Asp.Net Mvc Preparing Project For Deployment Complete Guide

ASP.NET MVC Preparing Project for Deployment

Step 1: Clean Up and Optimize Your Project

1.1. Remove Unused Files and Folders

• Delete unnecessary files such as .log, .suo, and other temporary files.
• Remove any test projects or folders that won’t be part of the deployment.

1.2. Optimize Web Config

• Reduce Verbosity: Make sure your web.config file is not overly verbose. You can use tools like Web Config Transform to manage different environments (development, staging, production).
• Secure Settings: Ensure that sensitive settings like connection strings are encrypted or stored securely.
• Set Correct Modes and Debugging Options:

  <compilation debug="false" targetFramework="4.7.2" />
  <customErrors mode="RemoteOnly" defaultRedirect="GenericErrorPage.htm"/>
  

• Enable Bundling and Minification:

  BundleTable.EnableOptimizations = true;
  

  This is typically done in BundleConfig.cs under the App_Start folder.

1.3. Optimize Scripts and Stylesheets

• Use a tool like UglifyJS to minify JavaScript files.
• Use CssNano to minify CSS files.
• Ensure all scripts and styles are bundled properly using ASP.NET’s bundling feature.

Step 2: Configure Connection Strings for Production

2.1. Modify web.config

• If you’re using Entity Framework or direct database connections, configure them in the web.config file for the production environment.
• Use config transforms (web.Release.config) to keep different settings for different environments:

  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="DefaultConnection" connectionString="Server=my-production-server;Database=mydb;User Id=myuser;Password=mypassword;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
  </connectionStrings>
  

2.2. Use Environment Variables

• For added security, store sensitive information like connection strings in environment variables and access them in your code:

  ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["DefaultConnection"].ConnectionString = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("DefaultConnection");
  

Step 3: Handle Static Files and Caching

3.1. Configure Static Files

• Ensure IIS is set up correctly to serve static files like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, etc.
• In Startup.cs (if using OWIN), enable static files middleware.

  public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app)
  {
      app.UseStaticFiles();
      // Other middleware configurations...
  }
  

3.2. Implement Caching Strategies

• Use OutputCacheAttribute to cache controller actions.

  [OutputCache(Duration = 60)]
  public ActionResult Index()
  {
      return View();
  }
  

• Use VaryByParam to cache results based on query string parameters.

  [OutputCache(Duration = 60, VaryByParam = "id")]
  public ActionResult Details(int id)
  {
      var model = _context.Products.Find(id);
      return View(model);
  }
  

• Use VaryByCustom to cache results conditionally.

Step 4: Secure Your Application

4.1. Enable HTTPS

• In production, always use HTTPS. You can enforce this in your project.

  public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
  {
      services.AddHttpsRedirection(options =>
      {
          options.RedirectStatusCode = StatusCodes.Status308PermanentRedirect;
          options.HttpsPort = 443;
      });
  }
  

  public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app)
  {
      app.UseHttpsRedirection();
      // Other middleware configurations...
  }
  

4.2. Validate Input

• Always validate inputs to prevent SQL injection, XSS attacks, etc.
• Use data annotations in models.

  public class Product
  {
      [Required]
      [StringLength(100)]
      public string Name { get; set; }
  
      [RegularExpression(@"^\$?\d+(\.\d{2})?$")]
      public decimal Price { get; set; }
  }
  

4.3. Sanitize Output

• Use @Html.Encode() or @HttpUtility.HtmlEncode() in Razor views to sanitize output.

  @Html.Encode(item.ProductName)
  

4.4. Use Strong Passwords and Enforce Security Policies

• Use strong passwords for database connections, FTP accounts, and any other access points.
• Enforce password policies and account lockout mechanisms.

4.5. Use Anti-forgery Tokens

• Protect against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks by using anti-forgery tokens.

  [HttpPost]
  [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
  public ActionResult Create(Product product)
  {
      if (ModelState.IsValid)
      {
          _context.Products.Add(product);
          _context.SaveChanges();
          return RedirectToAction("Index");
      }
      return View(product);
  }
  

Step 5: Configure Logging and Error Handling

5.1. Log Detailed Information

• Configure detailed logging to help with debugging and monitoring issues.
• Use logging frameworks like Serilog, NLog, or the built-in ILogger.

5.2. Implement Custom Error Pages

• Show user-friendly error pages.
• Modify web.config to redirect to an error page.

  <customErrors mode="RemoteOnly">
    <error statusCode="500" redirect="/Error/InternalServerError" />
    <error statusCode="404" redirect="/Error/NotFound" />
  </customErrors>
  

5.3. Set Up Exception Handling Middleware

• Implement exception handling middleware in Startup.cs.

  public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app)
  {
      app.UseExceptionHandler("/Error/GeneralError");
  
      if (env.IsProduction())
      {
          app.UseHsts();
      }
  
      app.UseHttpsRedirection();
      // Other middleware configurations...
  }
  

Step 6: Publish Your Project

6.1. Publish Using Visual Studio

• Right-click on your project in Solution Explorer and select Publish....
• Choose publish target such as Azure App Service, IIS, etc.
• Configure settings specific to your target environment.
• Click Publish.

6.2. Publish Using CLI

• Open a terminal or command prompt.
• Navigate to your project directory.
• Run the below command to publish your project in release mode:

  dotnet publish -c Release -o ./publish
  

• The output files will be generated in the specified output directory.

Step 7: Deploy to the Web Server

7.1. Transfer Published Files to Production Server

• Use FTP/SFTP, WebDeploy, or another method to transfer published files to your web server.
• Ensure permissions are correctly set for your web application files on the server.

7.2. Set Up Application Pool Settings

• Create a new application pool in IIS Manager with correct .NET version and identity.
• Assign your application to the newly created application pool.

7.3. Set Up Virtual Directory/App

• Create a virtual directory/app in IIS Manager.
• Point it to the location where your published files are stored.
• Configure bindings (e.g., domain name, port number).

7.4. Configure Host Headers (if needed)

• If your server hosts multiple sites, use host headers to direct traffic to the correct site.
• Modify site bindings in IIS Manager.

Step 8: Perform Final Testing and Monitor Performance

8.1. Run Functional Tests

• Test all functionalities of your application to make sure they work as expected in the production environment.

8.2. Monitor Performance

• Use performance monitoring tools provided by the hosting platform like Azure’s Application Insights.

8.3. Check Logs

• Continuously check logs for any errors or warning messages that could indicate potential issues.