I have created my first project in C# which uses sql server database (file name: printing.mdf)
I have created a database on Sql Server Express and developed an application to manipulate that database.
After deploying (installing sql server on the client's pc, then attaching database manually) everything works fine.
Real problem is that I want
My application should install sql server automatically during installation.
Database (printing.mfd) file should also be attached in installation process.
MOST IMPORTANT: I want to save mdf file on D: drive, so that when system drive (C:) is formatted for any reason, my database should not lost.
For last problem I have tried this connection string
Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFileName=d:\printingData\printing.mdf;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True
I also copied printing.mdf to d:\printingData
This worked on my pc but not on clients pc
Any suggestions specially related to 3rd one.
You can't install SQL Server automatically. Even if this were possible, it would be highly UN-recommended as lots of system tests/configurations are done during the install.
You can attach database files to an existing SQL Server instance at install-time using a custom installation package. NSIS is the best freeware I have come across for installation and it is very well documented and supported (by the users etc.). The functionality you want for database attachment is one of the plugins found here on the NSIS Wiki pages
Of course the D: partition you may have on your PC may not exist on another user own machine. Also, there is not way of automatically creating such a partition on a user’s machine. To do, or attempt to do this would be very intrusive.
In my opinion, I would create some documentation specifying the recommended configuration for your software. You could also provide the installation instructions documenting how to partition the hard drive. But you will find that users (casual users esp.) will not want to be doing such things!
Edit: To answer your comment. For installation from the command prompt in see the following MSDN article - good luck, and be carefull attempting to automate this, it is NOT a good idea...
To attach a database using TSQL use the following queries:
-- For an .mdf with no log file - rebuild it.
CREATE DATABASE [{0}] ON ( FILENAME = N'{1}' ) ATTACH_REBUILD_LOG;);
-- For a standard attach.
CREATE DATABASE [{0}] ON ( FILENAME = N'{1}' ) FOR ATTACH;
Note you can use a system stored proceedure to attach databases but this is being phased out by Microsoft.
Hope this helps.
Related
I want to restore a (not yet existing) database from a .bak file into a remote database server via a C# (.Net 4.0) program.
I know it is not possible via an SQL script to do so, because the .bak file needs to be located on the SQL Server machine. Is it possible via C# though?
Basically i want this:
public bool RestoreDatabase(FileInfo backupFile, string connectionString, string dbName)
{
// Magically Restore Database
// Throw Exception on error (Db already exists, file not found, etc)
}
Before i invest hours of programming and investigation, i want to know if it is technically possible, or if i have to transfer the .bak file to the SQL server.
EDIT:
The context is, that i want to minimize "manual" work that needs to be done in my current project. Currently, when installing the software in a new environment, someone has to manually install the databases by copying the .bak file to the SQL Server, opening SQL Server Manager and restoring the database there. 2 databases are needed, and those MIGHT be placed on 2 different SQL Servers.
My idea was to run 1 programm on ANY system in the same network as the SQL Servers, entering SQL Login credentials, and restoring the databases from the one system, without any network drive. Since this would again mean manual configuration (copy .bak file to network drive, enable SQL server to access network drive [actually then you can just copy the file directly to the SQL server]), i want to avoid it.
EDIT2:
Due to different context-related issues, i cannot export the database as SQL/DACPAC/Snapshot. It has to be .bak sadly.
You asked "Is it possible via C# though?".
The answer is no, it isn't possible via C#.
As #Mithrandir says in the comments, the computer running SQL Server must be able to access the physical backup file somehow. That means the file either needs to be located on that computer somewhere, or it must reside on a file share to which the computer has access.
Another option is to generate sql scripts that create the whole database even with initial data as INSERT statements. You do not need to transfer any BAK file then.
I'm working on a Windows Forms application in VS 2013 that requires saving data. I can't find a good solution for this, since:
A SQL Server database will work fine, but it will force the user
to have SQL Server installed on their computer.
The same applies to Access or Oracle DB.
DataSets require a database connection,which leads me to 1) and 3).
Text/XML files don't satisfy the
security requirements and will seem like a very primitive solution.
So , in essence, when the user installs the application, on its
first deployment it must create a database and keep it for future
access, without requiring the user to have any special programs
installed (e.g. SQL Server). I apologize if this question seems
stupid.
This is in two parts - how to create a database application and how to access it for initialisation.
Option 1 - if you can resolve the problem of installing SQL Lite/compact using the suggestions above then you can use Entity Framework with code first to create the database and tables. There are plenty of examples only a Google search away.
Option 2 - create an Access database (an MDB or ACCDB file) with blank/empty tables and deploy this as part of your application. You can the access this with a suitable connection string - again, Google will solve that one.
Use SQL Compact Edition .
Using LINQ to SQL you can create a Database/Tables for the first time deployment.
Please Refer the Link http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb399420(v=vs.110).aspx
I have a C#.NET application which connects to a MySQL database in a server.
I have a requirement to do some operations offline.( When the client machine does not have internet and cannot access the MySQL database.) My Plan is to create a MySQL database in local machine. Copy all files required to the local database and perform required operations. When the client machine have the access to the MySQL sever copy back the changed files to the server database.
My question is what are the good Options to use as local MySQL. Is there any lighter version of MySQL available?
I also need to install selected MySQL version with the windows installation package generated for my software.
Thanks in Advance.
When I have these situations I usually fall back to SqlLight. Its a simple embeddable database, and if you are using only the simplest insert /select statements you should not need to maintain much difference between your local database access vs the remote database access.
That said. If you are using something that is not that simple it's usually a good advice to bite the bullet and do the whole mySql install thing on the local machine. Because the maintenance of 2 sets of database access will eat up development time like nothing else.
In your case I would use an embedded database with your offline application, something like FireBird where you don't need to install a 3rd party database etc. The FireBird dll's are linked and part of your application deployment. http://www.firebirdsql.org/
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.
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.