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AWS RDS with ASP.NET Core

Learn how to connect and use AWS Relational Database Service (RDS) with ASP.NET Core applications.

By EMEPublished: February 20, 2025
awsrdsaspnetdatabasecloudsql

A Simple Analogy

Think of AWS RDS as a managed library for your books (data). Instead of building and maintaining your own library building, AWS RDS gives you a secure, organized, and scalable place to store and retrieve your books—while you focus on reading and writing, not on fixing the roof or cleaning the floors.

What Is AWS RDS?

AWS Relational Database Service (RDS) is a cloud service that makes it easy to set up, operate, and scale relational databases (like SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle) in the cloud. AWS handles backups, patching, scaling, and security for you.

Why Use RDS with ASP.NET Core?

  • Managed service: No need to install, patch, or back up your database server.
  • Scalability: Easily increase storage or compute as your app grows.
  • High availability: Automated failover and backups.
  • Security: Built-in encryption, VPC isolation, IAM integration.
  • Integration: Connect from ASP.NET Core using familiar libraries (Entity Framework, Dapper, ADO.NET).

How to Connect ASP.NET Core to RDS

1. Create an RDS Instance

  • Use AWS Console or CLI to launch a database (choose engine, size, credentials)
  • Enable public access or configure VPC/subnet for your app

2. Get Connection String

  • Find endpoint, port, username, password in AWS Console
  • Example:
Server=mydb.abc123xyz.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com;Database=MyAppDb;User Id=admin;Password=secret;

3. Configure ASP.NET Core

appsettings.json:

{
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "DefaultConnection": "Server=mydb.abc123xyz.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com;Database=MyAppDb;User Id=admin;Password=secret;"
  }
}

Startup/Program.cs:

builder.Services.AddDbContext<AppDbContext>(options =>
    options.UseSqlServer(builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection")));

4. Use Entity Framework or Dapper

public class AppDbContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Product> Products { get; set; }
}

Practical Examples

  • E-commerce: Store products, orders, and customer data
  • Blog: Save posts, comments, and user profiles
  • Analytics: Record events and metrics for reporting
  • Inventory: Track stock levels and shipments

Real-World Use Cases

  • SaaS: Multi-tenant databases for each customer
  • Healthcare: Secure patient records with automated backups
  • Finance: Transaction logs and reporting
  • Education: Student and course management

Best Practices

  • Use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection
  • Enable automatic backups and multi-AZ for high availability
  • Monitor performance with AWS CloudWatch
  • Secure credentials with AWS Secrets Manager or Parameter Store
  • Use connection pooling for efficiency
  • Encrypt data at rest and in transit
  • Regularly update database engine for security

Related Concepts to Explore

  • AWS Secrets Manager
  • VPC and security groups
  • Multi-AZ deployments
  • Database migration tools (EF Core Migrations)
  • Dapper ORM
  • CloudWatch monitoring
  • Aurora (AWS's cloud-native database)
  • Scaling read replicas
  • Backup and restore strategies
  • .NET connection pooling

Summary

AWS RDS makes it easy to run reliable, scalable databases in the cloud. With ASP.NET Core, you can connect using familiar tools and libraries—freeing you to focus on building great apps, not managing database servers.