.Net Core App Configuration Dynamic Configuration doesn't refresh array values

[willyt150]

Hello,

This is for an Asp.net core 3.1 project using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.AzureAppConfiguration 3.0.1.

I mimicked the Tutorial: Use dynamic configuration in an ASP.NET Core app and when I change the "Sentinel" value along with non-array values in the Azure App Configuration portal, I almost immediately see the change.

However, when I change an array value, or attempt to add another entry in the array, in the portal and then change the "Sentinel" value, nothing happens. I have to completely restart my site to see the update.

I'm defining the arrays like this in the portal:
Key:Subkey:0
Key:Subkey:1
Key:Subkey:2

This closed issue for Support single-value arrays shows being able to specify an array in the portal as Key:Subkey (without the indexing) and specify an actual array as the value ["val1", "val2", etc...].

I tried this approach thinking maybe that would solve my issue and I was able to confirm that it did refresh, however going this approach doesn't bind the array to the appropriate property when I use IOptions.

Or do I need to treat that array config value as a string and have my Options class convert it into an array like in this comment in issue #242

Thanks!

[shenmuxiaosen]

Hi willyt150 , defining arrays using index is fine in Asp.net core. So for items like

Key:Subkey:0
Key:Subkey:1
Key:Subkey:2

services.Configure<Key>(Configuration.GetSection("Key"));

It will bind to the object

public class Key
{
    public List<string> Subkey{ get; set; }
}

[willyt150]

Thanks @shenmuxiaosen, sorry yes I know that approach works great.

My issue is that if I go that approach and I change the value of one of those items or add another item (Key:Subkey:3), in the Azure App Configuration, it doesn't refresh the values of the Key class. I have to restart the App Service hosting the site for it to get those new values.

However, if the setting is NOT an array (e.g. Key:Subkey) changing that value in the Azure App Configuration, and changing the sentinel value, will refresh without any problem.

[abhilasharora]

@willyt150 Could you share the code snippet that you used to configure App Configuration?

[willyt150]

@abhilasharora sure thing

In the Program.cs inside the IWebHostBuilder.ConfigureAppConfiguration I configure the App Configuration with the following:

config.AddAzureAppConfiguration(options =>
	{
		options.Connect(azureAppConfigurationConnectionString)
			.UseFeatureFlags()
			.ConfigureRefresh(configure =>
			{
				configure.Register(GlobalConstants.SentinelKey, refreshAll: true);
			});
	});

And I call the app.UseAzureAppConfiguration(); within the Configure method of the Startup class.

[abhilasharora]

An object T associated with an IOptions<T> instance does not change when the underlying configuration is updated. The values are fixed the first time you access the IOptions<T>.Value property. In case you'd like configuration updates to be reflected in your T instance, IOptionsSnapshot<T> or IOptionsMonitor<T> can be used instead. You can find details on the differences here.

[willyt150]

Oh... That makes sense. I guess when I was confirming that the changes had refreshed I was looking at the IConfiguration.

Ok, I'll give those a try tomorrow. Thank you!

[willyt150]

Thank you @abhilasharora

The IOptionsMonitor was what I was looking for and worked like a charm.