.Net 8 Blazor Static SSR Deploying

Hey!

Indeed, deploying a Blazor SSR app involves a different approach compared to a Blazor WebAssembly app, mainly because a Blazor SSR app requires a server component to handle the rendering and serve the app to clients. Unlike WebAssembly apps, which are purely static and can be served from any static file hosting, Blazor SSR apps need a backend environment capable of running .NET applications.

Since DigitalOcean doesn’t offer a native buildpack for .NET, using Docker is a great way to get your .NET 8 Blazor app running smoothly on the platform.

Step 1: Create a Dockerfile

First, you need a Dockerfile in the root of your Blazor SSR project. This file defines how your app will be built and run in a Docker container. Here’s a simple example:

# Use the official .NET core runtime as a parent image
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnet:8.0 AS base
WORKDIR /app
EXPOSE 80

# Use the SDK image to build the app
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:8.0 AS build
WORKDIR /src
COPY ["YourBlazorApp.csproj", "./"]
RUN dotnet restore "./YourBlazorApp.csproj"
COPY . .
WORKDIR "/src/."
RUN dotnet build "YourBlazorApp.csproj" -c Release -o /app/build

# Publish the app
FROM build AS publish
RUN dotnet publish "YourBlazorApp.csproj" -c Release -o /app/publish

# Final stage/image
FROM base AS final
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=publish /app/publish .
ENTRYPOINT ["dotnet", "YourBlazorApp.dll"]

Replace YourBlazorApp.csproj and YourBlazorApp.dll with your actual project and DLL names.

Step 2: Push Your Code to GitHub

Make sure your project, along with the Dockerfile, is pushed to your GitHub repository.

Step 3: Set Up on DigitalOcean App Platform

Go to your DigitalOcean dashboard and create a new app. Choose GitHub as the source and select the repository you just pushed.

Step 4: Configure the Build and Deploy Process

Since you’re using Docker, DigitalOcean will automatically detect the Dockerfile and use it for the build and deployment process. Just make sure that your Dockerfile is set up correctly as shown in Step 1.

Step 5: Launch the App

Once everything is set up, click “Launch.” DigitalOcean will take care of pulling your code from GitHub, building it using the Dockerfile, and deploying it.

After deployment, visit the provided URL to see your Blazor SSR app in action.

In addition to that here are some general tips:

• If something doesn’t work as expected, check the build logs in the DigitalOcean App Platform for any errors.
• Ensure that your Dockerfile is correctly configured to expose the right port (typically 80 for web apps).
• Remember, Blazor SSR apps require a server backend, so testing your app in a local Docker environment before deploying can save you a lot of time.

That’s pretty much it! Using Docker provides a lot of flexibility and ensures that your environment is consistent across development and production. Happy coding and let me know how it goes!

Best,

Bobby