Release Notes NCache 3.8

Monday, June 7, 2010

Introduction

NCache 3.8 contains new important Additions and enhancements based on the customer’s feedback. The API backward compatibility is the most important concern for most of the customers and keeping this in mind we have added a new protocol for API compatibility. From now (3.8) onwards all the new releases will be automatically compatible with older versions of NCache (starting from 3.8).

Enhancements and New Additions

Following are some enhancements made in this release:

1. LINQ Support in NCache:

NCache provides LINQ integration with the help of IQueryable interface which allows the cached items to be searchable. NCache support both Lambda Expressions and LINQ operators for querying cached items.

2. Entity Framework (EF) Caching:

NCache provides seamless integration with EF caching where it gets plugged-in at the ADO level and lets your application use distributed caching without any code change. You only need make changes in the application configuration file.

We have resolved this issue by copying all the assemblies in the NCache bin/assembly folder and now Visual Studio does not have to locate the dependent assemblies in GAC. This has resolved the issue.

3. NET Cache Provider 4.0:

NCache provides integration with .NET cache provider 4.0. NCache also provides different Change Monitors (file based, key based, database dependency) for managing cache dependencies.

4. Backward Compatibility Client API/Support:

NCache now follows backward compatibility protocol and in future version application will be able to connect to newer versions without upgrading the clients.

5. Streaming API:

NCache has added streaming support in the API where you can read and write binary data stream in the cache.

6. Java/CSS minification:

NCache combines multiple JavaScript files and CSS files into a single resource file and store it in the cache. It also replaces the rendered output with single HTTP reference for all CSS and JS files so that browser can make a single call for loading all the resources. This helps improve your application response time.

7. ViewState Caching:

NCache replaces the long ViewState string into a smaller one and sends it to the client. This helps improve the application performance and save bandwidth.

8. New NCache Monitoring Tool:
9. NCache Email Alert System:

You can now receive alert through emails on certain cache events like “State Transfer”, Cache Stopped, Member Left, Member Joined etc.

10. Cache Meta information API:

This API allows Meta information about cache items like LastAccessed Time and Creation DateTime.

11. Multi-ReadThru/Write Thru support:

NCache allows multiple readthru and writethru providers. NCache Manager automatically deploys the data source assemblies into the deployed folder so you don’t have to manually copy the provider assemblies in NCache service folder.

12. Partitioned Replica Synchronous replication:

Partitioned Replica Topology now supports Synchronous replication.

13. Security Configuration command line tool:

You can now configure security through command line tool

14. Cache Config Upgrade tool:

If you have an old cache config.ncconf file then you can upgrade it by using this tool.

15. Locking support with GetCacheItem
16. Remote Client Management from NCache Manager:

Now you can configure Remote Clients from NCache Manager and can easily change individual client settings all from a single point.

17. Client-Cache Management from NCache Manager:
Client Cache can also be managed from NCache Manager.
18. Client/Client Cache management command line tools:

You can also add remote clients and client-cache through command line tools.

19. New interface for ReadThru/WriteThru providers:

Now you can specify your cache provider assemblies through a new wizard where you can pick your assembly. Now, you don’t have to type assembly information manually.

20. Automatic deployment of ReadThru/WriteThru providers:

NCache Manager provides the automatic deployment of data source providers.

21. Dynamic Compact Serialization Support (no code change required):

Now you don’t need to implement any ISerializable or IDeserializable Interfaces for compact serialization. You only need to register the compact types in NCache Manager and NCache automatically serialize the types at runtime.

22. Security Enhancement (Security Management from NCache Manager):

Security can be configured from NCache Manager now.