Configuration Details

The Ed-Fi ODS / API is configurable in a number of ways. Since the source code is available to licensees, one could argue that everything is configurable. But, what we’re discussing in this section are things like settings and options that do not require a change to the compiled code.

Key configuration points include: OAuth endpoints, Instance type (e.g., Sandbox, Shared Instance), Token timeouts, Enabling / disabling features. See the following sections for more details on important configuration options:

Required Configuration Settings

Some configuration must be done for every Ed-Fi ODS / API platform instance. Examples of required configurations include database connection strings, SMTP server locations, and similar.

To make it easier for developers to install and run the Ed-Fi ODS / API, the default download from source control is pre-configured with values appropriate for a developer or single-server test instance of the system.

Application	Location	Setting Name	Value	Description
EdFi.Ods.SandboxAdmin	appsettings.json	OAuthUrl	Example: http://site-address:port/oauth	Points to the root of the authorization API in the Ed-Fi ODS / API.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	ApiSettings:Mode	Example: Sandbox, SharedInstance, YearSpecific, DistrictSpecific	The component settings for the API. See the following section on Developers' Guide for more information on this setting.
EdFi.Ods.SwaggerUI	appsettings.json	WebApiVersionUrl	Example: http://site-address:port/	Points to the version endpoint in the Ed-Fi ODS / API.

A deployment to a staging or production instance is usually more involved, and requires additional configuration. Required configurations for a production instance can be found in the Deployment section of this documentation.

Optional Configuration Settings

Although this list of settings is not exhaustive, other important and useful optional configuration values include:

Application	Location	Setting Name	Value	Description
EdFi.Ods.SwaggerUI	appsettings.json	SwaggerUIOptions:OAuthConfigObject:ClientId	Example: rcKsguTICAaBm9PxyUW4i	Optionally provides the value to prefill in the "key" field of auth.
EdFi.Ods.SwaggerUI	appsettings.json	SwaggerUIOptions:OAuthConfigObject:ClientSecret	Example: t0CklTOfMBGZNPgVQDLHh	Optionally provides the value to prefill in the "secret" field of auth.
EdFi.Ods.SandboxAdmin	appsettings.json	User	Example: Contents on appsettings.json "User": { "Test Admin": { "Email": "test@ed-fi.org", "Admin": "true", "NamespacePrefixes": [ "uri://ed-fi.org", "uri://gbisd.org" ], "Password": "zSKj8DdR4mQlPp3X2i1ra", "Sandboxes": { "Minimal Demonstration Sandbox": { "Key": "FLqUvMPSoG4ryp7HiRBmX", "Type": "Minimal", "Secret": "bhJfA6qt7iNP3Xd5as9O0", "Refresh": "false" }, "Populated Demonstration Sandbox": { "Key": "rcKsguTICAaBm9PxyUW4i", "Type": "Sample", "Secret": "t0CklTOfMBGZNPgVQDLHh", "Refresh": "false" } } } }	Defines automatically created user accounts and sandboxes. Also configures automatic refreshes of sandboxes to a clean state. Each user entry will be created with the given email/password, and the sandboxes defined underneath it will also be created for the type and key/secret values. New: Must include the NamespacePrefixes elements, to deploy what namespaces for the associated vendor. This collection is required, and at least one namespace prefix is required.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	QueueAutoCreate	Example: 1	Whether or not a message queue should be created if it is not found. For Azure or Active Directory queues, this should be 0.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	CommitUploadCommandMessageEndPoint	Example: localhost	The server hosting the message queues.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	BearerTokenTimeoutMinutes	Example: 30	The amount of time that an OAuth token remains valid.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	SecurityMetadataCacheTimeoutMinutes	Example: 10	The amount of time the security metadata from EdFi_Security database is cached. E.g., if it is set to 10 mins, the claim set changes will reflect in the API at least after 10 mins without needing to recycle API process.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	defaultPageSizeLimit	Example: 500	Maximum number of records that can be fetched in a GET request.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	ApiSettings:Features:ChangeQueries	true	Enables the Changed Record Queries endpoints (database configuration remains a separate step, see Using the Changed Record Queries).
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	ApiSettings:Features:OpenApiMetadata	true	Enables the metadata API endpoint, used by Swagger UI. Production deployments should disable this by changing the value to false.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	ApiSettings:Features:Composites	true	Enables the Composites API endpoints, including the default Enrollments composite and any custom composites that have been added to the installation.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	ApiSettings:Features:Profiles	true	Enables the Profiles endpoints, including the default profiles and any custom profiles that have been added to the installation.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	ApiSettings:Features:IdentityManagement	false	Enables the Identity API endpoints.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	ApiSettings:Features:Extensions	true	Enables the API endpoints created for all Extensions. An installation that is not customized at all and still has the GrandBend and Sample extensions can disable this feature in production.
EdFi.Ods.WebApi	appsettings.json	ApiSettings:Features:UniqueIdValidation	false	Enables Unique ID System Integration. Must implement IUniqueIdToIdValueMapper and register within the implementation within the WebApi.
EdFi.Ods.Web.Api	appsettings.json	ApiSettings:Features:TokenInfo	true	Enables the token_info introspective endpoint.
EdFi.Ods.Web.Api	appsettings.json	Plugin:Folder	Example: ../../Plugin	Configures the plugin folder that API looks to deploy extensions dynamically.
EdFi.Ods.Web.Api	appsettings.json	Plugin:Scripts	Example: [ tpdm ]	Configures the script (located in plugin folder by default) responsible for downloading the extension plugins and placing them in the plugin folder.

Environment Configuration

While appsettings.json provides the primary configuration for the ASP.NET Core applications in the ODS / API solution, appsettings.Environment.json can be used to override the settings in appsettings.json. Initdev creates appsettings.Development.json to override settings for development environment. See Configuration in ASP.NET Core for more details.

Secret Manager

In development environments ASP.NET Core applications in the ODS / API solution uses secret manager tool to provide a way for storing app secrets away from the projects so that they aren't accidentally checked into source control. This setting overrides appsettings.Development.json. See Safe storage of app secrets in development in ASP.NET Core for more details.