With the ever-evolving technology landscape, it has become paramount for businesses to upgrade their systems to better align with their digital transformation goals.
When it comes to deploying an appropriate software development framework for your business applications, Microsoft offers two advanced options: .Net Core and .Net framework.
You should know that .NET Core is the latest application development framework, while .NET Framework is the traditional one.
Enterprises looking forward to digital transformation know the rising popularity of .NET Core , thanks to its ability to work on multiple platforms, improved performance, and many other advanced features.
Consequently, many developers who previously deployed the older .NET Framework are migrating their applications to the more innovative .NET Core.
However, to convert a net framework to a net core, you must understand the involved steps and implement them efficiently. This article presents a comprehensive guide to carrying out a successful migration from .NET Framework to .NET Core latest.
Here, you will learn the importance of switching from .NET Framework to .NET Core and the challenges you can face during the migration process.
The .NET Framework is the proprietary software framework introduced by Microsoft that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. On the other hand, .Net Core is the most up-to-date version of the .NET domain that overcomes the limitations of the .NET Framework.
The StackOverflow 2021 developer survey states that .NET and .NET Core are recognized as the most commonly used software development frameworks.
While .NET Framework is the traditional, time-tested version of .NET, .NET Core has been launched by Microsoft as a modern counterpart to address the limitations of .NET Framework. Updating .Net framework to the .NET Core is an ideal solution for developers to leverage the latest technological advancements.
Available for free, .NET Core is an open-source, cross-platform framework that can run ideally on Windows, Linux, and macOS and is specifically designed to help developers develop modern applications.
When considering switching from .NET Framework to .NET Core, you should assess the current application used in the business and determine whether it’s a good candidate for migration. If the chosen application uses the features supported by the .NET Core, it will be much easier to carry out the migration process.
However, if your web app doesn’t use the features supported by .NET Core, you must first make some code changes. Moreover, you can use various tools for .NET Development to automate the migration process.
The following are the steps involved in the migration process from .NET Framework to .NET Core:
Before starting the migration process, you should analyze the system background, codebase size, dependencies on specific Windows features, and third-party library compatibilities.
You can use Microsoft’s .NET Portability Analyzer to analyze the specific application’s dependencies and project references. In addition, with this tool, you can identify the APIs not available in the .NET Core.
The next step is to evaluate the existing .NET Framework used for web app development to identify if there are any compatibility issues, dependencies, or potential challenges for migration.
Once you have identified project dependencies and compatibility issues, it’s time to create a comprehensive plan outlining the approach, resources, and timeline required to migrate the .NET Framework to .NET Core.
In addition, don’t forget to outline the steps and potential risks involved in the migration process. It’s recommended to start with smaller components or modules and gradually switch to the entire application.
You can use various tools and resources to automate and smooth the migration process. As discussed above, the .NET Portability Analyzer by Microsoft can be used to assess the compatibility of the chosen application with .NET Core.
Moreover, consider leveraging the documentation and guides provided by Microsoft to gain valuable insights and guidance for a successful migration.
If .NET Core does not support your application features, you should modify the codebase to make the app compatible with .NET Core. Update or replace any dependencies or third-party libraries incompatible with the .NET Core.
Consider following some of these approaches to proceed with the migration:
It is the most crucial step, which involves migrating application settings, configuration files, and environment-specific configurations to the corresponding .NET Core equivalents.
Follow these steps to migrate from ASP.Net to .Net Core:
Create a new ASP.NET project utilizing the type suiting your project, such as ASP.NET Core Web API, ASP.NET Core Empty, or ASP.NET Core Web App. Your target framework must be .NET 5.
If your chosen application incorporates a database, you should migrate the data to the new project. You can leverage Visual Studio’s ‘Export’ and ‘Import’ features to transfer data seamlessly. Alternatively, you can use the Generate Scripts feature to create an SQL script and transfer existing data.
The migration process doesn’t end with transferring application settings, configuration files, and environment-specific configurations to the .NET Core equivalents.
Instead, it’s a must to thoroughly test the migrated application for any issues or bugs that might have emerged during the migration process. So, you should conduct thorough testing and quality assurance to spot and fix compatibility or performance issues.
After deploying the migrated application to the targeted environment, you should monitor its performance to ensure it functions optimally in the new .NET Core application development framework.
If you wonder why you should migrate from classic .NET to modern .NET Core, go through the following points:
With the retirement of a few components of the .NET Framework, the cost is reduced as there is no need to support or maintain older components.
Moreover, it will enable you to use more modern tools and technologies that better suit the current market. It will further lead to a simplified development process while saving on cost.
It’s seen that more developers understand the benefits of .Net core and, thus, are attracted to it than .NET Framework. .NET Core is an open-source, cross-platform platform that offers high-performance capabilities.
Therefore, it has increased the developer’s interest in working with this modern application development framework, expanding the talent pool for development projects.
Microsoft constantly updates the .NET Core with new features and capabilities, enabling more efficient and effective product innovation. Its modular architecture, smaller footprint, and availability of various tools and libraries lead to easier development and cost-effective product innovation.
Another .NET Core’s migration process is that it can run seamlessly on multiple operating systems, including macOS, Windows, and Linux, unlike .NET Framework.
Therefore, .NET Core’s feature allows developers to develop applications that can be easily deployed on multiple devices, eliminating the need to tailor apps for different platforms.
The .NET Core facilitates a lighter runtime environment, enhancing application scalability in cloud environments. Fewer resources are needed to run applications, and more resources are available to process requests, resulting in better scalability and reduced latency.
By adopting the latest .NET Core version featuring modern architecture and framework, developers can leverage flexible application development processes.
Modern architectures will offer companies modular and extensible structures, facilitating quick modifications, iterations, and adaptability to changing application development environments.
With increased scalability and flexibility, you can develop applications efficiently, offering longer-term value for investments.
.NET Core focuses on the latest encryption standards to ensure data privacy and security. Therefore, by using .NET Core’s security protocols, enterprises can protect sensitive business data by preventing malicious attacks and unauthorized attacks.
Deployment of the .NET Core framework will result in enhanced application performance. It will further allow you to optimize operations and provide quick and efficient services to your customers, improving the customer experience.
Moreover, strategies like virtualization, caching, componentization, load balancing, or database optimization will enhance performance.
Encompassing built-in cloud features, the .NET Core enables deployment in popular cloud environments such as AWS, GCP, and Azure. Access to advanced cloud-based services ensures reliable and secure implementation.
You can migrate from .NET Framework to .NET Core with minimal disruption. The migration process is relatively straightforward because of language compatibility and the ability to use many of the same tools.
In addition, a clear roadmap enables organizations to plan the migration process while staying up-to-date with the Top .Net Development Trends.
This table will better explain the difference between .net core and .net framework and show why .NET Core is the ideal choice for application development:
|
Features |
.NET Framework |
.NET Core |
| Compatibility | Windows | Windows, Linux, macOS |
| Deployment | The web application can only be deployed on the Internet Information Server. | It facilitates a flexible deployment model. |
| Focus on Devices | It’s only limited to Windows OS. | It includes an integrated platform allowing companies to develop applications for the IoT, AI, cloud, and mobile. |
| Source | The application development framework is proprietary, as it’s released under the Microsoft Reference Source License. | The application development framework is open-source. |
| Support for microservices and REST services | Although .NET Framework gets support from WCF and supports REST services, it doesn’t support creating or deploying microservices. Moreover, it’s less effective when it comes to performance. | .NET Core is suitable for modern cloud-native and cross-platform applications as it’s lightweight and provides improved performance and better support for containerization. |
| Mobile development | Since .NET Core is a Windows-only framework, it doesn’t support mobile development. Therefore, the application development framework is inflexible for modern applications’ needs. | Since .NET Core supports Android, macOS, and iOS applications, it supports mobile apps. It’s also possible due to the connection or compatibility .NET Core shares with Xamarin and other open-source platforms. |
When migrating the .NET Framework to the .NET Core, organizations can come across some of the below-discussed challenges:
One of the main challenges developers face is ensuring that the libraries used in the original application are compatible with the .NET Core. Some libraries may be unavailable in .NET Core, requiring developers to identify and replace those libraries with the ideal alternatives.
In addition, for a smooth migration, software developers need to implement specific functionalities while deploying different approaches in the new environment.
It’s reported that .NET Core introduces more changes to the API than the .NET Framework application. As a result, developers need to modify certain parts of the original application to align it with the new API structure.
To do the same, you might have to rewrite the code or adjust it to accommodate differences in API functionality and usage.
It will help modify configuration and deployment processes for the specific application to work effectively in the .NET Core environments. These modifications include adapting configuration settings, ensuring compatibility with new infrastructure, and updating deployment scripts.
The .NET Framework to .NET Core migration process needs enough time and resources to test, code, refactor, and adjust the application.
It can be challenging for organizations to plan and allocate resources optimally, leading to increased costs. You can avoid delays and overspending by optimally allocating resources.
These are the steps to follow to prepare your system to migrate from .NET Framework to .NET Core:
If you develop a web application using .Net, you might be curious about the latest developments in the .NET roadmap. Microsoft introduced the .NET Core to the world for the first time by releasing the .NET 5.0 version in November 2020.
The most recent version of .NET Core, i.e., .NET 7.0, was released by Microsoft in November 2022. Talking about the future of asp.net technology, Microsoft stated that it will officially release .NET 8.0 in November 2023.
But what will be new in the .NET 8.0 version? As an LTS (long-term support) version of the .NET Core family, .NET 8.0 will continue to receive support, updates, and bug fixes for three years from its release date. It will ensure that software developers can confidently carry out migrations in ASP.Net core 8.0 version and reap benefits from its several features and enhancements.
Other than that, .NET 8.0 has several new features, including improvements in code generation and better performance. Microsoft stated that this new .NET Core version will improve the C# language and runtime performance.
It will support cross-platform software development and LTS while focusing on modern application development practices such as microservices architecture and containerization. Moreover, it will integrate with other popular Microsoft technologies, allowing it to embrace open-source development.
Choosing the correct .NET framework is crucial for developing cutting-edge applications. Initially, developers could only rely on the .NET Framework.
However, with the release of the .NET Core, application development has witnessed a significant revolution. The asp net vs. net core (.NET Framework vs .NET Core) discussion is ongoing, but migrating to the latest .NET Core version can bring additional advantages.
Arka Softwares is a team of professional .NET developers with years of experience serving organizations of all sizes. With the right combination of industry and technical expertise, Arka has been delivering top-notch ASP.NET development services for years and, thus, can help you with your next .NET project.
The prominent developers in our ASP.Net development company are knowledgeable enough to understand the most complex IT challenges and provide customized solutions to help businesses drive optimum ROI.
Provenance leverages Microsoft Azure, the .NET Framework, and .NET Core to transform enterprises into cloud-computing powerhouses.
Our advanced services include designing, building, and managing Azure cloud computing projects, ensuring computer backups, promoting employee collaboration, managing devices, and facilitating remote work.
Moreover, a team of expert developers at Arka Softwares helps companies develop cloud-first solutions, enabling businesses to enhance their flexibility and scalability while meeting customer expectations.
AA is a SaaS solution that tracks Medicaid, Medicare, and HMO changes and helps healthcare facilities prevent billing problems. Now that AA had a shortage of in-house IT personnel, they contacted Arka Softwares to help them migrate from .NET Framework to .NET Core.
AA was successfully able to shift from the .NET Framework to .NET Core, allowing them to reap the exceptional features and functionalities of .NET Core.
In addition, the successful migration enabled AA to cut the cost of each transaction by more than 300% and speed up several processes and functions.
IT companies developing applications always look for the latest, updated technological solutions to automate and streamline the application development process. And one of the best ways to do the same is to upgrade the .Net framework and shift to the .NET Core environment.
Migrating from .NET Framework to .NET Core will offer your company several advantages, like access to a broader talent pool, cost savings, cross-platform compatibility, greater flexibility, built-in-cloud features, and more.
However, to switch from. NET Framework to .NET Core, you must understand the entire migration process and overcome multiple challenges to leverage the power of .NET Core.
You must hire dot net core developers, as they are experts in assessing compatibility, reviewing APIs, updating libraries, using advanced migration tools, and planning the entire migration process.
Nevertheless, consider following the steps and practices discussed above to seamlessly switch from .NET Framework to .NET Core and capitalize on its exceptional features.
The .NET Core framework is the latest version introduced by Microsoft to address the shortcomings of the .NET Framework. Although it supports a few features of the .NET Framework, it’s not entirely compatible with all the APIs available in the .NET Framework. The good news is that application development companies can reference the .NET Framework from their projects using a “Framework-dependent deployment” (FDD) and still deploy their applications without installing the .NET Framework on their systems.
.NET 6 is .NET Core’s latest version, which Microsoft released in November 2022. This version of .NET Core comprises a unified development platform, advanced APIs, and many other features.
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