Migrating an ASP.Net-MVC Application to a New Server

Question

So basically, I developed this ASP.Net MVC application on a Windows 7 box with Visual Studio 2008. It works well on the local machine, and I was able to host it in IIS no worries. I then decided to upload it onto subversion, and fetch it on a different Windows Server 2008 machine. I downloaded it, had the IIS document root point to my application folder, and started it up.

I can visit the site fine. However, as soon as it needs to do anything with the SQL database I get the following error:

A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified)

My ConnectionString to the SQL database is as follows:

    <add name="UserClaimsConnectionString" connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\UserClaims.mdf;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True"
  providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

The error throws a wobble about allowing remote connections, but the database is local! Additionally, when I look at the StackTrace of the error, I see something odd at one portion:

OpenIdProviderMvc.Models.ClaimRepository.ResetAutoSend(String upi) in C:\OpenIdProviderMvc\Models\ClaimRepository.cs:40

The directory which it is referring to happens to be where I had it stored... on the development box! It is stored in a different location on the Windows 2008 server.

Where have I gone wrong in migrating this project?

EDIT: Here is the full stack trace to provide a bit of additional information.

[SqlException (0x80131904): A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified)] System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection) +4846887 System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning(TdsParserStateObject stateObj) +194 System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Connect(ServerInfo serverInfo, SqlInternalConnectionTds connHandler, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, Int64 timerExpire, Boolean encrypt, Boolean trustServerCert, Boolean integratedSecurity, SqlConnection owningObject) +4860189 System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.AttemptOneLogin(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, Int64 timerExpire, SqlConnection owningObject) +90 System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.LoginNoFailover(String host, String newPassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnection owningObject, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, Int64 timerStart) +376 System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.OpenLoginEnlist(SqlConnection owningObject, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, String newPassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance) +221 System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentity identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SqlConnection owningObject, Boolean redirectedUserInstance) +189 System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection) +4861315 System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreatePooledConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnectionOptions options) +31 System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.CreateObject(DbConnection owningObject) +433 System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.UserCreateRequest(DbConnection owningObject) +66 System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.GetConnection(DbConnection owningObject) +499 System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.GetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection) +65 System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.OpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory) +117 System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open() +122 System.Data.Linq.SqlClient.SqlConnectionManager.UseConnection(IConnectionUser user) +44 System.Data.Linq.SqlClient.SqlProvider.get_IsSqlCe() +45 System.Data.Linq.SqlClient.SqlProvider.InitializeProviderMode() +20 System.Data.Linq.SqlClient.SqlProvider.System.Data.Linq.Provider.IProvider.Execute(Expression query) +57 System.Data.Linq.DataQuery1.System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<T>.GetEnumerator() +35 OpenIdProviderMvc.Models.ClaimRepository.ResetAutoSend(String upi) in C:\Downloads\DotNetOpenAuth-3.3.1.9337\OpenIdProviderMvc\Models\ClaimRepository.cs:40 OpenIdProviderMvc.Controllers.AccountController.LogOn(String userName, String password, String returnUrl, Boolean resetAttributeRelease) in C:\Downloads\DotNetOpenAuth-3.3.1.9337\OpenIdProviderMvc\Controllers\AccountController.cs:66 lambda_method(ExecutionScope , ControllerBase , Object[] ) +245 System.Web.Mvc.ActionMethodDispatcher.Execute(ControllerBase controller, Object[] parameters) +17 System.Web.Mvc.ReflectedActionDescriptor.Execute(ControllerContext controllerContext, IDictionary2 parameters) +178 System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionMethod(ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionDescriptor actionDescriptor, IDictionary2 parameters) +24 System.Web.Mvc.<>c__DisplayClassa.<InvokeActionMethodWithFilters>b__7() +53 System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionMethodFilter(IActionFilter filter, ActionExecutingContext preContext, Func1 continuation) +258 System.Web.Mvc.<>c_DisplayClassc.b_9() +20 System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionMethodWithFilters(ControllerContext controllerContext, IList1 filters, ActionDescriptor actionDescriptor, IDictionary2 parameters) +193 System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeAction(ControllerContext controllerContext, String actionName) +382 System.Web.Mvc.Controller.ExecuteCore() +123 System.Web.Mvc.ControllerBase.Execute(RequestContext requestContext) +23 System.Web.Mvc.ControllerBase.System.Web.Mvc.IController.Execute(RequestContext requestContext) +7 System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.ProcessRequest(HttpContextBase httpContext) +144 System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.ProcessRequest(HttpContext httpContext) +54 System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.System.Web.IHttpHandler.ProcessRequest(HttpContext httpContext) +7 System.Web.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute() +181 System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +75

Answer 1

The path in the stack trace probably points to some path on your dev machine because that is what is in the .pdb files (have they been added to subversion?). I don't think this is related to the connection error and you will probably have to sort that out separately.

Answer 2

You need to install SQL Server 2008 Express on the server if it is not already installed. ASP.NET needs sql server express installed to attach the mdf database file in your data directory.

You can download it here