Add .NET Framework to .NET Core Migration Assessment Documentation

[devin-ai-integration]

Add .NET Framework to .NET Core Migration Assessment Documentation

Summary

This PR adds comprehensive documentation for the planned migration of SampleMvcWebApp from .NET Framework 4.5.1 to .NET Core 6+. This is an assessment-only task with no code changes - the documentation will guide the actual migration implementation.

Three deliverables are included:

DEPENDENCY_ANALYSIS.md - Detailed analysis of all .NET Framework packages and their .NET Core alternatives, covering Entity Framework 6 → EF Core, ASP.NET MVC 5 → ASP.NET Core MVC, Autofac 3.5 → 8.x, System.Web dependencies, AutoMapper, Identity, SignalR, and the GenericServices replacement strategy using MediatR.

MIGRATION_BOUNDARIES.md - Layer-by-layer breakdown of the 3-tier architecture (DataLayer, ServiceLayer, SampleWebApp), listing every file that requires modification, the type of change needed, and a recommended 6-week phased migration order.

MIGRATION_BOUNDARY_DIAGRAM.md - Visual diagrams in Mermaid format showing architecture overview, layer dependencies, migration flow, current vs target architecture comparison, entity relationships, and file migration status matrix.

Review & Testing Checklist for Human

• Verify the dependency versions listed match what's actually in the codebase (packages.config files)
• Confirm the GenericServices → MediatR replacement strategy is acceptable for your team
• Review the proposed 6-week migration timeline for feasibility given your team size
• Check that no critical files or dependencies were missed in the layer breakdowns
• Verify the mermaid diagrams render correctly in GitHub's markdown preview

Recommended verification: Open each markdown file in GitHub's preview mode to ensure diagrams render properly. Cross-reference the dependency lists against the actual packages.config files in DataLayer, ServiceLayer, and SampleWebApp projects.

Notes

This assessment identifies that the ServiceLayer migration (Weeks 3-4) carries the highest risk due to the complete replacement of GenericServices with custom services + MediatR. The DataLayer migration is recommended first as it has no upstream dependencies and can be tested in isolation.

Key architectural decisions documented:

• Continue using Autofac (vs built-in DI) to preserve existing module structure
• Replace GenericServices with MediatR + custom services
• Replace DiModelBinder pattern with constructor injection

Link to Devin run: https://app.devin.ai/sessions/0555a6b280cb4046a115b3ba284b1655
Requested by: Abhay Aggarwal (@abhay-codeium)

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