My 2 Cents...
This seems over-engineered.
If I were designing this.. I would create new WCF services/ web api
controllers for the mobile clients and remove the WCF middle tier.
Stacy Andrews (first time poster, long time reader ;))
----- Original Message -----
From: "ozDotNet"
To:"ozDotNet"
Cc:
Sent:Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:27:45 +1000
Subject:Re: nTier ASP.NET MVC Application Architecture
Thanks for comments and advice Nathan..
Your idea of DAL between WCF Service and MVC Controllers is a good
one, and it does mimic how i have this set up currently (not explained
properly previously - sorry).. I have my wcf services accessible only
from within my SessionRepository objects. So the controller interacts
only with the SR's and the SR talks to the WCF services. Comments on
abolishing wcf layer seem sound, I was looking into the dual
interfaces to the business layer (1 from mobile and 1 from mvc web).
I haven't had the opportunity to explore Web API yet, but it looks
like that opportunity has just presented itself..
fyi.. ViewModels packaged in same dll as models (for convenience)..
not used in wcf services or as a DTO.. I agree with your "_never_"
sentiments..
thanks again.. Grant
On Wed, Mar 20, 2013 at 11:35 AM, Nathan Schultz wrote:
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 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 [3]
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 [4]
MVC interface
> that is currently being developed.
> I've been looking around for a decent online example of an nTier
ASP.NET [5] 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 [6] 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 [7] MVC app architecture out
there in the
> wild ??
> I would love to hear/see your ideas/architecture..
>
> Grant
Links:
------
[1] mailto:milish...@gmail.com
[2] mailto:graken...@gmail.com
[3] http://ASP.NET
[4] http://ASP.NET
[5] http://ASP.NET
[6] http://ASP.NET
[7] http://ASP.NET
