diff --git a/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/CqrsSqlServer.Backend.csproj b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/CqrsSqlServer.Backend.csproj
index e533fe8..9b109e5 100644
--- a/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/CqrsSqlServer.Backend.csproj
+++ b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/CqrsSqlServer.Backend.csproj
@@ -16,10 +16,24 @@
         <PackageReference Include="Petabridge.Cmd.Cluster" Version="$(PbmVersion)"/>
         <PackageReference Include="Petabridge.Cmd.Cluster.Sharding" Version="$(PbmVersion)"/>
         <PackageReference Include="Petabridge.Cmd.Host" Version="$(PbmVersion)"/>
+        <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json" Version="$(MicrosoftExtensionsVersion)" />
+        <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.EnvironmentVariables" Version="$(MicrosoftExtensionsVersion)" />
     </ItemGroup>
 
     <ItemGroup>
-      <Folder Include="Actors\" />
+        <Content Include="appsettings.json">
+            <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+        </Content>
+        <Content Include="appsettings.Development.json">
+            <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+        </Content>
+        <Content Include="appsettings.Production.json">
+            <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+        </Content>
+        <None Remove="sharding.conf" />
     </ItemGroup>
 
+    <ItemGroup>
+      <Folder Include="Configuration\" />
+    </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
diff --git a/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/appsettings.Development.json b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/appsettings.Development.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f847e8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/appsettings.Development.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+    "Logging": {
+        "LogLevel": {
+            "Default": "Debug",
+            "System": "Information",
+            "Microsoft": "Information"
+        }
+    },
+    "ConnectionStrings": {
+        "AkkaSqlConnection": "Server=localhost,1533; Database=Akka; User Id=sa; Password=yourStrong(!)Password; TrustServerCertificate=true;"
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/appsettings.Production.json b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/appsettings.Production.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4b1b91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/appsettings.Production.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+    "Logging": {
+        "LogLevel": {
+            "Default": "Debug",
+            "System": "Information",
+            "Microsoft": "Information"
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/appsettings.json b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/appsettings.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4b1b91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.Backend/appsettings.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+    "Logging": {
+        "LogLevel": {
+            "Default": "Debug",
+            "System": "Information",
+            "Microsoft": "Information"
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel.csproj b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel.csproj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..408af7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel.csproj
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+
+    <PropertyGroup>
+        <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
+        <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
+        <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
+    </PropertyGroup>
+
+    <ItemGroup>
+      <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design" Version="8.0.3">
+        <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
+        <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
+      </PackageReference>
+      <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer" Version="8.0.3" />
+    </ItemGroup>
+
+</Project>
diff --git a/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel/CqrsSqlServerContext.cs b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel/CqrsSqlServerContext.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab15150
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel/CqrsSqlServerContext.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+using CqrsSqlServer.DataModel.Entities;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
+
+namespace CqrsSqlServer.DataModel;
+
+public class CqrsSqlServerContext : DbContext
+{
+    public DbSet<ProductListing> Products { get; set; }
+    
+    public const int ProductIdMaxLength = 128;
+    public const int ProductNameMaxLength = 256;
+    
+    public CqrsSqlServerContext(DbContextOptions<CqrsSqlServerContext> options)
+        : base(options)
+    {
+    }
+
+    // The following configures EF to create a Sqlite database file in the
+    // special "local" folder for your platform.
+    protected override void OnConfiguring(DbContextOptionsBuilder optionsBuilder)
+    {
+        optionsBuilder.EnableDetailedErrors();
+        base.OnConfiguring(optionsBuilder);
+    }
+
+    protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
+    {
+        modelBuilder.Entity<ProductListing>(entity =>
+        {
+            entity.Property(c => c.ProductId)
+                .HasMaxLength(ProductIdMaxLength)
+                .IsRequired();
+            
+            entity.Property(c => c.ProductName)
+                .HasMaxLength(ProductNameMaxLength)
+                .IsRequired();
+            
+            entity.HasKey(c => c.ProductId);
+        });
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel/Entities/ProductListing.cs b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel/Entities/ProductListing.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3471896
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.DataModel/Entities/ProductListing.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+//  <copyright file="ProductListing.cs" company="Akka.NET Project">
+//      Copyright (C) 2013-2024 .NET Foundation <https://github.com/akkadotnet/akka.net>
+// </copyright>
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+namespace CqrsSqlServer.DataModel.Entities;
+
+public class ProductListing
+{
+    public string ProductId { get; set; } = null!;
+    
+    public string ProductName { get; set; } = null!;
+    
+    public decimal Price { get; set; }
+    
+    public int RemainingInventory { get; set; }
+    
+    public int SoldUnits { get; set; }
+    
+    public decimal TotalRevenue { get; set; }
+    
+    public DateTime Created { get; set; }
+    
+    public DateTime LastModified { get; set; }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.sln b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.sln
index 4981584..b4d1cfe 100644
--- a/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.sln
+++ b/src/cqrs/cqrs-sqlserver/CqrsSqlServer.sln
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "CqrsSqlServer.Shared", "Cqr
 EndProject
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "CqrsSqlServer.Backend", "CqrsSqlServer.Backend\CqrsSqlServer.Backend.csproj", "{E5872C18-242A-4F52-BBE4-CF4CB272CC4E}"
 EndProject
+Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "CqrsSqlServer.DataModel", "CqrsSqlServer.DataModel\CqrsSqlServer.DataModel.csproj", "{A1B9790C-AC65-46C0-8BC5-2C4013F5245D}"
+EndProject
 Global
 	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
 		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
@@ -24,5 +26,9 @@ Global
 		{E5872C18-242A-4F52-BBE4-CF4CB272CC4E}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
 		{E5872C18-242A-4F52-BBE4-CF4CB272CC4E}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
 		{E5872C18-242A-4F52-BBE4-CF4CB272CC4E}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
+		{A1B9790C-AC65-46C0-8BC5-2C4013F5245D}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
+		{A1B9790C-AC65-46C0-8BC5-2C4013F5245D}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
+		{A1B9790C-AC65-46C0-8BC5-2C4013F5245D}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
+		{A1B9790C-AC65-46C0-8BC5-2C4013F5245D}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
 	EndGlobalSection
 EndGlobal