Subtopic: Websites

Blazor is a powerful framework from Microsoft used for building interactive web UIs with C# instead of JavaScript. A key feature of Blazor is its flexibility in how applications are hosted and run. The choice of hosting model—Server, WebAssembly, Interactive Auto, or Hybrid—depends entirely on the specific needs of the application, such as scale/performance requirements, offline capabilities, and access to native device features.

But which flavor of Blazor should you use? Well, that depends...

Blazor Server

The Blazor Server hosting model is the easiest to set up and use. It runs your application on the server, and when a user interacts with the application, UI events are sent to the server over a real-time (SignalR) connection. The server processes these events, calculates the necessary UI changes, and sends only those small changes back to the client to update the display. This results in a very thin client and a fast initial load time, as almost no application code is downloaded to the browser.

Best reasons to use this hosting model:

• internal business applications or other scenarios where a constant, low-latency connection to the server is guaranteed
• applications that need direct access to server-side resources, databases, or protected services that shouldn't be exposed to the client
• applications that don't have enterprise-scale traffic needs, or where the cost of hosting those resources is not prohibitive (e.g. regional instances for best performance)
• when the development cycle "inner loop" must be as fast and efficient as possible

Blazor WebAssembly (WASM)

In contrast, Blazor WebAssembly runs your entire application directly in the web browser using a WebAssembly-based .NET runtime. The application's C# code, its dependencies, and the .NET runtime itself, are all downloaded to the client. Once downloaded, the application executes entirely on the user's machine, enabling full offline functionality and leveraging the client's processing power for a rich, near-native user experience.

Best reasons to use this hosting model:

• for public-facing websites, progressive web apps (PWAs), and applications that require complex, desktop-like interactivity without constant server communication
• when a larger initial download size and longer first load time are not a concern
• when hosting cost is a concern; WebAssembly apps can be hosted on inexpensive file-based hosting platforms, like Amazon S3
• if your web application needs to support large amounts of traffic or will service an international audience
• when development cycle "inner loop" iteration time is not a concern

Blazor Interactive Auto

The Blazor interactive auto mode allows you to use both server and WebAssembly components in a single project, giving you precise control over how your app behaves.

Best reasons to use this hosting model:

• applications that are ideal for server hosting but also have some user experiences that need higher performance or support larger audiences
• when the complexity of configuring a WebAssembly project is not a concern
• when development cycle "inner loop" iteration time is not a concern

Blazor Hybrid

Blazor Hybrid is a bit different. It's not used for building web applications. It's allows web developers to use their skills to build mobile apps that run on devices at close to native speed. Microsoft Maui is the core platform, which is native and cross-platform. It normally uses XAML for coding user interfaces. When using Blazor Hybrid, however, you can also use Blazor web components alongside XAML or in place of it.

This model provides the best of both worlds: the ability to build a rich, cross-platform UI with web technologies while having full access to the native capabilities of the device, such as the file system, sensors, and notifications.

Blazor Hybrid is the perfect solution for developers looking to create desktop and mobile applications that can share UI components and logic with an existing Blazor web application, or for new mobile app projects.

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Many organizations are eager to adopt microservices, sometimes before they even know if they need them. Knowing when they fit a need makes all the difference, and sometimes, not using them is the smarter move.

There are some cases where a microservice architecture is your best bet:

1. When you need to combine incompatible technologies

If your project has to support multiple technologies that don’t naturally work together, microservices are a natural fit. Take my experience with the Whitelist Sync Web project:

Originally, this project ran on a 100% .NET backend with a Vue frontend. Later, I migrated to a Node backend with a React frontend. However, I still needed to support SignalR—Microsoft’s real-time communication technology—because client applications in the field were dependent on it. The challenge? SignalR server-side hosting is only supported in C#. Node cannot host a SignalR hub.

Removing SignalR from the project wasn’t an option (unless I was willing to rewrite and redeploy all the client apps—which was out of scope). The solution was to create a separate SignalR microservice: a C# project dedicated to SignalR, communicating with the Node backend through JWT auth and REST endpoints. A reverse proxy routed /hubs/ requests to the SignalR service, while all other traffic hit the React app. The entire setup was managed using Docker Compose.

2. When extending legacy projects

Microservices can be helpful for extending existing applications. If you want to add new functionality using a different tech stack—or isolate new features for a big team—they let you do this without rewriting your monolith.

3. High availability and fault tolerance

Splitting your app into smaller, independently hosted pieces means a failure in one service won’t crash the entire application. Of course, you can build robust error handling into a monolith, but microservices can make fault isolation easier.

4. Better load balancing

Cloud providers offer load balancing for monoliths, but microservices can provide more granular scaling. Just keep in mind, if you don’t have heavy load or growth requirements, this might not be worth the extra complexity and cost.

5. Technology flexibility

Microservices let you mix and match tech: imagine a Node backend, a React frontend, and a Python microservice for AI features. Each part of your app can use the best tool for the job.

The downsides of microservices

While microservices have their place, they also come with significant downsides:

1. High cost

Running multiple services means more infrastructure, more devops, and more cloud spend. If your application has low demand, this cost is often unjustified. Starting new projects with a single stack keeps things cheaper and simpler.

2. Operational overhead

Multiple services means more to manage: logging, monitoring, orchestration (hello, Kubernetes), and maintenance. All of this adds to the operational burden.

3. Vendor lock-in

Using cloud-specific services like Azure Functions ties your app to one provider. Migrating later is possible, but few businesses want to refactor dozens of microservices just to escape rising costs.

4. Deployment complexity

Deploying a monolith is straightforward. Microservices require complex CI/CD pipelines and orchestration. Tools like Fynydd fdeploy can help, but they add yet another layer of infrastructure.

5. Development complexity

With more moving parts, it’s harder to add features, fix bugs, and onboard new team members.

6. Authentication challenges

Microservices make authentication harder. Instead of just handling user auth, you now need to manage service-to-service authentication, which can be complicated and error-prone.

When not to use microservices

Given all these costs, it’s clear: Start simple. For most projects, especially those with low load or a single technology stack, a monolith is the best starting point. Design your application with modularity and future growth in mind, so you can break it into microservices if you ever need to. But don’t jump into microservices unless you’re solving real problems that require them.

Further reading: You Don’t Need Microservices (itnext.io)

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Tools like Google NotebookLM and custom generative AI services are fundamentally changing how users interact with information. We're seeing a transition from static reports and interfaces to dynamic chat-based tools that give users exactly what they need, and even things they didn't know they needed.

If you're not familiar with NotebookLM, it's a tool that allows you to provide your own documents (like PDF, text files, audio), and then chat with the data. You can even listen to an AI-generated podcast that explains all the information. For example, I had loaded a project with PDF documents containing the rule book, technical rules, and officials briefing information for USA Swimming, and was then able to get answers to questions like "how is a breaststroke turn judged?"

It was kinda magical.

We've been working with clients on permutations of this scenario for some time. For example, we partnered with a client in the life sciences space to build a chat-based tool that connects various third party API services with disparate information, providing account managers with a single source for helping their customers recommend products and services to ensure better health outcomes.

This is no small feat when the goal is a best-of-breed user experience (UX) like ChatGPT. It can involve multiple service providers like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, as well as various tools like cloud-based large language models (LLM), vector search, speech services, cloud storage, charting tools, location services, AI telemetry, and more. But when it's done right, the result is amazing. You can ask questions that span disciplines and contexts and see results you may not have ever seen before.

Most organizations can really benefit from exploring how generative AI can positively impact their offerings and give them a competitive advantage. Like we always say, it's not about the organizations that use AI, it's about the ones that don't.

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During the COVID pandemic, Fynydd partnered with Blue Sequoyah Technologies (https://bluesequoyah.com) to build Coursabi: a cutting edge learning platform (https://coursabi.com). It's an all-in-one learning solution with features like native and SCORM course support, video conferencing, audio and video libraries, forms, reports, events, and more, all presented as a concise learning journey.

We found particular success in the pharmaceutical and healthcare space, and are proud to see these clients renewing each year as they find success in keeping their teams trained, compliant, and most of all, happy.

One of our early subscribers, Deciphera (https://deciphera.com), has been at the cutting edge of cancer research for decades. They do great work, and we're proud to say that they have renewed their Coursabi subscription for 2025!

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There is a world full of "build your own website" services that allow just about anyone to stand up a new website in a few hours. Even organizations can leverage the simplicity offered by these services to set up an online store, community, and more. Here are a few examples of why people typically choose these services.

• Quick setup and time to market
• Reasonable up-front pricing
• Design templates
• Integrated services, like shopping carts and email
• Managed hosting

Sounds great! But as with everything in life, there are tradeoffs.

• Quick setup and time to market means giving up control over things like your domain name, web app design, email provider, and more
• Reasonable up-front pricing usually means a tiered pricing model with add-on pricing for essential features like a custom domain name, additional bandwidth, and increased storage
• Design templates mean your web app will largely look like a lot of other web apps that use the service, and may not match your vision, and custom designs can require service-specific web development
• Integrated services also means no choice over the provider of the service, which could be missing features you need
• Managed hosting means scaling (growing) is significantly more expensive, network bandwidth caps can apply, and true customer and data ownership are dubious

Regardless, these services can be a great way for individuals and small organizations to bootstrap their web presence, and in many cases, you can happily continue to use the service for years.

But there are also long-term lock-in issues that can be more serious, potentially impeding your growth, for example:

• You may contractually own your data, but extracting it to migrate to another platform is usually not practical or possible at all; they don't want you to leave
• When the service changes (features, pricing, etc.) or if the service is purchased by another entity, you usually have no choice other than rolling with it, for better or worse
• If the service shuts down, you're going to struggle to replace everything they offered to your visitors in a relatively short period of time
• Most successful businesses will outgrow these services anyway, so you could be missing out on long-term savings

Custom Websites

If the tradeoffs are too much to swallow, fear not! You can also go with a custom web app tailored specifically to your needs and budget. It can match your vision without compromises and scaling can be managed more easily as your business or traffic grow.

So how do you get started? With a builder service you first have to find one with the price and features you need, and then create an account and dig into their control panel to start configuring your website. Whereas for a custom website the first step is to find a web development partner you can rely on for advice and technical expertise, like Fynydd. Your partner can help gather your ideas, come up with a plan, and build your web app, all within your budget and timeline. They're usually experts in both new web app projects and migrations from other platforms and services. Most importantly, they fill the knowledge gap left by the "build your own website" service.

A web development partner will choose technologies that have a proven security track record. One way we do this is by consulting the CVE database; a publicly funded global resource for tracking common vulnerabilities and exposures. For example, a CVE search quickly reveals that WordPress has historically been a security nightmare.

Your development partner will help you with a design that matches your vision, a hosting service that meets your needs and budget, a security review, a backup plan and disaster recovery strategy, and more. When the time comes to grow your platform, they can help with that too. And throughout the journey you maintain full control over your brand, your website, your data, and your customers.

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Planning out a long-term strategy for your web project can really pay off. We were recently reminded of that when we were asked to create a mobile app (iOS and Android) for a web-based platform we designed and built several years ago. The platform is Coursabi, a learning platform that ensures growth at each milestone for everyone on your team. You can check it out at https://coursabi.com.

When we created the technical strategy we knew that a mobile app was a likely roadmap item. So we chose ASP.NET Blazor as the core platform technology. It allowed us to build a web app that felt like a single page app (SPA). And it gave us several hosting models: server, WASM (WebAssembly), and hybrid mobile. The most intriguing aspect of the Blazor Hybrid model is that unlike hybrid apps of the past, there is no web server running on the mobile device. Instead, all the C# code is compiled to native .NET code, and the web view (an embedded web browser) is only used to render the user interface. So the app runs as a native mobile app!

We knew that some features of the platform would have to be altered, since the mobile app has no web server. For example, Coursabi supports the SCORM format for external learning content. And due to security restrictions, they needed a host with a trusted root certificate. So moving that out of the platform and handling the routing changes were both necessary, but totally doable.

Another benefit of a mobile app version of the platform is that in many ways it also simplifies the security model, since the app is only running on the local device, whereas a hosted app needs to manage user state, among other concerns.

If you have an ASP.NET-based web application, you can still leverage Blazor Hybrid to turn it into a mobile app. It just needs to first be migrated into a Blazor app. I'd also recommend reviewing your web app for opportunities to make it as mobile-friendly as possible. You don't want your mobile app to look or feel like a website. But those changes not only get you a great mobile app, they also improve how your app looks and feels in a mobile web browser. So you get twice the value.

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There's usually more to the story so if you have questions or comments about this post let us know!

Do you need a new software development partner for an upcoming project? We would love to work with you! From websites and mobile apps to cloud services and custom software, we can help!

ZOIA Healthcare is a direct-to-patient provider of specialized nutritional products dedicated to empowering and improving the lives of individuals with inherited metabolic disorders and other rare diseases. They focus on navigating the complexities of healthcare, ensuring patients who require targeted nutrition that cannot be met through a regular diet alone gain access to necessary medical and low protein foods.

Accredited by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA), they adhere to stringent standards, helping their patients experience transformative outcomes. Their portfolio is curated to foster advancements in disease management, harnessing the power of nutrition.

ZOIA Pharma partnered with Fynydd to build a new web sales and marketing platform providing patients and organizations with a streamlined shopping experience. Individuals can browse, search, and purchase nutrition products, and even get notified when products are back in stock. And organizations also have the ability to offer a formulary catering specifically to their patients.

Some of the key features of the platform include:

• Based on ASP.NET and Umbraco CMS
• Hosted on Amazon Web Services
• Fynydd's bespoke Umbraco shopping platform supporting consumers and organizations with formularies
• Integrated with Stripe for payments and purchase management
• Responsive framework works great on mobile, tablets, and larger devices

Key Technologies

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Monitoring Analytics was established in 2008 as the fully independent external market monitor for PJM Interconnection by the Market Monitoring Unit of PJM. PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission organization, ensures the reliability of the electric power supply system in 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Monitoring Analytics (MA) partnered with Fynydd to create a new web platform optimized for a modern user experience.

The goal of the project was to provide visitors with easy access to the Monitoring Analytics quarterly reports and other support documentation, as well as an updated visual appearance.

One of the challenges was the creation of a new taxonomy for their 20 year document collection. It needed to be easy to manage in the back office, but also provide better on-site search results. We were able to work with MA to categorize and organize their document collection and provide a user flow that made finding and downloading documents quick and easy.

Due to various compliance requirements, some aspects of the hosting were non-standard. But we were able to meet all their needs. For example, we deployed the platform CMS without the back office code, and with the CMS management APIs disabled, providing additional security in production. This meant creating a unique publishing workflow whereby a separate instance could be used behind a firewall and approved changes could be deployed through a VPN connection.

Some of the key features of the platform include:

• Based on ASP.NET and Umbraco CMS, hosted on Amazon Web Services
• SQLite database
• Non-standard publishing workflow
• Indexing of PDF content, ingested into Lucene indexes
• Composite web/PDF content site search
• Responsive HTML5 framework
• Device themes (system/dark/light modes)

NOTE: THE WEBSITE IS NOT YET LIVE

Key Technologies

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Qualys has a free tool named SSL Labs that anyone can use to check the security of their website TLS certificates and certificate hosting configuration. This is an frequently overlooked area of securing a website and we highly recommend using it on your own website. In fact, we use it on all our website projects to secure our client websites, and dog food it for fynydd.com (we score an A+ by the way).

Features

The SSL Labs tool will evaluate a ton of certificate hosting exploits like BEAST, POODLE (SSLv3), POODLE (TLS), Zombie POODLE, GOLDENDOODLE, Sleeping POODLE, and more.

It will also scan your server's TLS/SSL protocol support to ensure that you're using the latest version (TLS 1.2 at the time of this writing) and that your server has disabled legacy protocols to prevent protocol fallback attacks. In fact, if you're hosting with Microsoft Internet Information Service (IIS) we highly recommend installing the "Setup Microsoft Windows or IIS for SSL Perfect Forward Secrecy and TLS 1.2" PowerShell script to lock down your server TLS/SSL protocol support.

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Do you need a new software development partner for an upcoming project? We would love to work with you! From websites and mobile apps to cloud services and custom software, we can help!

Fynydd partnered with Blue Sequoyah Technologies to build a community-driven learning platform named Coursabi, which gives learners a simple but powerful way to grow as they follow their learning journey. Their dashboard shows them progress to-date and what assignments are next. They can explore the content library for elective learning, sign documents, and complete forms. And the community gives them a way to learn from peers and content authors.

Coursabi Mission Control is where authorized users can create and organize training content like documents, forms, and courses. There are also libraries for audio and video content, as well as imported learning modules. People and learning assignments are managed here. And administrators and training managers can stay up-to-date using dashboards, reports, notifications, community activity, and so much more.

• Amazon AWS, CloudFront, S3, Okta SSO
• SCORM/xAPI/HTML import, native Coursabi content
• Courses, documents, audio, video, forms, events, community, and more
• Real-time reporting and analytics suite
• Native content builders
• Assignments, progress tracking, notifications
• Team and role-based security for authors, members, and content

Key Technologies

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There's usually more to the story so if you have questions or comments about this post let us know!

Do you need a new software development partner for an upcoming project? We would love to work with you! From websites and mobile apps to cloud services and custom software, we can help!