Install Windows Server AppFabric

Use the following procedure to install Windows Server AppFabric. You can use the procedures in this topic whether you are starting installation for the first time or adding or removing features after an initial installation. The installation program provides the following functionality:

  • Enables you to select specific features to install.

  • Validates the platform to ensure that the product is not installed in an unsupported state, and indicates which prerequisites need to be installed.

  • Installs AppFabric.

  • Enables you to remove specific AppFabric features or AppFabric as a whole, ensuring that the computer can be left in a state in which the features or AppFabric can be reinstalled.

  • Creates the AppFabric Event Collector service, the AppFabric Workflow Management service, and the AppFabric Caching Service. Sets the services to a startup type of manual and a status of stopped. In the configuration process, the Event Collector and Workflow Management services are changed to an automatic startup type and are started. The startup type for the Caching Service remains set to manual.

The AppFabric setup program sets configuration settings in the root (server level) Web.config file, the machine.config file, and the applicationHost.config file.

For information about configuration, see Configure Windows Server AppFabric. You can configure AppFabric either immediately after installation, or in a separate process.

To open the installation wizard

  1. Open the installation wizard for initial installation by downloading and running the appropriate setup program from Windows Server AppFabric (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=183123), as shown in the following table. These programs all run a Microsoft Update package to install AppFabric features, which are features of Windows.

    Platform Setup package

    Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 x64

    WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x64_6.0.exe

    Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 x64

    WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x64_6.1.exe

    Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 x86

    WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x86_6.0.exe

    Windows 7 x86

    WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x86_6.1.exe

    Note

    You can open the installation wizard to add or remove features after an initial installation by clicking Start, clicking All Programs, clicking Windows Server AppFabric, and then clicking Add or remove Features.

  2. Proceed to the next section of this topic to install AppFabric.

To install AppFabric

  1. On the Accept License Terms page, read the license terms, and then accept the terms and click Next to continue, or do not accept the terms and then exit the setup wizard.

  2. On the Customer Experience Improvement Program page, select Yes to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement program, or No not to participate, and then click Next. Click the Yes, download and install critical updates. button to install the latest critical updates for Windows Server AppFabric as part of the AppFabric setup experience.

    Note

    If you select Yes to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement program, this program will collect information about your hardware, how you use AppFabric, and what problems you might have with AppFabric, in order to enable Microsoft to improve AppFabric. The program will not interrupt you.

  3. On the Feature Selection page, select the AppFabric components that you want to install to reliably host and manage applications, and to use caching, and then click Next.

    Note

    If you keep the same settings that are displayed in the installation wizard when it is run for the first time, the installation wizard will install the Hosting Services, Cache Client, and Hosting Administration features. It will not install the Caching Services or Cache Administration features, because they would often be installed on a separate computer. However, you can install all features on the same computer, particularly for developing or testing purposes.

    Control Description

    Hosting Services

    AppFabric components that enable you to reliably host and manage WCF/WF applications. When this component is selected, the Hosting Administration feature will automatically be selected.

    Caching Services

    The distributed Caching Service and related components that enable you to prepare this host as a Caching Service, turning the server into the node of a cluster. You can create a new cluster or join this host to an existing cluster using the Caching Service.

    Cache Client

    The client libraries that enable you to use cache functionality in your applications during development or run time. You can install this component even if you are not installing the Caching Services.

    Hosting Administration

    Components that enable you to administer the Hosting Services. When this feature is selected, the installation program installs the IIS Manager, the AppFabric Configuration Wizard, and the hosting features Windows PowerShell modules. When you make a remote connection with a separate server that has Hosting Services installed on it, the AppFabric IIS Manager extensions are transferred over to the computer with IIS Manager installed on it.

    You can select Hosting Administration with no other features selected, which enables you to create a monitoring or persistence database on a database server while the Hosting Services runtime and the administration tools are installed on separate servers. If Hosting Administration is installed, but Hosting Services is not installed, the services for the AppFabric Event Collection service and Workflow Management service will not be installed.

    Cache Administration

    Components that enable you to administer a cache cluster. You can select Cache Administration as an independent component, with no other features selected. In that instance, you could use administration tools to administer the Caching Service installed on a separate computer.

    Note

    If prerequisite software needs to be installed, the setup wizard will display the Platform Validation page after the Feature Selection page. You must install the missing prerequisites manually. If all prerequisites have already been installed, the setup wizard will proceed directly to the Confirm Installation Selections page.

  4. On the Platform Validation page, review the information and download any necessary prerequisite software. Click the link for a component or a configuration issue for more information. After installing components and/or resolving issues, click Refresh to verify that the problem has been fixed and then click Next to continue with the setup wizard.

  5. The Confirm Installation Selections page will display a list of the features that were selected in the Feature Selection page, and will be installed. It displays a list of the required Windows components and the AppFabric features that will be installed. Verify that the lists are correct, and then click Install to begin installation.

    Note

    The Application Server role is required for AppFabric. This role will be included in the list of the required Windows components even if it is already installed, and the installation wizard will verify that it has been installed.

  6. On the Installation Progress page, you can monitor the progress of the installation.

  7. On the Installation Results page, verify that the installation has succeeded. To display a list of recommended updates that you can install, click the Recommended Updates link. To run the configuration wizard, select the Launch configuration tool check box, and then click Finish to complete the installation wizard. Click Detailed Installation report to display a log of setup events.

In This Section