This section describes how to set up the Ed-Fi ODS / API source code on a development machine. For those interested in getting an Ed-Fi ODS / API instance up and running quickly, but do not have developer tools or experience we recommend you to consult Getting Started - Binary Installation.

The steps can be summarized as:

Detail on each step follows.

Step 1. Install and Configure Windows Components

Ensure that the following components are installed:

PowerShell 5.0 - 7.2. PowerShell is used to initialize the development environment.
.NET 8.0 SDK. The .NET 8.0 Software Developer Kit is required for compiling the solution.

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PowerShell

Verify that PowerShell 5.0 or above is installed. If you are on Windows, most likely you have PowerShell 5.0 pre-installed.

Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type PowerShell, select Windows PowerShell, and press Enter.
Type $PSVersionTable.PSVersion, and press Enter.

If the required version is not installed, download and install PowerShell 5.0 or above.

.NET 8.0 SDK

Download and install the latest NET SDK 8.0 (Compatible with Visual Studio 2022).

Step 2. Install and Configure Required Software

Ensure that the following software is installed and configured:

Visual Studio 2022. Visual Studio 2022 (Community, Professional, or Enterprise edition) or JetBrains Rider version 2021.3+ (an alternative development environment that can be used instead of Visual Studio 2022).
Microsoft SQL Server 2019. Microsoft SQL Server is used to store the data for the Ed-Fi ODS / API. Local installation of Standard, Developer, or Enterprise Editions are supported.
Optional PostgreSQL datastore:
- PostgreSQL 13.x. PostgreSQL can be used as the datastore for and Ed-Fi ODS / API instance instead of Microsoft SQL Server.

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Microsoft SQL Server 2019

Install Microsoft SQL Server 2019:

When prompted, select the following features:
Use the default instance named MSSQLSERVER.
Select either Windows Authentication Mode or Mixed Mode.

Mixed Mode may be preferred if you also intend to install the Ed-Fi Dashboards. Mixed Mode can be enabled later by following the Change Server Authentication Mode instructions.
In Specify SQL Server administrator, click Add Current User.

Install SQL Server Management Studio:

Visual Studio 2022

Visual Studio 2022(Community edition or higher) is required for a development environment.

Installing Visual Studio 2022

The instructions below are based on the Visual Studio 2022 Community Installer.

1. Launch the installer and make sure the following features are selected:

In the Workloads Tab
- .NET Desktop development, and select the following components:
- ASP.NET and web development

2. Restart your computer (if prompted)

3. Open Developer Command Prompt for VS2022 as an Administrator, at the command prompt type gacutil -l envdte to verify EnvDTE is registered in GAC. If no listings are found, run the following command to add EnvDTE to GAC.

gacutil -i "%COMMONPROGRAMFILES(x86)%\microsoft shared\MSEnv\PublicAssemblies\envdte.dll"

After installing, check the Visual Studio Start Page and Windows Update for Visual Studio updates.

PostgreSQL Installation (Optional)

Install PostgreSQL 13.x on port 5432 if you intend to use PostgreSQL as a backing datastore for the ODS / API.

PostgreSQL Visualization Tool

Unlike SQL Server, PostgreSQL does not include a GUI to visualize the database (commands are executed via the command line using psql). Below is a list of various tools that work:

Install PostgreSQL

Installation of PostgreSQL can be done either using the binaries or using Docker. The recommended solution is to to use the docker install using Linux containers.

Option 1. Installation using PostgreSQL Installer

Installation using PostgreSQL Installer

Install using the PostgreSQL installer. Version 13.x is compatible with the ODS / API.
- Note the installer includes pgAdmin as an option.
- The PostgreSQL installation guide has details.

Download the version 13.x installer.

Click Next.

If you want to install only the tools uncheck PostgreSQL Server, pgAdmin 4 and Stack Builder.

Click Next.

Enter a password for the postgres superuser.

Click Next.

Enter port 5432 (default).

Click Next.

Click Next to finish the installation.

Option 2. PostgreSQL Installation with Docker

Installation with Docker

Initial setup with Docker:

Install Docker using this guide.
Create a Docker Compose file.

Run PostgreSQL with Docker in Linux Containers

Create a Docker Compose file (name: docker-compose.yml) to bootstrap PostgreSQL using Linux containers. More information on the Docker Compose file can be found on the Docker documentation site.

version: '3.7'
services:
    pg13:
        image: postgres:13-alpine
        container_name: pg13
        volumes:
            - pg13-database:/var/lib/postgresql/data
        ports:
            - 5432:5432
        environment:
            - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${PG_PASSWORD}
        restart: on-failure
volumes:
    pg13-database:
        driver: local
        name: pg13-database

Create an environment file (name: .env) to be consumed by Docker Compose. By default the environment file needs to be in the same folder as the Docker Compose file.

PG_PASSWORD=P@ssw0rd

Sample files for these can be downloaded from the download panel on the right.

Data Retention and Docker Compose

Once you have set up your docker-compose.yml and .env files and placed them in a folder (e.g., C:\PGDockerSetup), navigate to that folder in PowerShell and run docker-compose. This utility reads the docker-compose.yml configuration file and runs all of the containers described in that file.

To bring up the environment:

C:\PGDockerSetup>docker-compose up -d

To stop the volumes and containers:

C:\PGDockerSetup>docker-compose down

To stop the services and remove them, but retain the data in separate volumes:

C:\PGDockerSetup>docker-compose down -v

Configure pgpass.conf

A pgpass.conf file must be setup to store passwords in a location accessible by IIS. It is required by database deployment scripts for the ODS/API. Additionally, a PGPASSFILE environment variable should be setup to specify the location of pgpass.conf file.

Create a pgpass.conf file. Note that the password should be your Postgres superuser password and if you are deploying Postgres via Docker, it should match the password in your environment file.

localhost:5432:*:postgres:P@ssw0rd

Set the environment variable PGPASSFILE to the location of the pgpass file that was created, which is the recommended approach. Optionally, the file can be saved in %APPDATA%/postgresql/pgpass.conf.

You can test the environment variable setup using:

C:\> get-item env:pgpassfile

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PGPASSFILE                     C:\PGDockerSetup\pgpass.conf

Step 3. Download the Ed-Fi ODS / API v6.2 Code

The Ed-Fi ODS / API source code is contained in two Ed-Fi repositories hosted by GitHub.

Source Code Links

The Ed-Fi ODS / API can be found in the repository links below:

Use a Git client (such as GitHub Desktop) or a Git command line tool to Git Clone each of the repository links described above. It is important that both repositories are extracted to the same root directory (for example C:\). When both repositories have been cloned, there will be two folders for the ODS / API source code as shown below:

When you clone a repository, ensure that you have the correct tag is checked out in your client before you proceed.

$ git checkout tags/v6.2-patch2 -b <branch>

If you download the code via a ZIP file, ensure that you check Unblock in the file's Properties dialog to allow the contents of the contained scripts to execute properly.

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Accessing Daily Source

The links above are for the stable release of the ODS / API v6.2. You can download the links to the very latest daily source code in the development branch:

Alternate Method for Code Download

Some developers prefer simply to download the code rather than perform a Git Clone. You can do so by following these instructions:

Navigate to each of the repository links described above (for latest release or daily source) and use the Download ZIP button to download the repository to your local drive.
In Windows Explorer, right-click on each of the downloaded ZIP files and select Extract All… Enter C:\ for the target folder. (You can extract the files to any directory, but these instructions assume you've extracted to C:\.) The ZIP files contain an embedded folder ending in "-v6.2-patch2" (or "-main" if downloading latest daily source). For example, the "Ed-Fi ODS ZIP" archive contents will be extracted into C:\Ed-Fi-ODS-v6.2-patch2
After the extractions are complete, rename the folders to remove the -v6.2-patch2(or "-main") from the folder names. For example, change C:\Ed-Fi-ODS-v6.2-patch2 to C:\Ed-Fi-ODS.
When the extraction and renaming are complete, there should be two folders for the ODS / API source code as shown below:

Troubleshooting the File Extract

The steps above work for most users. However, depending on your Windows security settings, you might get a warning or error when attempting to extract the downloaded ZIP files. If this happens to you, the fix is easy:

In Windows Explorer, right-click each of the downloaded ZIP files and select Properties. On the General tab, check Unblock to allow the contents of the contained scripts to execute properly.

The dialog box above is from Windows 10. Previous versions of Windows have an "Unblock" button in the same location.

Step 4. Prepare the Development Environment

To prepare the development environment, you'll need to follow the procedures described below.

Configure MSBuild

Packages compiled from some of the projects are used during the code generation of later projects, and there is a potential for earlier packages to be locked if the solution is recompiled in rapid succession. This is due to the way that MSBuild caches build processes by default to minimize compile time. Build processes are normally held for reuse for approximately 10 minutes. To turn off this default behavior when compiling in Visual Studio, the "MSBuildDisableNodeReuse" variable must be set.

To set the "MSBuildDisableNodeReuse" variable globally:

Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Environment Variables, select Edit the system environment variables, and press Enter. This brings up System Properties. Under Advanced, select Environment Variables. (Alternatively, right-click the Start Menu, select System, and click on the Advanced system settings. Under Advanced, select Environment Variables.)
Under User variables, select New...
For Variable name, enter MSBuildDisableNodeReuse
For Variable value, enter 1, and press OK.

To turn off this behavior when compiling the solution using MSBuild, include the following compiler flag: /nr:false.

Verify PowerShell Script Permissions

When opening PowerShell, ensure that Run as Administrator is selected. You may need to change the execution policy for unsigned PowerShell scripts to run on your machine to run the scripts. This can be done by opening a PowerShell console and typing the following command:

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted

Initialize PowerShell Scripts for Development

There are several databases that must be successfully deployed. PowerShell scripts that initialize all necessary development databases are included in the Visual Studio solution. These scripts are enabled for use within Visual Studio when the Ed-Fi-ODS solution is opened. They may also be loaded for use within a PowerShell console window by running the initialize PowerShell for development script located at:

C:\Ed-Fi-ODS-Implementation\Initialize-PowershellForDevelopment.ps1

When the scripts are loaded, you should see the results shown below:

Initialize the Development Environment

Once the PowerShell scripts for development have been loaded and a development certificate has been installed, the development environment may be initialized by navigating to the Ed-Fi-ODS-Implementation folder.

For a SQL Server backing datastore, type the following into a PowerShell command prompt:

initdev

For a PostgreSQL, backing datastore, use the following:

initdev -Engine PostgreSQL

To get full details on initdev parameter options, use the following:

get-help initdev -detailed

This command creates databases, generates code templates, and compiles projects in the solution. Some considerations while running the script:

The initdev script may not finish with a command prompt when it is automatically loaded with the solution in Visual Studio in some circumstances. Simply press Enter, and ignore any messages that appear in the console window.
Initializing the development environment will take several minutes to complete. Some developers report encountering an error during the initialization process the first time it is run. This is due to an intermittent timing issue. The issue generally resolves itself when the initdev process is run a second time.

A successful initdev execution will display the tasks executed and their duration as shown below:

MSBuildDisableNodeReuse

Another Option for Setting MSBuildDisableNodeReuse

The most convenient method for developers is to set the MSBuildDisableNodeReuse variable globally. However, you can also set the variable per command prompt session. Both options instruct the compiler to create a new process for each build job. As a side effect, this action also releases any resources that may be held by inactive compiler processes.

If these settings are not applied, Visual Studio or MSBuild may lock resources during build. Restarting Visual Studio (or the command prompt session) will resolve the problem for the first build after the restart. Waiting for up to 15 minutes between builds will also achieve this.

Set "MSBuildDisableNodeReuse" per Command Prompt Session

If the "MSBuildDisableNodeReuse" variable is set within a command prompt session, the Visual Studio development environment must be launched using the devenv command (rather than from an icon):

SET MSBUILDDISABLENODEREUSE=1

Step 5. Build the Visual Studio Solution

To build the solution from within Visual Studio:

Ensure that the MsBuildDisableNodeReuse flag is set (see Configure MSBuild, above).
If the above flag has been set globally, start Visual Studio normally. Otherwise, open Visual Studio from the Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt (where you set the flag value by typing devenv).
Within Visual Studio, open the "Ed-Fi-Ods.sln" solution file from the C:\Ed-Fi-ODS-Implementation\Application directory.
Select Build > Build Solution (or press Ctrl+Shift+B).

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Code Generation During Build

The following diagram shows how MeatEd generated artifacts are used to create the API for the Ed-Fi ODS using code generators within the solution. Code generation uses Api Model JSON file to understand the structure that it uses to generate data access code. Code generation also depends on the DatabaseViews.generated.json which is generated one time using the "EdFi_Ods_Empty" database and subsequently provided by the source code repository.

Alternatively Building from the Developer Command Prompt

When the “EdFi_Ods_Empty” database has been created (by running the initdev PowerShell command in the previous step), there are two ways to build the solution. The solution can be built from Visual Studio, as described above, or from a Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio using the Windows start menu.

To do a clean build from the command prompt:

Open the Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio.
Navigate to your C:\Ed-Fi-ODS-Implementation\Application directory.
Issue a command similar to the following:

Msbuild /nr:false /t:clean;build Ed-Fi-Ods.sln

Step 6. Set Startup Projects

The Visual Studio Solution for the Ed-Fi ODS / API consists of several "Startup Projects" that work together. Each of these projects needs to be running for the system to be fully functional.

To set the Startup Projects:

Select the Set StartUp Projects… context menu by right-clicking on the solution file in the Solution Explorer.
Within the Startup Project property page, select the Multiple startup projects radio button and enable the following projects:
- EdFi.Ods.SandboxAdmin
- EdFi.Ods.SwaggerUI
- EdFi.Ods.WebApi

3. Click OK to accept the changes to your local development settings.

Step 7. Run the Solution

The projects in the Ed-Fi-ODS-Implementation repository are configured to run the desktop version of Internet Information Server (i.e., IIS Express). This server is installed with Visual Studio and facilitates easy debugging with minimal configuration. After the startup projects are set, you are ready to run or debug the Ed-Fi ODS / API.

Running the solution

To run the Ed-Fi ODS / API without debugging, press Ctrl+F5.
To interactively debug the Ed-Fi ODS / API solution, press F5 (or press Start in the Standard Toolbar).

Notes on Running the Solution

The solution builds and starts each of the projects that were added to the startup projects list. Each web application starts an instance of IIS Express. By default, the websites are configured according to the following table:

Website	Project	URL
Ed-Fi ODS API	EdFi.Ods.WebApi	http://localhost:54746/
Sandbox Administration	EdFi.Ods.SandboxAdmin	http://localhost:38928/
Ed-Fi ODS API Documentation	EdFi.Ods.SwaggerUI	http://localhost:56641/

At this point, you're ready to explore the system.

View detail about the applications...

Follow these steps to finish configuring the solution:

Visiting the API Sandbox Administration Portal and logging in with the Test User Account
Reviewing the Ed-Fi ODS API Documentation

The Sandbox Administration Portal

The Sandbox Administration Portal is a web application used to create sandbox databases containing data that can be accessed through the Ed-Fi ODS / API.

Login to Sandbox Administration Portal with Test Admin Account. Login details can be found in Ed-Fi-ODS-Implementation\Application\EdFi.Ods.SandboxAdmin\appsettings.json or alternatively in appsettings.Development.json file. We recommend that you change your password as soon as you log in.

As the name implies, Sandbox Administration Portal is useful for development machines and sandbox instances of the ODS / API, but should not be present on production instances. See the Platform Developers' Guide - Deployment section for details.

The Ed-Fi ODS / API Documentation Web Page

The ODS / API Documentation Web Page provides an overview of the ODS / API, and links to more detailed API documentation.

The REST interface to the Ed-Fi ODS / API exposes metadata describing the exposed resources as well as the inputs, HTTP verbs, and schema of the exposed entities. This metadata enables a user interface (based on the Swagger framework) to display API documentation.

The Swagger-based documentation web page uses a key and secret (typically the same one used for the Sandbox Administration Portal) to access the data that has been placed in the corresponding sandbox.

To view the data in your sandbox, click Authorize and enter the key and secret in the appropriate fields and retrieve a token (the key and secret values for the default sandbox are pre-populated). This token is used throughout your session to access your sandbox. This is the same process used by other applications to access their data.

Similar to the Sandbox Administration Portal, the ODS / API Documentation Web Page is useful for development machines and sandbox instances of the ODS / API, but is generally not present on production instances. See the Platform Developers' Guide - Deployment section for details.

Find out more about how to begin using the Ed-Fi ODS / API:

Downloads

The following link contains sample docker setup files for PostgreSQL

PGDockerSetup.zip

Step 1. Install and Configure Windows Components

PowerShell

.NET 8.0 SDK

Step 2. Install and Configure Required Software

Microsoft SQL Server 2019

Visual Studio 2022

Installing Visual Studio 2022

PostgreSQL Installation (Optional)

PostgreSQL Visualization Tool

Install PostgreSQL

Option 1. Installation using PostgreSQL Installer

Option 2. PostgreSQL Installation with Docker

Configure pgpass.conf

Step 3. Download the Ed-Fi ODS / API v6.2 Code

Source Code Links

Accessing Daily Source

Alternate Method for Code Download

Troubleshooting the File Extract

Step 4. Prepare the Development Environment

Configure MSBuild

Verify PowerShell Script Permissions

Initialize PowerShell Scripts for Development

Initialize the Development Environment

Another Option for Setting MSBuildDisableNodeReuse

Set "MSBuildDisableNodeReuse" per Command Prompt Session

Step 5. Build the Visual Studio Solution

Code Generation During Build

Alternatively Building from the Developer Command Prompt

Step 6. Set Startup Projects

Step 7. Run the Solution

Running the solution

Notes on Running the Solution

The Sandbox Administration Portal

The Ed-Fi ODS / API Documentation Web Page

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