Today we finally announce our first public beta release for Royal Server V4!

Royal Server V4 is now a "self-contained" x64 .NET 5 application.

Using .NET 5 brings some benefits to the table:

• Optimzed memory management and better runtime performance: out of the box. Previous versions were pre-compiled during installation to get acceptable execution performance, which took some time. Royal Server V4 does not require such optimizations.
• Independence of system-wide installed frameworks: this means that the .NET 5 framework is shipped along with the application. While this increases the size of our MSI, there is no prerequisite of installing a specific version .NET framework anymore. Gone are the days when something broke, just because somebody chose to update the .NET framework on your machine.
• Future development benefits: the switch to .NET 5 Framework opens the road for faster updates and future improvements.

Another point worth mentioning is that we are now focusing on x64 targeting and are essentially dropping support for x86 architecture. Royal Server V4 might still work in x86 environments but we will not actively test our app on that architecture.

As the public beta progresses, we will post about some of the new features in dedicated articles. Here are the most important updates included in this release:

• The Configuration System has been overhauled and is now file-based, which allows you to manage your configuration settings more easily.
• Optionally, you can use Environment Variables to apply configuration settings on top.
• File Logging can be customized using different Rolling File Log Behaviors (e.g. hourly, daily, monthly, etc.).
• You can also set or remove Custom Headers on Royal Server V4 responses.
• Additionally, the Royal Server V4 Configuration Tool has been updated with a fresh look.

You can find the download and a complete list of new features and improvements here. If you have bug reports or feedback in general, head to our support portal and leave us a note.