Introduction

Microsoft has issued a critical warning to all .NET developers, urging them to promptly update their applications and development environments. The tech giant is emphasizing that the use of 'azureedge.net' domains for installing .NET components will soon become obsolete due to the impending shutdown of CDN provider Edgio, which is staggering under bankruptcy.

Affected Domains

The specific domains to watch out for—“dotnetcli.azureedge.net” and “dotnetbuilds.azureedge.net”—are set to be discontinued in the coming months. This could lead to significant disruptions for countless projects that depend on these domains for functionality. Affected parties include developers who rely on .NET installers hosted on the flagged domains, organizations utilizing GitHub Actions or Azure DevOps with custom pipelines that link to these URLs, as well as Docker and other script users referencing the outdated domains.

Official Statement

Microsoft has publicly explained, "We have multiple Content Delivery Network (CDN) instances that deliver .NET builds, some of which end in azureedge.net. These domains are under the management of Edgio, which will be discontinuing its operations. We must transition to a new CDN, adopting new domains for our services."

Transition Timeline

Potential downtime for the azureedge.net domains is a pressing concern, with Microsoft estimating that they will be permanently retired by early 2025. To minimize project disruptions, developers are strongly encouraged to scan their code, scripts, and configurations for any mention of azureedge.net and the related dotnetcli.blob.core.windows.net. All references should be updated to the new domain: builds.dotnet.microsoft.com.

New CDN Management

In light of the transition, Microsoft will combine services across Edgio, Akamai, and Azure Front Door to ensure the new domains are robustly managed. It’s crucial for Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) teams to verify that their GitHub Actions (specifically actions/setup-dotnet) and Azure DevOps tasks are up-to-date. Updates for Azure DevOps Server are expected early next year.

Firewall Configurations

Additionally, with these changes, developers must also configure their firewalls to permit traffic from the newly designated domains (builds.dotnet.microsoft.com and ci.dot.net) to avoid connectivity issues.

Challenges Ahead

Unfortunately, the timing of this alert coincides with the holiday season, a period when many IT teams are operating with reduced staff, introducing an added layer of difficulty to the required changes.

Ownership of Domains

When questioned about the possibility of transferring the existing domains to continue their use, Microsoft's Rich Lander responded, “We asked the same question. Unfortunately, this option wasn’t made available to us.” Although Scott Hanselman, another Microsoft official, confirmed that the company does own the domains and that no external party would have access, the situation has left many developers scratching their heads over the rushed need for migration and the potential for operational chaos.

Keep Updated

If your work is impacted by this transition, you can keep updated on the issue and monitor status updates by visiting the relevant GitHub page.

Conclusion

As the deadline looms, developers must act quickly to avoid disruptions. Will you be ready when the clock strikes midnight on these old domains? Don’t wait too long—your project’s success may depend on it!