The last time I wrote an MVC app which included an iPhone client, the architecture looked similar to yours. Although I would _never_ have a view model in the WCF project, since a View Model has everything to do with presentation, and nothing to do with data access. I always have a Mapper in the MVC project that maps all Models to View Models and vice-versa.
I also consider a web-service really to be just another data repository, so I add a DAL in between the MVC Controller and WCF service. This means a controller is never tied to the web-service, so is independent of implementation. Now that MVC4 has the Web API available, I'd be tempted to abolish the WCF layer so controllers talk directly to the Business Layer. I would then just write Web API controllers that would service RESTful requests from a mobile client. This has the advantage of not having to share a DLL containing your Domain Types and enums. Regards, Nathan. On 20 March 2013 08:11, Grant Molloy <graken...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi All.. > > Application architecture is an interesting and regularly debated topic among > developers.. > Everyone seems to have their own take on it based either purely on theory, > real world experiences, and as always, a mixture of both. > > The application started out as a simple enough hosted ASP.NET MVC > application where users would visit a website, register, log in, and work > online.. Simple enough.. > Recently there's been a change where the scope has creeped with "an eye for > the future", "maximise code re-use", etc.. Fair enough.. Great concept.. > > My dilemma now is what's the best architecture for this app now that we will > be (in the future -- when ever that gets here) accessing the system from > mobile devices, and probably not through the default ASP.NET MVC interface > that is currently being developed. > I've been looking around for a decent online example of an nTier ASP.NET MVC > application architecture, but most of the things I've found are all > basically single tier where the author accesses the database via DAL > directly from controllers. > > The app has morphed into the following Architecture... > > ------- ASP.NET MVC ------- > | View > | + --> MVC Helpers > | | > | Model > | | > | Controller > | + --> Constants, Enums & Helpers.. (Separate DLL) > | + --> Session Repository (in MVC Project) > | + --> Domain Types (Models & ViewModels) (Separate DLL) > ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- > \/ > | WCF Service Call... > /\ > ------- WCF Services SERVER ------- > | WCF Services > | | > | Business Layer > | | > | DAL > | + --> Domain Types (Models & ViewModels) (Separate DLL) [.. this is > the same dll as referenced by the Controller above] > | + --> Constants, Enums & Helpers.. (Separate DLL) [.. this is the > same dll as referenced by the Controller above] > ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- > | > ------- DATABASE Server ------- > | Database > ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- > > This architecture seems to be working fine for now and I know that i'm > probably going to have to change my WCF services to use a more RESTful > approach, or implement another more mobile friendly interface, to make it > easier for mobile connection, but that can happen down the track when i'm > ready for that part. > I'm also looking to use SQL CLR Types in the future so that I can be sure > that the data in reference tables (like say PhoneType, PencilType, CarBrand, > etc) mirror that exactly as in the Enums in the code. I've done some > preliminary investigations into this and it is feasible, but whether it's > worth it is another issue. > > How are people designing their ASP.NET MVC app architecture out there in the > wild ?? > I would love to hear/see your ideas/architecture.. > > Grant
