Squashed commit of the following:

commit a504435151efbe1d19404fa44859b15c629f6d5d
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Sun Mar 24 20:55:01 2024 -0400

    chore: Updated compose and added some more logging

commit c74440ff12daa03cc4b7792d0c3baad46a11a465
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Mon Mar 18 21:57:57 2024 -0400

    feat: message checksum support & dynamic serializers

commit 9983582db08d3e6c456295ea96e482cbb4f31f42
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Sun Mar 10 21:58:28 2024 -0400

    source tree project location updated

commit 60f09bde87b5c59ef937c62ef64b7745bc3711b5
Merge: 2f75659 e5bb0ee
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Sun Mar 10 16:50:09 2024 -0400

    Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/master' into develop

commit 2f7565976472f0f056db60520bf253a776112c10
Merge: 323ff67 6b87785
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Sun Mar 10 16:45:23 2024 -0400

    merge master

commit 323ff67badfc46ad638d75f059d60d9425ccb2fa
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Sun Mar 10 15:50:07 2024 -0400

    ci(server): Conainerize and add vncache server packages

commit 5d4192880654fd6e00e587814169415b42621327
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Sat Mar 9 19:13:21 2024 -0500

    chore: #2 Minor fixes and polish before release

commit a4b3504bb891829074d1efde0433eae010862181
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Sat Mar 9 16:30:44 2024 -0500

    package updates

commit 4d8cfc10382105b0acbd94df93ad3d05ff91db54
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Wed Mar 6 21:30:58 2024 -0500

    refactor: #2 Centralize server state, default discovery endpoints & more

commit 016a96a80cce025a86c6cf26707738f6a2eb2658
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Thu Feb 29 21:22:38 2024 -0500

    feat: add future support for memory diagnostics, and some docs

commit 456ead9bc8b0f61357bae93152ad0403c4940101
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Tue Feb 13 14:46:35 2024 -0500

    fix: #1 shared cluster index on linux & latested core updates

commit a481d63f964a5d5204cac2e95141f37f9a28d573
Author: vnugent <public@vaughnnugent.com>
Date:   Tue Jan 23 15:43:50 2024 -0500

    cache extension api tweaks

4 files changed, 65 insertions, 25 deletions

diff --git a/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/FBMCacheClient.cs b/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/FBMCacheClient.cs
index 07fc9ee..e84a077 100644
--- a/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/FBMCacheClient.cs
+++ b/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/FBMCacheClient.cs
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
         public FBMCacheClient(PluginBase plugin, IConfigScope config)
         : this(
             config.Deserialze<VnCacheClientConfig>(),
-            plugin.IsDebug() ? plugin.Log : null
+            plugin.IsDebug() ? plugin.Log : null,
+            plugin
         )
         {
             ILogProvider scoped = plugin.Log.CreateScope(LOG_NAME);
@@ -103,7 +104,11 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
             }
         }
 
-        public FBMCacheClient(VnCacheClientConfig config, ILogProvider? debugLog):base(config)
+        public FBMCacheClient(VnCacheClientConfig config, ILogProvider? debugLog) : this(config, debugLog, null)
+        { }
+        
+
+        private FBMCacheClient(VnCacheClientConfig config, ILogProvider? debugLog, PluginBase? plugin) : base(config)
         {
             //Validate config
             (config as IOnConfigValidation).Validate();
@@ -115,13 +120,13 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
 
             //Init the client with default settings
             FBMClientConfig conf = FBMDataCacheExtensions.GetDefaultConfig(BufferHeap, (int)config.MaxBlobSize, config.RequestTimeout, debugLog);
-            
+
             FBMClientFactory clientFactory = new(
-                in conf, 
-                new FBMFallbackClientWsFactory(), 
+                in conf,
+                new FBMFallbackClientWsFactory(),
                 10
             );
-           
+
             _cluster = (new CacheClientConfiguration())
                 .WithTls(config.UseTls)
                 .WithInitialPeers(config.GetInitialNodeUris())
@@ -129,6 +134,9 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
 
             //Init index
             _index = ClusterNodeIndex.CreateIndex(_cluster);
+
+            //Init serializers
+            InitSerializers(config, plugin);
         }
 
         /*
@@ -296,7 +304,7 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
         public override Task<bool> DeleteAsync(string key, CancellationToken cancellation)
         {
             return !IsConnected
-              ? throw new InvalidOperationException("The underlying client is not connected to a cache node")
+              ? Task.FromException<bool>(new InvalidOperationException("The underlying client is not connected to a cache node"))
               : _client!.DeleteObjectAsync(key, cancellation);
         }
 
@@ -304,7 +312,7 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
         public override Task<T> GetAsync<T>(string key, ICacheObjectDeserializer deserializer, CancellationToken cancellation)
         {
             return !IsConnected
-            ? throw new InvalidOperationException("The underlying client is not connected to a cache node")
+            ? Task.FromException<T>(new InvalidOperationException("The underlying client is not connected to a cache node"))
             : _client!.GetObjectAsync<T>(key, deserializer, cancellation);
         }
 
@@ -312,7 +320,7 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
         public override Task AddOrUpdateAsync<T>(string key, string? newKey, T value, ICacheObjectSerializer serialzer, CancellationToken cancellation)
         {
             return !IsConnected
-            ? throw new InvalidOperationException("The underlying client is not connected to a cache node")
+            ? Task.FromException(new InvalidOperationException("The underlying client is not connected to a cache node"))
             : _client!.AddOrUpdateObjectAsync(key, newKey, value, serialzer, cancellation);
         }
 
@@ -320,7 +328,7 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
         public override Task GetAsync<T>(string key, ObjectDataSet<T> callback, T state, CancellationToken cancellation)
         {
             return !IsConnected
-            ? throw new InvalidOperationException("The underlying client is not connected to a cache node")
+            ? Task.FromException(new InvalidOperationException("The underlying client is not connected to a cache node"))
             : _client!.GetObjectAsync(key, callback, state, cancellation);
         }
 
@@ -328,7 +336,7 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
         public override Task AddOrUpdateAsync<T>(string key, string? newKey, ObjectDataGet<T> callback, T state, CancellationToken cancellation)
         {
             return !IsConnected
-            ? throw new InvalidOperationException("The underlying client is not connected to a cache node")
+            ? Task.FromException(new InvalidOperationException("The underlying client is not connected to a cache node"))
             : _client!.AddOrUpdateObjectAsync(key, newKey, callback, state, cancellation);
         }
 
diff --git a/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNCacheBase.cs b/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNCacheBase.cs
index c337ef4..dc1ab8f 100644
--- a/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNCacheBase.cs
+++ b/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNCacheBase.cs
@@ -25,26 +25,22 @@
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 
+using VNLib.Plugins;
+using VNLib.Plugins.Extensions.Loading;
+
 namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
 {
-    internal abstract class VNCacheBase : IGlobalCacheProvider
+    internal abstract class VNCacheBase(VNCacheConfig conf) : IGlobalCacheProvider
     {
         ///<inheritdoc/>
         public abstract bool IsConnected { get; }
 
         ///<inheritdoc/>
-        public virtual ICacheObjectDeserializer DefaultDeserializer { get; }
+        public virtual ICacheObjectDeserializer DefaultDeserializer => conf.CacheObjectDeserializer!;
 
         ///<inheritdoc/>
-        public virtual ICacheObjectSerializer DefaultSerializer { get; }
-
-        protected VNCacheBase(VNCacheConfig config)
-        {
-            //Set default serializers
-            DefaultDeserializer = config.CacheObjectDeserializer ?? new JsonCacheObjectSerializer(256);
-            DefaultSerializer = config.CacheObjectSerializer ?? new JsonCacheObjectSerializer(256);
-        }
-
+        public virtual ICacheObjectSerializer DefaultSerializer => conf.CacheObjectSerializer!;
+     
         ///<inheritdoc/>
         public abstract Task AddOrUpdateAsync<T>(string key, string? newKey, T value, ICacheObjectSerializer serialzer, CancellationToken cancellation);
 
@@ -62,5 +58,36 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
 
         ///<inheritdoc/>
         public abstract object GetUnderlyingStore();
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Initializes a set of cache object serializers and deserializers
+        /// for the configuration instance and loads external serializers if specified
+        /// by the user.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="config">The configuration instance to initialzie</param>
+        /// <param name="plugin">Optional plugin for loading external serializers</param>
+        protected static void InitSerializers(VNCacheConfig config, PluginBase? plugin)
+        {
+            //See if user has specified a custom serializer assembly
+            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(config.SerializerDllPath))
+            {
+                //Load the custom serializer assembly and get the serializer and deserializer instances
+                config.CacheObjectSerializer = plugin.CreateServiceExternal<ICacheObjectSerializer>(config.SerializerDllPath);
+
+                //Avoid creating another instance if the deserializer is the same as the serializer
+                if(config.CacheObjectSerializer is ICacheObjectDeserializer cod)
+                {
+                    config.CacheObjectDeserializer = cod;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    config.CacheObjectDeserializer = plugin.CreateServiceExternal<ICacheObjectDeserializer>(config.SerializerDllPath);
+                }
+            }
+
+            //If no default serializer is set, use the default JSON serializer
+            config.CacheObjectSerializer ??= new JsonCacheObjectSerializer(256);
+            config.CacheObjectDeserializer ??= new JsonCacheObjectSerializer(256);
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNCacheConfig.cs b/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNCacheConfig.cs
index 8311519..24008b3 100644
--- a/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNCacheConfig.cs
+++ b/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNCacheConfig.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-* Copyright (c) 2023 Vaughn Nugent
+* Copyright (c) 2024 Vaughn Nugent
 * 
 * Library: VNLib
 * Package: VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ namespace VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache
                 throw new ArgumentException("You must configure a maximum object size", "max_object_size");
             }
         }
-        
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Optional external cache serializer library to load
+        /// </summary>
+        [JsonPropertyName("serializer_assebly_name")]
+        public string? SerializerDllPath { get; set; }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache.csproj b/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache.csproj
index 99a5962..ded805a 100644
--- a/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache.csproj
+++ b/plugins/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache/src/VNLib.Data.Caching.Providers.VNCache.csproj
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\..\Extensions\lib\VNLib.Plugins.Extensions.Loading\src\VNLib.Plugins.Extensions.Loading.csproj" />
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\..\VNLib.Plugins.Extensions\lib\VNLib.Plugins.Extensions.Loading\src\VNLib.Plugins.Extensions.Loading.csproj" />
     <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\lib\VNLib.Data.Caching.Extensions\src\VNLib.Data.Caching.Extensions.csproj" />
     <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\lib\VNLib.Data.Caching.ObjectCache\src\VNLib.Data.Caching.ObjectCache.csproj" />
     <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\lib\VNLib.Data.Caching\src\VNLib.Data.Caching.csproj" />