The Modern .NET Show

Dapr: The Secret Sauce to Simplifying Distributed Applications with Mark Fussell

Jun 13, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Mark Fussell, CEO of Diagrid and the original lead on the Dapr project, shares his experience at Microsoft and how it shaped Dapr. He explains how Dapr simplifies building distributed applications with features like service discovery and Pub/Sub messaging. Mark highlights Dapr's integration with various languages and its capability to modernize existing monoliths into microservices. He also introduces Dapr's workflows for durable orchestration and the exciting potential of AI integration.
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INSIGHT

Dapr Provides A Unified Distributed API

  • Dapr provides a consistent set of distributed-system APIs (pub/sub, service invocation, state, secrets, workflows) to simplify microservice development.
  • Developers reuse these APIs to avoid reinventing distributed patterns and ship features much faster.
ADVICE

Use Dapr CLI For Local-First Development

  • Run apps locally with the Dapr CLI to get a sidecar per service and use the same code later in Kubernetes.
  • Use Dapr invoke calls so the runtime handles discovery, retries, security, and telemetry for you.
INSIGHT

Identity And mTLS Built Into The Runtime

  • Dapr gives each service a logical identity and issues mTLS certificates for secure service-to-service communication.
  • This identity enables authorization, encryption, and eliminates developers juggling ports and IPs.
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