Configuration Guide

This guide describes how to configure Issue Tracker for different environments.

Configuration Files

Development: appsettings.Development.json

{
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "MongoDB": "mongodb://localhost:27017",
    "DatabaseName": "IssueTrackerDb"
  },
  "Logging": {
    "LogLevel": {
      "Default": "Information",
      "Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Warning"
    }
  },
  "AllowedHosts": "*"
}

Production: appsettings.Production.json

{
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "MongoDB": "mongodb://mongo-production:27017",
    "DatabaseName": "IssueTrackerProd"
  },
  "Logging": {
    "LogLevel": {
      "Default": "Warning",
      "Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Error"
    }
  },
  "AllowedHosts": "yourdomain.com"
}

Environment Variables

You can override settings using environment variables:

MongoDB Connection

# Linux/Mac
export ConnectionStrings__MongoDB="mongodb://localhost:27017"
export ConnectionStrings__DatabaseName="IssueTrackerDb"

# Windows (PowerShell)
$env:ConnectionStrings__MongoDB="mongodb://localhost:27017"
$env:ConnectionStrings__DatabaseName="IssueTrackerDb"

# Windows (CMD)
set ConnectionStrings__MongoDB=mongodb://localhost:27017
set ConnectionStrings__DatabaseName=IssueTrackerDb

Using Docker Compose

Environment variables can be set in docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.8'
services:
  app:
    environment:
      - ConnectionStrings__MongoDB=mongodb://mongo:27017
      - ConnectionStrings__DatabaseName=IssueTrackerDb
      - ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Production
  
  mongo:
    image: mongo:latest
    ports:
      - "27017:27017"
    volumes:
      - mongo-data:/data/db

volumes:
  mongo-data:

Configuration Options

Database Settings

Setting	Description	Default	Required
ConnectionStrings:MongoDB	MongoDB connection string	mongodb://localhost:27017	Yes
ConnectionStrings:DatabaseName	Database name	IssueTrackerDb	Yes

Logging Settings

Setting	Description	Values
Logging:LogLevel:Default	Default log level	Trace, Debug, Information, Warning, Error, Critical
Logging:LogLevel:Microsoft.AspNetCore	ASP.NET Core log level	Same as above

Application Settings

Setting	Description	Default
AllowedHosts	Allowed host headers	* (all)
ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT	Runtime environment	Development
ASPNETCORE_URLS	URLs to listen on	https://localhost:5001;http://localhost:5000

User Secrets (Development)

For sensitive data in development, use .NET User Secrets:

Initialize User Secrets

cd src/IssueTracker.UI
dotnet user-secrets init

Set Secrets

dotnet user-secrets set "ConnectionStrings:MongoDB" "mongodb://localhost:27017"
dotnet user-secrets set "ConnectionStrings:DatabaseName" "IssueTrackerDb"

List Secrets

dotnet user-secrets list

Azure Configuration

Using Azure App Configuration

1. Create an Azure App Configuration resource
2. Add connection string to environment:

export ConnectionStrings__AppConfig="Endpoint=https://your-config.azconfig.io;..."

1. Update Program.cs:

builder.Configuration.AddAzureAppConfiguration(options =>
{
    options.Connect(builder.Configuration["ConnectionStrings:AppConfig"])
           .ConfigureRefresh(refresh =>
           {
               refresh.Register("Settings:Sentinel", refreshAll: true);
           });
});

Using Azure Key Vault

1. Create an Azure Key Vault
2. Update Program.cs:

var keyVaultEndpoint = new Uri(builder.Configuration["KeyVaultEndpoint"]);
builder.Configuration.AddAzureKeyVault(keyVaultEndpoint, new DefaultAzureCredential());

MongoDB Connection Strings

Local Development

mongodb://localhost:27017

Docker Container

mongodb://mongo:27017

MongoDB Atlas (Cloud)

mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/database?retryWrites=true&w=majority

Replica Set

mongodb://host1:27017,host2:27017,host3:27017/?replicaSet=rs0

With Authentication

mongodb://username:password@localhost:27017/?authSource=admin

Configuration Best Practices

1. Never Commit Secrets

• Use User Secrets for development
• Use environment variables for production
• Add appsettings.*.json to .gitignore if it contains secrets

2. Use Different Databases Per Environment

{
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "DatabaseName": "IssueTracker_Development"  // Dev
    // "IssueTracker_Staging"                   // Staging
    // "IssueTracker_Production"                // Production
  }
}

3. Validate Configuration on Startup

Add to Program.cs:

var mongoConnection = builder.Configuration["ConnectionStrings:MongoDB"];
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(mongoConnection))
{
    throw new InvalidOperationException("MongoDB connection string is not configured");
}

4. Use Dependency Injection

Register configuration objects:

builder.Services.Configure<DatabaseSettings>(
    builder.Configuration.GetSection("ConnectionStrings"));

Access in services:

public class MyService
{
    private readonly DatabaseSettings _settings;
    
    public MyService(IOptions<DatabaseSettings> settings)
    {
        _settings = settings.Value;
    }
}

Troubleshooting

Can’t Connect to MongoDB

1. Check connection string format
2. Verify MongoDB is running: docker ps or mongod --version
3. Check network connectivity
4. Verify authentication credentials

Configuration Not Loading

1. Check file name matches environment: appsettings.{Environment}.json
2. Verify ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT is set correctly
3. Check file is set to “Copy if newer” in project properties
4. Ensure JSON is valid (use a JSON validator)

Related Documentation

• Getting Started
• Deployment Guide
• Environment Variables