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TenantGuard

0003. Model validation runs as an EF Core convention

  • Status: Accepted
  • Date: 2026-10-29

Context

Section titled “Context”

The model rules need the finished model, once per model, and must not stop the app from replacing EF Core’s own services. EF Core offers IModelValidator, a single service an app or provider may already replace, and model-finalized conventions, which any number of plugins can add.

Decision

Section titled “Decision”

UseTenantGuard adds an IDbContextOptionsExtension that registers an IConventionSetPlugin with one IModelFinalizedConvention. The convention runs the rules on the finalized model, stores the per-entity metadata as a model annotation (TenantGuard:Entities), and throws or logs per Enforcement. TenantGuard doesn’t replace IModelValidator.

Consequences

Section titled “Consequences”
  • The rules run once per model, and EF Core caches the model with the metadata the write guard reads.
  • An app or provider that replaces IModelValidator keeps working.
  • The model is built lazily, so a bad model surfaces on first use unless startup validation touches it (0009).