Introduction
Modern enterprises increasingly demand modular, scalable, and maintainable web solutions that can support multiple applications under a unified architecture. This case study explores the design and implementation of a Multi-App Blazor WebAssembly (WASM) + Server architecture, demonstrating how it enables flexibility, shared components, and centralized services while maintaining performance and security.
Business Problem
Organizations often face these challenges:
- Maintaining multiple web applications that share common features (e.g., authentication, logging, UI components).
- Managing redundant code bases, resulting in high maintenance costs.
- Ensuring consistent user experience across different applications.
- Needing a centralized backend that supports all apps efficiently.
The goal was to design a single architecture where multiple Blazor WASM applications could coexist, share resources, and communicate seamlessly with a common backend.
Proposed Solution: Multi-App Blazor WASM + Server Architecture
The architecture combines:
- Blazor WebAssembly (Client Apps): Multiple front-end applications built using Blazor WASM, deployed independently.
- Shared Blazor Components Library: A common UI and logic library reused across all apps.
- Blazor Server / ASP.NET Core Backend: Centralized APIs, authentication, and service logic.
Each Blazor WASM app focuses on its domain or business area but communicates with a shared backend via secure APIs.
Architecture Diagram (Conceptual)
Key Components
Slow Logons
- UI Components Library: Reusable Razor components (buttons, dialogs, etc.)
- Core Library: Common services (e.g. HttpClient wrappers, DTOs).
- Authentication Library: Token handling, user state management, and role-based access control.
Deployment Model
- Every Blazor WebAssembly project runs as an independent static site (such as Azure Static Sites, AWS S3 hosting, or standard IIS).
- The server deployed as a centralized API service.
- Continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines for automated builds and versioning.
Backend (Blazor Server / ASP.NET Core)
- Uses Identity framework or Azure AD to enable secure single-sign-on flows.
- Implements ASP.NET Core Identity or Azure AD for single sign-on.
- Provides REST or gRPC endpoints.
- Handles common data processing, state control, and server-side caching.
Future Enhancements
- Implement microservices-based backend for higher scalability.
- Integrate message queues for async processing.
- Add modular feature toggling for on-demand app capabilities.
- Explore MAUI hybrid support for desktop/mobile extension.
Benefits
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Code Reusability | Shared components and libraries minimize duplication. |
| Scalability | Each app can scale independently. |
| Centralized Security | One authentication model and server for all clients. |
| Consistent UI/UX | Shared design language ensures a cohesive experience. |
| Simplified Maintenance | Bug fixes or UI updates apply across all apps easily. |
| Flexible Deployment | Independent versioning and deployment per WASM app. |
Challenges & Solutions
| Challenge | Solution |
|---|---|
| Version compatibility between apps and shared libs | Implement semantic versioning and CI/CD dependency management. |
| Cross-app authentication | Use shared authentication tokens or OpenID Connect. |
| API performance bottlenecks | Introduce caching, load balancing, and rate limiting. |
| Complex deployments | Use containerization (Docker/Kubernetes) for consistent environments. |
Real-World Use Case Example
A large enterprise with multiple internal departments (HR, Finance, Operations) needed domain-specific web tools.
Instead of building separate monolithic systems, each department received its own Blazor WASM app sharing:
- Blazor WebAssembly (Client Apps): Multiple front-end applications built using Blazor WASM, deployed independently.
- Shared Blazor Components Library: A common UI and logic library reused across all apps.
- Blazor Server / ASP.NET Core Backend: Centralized APIs, authentication, and service logic.
This approach reduced development time by 40%, and improved maintainability significantly.
Conclusion
The Multi-App Blazor WebAssembly (WASM) + Server Architecture offers a robust, modular approach for building and maintaining multiple interconnected applications. By leveraging shared libraries, centralized APIs, and flexible deployment, organizations can achieve scalability, maintainability, and consistency across all their digital platforms.