How to configure exe setup with database on another pc...? - c#

I created my first winform application using c# windows form application in visual studio 2015. It contains some database operations such as insertion, deletion, and updates. The database is created in SQL-Server. Then I compiled the solution and it worked fine on my computer. When I try to run the application on another computer, it is throwing an SQL-Server connection error. Can you please help out, I am new to this.

When You run the EXE file on some other computer you should make sure that that computer is able to connect to your database server, So you should either Add the computer to your network and provide necessary rights to connect, or Host the database on Some Network Location from where everyone can access it.
Another Idea is if you want to keep the Database as Local for each Computer, try using the Dynamic Configuration using the App.Config File.Save and retrieve the Database Connection String from the App.Config File and when you copy the EXE to some other machine, Copy this file along with that.

The issue here seems to be on the client side. The user on the client/machine that runs the application on, doesn't seem to have the rights to connect to the server or database. You need to grant the needed rights to each user that will use the client.
However this concept allows the users to also directly connect to the database and run CRUD operations if they know how and are allowed to.
A more common way is to use a dedicated service user/account and include the credentials to the connection string in your application. Here are the basics.
If you need to make sure users don't read the credentials from the config file, use encrypted configuration

I think you are trying to permanently attach a database file (.mdf), which can be done by following steps: from the Data Connections node
Open the shortcut menu for Data Connections and choose Add New Connection.
The Add Connection dialog box appears.
Choose the Change button.
The Change Data Source dialog box appears.
Select Microsoft SQL Server and choose the OK button.
The Add Connection dialog box reappears, with Microsoft SQL Server (SqlClient) displayed in the Data source text box.
In the Server Name box, type or browse to the path to the local instance of SQL Server. You can type the following:
"." for the default instance on your computer.
"(LocalDB)\v11.0" for the default instance of SQL Server Express LocalDB.
".\SQLEXPRESS" for the default instance of SQL Server Express.
For information about SQL Server Express LocalDB and SQL Server Express, see Local Data Overview.
Select either Use Windows Authentication or Use SQL Server Authentication.
Choose Attach a database file, Browse, and open an existing .mdf file.
Choose the OK button.
The new database appears in Server Explorer. It will remain connected to SQL Server until you explicitly detach it.

Related

Can't save data in SQL Server database, where to place the file?

In my application I need to use a local database (the application I'm creating works with everything locally). I had one database that worked really bad, because sometimes it saved the data and other times don't. And if I published the program I couldn't find the database file.
But I am having some trouble to know where to place the database. I have created one in E:\PAP\Trabalhos\Trabalhos\database.mdf and other in E:\PAP\Trabalhos\Trabalhos\bin\Debug\database.mdf, but in any of those paths the database is recreated/goes back to the previous state, when I try to start the program.
In my connection string I have this:
Data Source=(LocalDB)\MSSQLLocalDB;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|database.mdf; Integrated Security=True
and that points to the file ...\bin\debug\database.mdf
I want to be able to access the database in any computer I use the program and be able to actually save data.
Where is the recommended path to place the database file and be able to access it independent of the computer I am using?
Should I use Windows authentication or SQL Server authentication?
tl/dr: Database doesn't save data and I want to be able to access it in any computer without any extra steps.
You can't use "(LocalDB)\" and access it from any computer. LocalDB is by design accessible only from the applications running on the same computer (it is an embedded database).
To access database over the network you need to install instance of SQL Server, like full SQL Server Express instance or use some cloud service like AWS or Azure.

VS application can't connect to database after attaching it in SSMS

I have a windows form application (developed in VS Express 2013) that connects through an instance of SQL Server 2012 to a database. Both the application and database are on my local system; I just needed a GUI to more easily interface with this very large database that stores my research data. When I initially compile and deploy the application, it works fine and has no connection problems with the database. However, if I then attach the database in SQL Server Management Studio (which I sometimes want to do) I get an error the next time I try to use the application - "Cannot open database ..... requested by the login, the login failed". I get this error even if I take the database offline and detach it before quitting SSMS. And just to be clear - I'm not making any changes to the database in SSMS, I'm just looking at the data. The connection string used by VS is Data Source (LocalDB)\v11.0;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\CollectionMetricsDatabase.mdf;Integrated Security=True.
Any idea what the problem is?
Maybe the instance of SQL Server 2012 has a max number of concurrent connections and you exceed that with your two connections at once (SSMS connection and application's connection). Check the settings in SSMS.
Another thing to try - Based on your connection string, you are using Integrated Security, which in my experience means the application connects using Windows credentials. That can be fragile, because it means that whatever 'user' runs the application (if hosted in IIS, this will be the App Pool user) is the one whose Windows credentials are used. I would suggest creating a SQL login user (in SSMS) for the database, with db_owner access, and then changing the application's connection to be username/password based instead. You may need to enable Mixed Authentication for the SQL Server instance in SSMS if it doesn't already allow it.
You need to connect in SSMS with the localDB connection string. Attaching it will prevent it from working with localDB.
In SSMS, create a connection to (LocalDB)\v11.0. You should see your DB there already.
The problem is that you are connecting to the database file directly not through SQL Server.
Only one user can have a lock on the file at the time.
You need to recreate a connection string for your app.
That is why you were needing to detach the database.
Since this is only a personal project you could live with things as they are, at least you know the server is only running when you need it.
create connection msdn

Visual Studio 2012 move local .sdf file to server computer

here is the problem I am facing now. I have created an application that uses local database (this was created by Add -> New Item -> Local Database. Afterwards I have added tables under this .sdf database.
Then I have connected to this database using Add -> New Item -> ADO.NET Entity Data Model.
Everything works like a charm, unless I was asked to move this database to a place, where multiple people could access this database and work with it.
Therefore, as I have no previous experience with databases, I have treated this .sdf file as any other file (let's say Excel workbook) and I thought that I could simply take already existing database, copy it on server computer (e.g. \Server001\Database\Database1.sdf) and simply change connection string under app.config.
However the problem is that this does not work. As I didn't know how to change connection string, I created new application, where I have tried to connect to this database located on a server computer; however I received the following error:
SQL Server Compact does not support opening database files on a network share.
I already have fully functioning program, but I have no idea how to make it work with multiple users. I have tied to google for solution, but all I could find is how to create local database, not how to make it accessible by placing it in server computer.
Could you guys please help me? If you need more details, please let me know!
P.S. This is WPF application, .NET 4.5, created using Visual Studio 2012 Professional.
Thank you!
The error message pretty much sums up the problem: SQL Server Compact does not support opening database files on a network share.
SQL Server Compact (aka "local database") is to be consumed by a local application; even if it was a web app serving many requests, the application itself is local.
If you want to have multiple remote connections (i.e. centralized DB, distributed app), you should look at using an instance of SQL Server (any SKU would probably work, even SQL Server Express). Those will use MDF files instead of SDF files, so you might want to refer to Convert .sdf database to .mdf database. You'll probably also need to set up a user identity for your connection string, so check out this link on CREATE USER and Difference between a User and a Login in SQL Server to understand how that can be configured.

Connection String in C# windows application

I am developing C# windows application first time.
Que 1 - ) I have developed my windows application which uses SQL server 2008 using below connection string..
Data Source=myMachineName;Initial Catalog=myDataBase;User Id=myUsername;Password=myPassword;
But When I created setup of my application and installed it to another computer then it is throwing error of could not establish connection with SQL server..
I guess this error is because of my connection string as it is specific to my computer and installing it to another computer will not work..
Hence How can I make my connection string which will work with any computer..
Que 2 - Do I need to attach schema file with my setup as How my database will be created into the other computers??
This might be silly qustion but as I am doing this first time , i dont know about this all.
Regards,
Mahesh
You should place your web config in app.config file which is in xml format.
And read it from your code.You can easily change app.config file through notepad according to machine.
Yes must have your schema script in setup if you want to create it from setup.Otherwise you create database manual on client machine.
If you've used SQL Server on your development machine, it has to be installed on every computer that will be using your app. There are several options to resolve this issue:
If your app doesn't need access to a central sql server (for example your app just keeps track of users DVDs), use SQL Server Compact Edition instead and embed it to your app
If your app needs some kind of a centralized data, get a dedicated SQL server first, install there everything you need and in your app change your current myServerAddress to the address of the server. Note that the server needs to be accessible from remote locations (some restrict access to localhost!).
Que 2 - Do I need to attach schema file with my setup as How my
database will be created into the other computers??
Again, multiple options. For instance, you can export your database to a .sql file (Right click on the db in your DB explorer and select option Publish to provider) and then import it using a sql manager on other computers. Or maybe you can create a .cs installation script, that will do the same job using C# code.
Edit based on OP's comments:
Example links for solutions:
question1: Embedding SQLServer CE in an installer
question2: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307283
Okay that's fine but will my current Connection string work in that case as the DataSource
is my specific machine name
Of course not, you'd have to change it to point to the SQL Server CE database file. Probably the best way is to not hardcode it, but use a relative path to the database. It looks like this for instance:
Data Source=|DataDirectory|\MyDb.sdf, where |DataDirectory| points to the App_Data folder of your application.
Also plese see the error screen map i have attach with the question..
Your error is quite clear - there was a problem establishing a connection to your database. It either doesn't exist or isn't accessible from your current machine.

C# application accessing remote sql server 2008 instance ... not working

I have a console app that needs to connect to a remote sql server 2008 instance....
this particular line throws an error even though i have access to that database...
connection.open() is the line that is throwing the error...
Make sure that Sql server 2008 instance available at your system where you are running your application.
Atleast client version of Sql server 2008 should be installed on development machine.
Check connection string and server system also allow network connection.
Make sure the connection string in you console app uses the same credentials and settings that you use to successfully connect in management studio.
Are you using Windows authentication in one place and a SQL login in another?
Have you been able to connect to this remote server before? If you have been able to connect previously, but cannot do so now, that may be an indication that a backup copy of the database, from another server, has been restored to that server.
When you write that you "have access" to that database, how do you connect? Close your copy of SQL Server Management Studio and re-open it; when you get the Connect dialog, be sure to enter the user credentials that your console app uses to connect. Do you see your database? Are you able to execute stored procedures, run SELECT statements, or otherwise do what you would expect?
If you do not see the database--or if you cannot do the activities you expect, you have probably restored a database from another server. This is very common--a database developer is working on the next revision of the database on his development machine; when it comes time to deploy he backs up the database, copies it to the server, and restores the database. Now he can't connect--and can't understand why.
The reason is that the Login and User are presented in the SSMS UI as strings--but in fact they are integer IDs. You will have to do a bit of scripting to delete the invalid User record from the database in order to assign it to the new server's Login.
If this sounds like your problem, respond--I'll check back in a bit, and follow up with more help.
JM

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