---
title: IConfigurationFactory
summary: API reference for IConfigurationFactory.
status: draft
owner: Framework
last_reviewed: 2026-09-15
library: SAIF.Framework.Data.NHibernate
reference_type: package
---

# IConfigurationFactory

`IConfigurationFactory` is the seam contract that decouples database-engine-specific NHibernate configuration bootstrap from the rest of the unit-of-work/repository stack. Consumers wiring up dependency injection construct an `IUnitOfWorkFactory` with a matching `IConfigurationFactory` implementation (`OracleConfigurationFactory` or `SqlServerConfigurationFactory`) so the unit-of-work factory never has to know which database engine it targets.

## Purpose
- Defines the single operation (`GetConfiguration`) that builds or retrieves a cached, engine-specific NHibernate `Configuration`/`ISessionFactory` for a connection string.
- Allows `UnitOfWorkFactoryBase` and its subclasses to remain engine-agnostic — they depend only on this interface, not on `OracleConfigurationFactory`/`SqlServerConfigurationFactory` directly.

## Context
- Namespace: `SAIF.Data.NHibernate`
- Assembly/package: `SAIF.Framework.Data.NHibernate`

## Public members
| Member | Signature | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GetConfiguration | `PersistenceConfiguration GetConfiguration(string connection, int batchSize, bool showSql)` | Builds (or returns a cached) `PersistenceConfiguration` — an NHibernate `Configuration` plus its serialized-config file path — for the given connection string, batch size, and show-SQL flag. |

## Behavioral notes
- Implementations (`ConfigurationFactoryBase` and its subclasses) cache built configurations in a `ConcurrentDictionary<string, PersistenceConfiguration>` keyed by connection string, so repeated calls with the same connection string are cheap after the first.*

## Constraints and usage notes
- Implementers must supply the engine-specific pieces (`GetNewConfiguration`, `GetConfigurationFileName`) that `ConfigurationFactoryBase` delegates to when there is no cached or serialized configuration available.

> **Note:** Statements marked with * were inferred from code structure, naming conventions, or
> contextual evidence where direct confirmation was not available in source artifacts.

## Sources
- `Interfaces/IConfigurationFactory.cs`
- `Factories/ConfigurationFactoryBase.cs`