.NET Core Microservices E-Commerce Project AKA InstaBasket

This repository contains a fully functioning e-commerce platform built using .NET 8 and microservices architecture. The project is designed to demonstrate how to implement various microservices with proper separation of concerns, asynchronous communication, secure authentication, and cloud-native deployment using Azure.

---

Project Overview

This project implements an e-commerce platform using seven microservices, each responsible for a specific functionality, ensuring the system is modular, scalable, and easy to maintain. Below are the services included and their responsibilities:

Microservices Overview

1. Product Catalog Microservice:

   • Handles product information, CRUD operations, and product listing.

2. Shopping Cart (Basket) Microservice:

   • Manages shopping cart operations.

3. Order Microservice:

   • Processes customer orders, including validation and order management.

4. Coupon/Discount Microservice:

   • Provides discount calculation functionality.

5. Email Notification Microservice:

   • Sends confirmation emails upon order placement using event-driven communication (sendgrid for SMTP server).

6. Payment Microservice:

   • Integrates payment processing and handles communication with external payment gateways (stripe payment gateway).

7. Identity Microservice:

   • Implements secure authentication and authorization using .NET Identity, with role-based access control.

---

Technologies Used

• .NET 8: For building backend APIs and services.
• ASP.NET Core MVC: For the web framework and controllers.
• Ocelot API Gateway: To manage routing between different microservices.
• Entity Framework Core: For database management with SQL Server.
• Azure Service Bus: For asynchronous communication between microservices.
• Swagger: For API documentation and testing.

---

Application Flow

1. User Browses Products: The user views products provided by the Product Catalog Microservice.
2. Shopping Cart: The user adds items to the cart, which is handled by the Shopping Cart Microservice.
3. Applying Discounts: The Coupon Microservice calculates discounts and applies them at checkout.
4. Order Placement: The Order Microservice processes the order and communicates with the Payment Microservice for secure payment using stripe payment gateway.
5. Email Notifications: After payment, the Email Microservice sends a confirmation email using .
6. Authentication: The Identity Microservice ensures secure login and role-based access throughout the platform.

---

How to Set Up the Project

Follow these steps to set up and run the project locally:

Prerequisites

• .NET 8 SDK
• Docker
• SQL Server (local or cloud-hosted)
• Visual Studio 2022 or higher

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/MartinAyush/Insta-Basket.git
   cd dotnet-microservices-ecommerce

2. Set up your environment variables:

   • Update the appsettings.json files for each microservice with your SQL Server configurations.`

3. The Front-End should be up and running. You can access the microservices via the Ocelot API Gateway at:

   https://localhost:7282
   

4. Swagger UI is enabled for each microservice, allowing you to test the APIs:

   http://localhost:XXXX/swagger/index.html
   

Running the Application

Once the services are up and running:

• Access the e-commerce application via the web interface.
• Test various functionalities such as:
  • Browsing products.
  • Adding items to the shopping cart.
  • Applying discount coupons.
  • Placing an order.
  • Making a payment.
  • Receiving an email confirmation.

Testing and Debugging

The solution includes unit tests for each microservice. You can run the tests via the Test Explorer in Visual Studio or using the .NET CLI:

dotnet test

---

Deployed Application

You can check the deployed version of the application here: Live Demo Link

---

Conclusion

This project demonstrates how to structure, implement, and deploy a modern, cloud-native e-commerce platform using microservices architecture with .NET 8. The solution incorporates clean architecture principles, event-driven communication, and cloud-ready deployments, making it scalable and maintainable for real-world applications.