Microsoft is ending support for Microsoft AppFabric 1.1 for Windows Server on April 2, 2016, but there's a better alternative: Redis. Redis is a fast-growing NoSQL datastore that runs in-memory and delivers sub-millisecond latencies, making it ideal for high-speed transactions and real-time analytics. It offers performance, scalability, portability, built-in monitoring, and ease of use, making it a more suitable choice than AppFabric. Both Redis Cloud and Redis Enterprise Cluster (RLEC) provide seamless scalability, automated deployment, and management, with RLEC being free to download and Redis Cloud having a free tier, allowing developers to easily migrate from AppFabric.