Microsoft Enterprise Application blocks

Recently, Microsoft's Pattern & Practices Group has released the Enterprise Library, a large configurable and extensible software library that consists of seven integrated application blocks.

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The application blocks that comprise the Enterprise Library are the following:
Caching Application Block. This application block allows developers to incorporate a local cache in their applications.
Configuration Application Block. This application block allows applications to read and write configuration information.
Data Access Application Block. This application block allows developers to incorporate standard database functionality in their applications.
Cryptography Application Block. This application block allows developers to include encryption and hashing functionality in their applications.
Exception Handling Application Block. This application block allows developers and policy makers to create a consistent strategy for processing exceptions that occur throughout the architectural layers of enterprise applications.
Logging and Instrumentation Application Block. This application block allows developers to incorporate standard logging and instrumentation functionality in their applications.
Security Application Block. This application block allows developers to incorporate security functionality in their applications. Applications can use the application block in a variety of situations, such as authenticating and authorizing users against a database, retrieving role and profile information, and caching user profile information.