Microservice Template Features¶

The ConnectSoft Microservice Template provides a comprehensive set of features designed to simplify the development of production-ready, cloud-native microservices. It includes pre-configured components, best practices, and extensibility for diverse use cases.

Architecture Features¶

Clean Architecture¶

Layered Architecture: Strict separation of concerns with automated enforcement
Dependency Rules: Automated validation of dependency flow
Architecture Tests: Build-time validation of architectural constraints

See Architecture for detailed architecture enforcement patterns.

Domain-Driven Design¶

Aggregates: Aggregate root pattern implementation
Entities: Entity pattern with identity management
Value Objects: Immutable value objects
Domain Events: Domain event publishing and handling
Domain Services: Domain service pattern
Repositories: Repository pattern with specifications

CQRS Pattern¶

Processors: Command handlers for write operations
Retrievers: Query handlers for read operations
Separation: Clear separation between commands and queries

Solution Structure¶

Modular Organization: Projects organized by architectural layers
Technology Isolation: Technology-specific implementations in separate projects
Dependency Management: Clear dependency flow with validation

See Solution Structure for complete project organization.

Communication Features¶

REST API¶

ASP.NET Core Controllers: Full REST API support
OpenAPI/Swagger: Automatic API documentation
API Versioning: Support for multiple API versions

See API Versioning for versioning strategies.

gRPC¶

High-Performance: Efficient binary protocol
Streaming: Bidirectional streaming support
Code Generation: Automatic code generation from .proto files

GraphQL¶

Schema Definition: GraphQL schema support
Resolvers: Query and mutation resolvers
Subscriptions: Real-time subscription support

SignalR¶

Real-Time Communication: WebSocket-based real-time messaging
Hubs: SignalR hub implementation
Groups: Client group management

CoreWCF¶

SOAP Services: CoreWCF SOAP service support
WCF Compatibility: WCF service compatibility

Messaging¶

MassTransit: Full MassTransit integration
NServiceBus: NServiceBus support
Event Bus Abstraction: Transport-agnostic event bus

Persistence Features¶

NHibernate¶

ORM Support: Full NHibernate ORM integration
Fluent Mappings: Fluent NHibernate mappings
Query Support: LINQ and Criteria API support

MongoDB¶

Document Database: MongoDB document database support
Repository Pattern: MongoDB repository implementations
Migrations: MongoDB migration support

Repository Pattern¶

Interface-Based: Repository interfaces in PersistenceModel
Specification Pattern: Complex query definitions
Unit of Work: Transaction management

Observability Features¶

Logging¶

Structured Logging: Serilog structured logging
Log Levels: Configurable log levels
Context Enrichment: Automatic context enrichment

Metrics¶

Prometheus: Prometheus metrics support
OpenTelemetry: OpenTelemetry metrics
Custom Metrics: Domain-specific metrics

Distributed Tracing¶

OpenTelemetry: Full OpenTelemetry integration
Trace Context: W3C Trace Context propagation
Correlation IDs: Request correlation tracking

Application Insights¶

Azure Integration: Azure Application Insights support
Telemetry: Comprehensive telemetry collection
AI Observability: AI service monitoring

Security Features¶

Authentication¶

Multiple Mechanisms: Support for various authentication types
JWT: JWT token validation
OAuth2/OpenID Connect: OAuth2 and OpenID Connect support

Authorization¶

Policy-Based: Policy-based authorization
Role-Based: Role-based access control
Claims-Based: Claims-based authorization

Secrets Management¶

Azure Key Vault: Azure Key Vault integration
Secure Storage: Secure secret storage and retrieval
Configuration: Secure configuration management

Data Redaction¶

PII Redaction: Automatic PII redaction in logs
Secret Masking: Secret masking in telemetry
Compliance: GDPR and compliance support

Testing Features¶

Unit Testing¶

MSTest: MSTest framework integration
Mocking: Comprehensive mocking support
Test Data: Test data management utilities

Integration Testing¶

Test Host: Integration test host support
Real Components: Testing with real components
Database Testing: Database integration testing

BDD Testing¶

SpecFlow: SpecFlow BDD framework
Feature Files: Gherkin feature file support
Acceptance Tests: End-to-end acceptance testing

Architecture Tests¶

NetArchTest: Architecture rule validation
Dependency Tests: Dependency rule enforcement
Naming Tests: Naming convention validation

Infrastructure Features¶

Containerization¶

Docker: Docker container support
Multi-Stage Builds: Optimized Docker builds
Docker Compose: Local development with Docker Compose

Kubernetes¶

Deployment: Kubernetes deployment manifests
Health Probes: Liveness, readiness, and startup probes
Service Discovery: Kubernetes service discovery

Startup and Warmup¶

StartupWarmupGate: Configurable startup warmup
Health Check Integration: Integration with health checks
Kubernetes Probes: Kubernetes startup probe support

See Startup and Warmup for detailed patterns.

Cross-Cutting Concerns¶

Health Checks¶

Comprehensive Checks: System, database, messaging health checks
Multiple Endpoints: /health, /ready, /live, /startup
UI Dashboard: Health checks UI dashboard

API Management¶

API Versioning: Multiple versioning strategies
Rate Limiting: Request rate limiting
CORS: Cross-origin resource sharing
Swagger/Scalar: API documentation tools

Configuration¶

Options Pattern: Strongly-typed configuration
Azure App Configuration: Azure App Configuration integration
Feature Flags: Feature flag support
Environment-Specific: Environment-specific configuration

Validation¶

Data Annotations: Data annotation validation
FluentValidation: FluentValidation support
Input Validation: Comprehensive input validation

Exception Handling¶

Global Exception Handler: Centralized exception handling
Problem Details: RFC 7807 Problem Details
Error Responses: Consistent error response format

AI and Machine Learning Features¶

Microsoft.Extensions.AI¶

AI Integration: Microsoft.Extensions.AI support
Provider Agnostic: Support for multiple AI providers
Extensions: AI extension patterns

Semantic Kernel¶

Semantic Kernel: Semantic Kernel integration
Plugins: Plugin-based architecture
Orchestration: AI orchestration patterns

Model Context Protocol¶

MCP Support: Model Context Protocol integration
Context Management: AI context management
Vector Ingestion: Vector database integration

DevOps Features¶

CI/CD Pipelines¶

Azure Pipelines: Azure DevOps pipeline templates
Automated Testing: Automated test execution
Deployment: Automated deployment pipelines

Infrastructure as Code¶

Pulumi: Pulumi infrastructure as code
Terraform: Terraform support (optional)
Cloud Resources: Azure and AWS resource provisioning

Architecture: Architecture enforcement and patterns
Solution Structure: Solution organization
Startup and Warmup: Startup patterns
Clean Architecture: Clean Architecture principles
Domain-Driven Design: DDD patterns
Cloud Native: Cloud-native patterns
Getting Started: Installation and setup
Use Cases: Common use cases

Summary¶

The Microservice Template provides:

✅ Complete Architecture: Clean Architecture with automated enforcement
✅ Multiple Protocols: REST, gRPC, GraphQL, SignalR, CoreWCF
✅ Flexible Persistence: NHibernate and MongoDB support
✅ Comprehensive Observability: Logging, metrics, tracing
✅ Production Security: Authentication, authorization, secrets management
✅ Extensive Testing: Unit, integration, BDD, and architecture tests
✅ Cloud-Native: Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platform support
✅ AI Integration: Microsoft.Extensions.AI and Semantic Kernel
✅ DevOps Ready: CI/CD pipelines and Infrastructure as Code

By leveraging these features, teams can build production-ready microservices that follow industry best practices and ConnectSoft architectural principles.