Is it possible to use a SQL Server database, i.e. a .mdf file, without having to install SQL Server (Express)?
No you cannot use .mdf file without installing SQL Server on your system. However, there are some open source projects which you might be interested to look in like OrcaMDF which you can use to read the SQL server data files without the usage of SQL Server installation.
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I've just built my first Umbraco site and now I want to hand it over for deployment on a web server. However, I built the site on my local machine using Web Matrix, which uses a SQL Server Compact Edition database, which is represented in a .sdf file.
I was a bit uneasy about whether this would be much use to the person I'm passing the site to (they have a number of Umbraco based sites running on this server using SQL Server) - so I installed SQL Server Express and migrated the database from Compact Edition to Express. However (again), I can't seem to find any way of exporting the full database to a file which can then by imported into a database on the web server.
A couple of points I guess - first, is the Compact Edition .sdf file actually enough for someone to take and import a database into SQL Server Standard? Failing that, how would I export the database from SQL Server Express to a file which could be used for this purpose?
Thanks in advance - this is my first foray into .net development so I'm grateful for any help!
You could just give the SQL CE database (.sdf) to the person who manages the web server. The SQL CE database can be run by default on a .NET webserver.
If, for some reason, you want to migrate it to SQL Server, you can do this through Web Matrix (http://www.microsoft.com/web/)
When you have already converted the SQL CE database to SQL Server, you can:
make a backup through the SQL Server Management Studio tool and restore the backup on the web server
or you can use the SQL Server Management Studio tool to script the database to a .sql file which can be executed on the web server
I prefer the first option.
I used webmatrix to write my web app. and now I need to upload my files to a host server via ftp. The database file located in App_Data folder it's name: "db.sdf.backup".
The host server uses studio manager to manage the database.
Now, my question is how do i export my database so it would work on their server?
Hey, I have the same problem, I want to export my database from webmatrix to 1and1 servers to publish my web site. Unfortunatly the migrate option of webmatrix is only available for SQL Server database and not for Mysql Database ! Do you have another idea ?
Thanks
Are you sure your database is in SQL Server Express? The file you mention (db.sdf) is a SQL Server Compact database, and WebMatrix indeed uses SQL Server Compact by default. If this is the case you need to convert your database to SQL Server "proper". WebMatrix makes it easier for you by offering the Migrate command in the SQL Server section of the ribbon.
If i have a server with ASP.NET 3.5 installed, where no one explicitly installed SQL Express. Can my web application still connect to an MDF file in the App_Data folder
No, you need SQL Express installed, see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165716.aspx.
You could always deploy your DB to another server which has SQL Server installed though. Just have to also update connection string.
You can do this if you are using SQL CE 4 though, http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2010/06/30/new-embedded-database-support-with-asp-net.aspx
please suggest me how to host asp.net website using sql data base. i published sql.mdf file. is it (sql.mdf) possible to place in app_data folder?
You need SQL Server to host the database.
Just putting the .mdf file in the app_data folder will not allow you to access the data in it.
In your website you will need to use ado.net, Linq to SQL or another data access layer to connect to the SQL server.
You should be able to use SQL Server Express, if cost is an issue.
How can I interact with a .mdf or.ldf file? When I say interact, I mean view/edit fields, records on the desktop.
Its inside a websites App_Data folder.
These are SQL Server files. MDF is the data file and LDF is the log file.
Basically, I think your web site is using SQL Server for it's data storage, and the database is stored in that APP_DATA folder.
Usually SQL Server installations come with Management Studio or Enterprise Manager (called Client Tools) unless the administrator chose not to install it on that machine.
Look under START / Programs / Microsoft SQL Server 2000/2005/2008. Then look for Enterprise Manager or SQL Server Management Studio.
In the ServerName, just put a period or dot, and use Windows Authentication to connect. If that does not work, you will need a username and password to connect to the database. You should be able to find either in the configuration files of the web project, or the website code.
If the Tools are not installed, then you will need the installation CD / DVD to install the client tools.
Alternately, you can install Tools (only Tools, you don't need the database engine) from SQL Express Edition from http://www.microsoft.com/express/sql/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0 on a different machine and access the database from there.
To "interact" with an mdf file, you need to attach the database to an MS SQL Server.
After located the mdf file you can use follwing stored procedures:
sp_attach_db
ex:
EXEC sp_attach_db
#dbname = N'MyDatabase',
#filename1 = N'D:\DataFiles\MyDatabase_Data.mdf',
#filename2 = N'E:\LogFiles\MyDatabase_Log.ldf';
Wehn DB is attached you can connect with your connection string and do classical operations on database.
You can detach your DB with sp_detach_db
ex:
EXEC sp_detach_db
#dbname = N'MyDatabase';
MSDN sample : http://msdn.microsoft.com/fr-fr/library/ms179877.aspx
Use linq2sql to access the mdf.
There's an example in an answer here