Clean Architecture ASP.NET Core Web API

Act as a Senior .NET Solution Architect.

Design an enterprise-grade ASP.NET Core Web API using Clean Architecture principles for a large-scale, maintainable, and testable system.

Your response must include:

• High-level architecture overview explaining why Clean Architecture is chosen for enterprise systems.
• A clear separation of layers, including:
  • Domain
  • Application
  • Infrastructure
  • Presentation (API)
• Responsibilities of each layer, with examples of:
  • Entities and Value Objects
  • Use Cases / Application Services
  • Interfaces and Dependency Inversion
  • Repositories and external integrations
• Folder and project structure following best practices.
• Explanation of dependency flow and how the Dependency Inversion Principle is enforced.
• Example use case (e.g., Create Order, User Registration, or Access Request) showing how data flows through layers.
• Guidance on:
  • Validation strategy
  • Exception handling
  • Logging and cross-cutting concerns
  • Unit testing and integration testing
• Optional but recommended:
  • MediatR / CQRS usage
  • Entity Framework Core placement
  • API versioning and scalability considerations