Elsa Workflows 3 configuration for Entity Framework Core with SQL Server

Question

The following entries where made in the Program.cs file following the Elsa Workflows instructions:

// Configure Management layer to use EF Core.
elsa.UseWorkflowManagement(management => management.UseEntityFrameworkCore(feature => feature.UseSqlServer()));

// Configure Runtime layer to use EF Core.
elsa.UseWorkflowRuntime(runtime => runtime.UseEntityFrameworkCore(feature => feature.UseSqlServer()));

Those entries are creating these errors:

'WorkflowManagementPersistenceFeature' does not contain a definition for 'UseSqlServer' and the best extension method overload 'SqlServerDbContextOptionsExtensions.UseSqlServer(DbContextOptionsBuilder, Action?)' requires a receiver of type 'Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.DbContextOptionsBuilder'

'EFCoreWorkflowRuntimePersistenceFeature' does not contain a definition for 'UseSqlServer' and the best extension method overload 'SqlServerDbContextOptionsExtensions.UseSqlServer(DbContextOptionsBuilder, Action?)' requires a receiver of type 'Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.DbContextOptionsBuilder'

Full Program.cs file:

using Elsa.EntityFrameworkCore.Modules.Management;
using Elsa.EntityFrameworkCore.Modules.Runtime;
using Elsa.Extensions;
using ElsaWorkflows.Components;
using ElsaWorkflows.Components.Account;
using ElsaWorkflows.Data;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components.Authorization;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity;
using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Add services to the container.
builder.Services.AddRazorComponents()
    .AddInteractiveServerComponents();

builder.Services.AddCascadingAuthenticationState();
builder.Services.AddScoped<IdentityUserAccessor>();
builder.Services.AddScoped<IdentityRedirectManager>();
builder.Services.AddScoped<AuthenticationStateProvider, IdentityRevalidatingAuthenticationStateProvider>();

builder.Services.AddAuthentication(options =>
    {
        options.DefaultScheme = IdentityConstants.ApplicationScheme;
        options.DefaultSignInScheme = IdentityConstants.ExternalScheme;
    })
    .AddIdentityCookies();

var connectionString = builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection") ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Connection string 'DefaultConnection' not found.");
builder.Services.AddDbContext<ApplicationDbContext>(options =>
    options.UseSqlServer(connectionString));
builder.Services.AddDatabaseDeveloperPageExceptionFilter();

builder.Services.AddIdentityCore<ApplicationUser>(options => options.SignIn.RequireConfirmedAccount = true)
    .AddEntityFrameworkStores<ApplicationDbContext>()
    .AddSignInManager()
    .AddDefaultTokenProviders();

builder.Services.AddSingleton<IEmailSender<ApplicationUser>, IdentityNoOpEmailSender>();

builder.Services.AddElsa(elsa =>
{
    // Configure Management layer to use EF Core.
    elsa.UseWorkflowManagement(management => management.UseEntityFrameworkCore(ef => ef.UseSqlServer()));

    // Configure Runtime layer to use EF Core.
    elsa.UseWorkflowRuntime(runtime => runtime.UseEntityFrameworkCore(ef => ef.UseSqlServer()));


    // Default Identity features for authentication/authorization.
    elsa.UseIdentity(identity =>
    {
        identity.TokenOptions = options => options.SigningKey = "SigningKeyHere"; // This key needs to be at least 256 bits long.
        identity.UseAdminUserProvider();
    });

    // Configure ASP.NET authentication/authorization.
    elsa.UseDefaultAuthentication(auth => auth.UseAdminApiKey());

    // Expose Elsa API endpoints.
    elsa.UseWorkflowsApi();

    // Enable JavaScript workflow expressions.
    elsa.UseJavaScript();

    // Enable C# workflow expressions.
    elsa.UseCSharp();

    // Enable Liquid workflow expressions.
    elsa.UseLiquid();

    // Enable HTTP activities.
    elsa.UseHttp();

    // Use timer activities.
    elsa.UseScheduling();

    // Register custom activities from the application, if any.
    elsa.AddActivitiesFrom<Program>();

    // Register custom workflows from the application, if any.
    elsa.AddWorkflowsFrom<Program>();
});

// Configure CORS to allow designer app hosted on a different origin to invoke the APIs.
builder.Services.AddCors(cors => cors
    .AddDefaultPolicy(policy => policy
        .AllowAnyOrigin() // For demo purposes only. Use a specific origin instead.
        .AllowAnyHeader()
        .AllowAnyMethod()
        .WithExposedHeaders("x-elsa-workflow-instance-id"))); // Required for Elsa Studio in order to support running workflows from the designer. Alternatively, you can use the `*` wildcard to expose all headers.

// Add Health Checks.
builder.Services.AddHealthChecks();
var app = builder.Build();

// Configure the HTTP request pipeline.
if (app.Environment.IsDevelopment())
{
    app.UseMigrationsEndPoint();
}
else
{
    app.UseExceptionHandler("/Error", createScopeForErrors: true);
    // The default HSTS value is 30 days. You may want to change this for production scenarios, see https://aka.ms/aspnetcore-hsts.
    app.UseHsts();
}

app.UseCors();
app.UseHttpsRedirection();
app.UseStaticFiles();
// Elsa middleware
app.UseWorkflowsApi(); // Use Elsa API endpoints.
app.UseWorkflows(); // Use Elsa middleware to handle HTTP requests mapped to HTTP Endpoint activities.

app.UseAntiforgery();
app.MapRazorComponents<App>()
    .AddInteractiveServerRenderMode();
// Add additional endpoints required by the Identity /Account Razor components.
app.MapAdditionalIdentityEndpoints();


app.Run();

I have searched on the Elsa Workflows documentation website for information on the SQL Server configuration and have found nothing.

I looked through StackOverflow and found this configuration answer as I could not find an answer or the information was too old.

I have also done general web searches and AI searches without success.

Where do I find info about it or, what is the correct way to configure Elsa Workflows for ASP.NET 8 with Server-Side Blazor Pages?

The Program.cs that has been posted is configured to UseSqlite() so it shouldn't be throwing that error. Have you seen Configure Elsa 3 migration to SQL Server #5706? — AlwaysLearning
– AlwaysLearning, Commented Jul 15 at 2:09

Tyson Gibby · Accepted Answer · 2025-07-22 17:52:03Z

The issue with the configuration was that the database connection string was not being passed in:

// Configure Management layer to use EF Core.
elsa.UseWorkflowManagement(management => management.UseEntityFrameworkCore(feature => feature.UseSqlServer(connectionString)));

// Configure Runtime layer to use EF Core.
elsa.UseWorkflowRuntime(runtime => runtime.UseEntityFrameworkCore(feature => feature.UseSqlServer(connectionString)));

This is a cleaned up and working version of the Program.cs file:

using ElsaWorkflows_test.Components;
using ElsaWorkflows_test.Components.Account;
using ElsaWorkflows_test.Data;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components.Authorization;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity;
using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
using Elsa.EntityFrameworkCore.Extensions;
using Elsa.EntityFrameworkCore.Modules.Management;
using Elsa.EntityFrameworkCore.Modules.Runtime;
using Elsa.Extensions;
using Elsa.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer;
using Parlot.Fluent;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Add services to the container.
builder.Services.AddRazorComponents()
    .AddInteractiveServerComponents();

builder.Services.AddCascadingAuthenticationState();
builder.Services.AddScoped<IdentityUserAccessor>();
builder.Services.AddScoped<IdentityRedirectManager>();
builder.Services.AddScoped<AuthenticationStateProvider, IdentityRevalidatingAuthenticationStateProvider>();

builder.Services.AddAuthentication(options =>
    {
        options.DefaultScheme = IdentityConstants.ApplicationScheme;
        options.DefaultSignInScheme = IdentityConstants.ExternalScheme;
    })
    .AddIdentityCookies();

var connectionString = builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection") ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Connection string 'DefaultConnection' not found.");
builder.Services.AddDbContext<ApplicationDbContext>(options =>
    options.UseSqlServer(connectionString));
builder.Services.AddDatabaseDeveloperPageExceptionFilter();

builder.Services.AddIdentityCore<ApplicationUser>(options => options.SignIn.RequireConfirmedAccount = true)
    .AddEntityFrameworkStores<ApplicationDbContext>()
    .AddSignInManager()
    .AddDefaultTokenProviders();

builder.Services.AddSingleton<IEmailSender<ApplicationUser>, IdentityNoOpEmailSender>();

builder.Services.AddElsa(elsa => elsa
    .UseWorkflowManagement(management => management.UseEntityFrameworkCore(ef => ef.UseSqlServer(connectionString)))
    .UseWorkflowRuntime(runtime => runtime.UseEntityFrameworkCore(ef => ef.UseSqlServer(connectionString)))
    .UseIdentity(identity =>
    {
        identity.TokenOptions = options => options.SigningKey = "SigningKeyHere";
        identity.UseAdminUserProvider();
    })
    .UseDefaultAuthentication()
    .UseWorkflowsApi()
    .UseRealTimeWorkflows()
    .UseCSharp()
    .UseJavaScript()    
    .UseHttp(http => http.ConfigureHttpOptions = options => builder.Configuration.GetSection("Http").Bind(options))
    .UseScheduling()
    // TODO: add Elsa email configuration
    //.UseEmail(email =>
    //{
    //    email.ConfigureOptions = options =>
    //    {
    //        options.Host = "localhost";
    //        options.Port = 2525;
    //    };
    //})
    .AddActivitiesFrom<Program>()
    .AddWorkflowsFrom<Program>()
    // TODO: add Elsa webhooks?
    //.UseWebhooks(webhooks => webhooks.WebhookOptions = options => builder.Configuration.GetSection("Webhooks").Bind(options))
    .UseLiquid()    
);

builder.Services.AddCors(cors => cors
    .AddDefaultPolicy(policy => policy
        .AllowAnyOrigin() // For demo purposes only. Use a specific origin instead.
        .AllowAnyHeader()
        .AllowAnyMethod()
        .WithExposedHeaders("x-elsa-workflow-instance-id") // Required for Elsa Studio in order to support running workflows from the designer. Alternatively, you can use the `*` wildcard to expose all headers.
    ) 
);

// Add Health Checks.
builder.Services.AddHealthChecks();

var app = builder.Build();

// Configure the HTTP request pipeline.
if (app.Environment.IsDevelopment())
{
    app.UseMigrationsEndPoint();
}
else
{
    app.UseExceptionHandler("/Error", createScopeForErrors: true);
    // The default HSTS value is 30 days. You may want to change this for production scenarios, see https://aka.ms/aspnetcore-hsts.
    app.UseHsts();
}

app.UseCors();
app.UseRouting();
app.UseAuthorization();
app.UseAuthorization();
app.UseHttpsRedirection();
app.UseAntiforgery();
app.MapStaticAssets();
app.MapRazorComponents<App>().AddInteractiveServerRenderMode();

app.UseWorkflowsApi(); // Use Elsa API endpoints.
app.UseWorkflows(); // Use Elsa middleware to handle HTTP requests mapped to HTTP Endpoint activities.
app.UseWorkflowsSignalRHubs(); // Optional SignalR integration. Elsa Studio uses SignalR to receive real-time updates from the server. 

// Add additional endpoints required by the Identity /Account Razor components.
app.MapAdditionalIdentityEndpoints();

app.Run();

It is also necessary to provide the proper settings in the appsettings.json file:

{
    "ConnectionStrings": {
        "DefaultConnection": "connection string here"
    },
    "Logging": {
        "LogLevel": {
            "Default": "Information",
            "Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Warning"
        }
    },
    "AllowedHosts": "*",

    "Http": {
        "BaseUrl": "https://localhost:44398",
        "BasePath": "/workflows"
    },

    "Webhooks": {
        "Endpoints": [
            {
                "EventTypes": [
                    "RunTask"
                ],
                "Url": "https://localhost:44398/api/webhooks/run-task"
            }
        ]
    }

}

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