How To Add Authentication In ASP.NET Core 6 MVC Project Using Identity?

create database SalesCRM;
use SalesCRM;

"ConnectionStrings": 
{
  "SalesCRMcnn": "Server=***;Database=SalesCRM;User Id=**;Password=****;Connect Timeout=30;Encrypt=False;TrustServerCertificate=False;ApplicationIntent=ReadWrite;MultiSubnetFailover=False"
}

namespace CRMApp.Models
{
    public class SalesLeadEntity
    {
        public int Id { get; set; }
        public string? FirstName { get; set; }
        public string? LastName { get; set; }
        public string? Mobile { get; set; }
        public string? Email { get; set; }
        public string? Source { get; set; }
    }
}

Now, Create a new folder named "Data" in the project and add a new class named "ApplicationDbContext.cs".

using CRMApp.Models;
using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
namespace CRMApp.Data
{
    public class ApplicationDbContext : DbContext
    {
        public ApplicationDbContext(DbContextOptions options) : base(options)
        {
        }
        public DbSet<SalesLeadEntity> SalesLead { get; set; }
    }
}

Now, open program.cs, and add the following service in the file.

builder.Services.AddDbContext<ApplicationDbContext>(options =>
options.UseSqlServer(builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("SalesCRMcnn")));

Step 6. Adding the migration to the database

To add migration to the database, Go to "Tools" -> "NuGet Package Manager" -> "Package Manager Console", and the package manager console will open.

In the console, run the following commands.

add-migration "Initial migration"
Update-database

After running the above commands, a migration file will be added to your project, having folder name Migrations, and the database will be updated.

Step 7. Adding Controller

Click on Controller and add a new Scaffolded Item and select "MVC Controller with views, using Entity Framework," and click on "Add". A popup will open like this.

Choose "SalesLeadEntity" as the model class and "ApplicationDbContext" as DbContext class. Also, name the controller "LeadsController". Click on "Add", and a new controller will get created with action methods in it.

Now, go to "_Layout.cshtml" and add the following lines to make a new menu for the Sales Lead.

<li class="nav-item">
    <a class="nav-link text-dark" asp-area="" asp-controller="Leads" asp-action="Index">Sales Lead</a>
</li>

Now, if you will run the project and open the index page, you will have an empty page like this.

Here, click "Create New" to create a new record.

Once you add the records on the index page, you will have that records.

Step 8. Securing the project using Identity

Before adding Identity to the project, update the "ApplicationDbContext.cs" with the below code, as now we will be inheriting IdentityDbContext instead of DbContext.

using CRMApp.Models;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.EntityFrameworkCore;
using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
namespace CRMApp.Data
{
    public class ApplicationDbContext : IdentityDbContext
    {
        ...
    }
}

Now, Right Click on the project and click on "Add new Scaffolded Item". Click on "Identity" and then click "Add".

Here, I have selected all options, but you can select according to your need and project requirements. Choose DbContextClass as "ApplicationDbContext" and Click on "Add".

Now, you will have Identity added to your project using scaffolding. Now, you will see a folder named Areas which has a sub-folder named Identity which contains a sub-folder names Account which has endpoints for login register, logout, etc in the form of razor pages.

Step 9. Adding necessary code and updating the database

Open "_Layout.cs", and add the following code in the <nav> section before the </nav>

<partial name="_LoginPartial"/>

Now, you should be able to see Login and Register options in the right-side menu when running the project.

Add the following line in the Program.cs.

app.MapRazorPages();

Now, you will have to add migration to the database; go to "Tools", click on "NuGet Package Manager" and then on "Package Manager Console", the package manager console will open.

In the console, run the following commands.

add-migration "Identity tables migration"
Update-database

Here, a new migration file will be added to the Migration folder, and necessary tables are added to the database.

Step 10. Create a new account

Run the project and click on register to register users. A Register page will open like the one below.

Here, you can register users by filling in the fields given.

But, if you click on Sales Lead, you will see you can still access the sales lead page without logging. So, to prevent this, follow the next step.

Step 11. Adding security

Go to "LeadsController.cs" and add attribute [Authorize] at the controller level.

namespace CRMApp.Controllers
{
    [Authorize]
    public class LeadsController : Controller
    {
       ...
    }
}

Now, if you will open the application and click on Sales Lead, you will see that you cannot access the page without logging in yourself. A page for login will open for you, as shown below.

Once you log in yourself using the email and password. You will be able to access the Index page with Sales Lead Details. Also, you will have options to edit, get details and delete the records.

Here, you can see the details.

As you have seen, we have successfully added authentication to our ASP. NET 6 projects using the Identity Service.

Conclusion

ASP.NET Core Identity is a powerful tool for implementing user authentication and authorization in ASP.NET Core applications. By leveraging its features, developers can easily incorporate secure and scalable authentication mechanisms into their web applications, enhancing overall security and user trust. ASP.NET Core Identity simplifies the process of managing user accounts, passwords, and roles, allowing developers to focus on the core functionality of their applications. With its seamless integration with ASP.NET Core MVC, developers can create robust user management functionality and ensure that only authorized users can access specific resources or functionalities within the application.

By following the steps outlined in this article, developers can successfully set up ASP.NET Core Identity in their projects and enjoy the benefits of a secure and efficient authentication system.