Entity Framework Database Initialization: Timeout when initializing new Azure SqlDatabase - asp.net

Question

I have an ASP.NET MVC application. When a new customer is created via CustomerController I run a new background task (using HostingEnvironment.QueueBackgroundWorkItem) to create a new Azure SqlDatabase for that customer.
I use Entity Framework Code First to create/initialize the new database. Here's the code:
// My ConnectionString
var con = "...";
// Initialization strategy: create db and execute all Migrations
// MyConfiguration is just a DbMigrationsConfiguration with AutomaticMigrationsEnabled = true
Database.SetInitializer(strategy: new MigrateDatabaseToLatestVersion<CustomerDataContext, MyConfiguration>(useSuppliedContext: true));
using (var context = new CustomerDataContext(con))
{
// Neither 'Connection Timeout=300' in ConnectionString nor this line helps -> TimeoutException will rise after 30-40s
context.Database.CommandTimeout = 300;
// create the db - this lines throws the exception after ~40s
context.Database.Initialize(true);
}
My Problem is that I always get a TimeoutException after about 40secs. I think that happens because Azure cannot initialize the new database within this short period of time. Don't get me wrong: The database will be created well by Azure but I want to wait for that point / get rid of the TimeoutException.
Edit1:
I'm using Connection Timeout=300 in my ConnectionString but my app doesn't really care about that; after about 40s I'm always running into an SqlError.
Edit2:
The exception that raises is an SqlException. Message: Timeout expired. The timeout period elapsed prior to completion of the operation or the server is not responding. Source: .Net SqlClient Data Provider
Edit3:
I can confim now that this has nothing to do with ASP.NET/IIS. Even in a simple UnitTest method the code above fails.

Answer 1

It seems that there is another CommandTimeout setting that is involved in database initialization process when using Code First Migrations. I want so share my solution here just in case anybody encounters this problem too.
Thanks to Rowan Miller for his hint pointing me to the solution.
Here's my code:
// Initialisation strategy
Database.SetInitializer(strategy: new CreateDatabaseIfNotExists<MyDataContext>());
// Use DbContext
using (var context = new MyDataContext(myConnectionString))
{
// Setting the CommandTimeout here does not prevent the database
// initialization process from raising a TimeoutException when using
// Code First Migrations so I think it's not needed here.
//context.Database.CommandTimeout = 300;
// this will create the database if it does not exist
context.Database.Initialize(force: false);
}
And my Configuration.cs class:
public sealed class Configuration : DbMigrationsConfiguration<MyDataContext>
{
public Configuration()
{
AutomaticMigrationsEnabled = false;
AutomaticMigrationDataLossAllowed = false;
// Very important! Gives me enough time to wait for Azure
// to initialize (Create -> Migrate -> Seed) the database.
// Usually Azure needs 1-2 minutes so the default value of
// 30 seconds is not big enough!
CommandTimeout = 300;
}
}

Answer 2

The command timeout and the connection timeout are two different settings. In this case you only increase the commandtimeout. You can increase the connection timeout in the web.config: Connection Timeout=120. The only time you want to increase the connection timeout is when you are creating the database.