Understanding AppDomains in .NET Framework and .NET 5 to 8

by Joche Ojeda | Mar 7, 2024 | C#, dotnet, netcore, netframework

Understanding AppDomains in .NET Framework and .NET 5 to 8

AppDomains, or Application Domains, have been a fundamental part of isolation and security in the .NET Framework, allowing multiple applications to run under a single process without affecting each other. However, the introduction of .NET Core and its evolution through .NET 5 to 8 has brought significant changes to how isolation and application boundaries are handled. This article will explore the concept of AppDomains in the .NET Framework, their transition and replacement in .NET 5 to 8, and provide code examples to illustrate these differences.

AppDomains in .NET Framework

In the .NET Framework, AppDomains served as an isolation boundary for applications, providing a secure and stable environment for code execution. They enabled developers to load and unload assemblies without affecting the entire application, facilitating application updates, and minimizing downtime.

Creating an AppDomain

using System;

namespace NetFrameworkAppDomains
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Create a new application domain
            AppDomain newDomain = AppDomain.CreateDomain("NewAppDomain");

            // Load an assembly into the application domain
            newDomain.ExecuteAssembly("MyAssembly.exe");

            // Unload the application domain
            AppDomain.Unload(newDomain);
        }
    }
}

AppDomains in .NET 5 to 8

With the shift to .NET Core and its successors, the concept of AppDomains was deprecated, reflecting the platform’s move towards cross-platform compatibility and microservices architecture. Instead of AppDomains, .NET 5 to 8 emphasizes on assembly loading contexts for isolation and the use of containers (like Docker) for application separation.

AssemblyLoadContext in .NET 5 to 8

using System;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Runtime.Loader;

namespace NetCoreAssemblyLoading
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Create a new AssemblyLoadContext
            var loadContext = new AssemblyLoadContext("MyLoadContext", true);

            // Load an assembly into the context
            Assembly assembly = loadContext.LoadFromAssemblyPath("MyAssembly.dll");

            // Execute a method from the assembly (example method)
            MethodInfo methodInfo = assembly.GetType("MyNamespace.MyClass").GetMethod("MyMethod");
            methodInfo.Invoke(null, null);

            // Unload the AssemblyLoadContext
            loadContext.Unload();
        }
    }
}

Differences and Considerations

• Isolation Level: AppDomains provided process-level isolation without needing multiple processes. In contrast, AssemblyLoadContext provides a lighter-weight mechanism for loading assemblies but doesn’t offer the same isolation level. For higher isolation, .NET 5 to 8 applications are encouraged to use containers or separate processes.
• Compatibility: AppDomains are specific to the .NET Framework and are not supported in .NET Core and its successors. Applications migrating to .NET 5 to 8 need to adapt their architecture to use AssemblyLoadContext or explore alternative isolation mechanisms like containers.
• Performance: The move away from AppDomains to more granular assembly loading and containers reflects a shift towards microservices and cloud-native applications, where performance, scalability, and cross-platform compatibility are prioritized.

Conclusion

While the transition from AppDomains to AssemblyLoadContext and container-based isolation marks a significant shift in application architecture, it aligns with the modern development practices and requirements of .NET applications. Understanding these differences is crucial for developers migrating from the .NET Framework to .NET 5 to