacheServer#2 Cache Cluster obj#1 CacheServer#3 Objects in memory

10. AppFabric Cache

11. Demo

12. AppFabric Cache advantages • Native .NET API • Scalability • Performance • Typically linear as more nodes are added • LocalCache increases raw performance • High Availability • Distributed nature safe guards against cache client and server failures

13. Installation and configuration • Installs as part of Windows Server AppFabric • Not dependent on other AppFabric features (e.g. service and workflow management) • First node creates cluster configuration • Other nodes are configured to just join existing cluster • Nodes can be added to or removed from the cluster at any time – cluster automatically reconfigures itself

14. Cache Cluster configuration • Configuration abstracted behind a provider model • OOB providers • SQL Server Database • Network share(XML file) • Configuration Provider model open

15. Cache size configuration • You must configure “projected” size • 1-5 nodes (small) • 6-15 nodes (medium) • > 15 nodes (large) • Cache optimizes itself based on this setting • Setting not affected by actual number of nodes added to cluster • You can change this (and other) configuration settings on a stopped cluster

16. Administration • PowerShell cmdlets are used to administer the cache cluster Remember – PowerShell can also be called from .NET Code!

17. Cache creation • Caches are named constructs • Multiple items can live in one named cache • Key for each item must be unique • Partition design based on • High availability requirements • Grouping based on logic • New-Cache cmdlet • Each named Cache can have its own settings for • Availability • Expiration • Eviction

18. Cache Clients • Rich API • Centers around the DataCache type • Can be .NET 4.0 or .NET 3.5 SP1 • WCF NetTcpBinding used under client API • Can be configured in code or config • Simple configuration – server name and port • Can configure N servers • Configuring max N is recommended • Client is “smart” • Requests routes to cache node where data lives automatically • Routing table updated on a constant basis by cache cluster • Client essentially becomes part of the cluster fabric • Local cache configured at client • Local cache automatically updated (no guaranteed speed)

19. Programming the cache //create DataCacheFactory based on config file var dcf = newDataCacheFactory(); //get the cache named "TestCache" var cache = dcf.GetCache("TestCache"); //Add an item called "Test" - throws if exists cache.Add("Test", newData { TheData = "Test" }); //Put an item called "Test2" - overwrites if exists cache.Add("Test2", newData {TheData = "Test2" }); //Get "Test3" - add if not in cache (cache-aside) var test3 = cache.Get("Test3") asData; if (test3 == null) { test3 = newData {TheData = "Test3" }; cache.Add("Test3", test3); }

20. Client API • Clients can specific named Regions for items • Regions are stored on one cache host only • Created implicitly if not specified • Cache Items can be tagged • Tagging enables items to be retrieved without specific knowledge of the item • Client can register for notification of cache events • Bulk API available as well

21. Security • Domain Based Security Option • On by default • Domain Account / Local Account based Authentication • Only authorized servers can join the cluster • Only authorized clients can connect to the cluster • Transport Level Security • Turn on/off Signing or Encryption • Can turn off Cache Security • Security always has a performance implication • Use Firewalls, IPSec, VLANs to protect cache grant-cacheallowedclientaccount  MyDomain\Machine1$ grant-cacheallowedclientaccount  MyDomain\Jon

22. Management • PowerShell enables configuration and some monitoring • Logging • Cache participates in ETW tracing • Logging available on both client and server • Rich set of performance monitor counters for monitoring both cache and host performance

23. ASP.NET Session Provider • Custom Session Provider included with Cache • Just a configuration change • enables session state to be cached across a cluster • You may want to enable HA on the cache used <sessionStatemode="Custom"customProvider="SessionStoreProvider"> <providers> <addname="SessionStoreProvider"type="Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.DataCacheSessionStoreProvider, Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.Client, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35"cacheName="BlueYonderSession"/> </providers> </sessionState>

24. Caching Patterns • It is extremely useful to classify the type of data you are going to cache as either: • Resource, Activity, or Reference Data • Classification will inform what features to use • Use the correct feature for the correct type of data • Will help you to design the property number of caches • i.e. No need for HA for Reference data

25. Summary • Windows Server AppFabric Cache is a distributed application cache • Caching is important to application scalability • Explicit caching API available to .NET 3.5 SP1 and .NET 4.0 • ASP.NET Session provider an implicit way to take advantage of the Cache’s capabilities

26. Questions?

27. Required Slide Track PMs will supply the content for this slide, which will be inserted during the final scrub. ASI Track Resources • Website – www.Microsoft.com/WindowsAzure/AppFabric • MSDN Developer Center – http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/netservices.aspx • Blog – http://blogs.msdn.com/b/netservices/ • Twitter – http://twitter.com/azure_appfabric • Website – http://www.microsoft.com/biztalk/ • Website – http://msdn.microsoft.com/biztalk/ • Blog – http://blogs.msdn.com/biztalk_server_team_blog • Blog – http://www.biztalkblogs.com/ • Application Infrastructure Virtual Launch Event – www.appinfrastructure.com • AppFabric on Microsoft.com – http://www.microsoft.com/appfabric • Developer Center – http://msdn.microsoft.com/appfabric

28. Required Slide Resources Learning • Sessions On-Demand & Community • Microsoft Certification & Training Resources www.microsoft.com/teched www.microsoft.com/learning • Resources for IT Professionals • Resources for Developers • http://microsoft.com/technet • http://microsoft.com/msdn

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