Database, can't find it

nanonerd · July 5th, 2012, 07:02 PM

Hi, I am taking over the maintenance of a website. Virtually no documentation. I hope that this kind of question is "ok" here ...

Right now, I am trying to locate/view the database but I can't find it.

This is the only connectionString in web.config:

<connectionStrings>
<add connectionString="Data Source=YPOC\SQLEXPRESS;Database=Marco;User ID=yyy;Password=xxx;" name="DefaultConnectionString" />
</connectionStrings>

QUESTIONS:

Based on this connectionString, Marco is not a database file such as Marco.mdf, right?

Does this mean that the database "Marco" resides on an SQL Server instance called SQLEXPRESS on the server YPOC?

*****

Again, I don't have a prior web developer to ask, I am in this cold. How do I go about finding the server address to put in the connectionString? The website is being hosted on a cloud server and it appears that SQL Server has been installed. Even though it is an unmanaged site (meaning web hoster doesn't manage it, they just provide the web server space), would the web hoster know this info?

Another way of asking the same question is: how do I connect from dev computer thru VS or SQL SMS?

*****

In the App_Data folder, I found ASPNETDB.MDF ... in Server Explorer, I try to connect to view the tables, but I get an error message:

"...cannot open because it is version 661. This server supports version 655 and earlier"

I did some research and it appears that version 661 means that it needs SQL Server 2008 R2 ... but I have that installed already ...

*****

I'm used to a shared hosting environment where the SQL Server DB is set up and it's easy to connect. Here, it is on a dedicated cloud server (unmanaged) and I'm been thrust upon new territory where I can't even find the database ... ;-(

Any help is greatly appreciated ...

- nano

Imar · July 6th, 2012, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Does this mean that the database "Marco" resides on an SQL Server instance called SQLEXPRESS on the server YPOC?

Yes, correct. This database is attached to that server, so it could be located anywhere. If you have access to the server, you can open up Management Studio there and look at the properties of that database to see where it's physically stored.

Quote:

how do I connect from dev computer thru VS or SQL SMS?

You probably can't, unless you open the ports for SQL Server in the firewall (1433 by default) and enable remote connections on SQL Express which by default is not the case. But do you need access? Why not log in to the server using remote desktop and handle it from there?

Quote:

I have that installed already

Apparently not, or not on the instance you're testing this database on. If you're sure 2008 R2 is installed and not the standard 2008, start Management Studio, log in to your R2 instance and then attach this MDF.

Cheers,

Imar

nanonerd · July 6th, 2012, 12:53 PM

Imar,

Wow, thank you. I found MS SMS on the server and thru remote desktop, opened up MS SMS on the server and voila, it was already set up to connect and now, I found the database!

If not for your response, I would have been scratching my head trying to use MS SMS from my dev desktop and wondering what the server address was ...

Also, the prob with SQL Server 2008 R2 was that I didn't have SP1 installed. All good on that front too now ...

Muchos gracias!

- nano

Imar · July 6th, 2012, 03:54 PM

You're welcome. Glad you got it all resolved.

Cheers,

Imar