Getting Started

The demo starts Customer Portal, CRM, Field Service, and three different business databases together. It uses the same synchronization path as a normal deployment.

Run these commands from the repository root.

dotnet tool restore
dotnet restore SyncCoordinator.sln
dotnet build SyncCoordinator.sln --no-restore
dotnet test SyncCoordinator.sln --no-build
aspire run --apphost src/SyncCoordinator.AppHost/SyncCoordinator.AppHost.csproj

The demo seeds systems, database connections, disabled synchronization rules, and table and column mappings. Synchronization helper tables and triggers are not deployed yet.

On first start, register the administrator password from a browser running on the Web server itself. The setup page is unavailable from a remote computer.

1. 1
   Open the setup page

   On the Web server, open http://localhost:<Web port>/account/setup.

2. 2
   Register a password

   Set a password between 12 and 128 characters. The username is always admin.

3. 3
   Sign in

   Sign in with the password to open the dashboard.

Initial setup and password reset are available only when both the client and requested host are localhost or a loopback address.

Demo configuration is seeded into the management database. Review it first. The same management pages are used to change the demo and to create configuration for real systems.

This step is required for the demo as well. Open “Deploy to DB” for each rule, review the SQL, and deploy synchronization helper objects to both business databases.

1. 1
   Review changes and SQL

   Open the objects and generated SQL for both source and destination.

2. 2
   Deploy to the business databases

   The demo allows direct apply. In production, have a DBA review and run the SQL.

3. 3
   Verify every database

   Verify that helper tables and trigger definitions exist and match the generated deployment.

4. 4
   Enable the rule

   After both sides pass verification, enable synchronization in the rule settings.

The deployment adds helper tables and triggers for detection and idempotency. It does not change existing applications, business tables, or business columns.

After enabling a rule, edit one sample record in Customer Portal or another source. Initial rows were created before trigger deployment, so update a row to begin the first synchronization.

Do not promote demo databases to production. Start Web and Worker in Core mode, then register real business systems in the management console. Configuration and database deployment follow the same workflow you used in the demo.

1. Prepare the Coordinator management database

The management database is a SQL Server database that stores SyncCoordinator configuration, processing state, and conflict history. It is separate from business databases.

2. Select Core mode

Apply this configuration in src/SyncCoordinator.AppHost/appsettings.Development.json. This example uses an external SQL Server.

{
  "RunMode": "Core",
  "CoordinatorDatabase": {
    "UseContainer": false
  }
}

3. Register the management DB connection

For an external SQL Server, store ConnectionStrings:coordinator-db in AppHost User Secrets. Do not write the password to a settings file.

dotnet user-secrets set --project src/SyncCoordinator.AppHost "ConnectionStrings:coordinator-db" "Server=localhost,1433;Database=SyncCoordinator;User ID=your-user;Password=your-password;Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=true"

This connection-string step is unnecessary when AppHost starts the management database container.

4. Start and register business databases

aspire run --apphost src/SyncCoordinator.AppHost/SyncCoordinator.AppHost.csproj

Core mode does not seed demo configuration. Sign in, register business databases under Systems, then create rules and mappings and deploy the generated database objects.

$env:SYNC_COORDINATOR_DESIGN_CONNECTION = "Server=localhost,1433;Database=SyncCoordinator;User ID=your-user;Password=your-password;Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=true"
dotnet tool restore
dotnet tool run dotnet-ef database update --project src/SyncCoordinator.Infrastructure/SyncCoordinator.Infrastructure.csproj --startup-project src/SyncCoordinator.Worker/SyncCoordinator.Worker.csproj
Remove-Item Env:SYNC_COORDINATOR_DESIGN_CONNECTION

Before production operation