Deployment modes

UKBatch runs in two shapes from the same NuGet packages and the same job code. The difference is configuration, not code.

Embedded mode

Reference the library inside one ASP.NET Core app. The runtime, REST API, and dashboard all live in that process. Best for small to mid-size services.

using UKBatch.Api;
using UKBatch.AspNetCore;
using UKBatch.Dashboard;
using UKBatch.Dashboard.Configuration;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.AddUKBatchAspNetCore(b => b.AddJob<SendWelcomeEmailsJob>());
builder.Services.AddUKBatchApi();
builder.Services.AddAntiforgery();
builder.Services.AddUKBatchDashboard(opts =>
    opts.Services.Add(new UKBatchServiceDescriptor
    {
        Name = "self",
        BaseUrl = new Uri("http://localhost:5050/api/"),   // trailing slash required
        DisplayName = "Local",
    }));

var app = builder.Build();
app.UseAntiforgery();                   // required for the dashboard
app.MapGroup("/api").MapUKBatchApi();
app.MapUKBatchDashboard();
app.MapStaticAssets();                  // .NET 9+; on .NET 8 call app.UseStaticFiles() instead
app.Run();

[Job(Name = "send-welcome-emails", Schedule = "0 0 9 * * *", MaxRetries = 3)]
public sealed class SendWelcomeEmailsJob : IJob
{
    public Task ExecuteAsync(JobContext ctx, CancellationToken ct) => /* your work */ Task.CompletedTask;
}

Open /dashboard.

Server + workers

Run the standalone UKBatch.Server (a Docker app) as the orchestrator and dashboard; your microservices join as workers over a cross-service transport. Best for larger distributed systems.

builder.AddUKBatchAspNetCore(b =>
{
    b.AddJob<GenerateInvoiceJob>();                 // [Job(Name = "GenerateInvoice")]
    b.UseWorkerMode(w =>
    {
        w.WorkerName = "invoicing";                  // routing key — matches .OnService("invoicing")
        w.ServerUrl  = "http://ukbatch-server:8080";
    });
});
builder.Services.AddUKBatchRabbitMqTransport();      // a cross-service transport is required

Architecturally a central dashboard is identical to embedded mode — it is just another UKBatchServiceDescriptor pointing at a remote /api. See Server + workers with Docker Compose for the full stack and the environment-variable configuration.

Which one?

	Embedded	Server + workers
Topology	One app	Orchestrator + N microservices
Transport	In-process (default)	HTTP or RabbitMQ (required)
Dashboard	In the same app	Central, over remote /apis
Best for	Small / mid-size services	Larger distributed systems

The job code is the same in both. You only change where state lives (in-memory or a database) and how services talk (in-process, HTTP, or RabbitMQ).