Operations C# active any

Schema migrations are not applied unsafely on normal startup

csharp-ops-005

Intent

Applying migrations automatically on every application startup is risky in multi-instance production systems. Schema change should be coordinated and observable.

Applicability

Applies when the repository uses EF Core migrations or another migration system from application startup code.

What to inspect

Database.Migrate(), startup migration helpers, environment guards, and whether migrations run in the normal service startup path.

Pass criteria

Migrations run in a dedicated deployment job, admin command, or clearly guarded safe bootstrap path.

Fail criteria

The normal production startup path applies migrations automatically with no guard or coordination.

Do not flag

Test fixtures, local development bootstrap code, or dedicated migration executables.

Confidence guidance

HIGH when production startup directly calls migrations. MEDIUM when guards may exist elsewhere. LOW when startup topology is unclear.

Remediation

Move migrations to a deployment job or explicit admin command, or guard any startup migration path to safe environments only.

Pass example

if (app.Environment.IsDevelopment())
{
    await dbContext.Database.MigrateAsync();
}

Fail example

await db.Database.MigrateAsync();