scylladb · dkropachev · Mar 24, 2026
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
         run: make check
 
       - name: Run unit tests
-        run: TARGET_FRAMEWORK=net9 make test-unit
+        run: TARGET_FRAMEWORK=net9.0 make test-unit
 
   integration-tests:
     needs: linting-and-basic-unit-tests
@@ -60,17 +60,17 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         include:
           - scylla-version: LTS-LATEST
-            target-framework: net9
+            target-framework: net9.0
             dotnet-version: '9.0.x'
           - scylla-version: LTS-PRIOR
-            target-framework: net8
+            target-framework: net8.0
             dotnet-version: '8.0.x'
-          - scylla-version: LATEST
-            target-framework: net7
-            dotnet-version: '7.0.x'
           - scylla-version: PRIOR
-            target-framework: net6
-            dotnet-version: '6.0.x'
+            target-framework: net8.0
+            dotnet-version: '8.0.x'
+          - scylla-version: LATEST
+            target-framework: net9.0
+            dotnet-version: '9.0.x'
       fail-fast: false
 
     env:

diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
@@ -88,4 +88,4 @@ AGENTS.md
 claude.log
 claude_history.json
 claude_config.json
-CLAUDE.md
+CLAUDE.md
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -120,29 +120,26 @@ The command `dotnet build src/Cassandra.sln` should succeed. Otherwise, you need
 You can build specific projects against specific target frameworks on any platform like this:
 
 ```bash
-dotnet build src/Cassandra/Cassandra.csproj -f netstandard2.0
-dotnet build src/Cassandra.Tests/Cassandra.Tests.csproj -f net8
-dotnet build src/Cassandra.IntegrationTests/Cassandra.IntegrationTests.csproj -f net8
+dotnet build src/Cassandra/Cassandra.csproj -f net8.0
+dotnet build src/Cassandra.Tests/Cassandra.Tests.csproj -f net8.0
+dotnet build src/Cassandra.IntegrationTests/Cassandra.IntegrationTests.csproj -f net8.0
 ```
 
-Alternatively you can set the `BuildCoreOnly` environment variable which will cause the projects to support .NET Core / .NET Standard targets only (you can see the conditions on the `.csproj` files).
-
 ### Running Unit Tests
 
 ```bash
-dotnet test src/Cassandra.Tests/Cassandra.Tests.csproj -f net8
+dotnet test src/Cassandra.Tests/Cassandra.Tests.csproj -f net8.0
 ```
 
-The target framework supported by the test projects is `net8` (by default). If you set the `BuildAllTargets` environment variable, the test projects will support these targets:
+The target framework supported by the test projects is `net8.0` (by default). If you set the `BuildAllTargets` environment variable, the test projects will support these targets:
 
-- `net6` 
-- `net7`(not LTS, might be removed at some point)
-- `net8`
+- `net8.0`
+- `net9.0`
 
 Running the unit tests for a single target should take no more than 5 minutes (usually less):
 
 ```bash
-dotnet test src/Cassandra.Tests/Cassandra.Tests.csproj -c Release -f net8 -l "console;verbosity=detailed"
+dotnet test src/Cassandra.Tests/Cassandra.Tests.csproj -c Release -f net8.0 -l "console;verbosity=detailed"
 ```
 
 ### Running Integration Tests

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 ScyllaDB's fork of a modern, [feature-rich][features] and highly tunable C# client library for Scylla using Cassandra's binary protocol and Cassandra Query Language v3.
 
-The driver targets .NET Standard 2.0. For more detailed information about platform compatibility, check [this section](#compatibility).
+The driver targets .NET 8.0 and .NET 9.0. For more detailed information about platform compatibility, check [this section](#compatibility).
 
 ## Installation
 
@@ -237,20 +237,13 @@ ICluster cluster = Cluster.Builder()
 - Apache Cassandra versions 2.0 and above.
 - ScyllaDB 5.x and above.
 - ScyllaDB Enterprise 2021.x and above.
-- The driver targets .NET Standard 2.0
+- The driver targets .NET 8.0 and .NET 9.0
 
-Here is a list of platforms and .NET targets that Datastax uses when testing this driver:
+Here is a list of platforms and .NET targets tested:
 
-|  Platform             | net6 | net7 | net8  |
-|-----------------------|------|------|-------|
-| Windows Server 2019³  |  ✓²  |  ✓¹ |  ✓   |
-| Ubuntu 18.04          |  ✓   | ✓   | ✓    |
-
-¹ No tests are run for the `net7` target on the Windows platform but `net7` is still considered fully supported.
-
-² Only unit tests are ran for the `net6` target on the windows platform but `net6` is still considered fully supported.
-
-³ Appveyor's `Visual Studio 2022` image is used for these tests.
+|  Platform             | net8 | net9 |
+|-----------------------|------|------|
+| Ubuntu 24.04          | ✓   |  ✓  |
 
 Note: Big-endian systems are not supported.
 

diff --git a/docs/source/api-docs/docfx.json b/docs/source/api-docs/docfx.json
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
       "disableGitFeatures": false,
       "disableDefaultFilter": false,
       "properties": {
-          "TargetFramework": "netstandard2.0"
+          "TargetFramework": "net8.0"
       }
     }
   ],

diff --git a/docs/source/index.md b/docs/source/index.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 ScyllaDB's fork of a modern, [feature-rich][features] and highly tunable C# client library for Scylla using Cassandra's binary protocol and Cassandra Query Language v3.
 
-The driver targets .NET Standard 2.0. For more detailed information about platform compatibility, check [this section](#compatibility).
+The driver targets .NET 8.0 and .NET 9.0. For more detailed information about platform compatibility, check [this section](#compatibility).
 
 ## Installation
 
@@ -235,20 +235,13 @@ ICluster cluster = Cluster.Builder()
 - ScyllaDB 2025.1 and above.
 - ScyllaDB 5.x and above.
 - ScyllaDB Enterprise 2021.x and above.
-- The driver targets .NET Standard 2.0
+- The driver targets .NET 8.0 and .NET 9.0
 
-Here is a list of platforms and .NET targets that Datastax uses when testing this driver:
+Here is a list of platforms and .NET targets tested:
 
-|  Platform             | net6 | net7 | net8  |
-|-----------------------|------|------|-------|
-| Windows Server 2019³  | ✓²  |  ✓¹ |  ✓   |
-| Ubuntu 18.04          | ✓   |  ✓  |  ✓   |
-
-¹ No tests are run for the `net7` target on the Windows platform but `net7` is still considered fully supported.
-
-² Only unit tests are ran for the `net6` target on the windows platform but `net6` is still considered fully supported.
-
-³ Appveyor's `Visual Studio 2022` image is used for these tests.
+|  Platform             | net8 | net9 |
+|-----------------------|------|------|
+| Ubuntu 24.04          | ✓   |  ✓  |
 
 Note: Big-endian systems are not supported.
 

diff --git a/docs/source/upgrade-guide/index.md b/docs/source/upgrade-guide/index.md
@@ -49,6 +49,42 @@ Example: `3.4.1`
 
 These releases only contain bug fixes so they will never contain changes to the driver's public API.
 
+## 4.0 - Target framework changes
+
+### Breaking: Minimum target framework is now .NET 8
+
+The NuGet package targets have changed from `netstandard2.0` to `net8.0;net9.0`. This means:
+
+- **.NET 8** and **.NET 9** applications are fully supported.
+- **.NET 6**, **.NET 7**, and **.NET Framework** applications can no longer consume this package.
+
+Applications targeting older runtimes should remain on the 3.x driver series.
+
+This change also applies to the extension packages `Cassandra.AppMetrics` and `Cassandra.OpenTelemetry`, which now target `net8.0;net9.0` instead of `netstandard2.0`.
+
+This change enables the driver to take advantage of modern .NET APIs and performance improvements that are not available under `netstandard2.0`.
+
+### Breaking: `[Serializable]` attribute and serialization constructors removed
+
+The `[Serializable]` attribute has been removed from `DriverException` and `NoHostAvailableException`. The serialization constructors (accepting `SerializationInfo` and `StreamingContext`) have been removed from `DriverException`, `FunctionFailureException`, and `NoHostAvailableException`.
+
+Binary serialization has been obsolete since .NET 5 and is disabled by default in .NET 8+. If your application relies on binary serialization of driver exceptions (e.g., cross-AppDomain marshalling or certain logging frameworks), you will need to update your code.
+
+### Breaking: SSL default protocol changed
+
+The default SSL protocol has changed from `SslProtocols.Tls` (TLS 1.0) to `SslProtocols.None` (OS-negotiated, typically TLS 1.2+). This is the recommended setting for modern .NET applications. If you connect to servers that only support TLS 1.0, you must explicitly set `SSLOptions.SslProtocol` to `SslProtocols.Tls`.
+
+### Breaking: Public API removals
+
+The following public APIs have been removed:
+
+- `PlatformHelper.GetTargetFramework()`
+- `PlatformHelper.RuntimeSupportsCloudTlsSettings()`
+- `PlatformHelper.GetNetCoreVersion()`
+- `CloudSupportedAttribute`
+
+These APIs were used internally for multi-target framework support and are no longer needed now that the driver targets only .NET 8+.
+
 ## 3.13.0 - Unified driver
 
 A new load balancing policy has been added: `DefaultLoadBalancingPolicy`. This is the new default load balancing policy in the driver. The behavior is the same as the previous default policy except for some DSE specific workloads so there is no impact for existing applications.

diff --git a/examples/ColumnEncryption/ColumnEncryptionExample/ColumnEncryptionExample.csproj b/examples/ColumnEncryption/ColumnEncryptionExample/ColumnEncryptionExample.csproj
@@ -8,16 +8,14 @@ You can should replace the project reference with the package reference of the d
 -->
   <PropertyGroup>
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
-    <TargetFramework>net8</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
     <RootNamespace>ColumnEncryptionExample</RootNamespace>
     <AssemblyName>ColumnEncryptionExample</AssemblyName>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <!--This example uses a project reference. In your project use PackageReference (nuget)-->
   <ItemGroup>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj">
-      <SetTargetFramework>TargetFramework=netstandard2.0</SetTargetFramework>
-    </ProjectReference>
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
 </Project>
diff --git a/examples/ConcurrentExecutions/ExecuteInLoop/ExecuteInLoop.csproj b/examples/ConcurrentExecutions/ExecuteInLoop/ExecuteInLoop.csproj
@@ -8,16 +8,14 @@ You can should replace the project reference with the package reference of the d
 -->
   <PropertyGroup>
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
-    <TargetFramework>net8</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
     <RootNamespace>ExecuteInLoop</RootNamespace>
     <AssemblyName>ExecuteInLoop</AssemblyName>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <!--This example uses a project reference. In your project use PackageReference (nuget)-->
   <ItemGroup>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj">
-      <SetTargetFramework>TargetFramework=netstandard2.0</SetTargetFramework>
-    </ProjectReference>
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
 </Project>
diff --git a/examples/Mapper/MultipleKeyspacesSingleSession/MultipleKeyspacesSingleSession.csproj b/examples/Mapper/MultipleKeyspacesSingleSession/MultipleKeyspacesSingleSession.csproj
@@ -2,13 +2,11 @@
 
   <PropertyGroup>
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
-    <TargetFramework>net8</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj">
-      <SetTargetFramework>TargetFramework=netstandard2.0</SetTargetFramework>
-    </ProjectReference>
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
 </Project>
diff --git a/examples/Metrics/AppMetricsGraphite/AppMetricsGraphite.csproj b/examples/Metrics/AppMetricsGraphite/AppMetricsGraphite.csproj
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
   <PropertyGroup>
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
-    <TargetFramework>net8</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
@@ -12,12 +12,8 @@
 
   <!--This example uses project references. In your project use PackageReference (nuget)-->
   <ItemGroup>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj">
-      <SetTargetFramework>TargetFramework=netstandard2.0</SetTargetFramework>
-    </ProjectReference>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\src\Extensions\Cassandra.AppMetrics\Cassandra.AppMetrics.csproj">
-      <SetTargetFramework>TargetFramework=netstandard2.0</SetTargetFramework>
-    </ProjectReference>
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj" />
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\src\Extensions\Cassandra.AppMetrics\Cassandra.AppMetrics.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
 </Project>
diff --git a/examples/OpenTelemetry/DistributedTracing/Api/Api.csproj b/examples/OpenTelemetry/DistributedTracing/Api/Api.csproj
@@ -15,12 +15,8 @@
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj">
-      <SetTargetFramework>TargetFramework=netstandard2.0</SetTargetFramework>
-    </ProjectReference>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\..\src\Extensions\Cassandra.OpenTelemetry\Cassandra.OpenTelemetry.csproj">
-      <SetTargetFramework>TargetFramework=netstandard2.0</SetTargetFramework>
-    </ProjectReference>
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj" />
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\..\src\Extensions\Cassandra.OpenTelemetry\Cassandra.OpenTelemetry.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
 </Project>
diff --git a/examples/OpenTelemetry/Exporter/ConsoleExporter/ConsoleExporter.csproj b/examples/OpenTelemetry/Exporter/ConsoleExporter/ConsoleExporter.csproj
@@ -12,12 +12,8 @@
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj">
-      <SetTargetFramework>TargetFramework=netstandard2.0</SetTargetFramework>
-    </ProjectReference>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\..\src\Extensions\Cassandra.OpenTelemetry\Cassandra.OpenTelemetry.csproj">
-      <SetTargetFramework>TargetFramework=netstandard2.0</SetTargetFramework>
-    </ProjectReference>
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\..\src\Cassandra\Cassandra.csproj" />
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\..\src\Extensions\Cassandra.OpenTelemetry\Cassandra.OpenTelemetry.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
 </Project>
diff --git a/examples/SecureConnectionBundle/MinimalExample/MinimalExample.csproj b/examples/SecureConnectionBundle/MinimalExample/MinimalExample.csproj
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ You can should replace the project reference with the package reference of the d
 -->
   <PropertyGroup>
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
-    <TargetFramework>net8</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <!--This example uses a project reference. In your project use PackageReference (nuget)-->

diff --git a/examples/Ssl/SslServerAuthOnly/SslServerAuthOnly.csproj b/examples/Ssl/SslServerAuthOnly/SslServerAuthOnly.csproj
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
   <PropertyGroup>
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
-    <TargetFramework>net8</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <!--This example uses a project reference. In your project use PackageReference (nuget)-->

diff --git a/examples/Ssl/SslTwoWayAuth/SslTwoWayAuth.csproj b/examples/Ssl/SslTwoWayAuth/SslTwoWayAuth.csproj
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
   <PropertyGroup>
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
-    <TargetFramework>net8</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <!--This example uses a project reference. In your project use PackageReference (nuget)-->