Expose an API end point inside a .net core console application is this possible

john john 986

I am working on a new project which contain 2 main parts:-

1) Schedule service which reads files from SharePoint online and send them to external API

2) The external API will proceed the received documents using AI models >> extract data from the documents >> then Push the extracted data back to our system >> where our system will update SharePoint with the extracted data.
So currently I am defining the technologies that I am going to use, where I define the following: -

1) For point one, I am going to build a .net core console application >> hosted it inside windows server >> schedule it using windows tasks scheduler. This service will read the files from SharePoint using SharePoint API >> send them to the external API.

2) But I am not sure about point 2? How I am going to received the pushed data from the external API inside our system? Can I define an API end point inside my console application? or for this I need to build something like asp.net MVC core hosted inside IIS which exposed some API endpoints to get the pushed data? Keeping in mind that the external API and our system will be installed inside the same windows server.

Thanks

2 answers

AgaveJoe 29,281 Reputation points

2021-10-08T12:22:24.303+00:00

Keeping in mind that the external API and our system will be installed inside the same windows server.

I can't make heads or tails of you're question. My best guess is you have a Web API application which contains logic you wish to share with a Console application. Class libraries solve this programming problem. Move the logic from the Web API app into a class library then share the library (DLL) with the Web API and Console applications.

If this does not answer your question, can you clarify the problem?
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2 people found this answer helpful.
john john 986 Reputation points

2021-10-08T14:34:03.737+00:00

@AgaveJoe i never used class libraries before, so can you advice more on this please? do you mean that i will have 2 components a console application which runs using windows task scheduler and asp.net MVC/WebAPi application hosted inside IIS?
Thanks

AgaveJoe 29,281 Reputation points

2021-10-09T12:55:15.727+00:00

The design description is hard to understand. Rather than us guessing, can you clarify the architecture?

Can you explain the term "external API"? Does API refer to Web API? External to what? Your system? The console application? Telling us about the client(s) and the server(s) will help us understand how the "System(s)" is configured.
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Bruce (SqlWork.com) 69,806 Reputation points

2021-10-08T14:42:11.417+00:00

All asp.net core applications are console apps. You can run them standalone or host with IIS. IIS adds support for startup and recovery from a crash.
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john john 986 Reputation points

2021-10-08T14:55:00.387+00:00

@Bruce (SqlWork.com) Thanks for the useful reply.. so you mean i can create an asp.net core MVC web application, which as you said will have a console application inside it (named Program.cs). then i can host the web application inside IIS >> and then expose the API end point to receive external requests from 3rd party applications + schedule the console application inside asp.net MVC core to run using windows tasks scheduler ?

So i will have 2 main components:-

1) Console application inside the asp.net mvc core which run using windows tasks scheduler?
2) ASP.net core MVC controller which act as an API end point and which is hosted inside IIS?

Thanks

Bruce (SqlWork.com) 69,806 Reputation points

2021-10-08T20:45:47.587+00:00

your two project are both asp.net core projects (and both will have a program.cs file). one you will run from the command line via dotnet.exe, and one you will deploy and host with IIS.

I don't understand the use of a task scheduler to expose a web api.

how does it know when to shutdown?
why does the console app need to know more than file successfully pushed?
why doesn't the console app just send the SharePoint url of the file to process?
if the console app reads sharepoint and writes sharepoint, what doesn't it send a file and receive a response data, why a webhook callback?

john john 986 Reputation points

2021-10-08T22:14:43.487+00:00

@Bruce (SqlWork.com) thanks for your reply. But to make sure i got your reply correctly, so you mean i will create 2 projects using visual studio, as follow:-

1) First Project will be; Asp.net core MVC web application hosted inside IIS which will host the REST API end point, so it will receive data from external system (the pushed data) and then update SharePoint with the received data through calling the SharePoint REST API?

2) Second Project will be; Asp.net console application, which will call SharePoint APIs to get the files from SharePoint on schedule basis>> and then send the files to the external system by calling the external system API?

My questions are :-

1) First question, Is my above 2 points correct?
2) Second question, How i can run the console application on scheduled basis? i am thinking of using the windows task scheduler as it will allow us to schedule the console application execution... is there other approaches for running console applications on scheduled basis ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Brando Zhang-MSFT 3,876 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2021-10-15T08:17:29.117+00:00

In my opinion, if you want to run something scheduled , you could try to use asp.net core build-in feature background service. Which you could run it scheduled and run it as same as inside the application. Details, you could refer to this article and this sample.
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Expose an API end point inside a .net core console application is this possible

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