Caching in ASP.NET Core.

Caching is the technique of storing frequently accessed data in temporary fast storage so that future requests can be served faster without repeatedly calling a slow source like a database or external API.

👉 In simple words: Cache = Fast memory that avoids repeated expensive operations

Without caching:

• Every request hits the database
• Higher response time
• Increased load on DB
• Poor scalability

With caching:

• Faster response time
• Reduced database calls
• Better scalability
• Lower infrastructure cost

Imagine a restaurant menu:

• ❌ Without cache → Chef cooks every dish from scratch every time
• ✅ With cache → Popular dishes are pre-prepared and served instantly

That pre-prepared dish = Cache

How does caching work?

1. Client requests data
2. Application checks the cache first
3. If found → return from cache (cache hit)
4. If not found → fetch from DB, store in cache (cache miss)

Types of Caching in ASP.NET Core

There are two main types you must know as a .NET developer:

• In-Memory Cache
• Distributed Cache

In-Memory Caching.

In-Memory Cache stores data in the RAM of the application server.

• Lives inside the application process
• Very fast
• Data is lost when the app restarts

How To Implement In-Memory Caching?

Step 1: Register Memory Cache.

builder.Services.AddMemoryCache();

Step 2: Inject IMemoryCache

using Microsoft.Extensions.Caching.Memory;

public class ProductService
{
    private readonly IMemoryCache _cache;

    public ProductService(IMemoryCache cache)
    {
        _cache = cache;
    }
}

Step 3: Cache Data Using Cache-Aside Pattern

public List<string> GetProducts()
{
    const string cacheKey = "products";

    if (!_cache.TryGetValue(cacheKey, out List<string> products))
    {
        // Simulate DB call
        products = GetProductsFromDatabase();

        var cacheOptions = new MemoryCacheEntryOptions()
            .SetAbsoluteExpiration(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5))
            .SetSlidingExpiration(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(2));

        _cache.Set(cacheKey, products, cacheOptions);
    }

    return products;
}

When to Use In-Memory Cache:

• Small applications
• Single server apps
• Lookup / static data
• Config values
• Not suitable for load-balanced systems

Distributed Caching.

Distributed Cache stores data in a separate cache server shared across multiple application instances.

Common implementations:

• Redis
• SQL Server Cache
• NCache

Let's understand in detail, with Redis as an example, because it is one of the most popular Caching System.

Redis is an in-memory distributed cache used to:

• Share cached data across multiple app instances
• Improve performance
• Reduce database load

👉 Unlike in-memory cache, Redis works in load-balanced & microservice environments.

Prerequisites

• Option 1: Run Redis using Docker (Port: 6379)
• Option 2: Local Redis

Step 1: Install Required NuGet Packages

dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Caching.StackExchangeRedis

Step 2: Configure Redis in ASP.NET Core

builder.Services.AddStackExchangeRedisCache(options =>
{
    options.Configuration =
        "my-redis.xxxxxx.use1.cache.amazonaws.com:6379";

    options.InstanceName = "MyApp:";
});

Step 3: Use Redis via IDistributedCache (Service Layer).

using Microsoft.Extensions.Caching.Distributed;
using System.Text.Json;

public class ProductService
{
    private readonly IDistributedCache _cache;

    public ProductService(IDistributedCache cache)
    {
        _cache = cache;
    }

Step 4: Cache-Aside Pattern Implementation.

public async Task<List<Product>> GetProductsAsync()
{
    const string cacheKey = "products";

    var cachedData = await _cache.GetStringAsync(cacheKey);

    if (cachedData != null)
    {
        return JsonSerializer.Deserialize<List<Product>>(cachedData);
    }

    // Simulate DB call
    var products = GetProductsFromDatabase();

    var options = new DistributedCacheEntryOptions
    {
        AbsoluteExpirationRelativeToNow = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(10),
        SlidingExpiration = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(2)
    };

    await _cache.SetStringAsync(
        cacheKey,
        JsonSerializer.Serialize(products),
        options
    );

    return products;
}

Step 5: Cache Invalidation

public async Task UpdateProductAsync(Product product)
{
    // Update DB logic

    await _cache.RemoveAsync("products");
}

Note: Caching without invalidation is a bug, not a feature.

How To Implement Logging in ASP.NET Core.

Logging is the process of recording application events so you can:

• Debug issues
• Monitor behavior
• Trace requests
• Audit actions in production

Without proper logging:

• Bugs are hard to reproduce
• Production failures are invisible
• Root cause analysis becomes guesswork

ASP.NET Core has ILogger built in via Microsoft.Extensions.Logging. Supported Providers (by default)

• Console
• Debug
• EventSource
• Application Insights (Azure)

Rule: Never log everything as Information.

How To Use ILogger?

Step 1: Inject ILogger.

public class OrderController : ControllerBase
{
    private readonly ILogger<OrderController> _logger;

    public OrderController(ILogger<OrderController> logger)
    {
        _logger = logger;
    }
}

Step 2: Log Messages

_logger.LogInformation("Order creation started");

_logger.LogWarning("Order {OrderId} has no items", orderId);

_logger.LogError(exception, "Failed to create order {OrderId}", orderId);

Good Option 1: Logging Exception Correctly.

catch (Exception ex)
{
    _logger.LogError(ex, "Error while processing order {OrderId}", orderId);
    throw;
}

👉 Always pass the exception object to preserve stthe ack trace.

Good Option 2: Logging in Middleware.

public async Task InvokeAsync(HttpContext context)
{
    _logger.LogInformation(
        "Request {Method} {Path}",
        context.Request.Method,
        context.Request.Path);

    await _next(context);

    _logger.LogInformation(
        "Response {StatusCode}",
        context.Response.StatusCode);
}

Built-in logging is good, but Serilog is preferred in production because it provides:

• Rich structured logging
• Multiple sinks (File, DB, Seq, Elastic)
• Better performance & flexibility

Step 1: Install Packages

dotnet add package Serilog.AspNetCore
dotnet add package Serilog.Sinks.Console
dotnet add package Serilog.Sinks.File

Step 2: Configure Serilog in Program.cs

using Serilog;

Log.Logger = new LoggerConfiguration()
    .Enrich.FromLogContext()
    .WriteTo.Console()
    .WriteTo.File("Logs/app-.log", rollingInterval: RollingInterval.Day)
    .CreateLogger();

builder.Host.UseSerilog();

Step 3: Use ILogger as Usual.

_logger.LogInformation("Invoice {InvoiceId} generated", invoiceId);

You still use ILoggerSerilog works behind the scenes.

Interview Answer: In ASP.NET Core, I use ILogger for application logging and Serilog for structured, production-grade logging. I follow proper log levels, structured messages, correlation IDs, and centralized log storage to ensure observability and easy debugging.

Implement Custom Global Exception Handling in ASP.NET Core.

Exception handling is one of the most important non-functional requirements (NFRs) in any backend application. In ASP.NET Core, poor exception handling leads to:

• Application crashes
• Inconsistent error responses
• Security risks (stack traces exposed)
• Difficult debugging and monitoring

To solve this, ASP.NET Core promotes Global Exception Handling, where all unhandled exceptions are caught at a single place, logged, and converted into a consistent HTTP response.

This article explains:

• Why is global exception handling needed
• How to implement a custom global exception middleware
• Best practices used in production systems

Why Do We Need Global Exception Handling?

Before understanding Global Exception, we need to know what an exception is and why we need to handle it properly.

An exception is a runtime error that occurs when the application cannot continue normal execution.

Examples:

• Database connection failure
• Null reference access
• Invalid user input
• External API timeout

If exceptions are not handled properly, they can:

• Crash the application
• Leak sensitive information
• Return inconsistent responses
• Make debugging extremely difficult

Global Exception Handling is a centralized mechanism that:

• Catches all unhandled exceptions in one place
• Logs them consistently
• Converts them into a standard HTTP response
• Prevents sensitive details from reaching clients

Instead of handling errors locally in every controller or method, the application handles them globally.

Let's understand the benefits of Global Exception Handling in detail with an example:

Example 1: Error Message Without Global Exception Handler.

{
  "error": "Object reference not set to an instance of an object"
}

Worse Case:
System.NullReferenceException at OrderService.cs line 42

Issues

• Internal code details exposed
• Frontend doesn’t know how to handle different formats
• Logs may be missing or incomplete

Example 2: Error Message With Global Exception Handler.

{
  "statusCode": 400,
  "message": "Invalid request",
  "traceId": "abc123"
}

APIs always return a consistent response.

Imagine a building security desk:

• Without global handling → every room handles its own security
• With global handling → one central security desk handles all issues

This is exactly how Global Exception Handling works.

Interview Answer: Global exception handling is needed to centrally catch all unhandled exceptions, return consistent and secure error responses, improve maintainability, and enable reliable logging without duplicating try–catch blocks across the application.

 How To Handle Exceptions in ASP.NET Core?

ASP.NET Core provides multiple ways to handle exceptions, but not all are equal. A senior .NET developer is expected to choose the right approach based on maintainability, security, and scalability.

1. Try-Catch Block in Controller: Handling exceptions inside each controller action using try–catch.

[HttpGet("{id}")]
public IActionResult GetProduct(int id)
{
    try
    {
        var product = _service.GetProduct(id);
        return Ok(product);
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        return StatusCode(500, ex.Message);
    }
}

Problem:

• Code duplication: try–catch in every action
• Inconsistent responses: Different error formats
• Security risk: Exception messages exposed
• Poor separation: Business + error handling mixed
• Hard to maintain: Changes needed everywhere

2. UseExceptionHandler() Middleware: Built-in middleware provided by ASP.NET Core for basic global exception handling.

app.UseExceptionHandler(errorApp =>
{
    errorApp.Run(async context =>
    {
        context.Response.StatusCode = 500;
        await context.Response.WriteAsync("Something went wrong");
    });
});

Problem:

• Limited customization
• No exception type mapping
• No structured response
• Not ideal for APIs

3. Custom Exception Middleware: A custom middleware that intercepts all unhandled exceptions, logs them, and returns a standard response.

Step 1: Create Custom Exceptions.

public class NotFoundException : Exception
{
    public NotFoundException(string message) : base(message) { }
}

Step 2: Create Error Response Model.

public class ErrorResponse
{
    public int StatusCode { get; set; }
    public string Message { get; set; }
    public string TraceId { get; set; }
}

Step 3: Create Middleware

public class GlobalExceptionMiddleware
{
    private readonly RequestDelegate _next;
    private readonly ILogger<GlobalExceptionMiddleware> _logger;

    public GlobalExceptionMiddleware(RequestDelegate next, ILogger logger)
    {
        _next = next;
        _logger = logger;
    }

    public async Task InvokeAsync(HttpContext context)
    {
        try
        {
            await _next(context);
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            _logger.LogError(ex, "Unhandled exception");

            int statusCode = ex switch
            {
                NotFoundException => 404,
                _ => 500
            };

            var response = new ErrorResponse
            {
                StatusCode = statusCode,
                Message = statusCode == 500 ? "Internal error" : ex.Message,
                TraceId = context.TraceIdentifier
            };

            context.Response.StatusCode = statusCode;
            context.Response.ContentType = "application/json";
            await context.Response.WriteAsJsonAsync(response);
        }
    }
}

Step 4: Register Middleware

app.UseMiddleware<GlobalExceptionMiddleware>();

4. IExceptionHandler: A new interface-based global exception handling mechanism introduced in .NET 7.

Step 1: Step 1: Implement IExceptionHandler.

public class GlobalExceptionHandler : IExceptionHandler
{
    public async ValueTask<bool> TryHandleAsync(
        HttpContext context,
        Exception exception,
        CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {
        context.Response.StatusCode = exception switch
        {
            NotFoundException => 404,
            _ => 500
        };

        await context.Response.WriteAsJsonAsync(new
        {
            message = "Error occurred",
            traceId = context.TraceIdentifier
        }, cancellationToken);

        return true;
    }
}

Step 2: Register Service.

builder.Services.AddExceptionHandler<GlobalExceptionHandler>();

Step 3: Enable Middleware.

app.UseExceptionHandler();

Benefits:

• Clean & structured
• Official Microsoft approach
• Easy integration with ProblemDetails
• Less boilerplate

Interview Answer: For production-grade ASP.NET Core APIs, I prefer custom global exception middleware because it gives full control over exception mapping, logging, and response structure. For newer .NET versions, IExceptionHandler is also a clean and modern alternative.

Observer Design Pattern in C#.

In modern software applications, it’s common to have multiple components that need to react whenever something changes, like a weather display updating when the temperature changes, or different modules getting notified when an order is placed. Managing these updates manually quickly becomes messy and tightly coupled. This is where the Observer Design Pattern shines. It provides a clean, event-driven way for one object to notify many others automatically, making applications flexible, maintainable, and scalable.

What is the Observer Design Pattern?

The Observer Design Pattern is a behavioral design pattern used when you need one object (the Subject) to automatically notify other objects (Observers) of changes to its state.

This creates a one-to-many relationship between objects, where the Subject keeps a list of its Observers and notifies them whenever something changes.

Simple Words: Observer Pattern allows an object to publish events and multiple subscribers (observers) to react automatically.

When Do We Need the Observer Design Pattern?

Without the Observer Pattern:

• You would manually call update functions for all dependent objects.
• Code becomes tightly coupled.
• Adding or removing listeners requires modifying the Subject class.
• Any change breaks the Open/Closed Principle.

With Observer Pattern:

• The subject doesn’t need to know who is observing.
• Observers subscribe/unsubscribe on their own.
• Adding new observers requires zero changes in the Subject.
• It's event-driven and loosely coupled.

Real-Life Analogy: Think of it like a YouTube channel is a subject, and Subscribers are Observers. Whenever a channel uploads a new video, the YouTube channel notifies all your subscribers automatically. The channel doesn’t care how many people subscribed or who they are. Subscribers get updates based on their interests. 

This is exactly how the Observer Pattern works.

Observer Design Pattern Example.

Here is a C# example demonstrating the Observer pattern:

namespace PracticeCode.DesignPattern
{
    //Observer Interface
    public interface IObserver
    {
        void Update(float temperature);
    }
    //Subject Interface
    public interface ISubject
    {
        void RegisterObserver(IObserver observer);
        void RemoveObserver(IObserver observer);
        void NotifyObserver();
    }

    //Concrete Subject – Weather Station
    public class WeatherStation : ISubject
    {
        private List<IObserver> observers = new();
        private float temperature;

        public void RegisterObserver(IObserver observer)
        {
            observers.Add(observer);
        }
        public void RemoveObserver(IObserver observer)
        {
            observers.Remove(observer);
        }
        public void NotifyObserver()
        {
            foreach(var observer in observers)
            {
                observer.Update(temperature);
            }
        }

        //When temp change notify everyone
        public void SetTemperature(float newTemp)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"\nWeatherStation: New Temperature = {newTemp}°C");
            temperature = newTemp;
            NotifyObserver();
        }
    }
    //Concrete Observers – Displays
    public class DigitalDisplay : IObserver
    {
        public void Update(float temperature)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Digital Display -> Updated Temperature: {temperature}°C");
        }
    }
    public class MobileDisplay : IObserver
    {
        public void Update(float temperature)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Mobile Display -> Updated Temperature: {temperature}");
        }
    }
}

Client Code in Program.cs, where the new observer is getting registered and getting notified whenever there is an update in temperature.

//Observers Subscribe
station.RegisterObserver(digital);
station.RegisterObserver(mobile);

//Observers Notify
station.SetTemperature(29.4f);
station.SetTemperature(30.2f);

//Observer Removed
station.RemoveObserver(digital);

//Observer Notify
station.SetTemperature(32.0f);

Output:

WeatherStation: New Temperature = 28.5°C
Digital Display → Updated Temperature: 28.5°C
Mobile App → Temperature Alert: 28.5°C

WeatherStation: New Temperature = 30.2°C
Digital Display → Updated Temperature: 30.2°C
Mobile App → Temperature Alert: 30.2°C

WeatherStation: New Temperature = 31.7°C
Digital Display → Updated Temperature: 31.7°C

This is one small example of how an Observer Design Pattern helps you write better and maintainable code, and in which all real-life conditions in which you can use this pattern.

These are some key points that you can keep in mind while writing an Observer Design Pattern Code:

• Type: Behavioral
• Purpose: Notify multiple objects automatically when one object changes.
• Relationship: One-to-many
• Helps With: Loose coupling, event-driven architecture
• Key Methods: Register, Remove, Notify
• Real Use Cases: Events, UI updates, stock market tickers, notifications

In Short, the Observer Pattern lets you build a system where one object publishes updates and many other objects automatically react to those updates.

Factory Method Pattern in C#.

The Factory Design Pattern in C# is a creational design pattern that provides an interface for creating objects in a superclass while allowing subclasses to alter the types of objects that are created. This pattern encapsulates object creation logic, decoupling it from the client code that uses the objects.

It is beneficial for situations requiring flexibility, such as adding new product types without modifying existing client code.

When to use the Factory pattern?

• Uncertainty about object type: When a class cannot predict the type of objects it needs to create, and this decision is better made at runtime.
• Subclasses decide instantiation: When you want to delegate the responsibility of creating objects to subclasses, allowing them to alter the type of objects created.
• Encapsulating creation logic: When the process of creating an object is complex, repetitive, or has many dependencies, the factory pattern can encapsulate this logic, making the code cleaner.
• Extending with new products: When you want to easily add new product types in the future. Instead of modifying the client code, you can simply create a new subclass and implement its creation logic within the factory.
• Decoupling client from concrete classes: To decouple the client code from the concrete classes it instantiates. The client only interacts with the factory and a common interface, not the specific implementations.

Let's understand a real-life problem and how we can fix that using the Factory Method.

Bad Example: Notification System.

Your application is using a Notification System to send notifications to users. Initially, you were sending only an Email Notification, so it was simple and easy. Later, you added SMS and a Push notification system. You have written if-else conditions to create different kinds of objects based on user requirements.

Example Code:

if (notification == "Email") new EmailNotification();
else if (notification == "SMS") new SMSNotification();
else if (notification == "PUSH") new PUSHNotification();

This is a bad approach to writing code because adding a new payment method means changing existing code, → violates the Open/Closed Principle. This code is also difficult to test and tightly coupled.

You might feel like you are writing too much code for a simple task, but in real-world, large and complex projects, the Factory Method Pattern helps you maintain, extend, and scale your application without modifying existing code.

Good Example: Notification System Using Factory Method.

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Step 1: Notification Interface/Abstract Class: Defines the common interface or abstract class for the objects that the factory will create. This ensures that all concrete products share a common contract.

public interface INotification
{
    void Send(string to, string message);
}

Step 2: Concrete Product Classes: Implement the INotification interface or inherit from the abstract product class, providing specific implementations.

public class EmailNotification : INotification
{
    public void Send(string to, string message)
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Sending Email to {to} : {message}");
    }
}
public class SMSNotification : INotification
{
    public void Send(string to, string message)
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Sending SMS to {to} : {message}");
    }
}
public class PUSHNotification : INotification
{
    public void Send(string to, string message)
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Sending PUSH to {to} : {message}");
    }
}

Step 3: Creator/Factory Class (Abstract or Concrete): Declares the factory method, which returns an object of the INotification type. This method can be abstract, forcing subclasses to implement it, or it can provide a default implementation.

public abstract class NotificationFactory
{
    public abstract INotification CreateNotification();
}

Step 4: Concrete Creator/Factory Classes: Override the factory method to return instances of specific concrete product classes.

public class EmailFactory : NotificationFactory
{
    public override INotification CreateNotification()
    {
        return new EmailNotification();
    }
}
public class SMSFactory : NotificationFactory
{
    public override INotification CreateNotification()
    {
        return new SMSNotification();
    }
}
public class PUSHFactory : NotificationFactory
{
    public override INotification CreateNotification()
    {
        return new PUSHNotification();
    }
}

Client using the Factory:

NotificationFactory factory;
factory = new EmailFactory();
var email = factory.CreateNotification();
email.Send("user@example.com", "Welcome Email!");

I hope you now understand how and when to use the Factory Method Design Pattern.

The  Factory Method Pattern lets subclasses decide which object to create, helping you remove direct new calls, simplify object creation, and extend your application without modifying existing code.