Installing and configuring Windows Server AppFabric Cache Services

Download the Windows Server Appfabric from here. For complete installation guide and perquisites details here.

Now run the setup file. You’ll see screen after clicking next from the welcome screen. Select what service you would like to install through setup. For now just select Cache Client and Cache Administration.

Click next for confirmation and click further to proceed with installation.

Once you installation is done. Now you want to configure the setup for host for what service you are using. I’m showing here for configuring the Cache Service.

Configuring the Cache Services:

Now launch the configuration tool from Start->AllPrograms->Windows Server AppFabric->Configure AppFabric

Click next to skip the first two steps including the Configuration of Hosting Services. As we’re not gonna discuss about these right now. On Configuration Caching service tab you’ll the screen like below.

Click the Check box “Set Caching service configuration”

It’ll enable the Caching service provider drop down.

Now Select the SQL Server AppFabric  provider option & Click Configure.

[Note: If your [In case single machine]PC is a part of any WorkGroup\DomainGroup then this won’t get configured.

You can also select XML provider but in that case you’ve to create a shared directory on network share and mention the path in configure option.]

Specify the server Name and Database name. If you are creating new Database then check the box for option “Create AppFabric Caching Service configuration database”.

Give the name for new database for e.g. AppFabric_Cache

On Click OK it’ll prompt you to confirm. Click Yes.

If you see the success message means your SQL database for AppFabric is created successfully.

Now click on and select the Cluster setting. If you are configuring it first time then select the new Cluster other wise for existing setting click Join cluster if you have already installed cluster on you machine.

Now click Next.

Keep the default setting of Ports as it is. As in most of the Examples these are the standard ports used. Select the two check boxes under the Windows Firewall exceptions section.

And Click Next.

Click Yes in the confirmation box. It’ll get configured in few seconds depends on your machine.

After the processing complete Click FINISH button on the screen.

And your Windows Server AppFabric Cache services are installed and configured.

But it’s still not ready to use. There are few basic settings for development environment you need to setup using the PowerShell.

Now go to Start->All Programs -> Windows Server AppFabric -> Caching Administration Windows PowerShell

Run the powerShell with Administrator privilege. Otherwise you’ll see the <ERROR 0…0032> While running few commands.

Type the below command to start the cache cluster and service host:

1. Use-CacheCluster
2. Get-CacheHost

3. To start the CacheHost run  Start-CacheHost <hostname> <port>

4. Creating a new cache run New-Cache –CacheName <myCache>
5. List the available Cache in running service host run Get-Cache

Hope this was helpful setup the Windows Server Appfabric. Now your cache Services are ready to use.

Cheers!!!