[RESOLVED] Need guidance about ASP.NET design.

[MrNorth]

Hi!

I have started a new interesting project. We will develop some kind of web shop, with features normally not found in commercial webshops. (Can't go into details for obvious reasons).

Anyway, the customer want to split the development between my country (high cost) and India (low cost). He want the app designed so it consist of APIs between the different tiers (presentation, business, service, database) so that they can move for example the presentation tier development to India.

My task is to come up with a reference architecture for this product. My ideas are to develop the presentation in ASP.NET, data access/tier in LINQToSQL and the link between pres and business is vis WCF using the service contracts as interfaces.

Do you experts see any problems with this general design? The WCF services need to be exposed via internet with rather high level of security, both in the development environment and the production. I have very little knowledge with WCF (1 dev project only) so I would really need some help with this. What to think about, what transportation protocol, webservices?

SO basically, it boils down to these questions

1) Is it wise to split the product in these logical tiers considering the different geographical placements.

2) For webshops in general, what performance issues can I face? For a minute there, my thoughts ventured towards a biztalk solution... overkill?

3) How should the service tier be developed considering it needs to be exposed over internet and need high level security.

4) Payments? Any comments about this? I take it one can buy this service and easily plug it in the existing app?

I hope the questions are not too "far out"? I am very grateful for some assistance so I can get started. It's been a while since I did .NET development/design, I have been working wiht T-SQL for the past 1.5 years. So I need a jump start .


kind regards
Henrik

[gep13]

Hey,

The first place that I would point you to is the following:

http://www.asp.net/community/projects/

This gives examples of how web sites can be structured, especially the Beer House Sample kit, which is a very good example of a multi tier application.

With reference to your particular questions:

1) This is certainly possible, but how are you maintaining your codebase? Do you have access to something like Team Foundation Server? This application makes it very easy to combine as a team in different geographical areas.
2) Performance comes down to really how much data you are trying to display and correct usage of it. Given that you are familiar with T-SQL you should be able to construct the database and queries in an optimal way
4) Yes, this shouldn't be a problem. To start out, you could use something like Paypal, which there is an example of in the link I posted above.

Hope that helps!!

Gary

[brin351]

the customer want to split the development between my country (high cost) and India (low cost). He want the app designed so it consist of APIs between the different tiers (presentation, business, service, database) so that they can move for example the presentation tier development to India.

My task is to come up with a reference architecture for this product.

I may be way off track here so I'm sorry if I am wrong but what I hear is a overcomplication of a ecommerce shop for the wrong reason. Think about communication between 2 developer teams in 2 countries all to "save money"?....... That sounds scary.

I have not done it but I work with a guy that worked for a bank who had to communicate developement tasks to the team in India and often did not get back exactly what they wanted so they had to go back to india and try again.......

To truely decouple the GUI from DAL from database is a big task that will require tremendous skill in planning and management. I'm obviously not the guy for the job

As a thought maybe MVC could seperate the GUI from the backend enough to send it to India. PS I have always wanted to go to India I hear very good things.