How Do I Replace EPiServerProfile with ASP.NET Core Identity in Optimizely CMS 12 After Upgrading to .NET 8?

Below is an approach that many have taken when migrating away from EPiServerProfile to using ASP.NET Core Identity. Although there isn’t a one‑stop, step‑by‑step guide from Microsoft on replacing EPiServerProfile with ASP.NET Core Identity in an Optimizely CMS solution, you can follow these general steps:

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1. Add and Configure ASP.NET Core Identity

Start by adding the necessary Identity packages (for example, Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.EntityFrameworkCore) to your project. Configure Identity in your Program.cs (or Startup.cs) file. For example:

CSHARPCopied
// Program.cs for .NET 8 minimal hosting model
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var connectionString = builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection");

// Add DbContext for Identity
builder.Services.AddDbContext<ApplicationDbContext>(options =>
    options.UseSqlServer(connectionString));

// Add Identity services with default UI and token providers
builder.Services.AddIdentity<ApplicationUser, IdentityRole>()
    .AddEntityFrameworkStores<ApplicationDbContext>()
    .AddDefaultTokenProviders();

builder.Services.Configure<IdentityOptions>(options =>
{
    // Configure password, user, and lockout options as needed.
});

var app = builder.Build();

// Configure middleware
app.UseAuthentication();
app.UseAuthorization();

app.MapDefaultControllerRoute();

app.Run();

In the code above, you’d typically define your own ApplicationUser class that inherits from IdentityUser.

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2. Define and Extend Your User Entity

Since EPiServerProfile was used to store user-specific settings and data, you can extend ASP.NET Core Identity by creating a custom user class. You can either add additional properties directly to your user model or store extended data in a separate related table. For example:

CSHARPCopied
public class ApplicationUser : IdentityUser
{
    // Add custom user-specific properties here
    public string CustomSetting { get; set; }
}

If you need a more complex profile, consider creating a separate Profile entity that relates to your ApplicationUser.

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3. Migrate Profile Data

Since your legacy system used the EPiServerProfile class, you’ll need a plan to migrate the existing user profile data to the new system. Some suggestions:

• Data Migration Script: Write a one‑time migration script to read from your old data source and update your new Identity tables (or related custom profile tables).
• Hybrid Access: During the transition, you might maintain both systems and perform data mapping on demand until you’re confident the migration is complete.

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4. Update Application Logic

Replace any calls to the legacy EPiServerProfile APIs with calls to ASP.NET Core Identity. For instance:

• Replace profile fetching and updating code with user manager methods (e.g., UserManager.FindByNameAsync, UpdateAsync).
• Use claims or extended properties from your ApplicationUser to store and retrieve user-specific data.

Here’s an example of retrieving and updating a user’s custom setting:

CSHARPCopied
public class ProfileService
{
    private readonly UserManager<ApplicationUser> _userManager;

    public ProfileService(UserManager<ApplicationUser> userManager)
    {
        _userManager = userManager;
    }

    public async Task<string> GetCustomSettingAsync(string userName)
    {
        var user = await _userManager.FindByNameAsync(userName);
        return user?.CustomSetting;
    }

    public async Task UpdateCustomSettingAsync(string userId, string customSetting)
    {
        var user = await _userManager.FindByIdAsync(userId);
        if (user != null)
        {
            user.CustomSetting = customSetting;
            await _userManager.UpdateAsync(user);
        }
    }
}

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5. Leverage Available Documentation

While there isn’t a dedicated guide on “migrating from EPiServerProfile to ASP.NET Core Identity,” you can piece together the solution by referring to these resources:

• ASP.NET Core Identity documentation
• How to customize Identity
• Data migrations and EF Core

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Summary

Even though upgrading Optimizely CMS from .NET Framework 4.8 to .NET 8 breaks the EPiServerProfile functionality, the recommended approach of replacing it with ASP.NET Core Identity is achievable by:

1. Adding and configuring Identity in your new .NET 8 project.
2. Creating an extended user model to handle your custom settings.
3. Migrating your legacy profile data.
4. Updating your application code to work with Identity instead of the old EPiServerProfile API.

This modular approach lets you gradually shift your user management strategy while leveraging robust, modern authentication and authorization features built into ASP.NET Core.

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By following these guidelines and referring to the official ASP.NET Core Identity documentation, you should be able to build a solid replacement for EPiServerProfile in your upgraded system.