keyword not supported data source

Question

I have an asp.net-mvc application with the default membership database. I am accessing it by ADO.NET Entity Framework.

Now I want to move it to IIS, but several problems showed up. I had to install SQL Server Management Studio, Create new DB, import there all the data from the previous .MDF file. Only thing left to do (as far a I know) is to change to connection string. However, I am not really experienced with this and keep getting the Keyword not supported: 'data source'. exception. Here is my connection string:

<add name="ASPNETDBEntities" 
     connectionString="Data Source=MONTGOMERY-DEV\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=ASPNETDB;Integrated Security=True;" 
     providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />

Any ideas, what's wrong?

Solution 1

What you have is a valid ADO.NET connection string - but it's NOT a valid Entity Framework connection string.

The EF connection string would look something like this:

<connectionStrings> 
  <add name="NorthwindEntities" connectionString=
     "metadata=.\Northwind.csdl|.\Northwind.ssdl|.\Northwind.msl;
      provider=System.Data.SqlClient;
      provider connection string=&quot;Data Source=SERVER\SQL2000;Initial Catalog=Northwind;Integrated Security=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=False&quot;" 
      providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" /> 
</connectionStrings>

You're missing all the metadata= and providerName= elements in your EF connection string...... you basically only have what's contained in the provider connection string part.

Using the EDMX designer should create a valid EF connection string for you, in your web.config or app.config.

Marc

UPDATE: OK, I understand what you're trying to do: you need a second "ADO.NET" connection string just for ASP.NET user / membership database. Your string is OK, but the providerName is wrong - it would have to be "System.Data.SqlClient" - this connection doesn't use ENtity Framework - don't specify the "EntityClient" for it then!

<add name="ASPNETMembership" 
     connectionString="Data Source=MONTGOMERY-DEV\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=ASPNETDB;Integrated Security=True;" 
     providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

If you specify providerName=System.Data.EntityClient ==> Entity Framework connection string (with the metadata= and everything).

If you need and specify providerName=System.Data.SqlClient ==> straight ADO.NET SQL Server connection string without all the EF additions

Solution 2

This problem can occur when you reference your web.config (or app.config) connection strings by index...

var con = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings[0].ConnectionString;

The zero based connection string is not always the one in your config file as it inherits others by default from further up the stack.

The recommended approaches are to access your connection by name...

var con = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["MyConnection"].ConnectionString;

or to clear the connnectionStrings element in your config file first...

<connectionStrings>
    <clear/>
    <add name="MyConnection" connectionString="...

Solution 3

I was getting the same problem.
but this code works good try it.

<add name="MyCon" connectionString="Server=****;initial catalog=PortalDb;user id=**;password=**;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

Solution 4

I was getting the same error, then updated my connection string as below,

<add name="EmployeeContext" connectionString="data source=*****;initial catalog=EmployeeDB;integrated security=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;App=EntityFramework" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

Try this it will solve your issue.

Solution 5

If you supplying the connection string directly to entity framework, remember to change the two XML escape code " characters into actual quote symbols in the provided string, otherwise this same error can occur.

I am overriding the connection string using a separate partial class file to the generated one that passed the EF connection string to its base class.

    // Partial class to use instead of generated version
    public partial class PartEntities : DbContext
    {
        // Use the full EF6 connection string as described in other comments here
        // Note: This is only here for testing, will be keeping outside source code
        const string fullEFconnectionString = "metadata= ...";

        // Extra parameter differentiates constructor
        public PartEntities(bool b)
            : base(fullEFconnectionString.Replace(""", "\""))
        {
        }
    }

So wherever in the code I want to access the database context I do this -

using (var ctx = new PartEntities(true))
{
    // Code that uses the context goes here
}

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Comments

[Trimack]

As a matter of fact, it did, but then I am getting the exception Unable to open the physical file "C:\OVSS\Stavicky\trunk\Stavicky\App_Data\aspnetdb.mdf". Operating system error 5: "5(failed to retrieve text for this error. Reason: 15105)". An attempt to attach an auto-named database for file C:\OVSS\Stavicky\trunk\Stavicky\App_Data\aspnetdb.mdf failed. A database with the same name exists, or specified file cannot be opened, or it is located on UNC share. From some sources, I thought, this is wrong.. Thanks anyway.

[marc_s]

If you have your entities in the EDMX designer - those need to be accessed by means of a "EntityClient" and a EF connection string. If you use the "out-of-the-box" ASP.NET membership system, it's NOT part of your EF model, so when you create a connection string for your ASP.NET membership database, you cannot use "EntityClient" as the provider - use SqlClient.

[marc_s]

So yes - you need both - the EF connection string your EDMX system generated for you, PLUS a second one - normal ADO.NET connection string - for the ASP.NET membership system.

[Atters]

@marc_s helpful answer but you could make it clear that if you are using Entity Framework that you cannot change the provider name to System.Data.SqlClient and remove the EF relevant parts. At least this is my experience with EF6 on wards. You may ask why would you do this? In an additional application that is referencing the connection for read purposes it does seem logical at first to just use a simple ADO style connection string.

[RollerCosta]

I've added this connectionstring (EF) to appsetting.json, it says "data source is not a valid keyword". Any idea ?