Apparently, using AttachDbFilename and user instance in your connection string is a bad way to connect to a DB. I'm using SQL server express on my local machine and it all seems to work fine. But what's the proper way to connect to SQL server then?
Thanks for your explanation.
Using User Instance means that SQL Server is creating a special copy of that database file for use by your program. If you have two different programs using that same connection string, they get two entirely different copies of the database. This leads to a lot of confusion, as people will test updating data with their program, then connect to a different copy of their database in Management Studio, and complain that their update isn't working. This sends them through a flawed series of wild goose chase steps trying to troubleshoot the wrong problem.
This article goes into more depth about how to use this feature, but heed the very first note: the User Instance feature has been deprecated. In SQL Server 2012, the preferred alternatives are (in this order, IMHO):
Create or attach your database to a real instance of SQL Server. Your connection string will then just need to specify the instance name, the database name, and credentials. There will be no mixup as Management Studio, Visual Studio and your program(s) will all be connecting to a single copy of the database.
Use a container for local development. Here's a great starter video by Anna Hoffman and Anthony Nocentino, and I have some other resources here, here, and here. If you're on an M1 Mac, you won't be able to use a full-blown SQL Server instance, but you can use Azure SQL Edge if you can get by with most SQL Server functionality (the omissions are enumerated here).
Use SqlLocalDb for local development. I believe I pointed you to this article yesterday: "Getting Started with SQL Server 2012 Express LocalDB."
Use SQL Server Compact. I like this option the least because the functionality and syntax is not the same - so it's not necessarily going to provide you with all the functionality you're ultimately going to want to deploy. Compact Edition is also deprecated, so there's that.
Of course if you are using a version < SQL Server 2012, SqlLocalDb is not an option - so you should be creating a real database and using that consistently. I only mention the Compact option for completeness - I think that can be almost as bad an idea as using AttachDbFileName.
EDIT: I've blogged about this here:
Bad Habits : Using AttachDBFileName
In case someone had the problem.
When attaching the database with a connection string containing AttachDBFile
with SQLEXPRESS, I noticed this connection was exclusive to the ASP.NET application that was using the database. The connection did block the access to all other processes on the file level when made with System.Data.SqlClient as provider.
In order to assure the connection to be shareable with other processes
instead use DataBase to specify the database name in your connection string
Example or connection string :
Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;DataBase=PlaCliGen;User ID=XXX;password=ZZZ; Connect Timeout=30
,where PlaCliGen is the name (or logical name) by which SQLEXPRESS server knows the database.
By connecting to the data base with AttachDBFile giving the path to the .mdf file
(namely : replacing DataBase = PlacliGen by AttachDBFile = c:\vs\placligen\app_data\placligen.mdf) the File was connected exclusively and no other process could connect to the database.
Related
I kind of new to SQL Server, I always used access db for my sites.
I created a SQL Server on my local computer and now I want to take this db and transfer it to the server. In access all I had to do is, take the mdb file and put it on the server and change the connection string. How can I transfer the SQL Server db to the server?
Is there any file to put on the server ?
Also the connection string isn't a folder but a local computer like this:
Data Source=my-PC;Initial Catalog=storeSQL1;User ID='my-PC\com';Password='';Trusted_Connection=YES;
Who can provide me this connection string for the server (the hosting company) ?
The easiest way would probably be to create a backup of the database on your local machine, then restore that backup on the new server.
Roadmap is:
Do simple backup-restore to move user databases to target server.
Create script on source server, that can recover permissions and login-users pairing
Restore the CLR and TRUSTWORTHY security for databases, that using unsafe assemblies, simpliest way is (in proper DB):
exec sp_changedbowner 'sa' --sa just for example
ALTER DATABASE dbname SET TRUSTWORTHY ON
Enjoy
Depending on your version of SQL Server here is a good article that outlines all the ways to move a SQL Server Database.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sreekarm/archive/2009/09/11/move-a-database-from-one-server-to-another-server-in-sql-server-2008.aspx
As for getting the connection string yes the hosting company would provide you with that. Where is the database hosted, you could check their knowledge base articles or if it's an in house data base I'm sure a dba could provide you with that information. It won't change much from what you have but it will change.
I'm not sure what tools your using, but to start you need to do a dump or backup of your current database on your machine. After you do that then you can do and import which should create all the tables and import any data you have.
After the data exists on the server then as far as the connection string, you just need to say the Data Source is the server ip address or host name and change your User ID and Pass to match that server.
If you need more details on any part of this process, post what tools your using and what your environment looks like and I would be more than happy to assist you.
In my opinion the best way to do that is to detach the db from one server(pc), copy the files to the second one and then attach them on the second server/pc.
To detach:
USE master;
GO
EXEC sp_detach_db #dbname = N'AdventureWorks2008R2';
GO
To attach:
USE master;
GO
CREATE DATABASE MyAdventureWorks
ON (FILENAME = 'C:\MySQLServer\AdventureWorks2008R2_Data.mdf'),
(FILENAME = 'C:\MySQLServer\AdventureWorks2008R2_Log.ldf')
FOR ATTACH;
GO
I am not sure what's going on exactly as I can't establish a strict linear correlation between
events. But below you'll find my connection string, at times it works, other times when I open the app/project I am building (no changes made) it doesn't and gives me various errors and reasons.
<add name="EFDbContext"
connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.SQLEXPRESS\MSSQL\DATA\EFDbContext.mdf;MultipleActiveResultSets=true;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True"
providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
Errors include:
Unable to complete operation. The supplied SqlConnection does not specify an initial catalog.
or
saying Amin-PC\Admin has no access rights (I am logged in admin)
Also when I try to add a new connection at times it will tell me I have no access rights or database already exists or just adds it normally!
I tried explicitly starting visual studio as administrator and this seemed to help with the denied access to the db issue.
Basically I don't know what the heck's going on.
Have recently started with .net and it has been easy coding for asp.net mvc framework until I got to interacting with underlying asp.net infrastructure, connection strings, outdated (noon-entity framework ready) membership provider etc.
And now don't know what's going on with the SQL Server Express edition that gets installed a long with VS2010.
My recommendation would be: since you already have a server instance (.\SQLEXPRESS) installed - attach your databases to the SQL Server Express instance, and then use them under their database name (instead of using the shaky AttachDbFileName= method).
So:
launch your SQL Server Management Studio Express
find your MDF files you want
use Server > Attach Database to attach the MDF/LDF to the server - give it meaningful name
from that point on - use the database on the server and don't attach MDF's on the fly....
Your connection string would then look something like:
server=.\SQLEXPRESS;Database=YourEFDatabaseName;Integrated Security=True
I find this method is typically much more reliable and predictable - the AttachdbFileName= and User Instance=true are supposed to be easier, but tend to be more confusing that anything else....
Refer to SQL Server connection string samples here.
I have a Sql Server 2008 Express database file that's currently being used by an ASP.NET application, and I'm not sure how to query the database without taking the website down.
I'm unable to copy the database files (.mdf and .ldf files) to another directory, since they're in use by the web server. Also, if I attach the databases to an instance of the sql server (using the 'Create Database [DB name] on (filename = '[DB filename.mdf]') for attach;' command at the sqlcmd prompt), then the application pool user becomes unable to access the database (i.e. the webpages start producing http 500 errors. I think this might have to do with the username for the application pool becoming somehow divorced from the login credentials in the sql server database).
Any suggestions? I realize this is probably a newbie question, since it seems like a rather fundamental task. However, due to my inexperience, I really don't know what the answer is, and I'm pretty stumped at this point, since I've tried a couple of different things.
Thanks!
Andrew
if I attach the databases to an instance of the sql server (using the 'Create Database [DB name] on (filename = '[DB filename.mdf]') for attach;' command at the sqlcmd prompt),
Don't do this to a live database - it's attempting to be setup an MDF to be written to by two different databases...
Use Backup/Restore
As you've found, Attach/ReAttach requires the database to be offline - use the Backup/Restore functionality:
MSDN: Using SSMS to Backup the Database
MSDN: Using SSMs to Restore the Backup
Be aware that the backup/restore doesn't maintain logins (& jobs if you have any associated with the database) - you'll have to recreate & sync if using an account other than those with uber access.
Maybe Linked Server would work?
Another alternative would be to setup another SQL Server Express/etc instance on a different box, and use the Linked Server functionality to create a connection to the live/prod data. Use a different account than the one used for the ASP application...
Am trying to run a C# application which fetches data from PostgreSQL database(8.4) and am using the PostgreSQL OLE DB Provider
This is my connection string
string connString =
#"Provider=PostgreSQL OLE DB
Provider;Data
Source=localhost;location=;User
ID=;password=;timeout=1000";
The error am getting is
The 'PostgreSQL OLE DB Provider'
provider is not registered on the
local machine
Can anyone point out me where should I correct so as to get the connect to the database. By the way am using PGOLEDBLib.
I have seen a few different "pgoledb" libraries. None appear to actually be named "pgoledblib", so this info may or may not apply to you.
The most recently active PGOLEDB has documented their connection string attributes here; it appears they use a different Provider value -- "PGNP.1".
Another provider, which seems to have been languishing since 2006, has connection strings here; these are in line with the earlier suggestions from OrbMan.
Of course, you may find that paying nothing for such a provider leads to paying much in installation, configuration, and utilization headaches. Towards easing such headaches, I offer a link to my employer's options supporting ODBC, JDBC, and ADO.NET clients on many platforms.
Any particular reason you're using the OLE DB provider? I believe the general idea is that you get better performance, and I think also functionality, if you use a native .net provider - e.g. http://npgsql.projects.postgresql.org/
Try using "PostgreSQL" or "PostgreSQL.1" for the Provider attribute.. If that does not work, you will probably need to re-install the driver.
I found the solution.
Step 1: Down load & install
https://www.pgoledb.com/index.php/component/filecabinet/?task=download&cid[0]=15
Step 2: Restart PC.
Step 3: Set the connection string as below
Provider=PGNP.1;Data Source=localhost;Persist Security Info=True;Initial Catalog=myDatabase;User ID=yyy;password=xxx
It should work as your expected
I have an ASP.NET app that uses a SQL Server database. I now need to pull data from Sybase ASE into that SQL Server database for my app to consume, and I'm not having any success with my ideas.
Has anyone done this? Any ideas/suggestions/tips?
You can configure a linked server from SQL Server to Sybase. It should be fairly vanilla using the Sybase provider on the MS side.
Okay, I've finally (through lame trial and error) found out how to link my Sybase ASE (12.5) server to my SQL Server (2008) which will allow the integration I want. Here's roughly how I did it:
Logged in to Sybase ASE OLE DB Configuration Manager (this is like the Sybase version of Windows' ODBC Data Sources) and added an OLE DB data source. I believe you must be an admin on the PC to do this.
In SQL Server 2008 Management Studio, went to Server Objects > Linked Servers. Right click and select "New Linked Server".
In the Linked Server Properties, I set the following properties:
General:
--Linked server: the name of your linked server as you want it to appear in your linked server list
--Provider: Select Sybase ASE OLE DB Provider from the dropdown list.
--Product name: The exact name of the OLD DB data source you just created in Sybase ASE OLE DB Configuration Manager.
--Data source: Same as Product name.
--Provider string: I left this blank
--Location: I left this blank
--Catalog: The default database (master or whatever) to log on to.
Security:
--You need to map a valid SQL Server logon to a valid Sybase logon. I did not use impersonation (which does a credentials pass-thru).
--I chose my connection Be made without using a security context.
Server Options:
--All the defaults worked for me.
Throughout, the standard SQL Server help worked fairly well as a guide. Though not always true, F1 was my friend here.
I can now do distributed queries, DTS or SSIS packages, and use SSRS. This takes a lot of the suck out of Sybase ASE.
Of course the above can be done via the command line using sp_linkserver, but the GUI is more comfortable for a lowly dev like me.
Use Management Studio or Enterprise Manager to import the data using the data importation wizard. That should be it, just make sure you pick the right data provider in the wizard and you should be good to go.
If you want this to be a live feed create a small windows service to manage the exchange of information. It should be relatively simple to do, just a little bit of leg work on your end. If you are adverse to that there are plenty of off the shelf solutions that can do this for you.
The question is a little vague on specifics:
Is this a one time conversion or part of a repeated process.
Is the source machine "reachable" from your destination machine (can you connect the two or do you need to read in files)
With most conversions there are two parts:
Physically getting data from the source into the destination.
Mapping data from the source to the destination tables.
It is hard to make any recommendations without more info. What would be fine for a one time conversion would not work if you need to read in data all day every day. Also, if the source database can not be connected to and you have to pass files, they methods change.