Configuration: Service Module - ChrisMavrommatis/Binacle.Net GitHub Wiki

The Service Module equips Binacle.Net for use in public environments by introducing essential features like rate limiting, user management, and authentication. Authenticated users can bypass the rate limiter to ensure seamless access to calculation endpoints.

While Binacle.Net is ideally hosted in a private cloud, the Service Module is designed for those who need a public deployment. Key choices, such as database type, were tailored for Binacle.Net’s needs and cost-effectiveness. However, this module ensures that public hosting remains efficient and prevents excessive, costly requests.

How It Works

The Service Module requires a database for user storage and includes a user management API, with an admin user created by default. Only admins can manage users.

It also provides an authentication endpoint, where users can log in and receive a token. This token is used to bypass the rate limiter for calculation endpoints, allowing priority access for authenticated users.

API Endpoints

Once enabled, the following API endpoints become available:

Authentication:

• POST /api/auth/token: Authenticates a user by email and password, returning a JWT token. This token is used in the Authorization header as a Bearer token for subsequent requests.

User Management:

• POST /api/users: Create a new user.
• PUT /api/users/{email}: Update user details.
• PATCH /api/users/{email}: Change a user's password.
• DELETE /api/users/{email}: Delete a user.

Only admin users can manage other users. Admins can create, modify, activate/deactivate accounts, and promote or demote users. Only active users can interact with the API. Deleting a user is a soft delete—users remain in the database but cannot be restored. A new user with the same email can be created.

Activating the Service Module

To enable the Service Module, set the following environment variable: SERVICE_MODULE=True, or modify the Features.json file as shown below:

{
  "Features": {
    "SERVICE_MODULE": "True",
    "SWAGGER_UI": "NotSet",
    "UI_MODULE": "NotSet"
  }
}

Follow the steps to configure the module. All configuration files are located in /app/Config_Files/ServiceModule:

app
└── Config_Files
    └── ServiceModule
        ├── ConnectionStrings.json
        ├── JwtAuth.json
        ├── RateLimiter.json
        └── Users.json

Configuring the Service Module

To complete setup, configure the following:

• Database
• Authentication
• Users
• Rate Limiter