Get expert architectural and design-level guidance for building distributed solutions with the Microsoft® .NET Framework—learning how to synthesize your knowledge of application development, servers, and infrastructure and business requirements. This guide assumes you are familiar with .NET component development and the basic principles of a layered distributed application design. It examines architectural issues and solution design for a range of project stakeholders—whether you build and design applications and services, recommend appropriate technologies and products for applications and services, make design decisions to meet functional and nonfunctional requirements, or choose appropriate communications mechanisms for applications and services—providing straightforward guidance, recommendations, and best practices gleaned from real-world solution development. All PATTERNS & PRACTICES guides are reviewed and approved by Microsoft engineering teams, consultants, partners, and customers—delivering accurate, real-world information that’s been technically validated and tested.