Choosing a Backend

January 23, 2026 · View on GitHub

The Durable Task Framework (DTFx) supports multiple backend storage providers. This guide helps you choose the right one for your needs.

Recommendation: Durable Task Scheduler

For most new projects, we recommend the Durable Task Scheduler—a fully managed Azure service that eliminates infrastructure management and provides the best developer experience.

Provider Comparison

Feature	Durable Task Scheduler	Azure Storage	MSSQL	Service Bus	Service Fabric	Emulator
Type	⭐ Managed service	Self-managed	Self-managed	Self-managed	Self-managed	In-memory
Production ready	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
Azure support SLA	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No
Infrastructure	None required	Storage account	SQL Server database	Service Bus namespace	Service Fabric cluster	None
Throughput	Very high	Moderate+	Moderate+	Moderate	Unknown	N/A
Latency	Low	Moderate	Low	Moderate+	Unknown	Very low
Built-in dashboard	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No
Managed identity	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	N/A	N/A
Local emulator	✅ Docker	N/A	✅ SQL Server	N/A	N/A	✅ Built-in
Cost model	Fixed monthly or per-operation	Storage transactions	Database DTUs/vCores	Messaging units	Cluster nodes	Free

When to Use Each Provider

Durable Task Scheduler ⭐ Recommended

Best for:

✅ New projects and greenfield development
✅ Production workloads requiring enterprise support
✅ Teams that want to minimize operational overhead
✅ High-throughput scenarios
✅ Applications needing built-in monitoring

Considerations:

Requires Azure subscription
Cost based on operations (see pricing)

👉 Get started with Durable Task Scheduler

Azure Storage

Best for:

✅ Existing Azure Storage deployments
✅ Cost-sensitive workloads with moderate throughput
✅ Scenarios requiring data residency control
✅ Teams already managing Azure Storage infrastructure

Considerations:

Throughput limited by Azure Storage transaction limits
Requires management of storage account, queues, tables, and blobs
No built-in monitoring dashboard

👉 Get started with Azure Storage

MSSQL (Microsoft SQL Server)

Best for:

✅ Non-Azure or hybrid deployments
✅ Teams with existing SQL Server expertise
✅ Scenarios requiring direct database queries against orchestration state
✅ Environments with strict BCDR requirements

Considerations:

Requires management of SQL Server database
State is stored in indexed tables with stored procedures for direct querying
Available for Azure SQL Database, SQL Server, or any compatible MSSQL database

👉 Get started with MSSQL

Service Bus

Best for:

✅ Existing Service Bus deployments
✅ Low(er)-latency message delivery requirements

Considerations:

Requires management of Service Bus namespace
Tracking store requires separate Azure Storage account

👉 Get started with Service Bus

Service Fabric

Best for:

✅ Existing Service Fabric clusters
✅ Integration with Service Fabric stateful services

Considerations:

Requires Service Fabric cluster management
Tightly coupled to Service Fabric ecosystem

👉 Get started with Service Fabric

Emulator

Best for:

✅ Local development and testing
✅ Unit tests and integration tests
✅ Learning and experimentation

Considerations:

In-memory only—data is lost on restart
Not suitable for production use
Single-process only

👉 Get started with Emulator

Netherite ⚠️ Deprecated

Warning: Netherite is being deprecated and is not recommended for new projects.

Netherite is an ultra-high performance backend developed by Microsoft Research that uses Azure Event Hubs and Azure Page Blobs with FASTER database technology.

Considerations:

⚠️ Being deprecated—not recommended for new projects
More complex infrastructure requirements (Event Hubs + Azure Storage)
Consider migrating to Durable Task Scheduler for similar performance characteristics

👉 Netherite GitHub Repository

Migration Between Providers

Each provider stores orchestration state differently, so migrating between providers requires:

Completing or terminating all running orchestrations
Reconfiguring the application with the new provider
Restarting orchestrations from scratch

There is no built-in state migration tool between providers.

Need Help Deciding?

For enterprise support, choose Durable Task Scheduler
For non-Azure deployments, choose MSSQL
For lowest cost, choose Azure Storage
For local testing, choose Emulator

See Support for more information about getting help.