Hello all...

I installed DNN 5.6.6 last night and all appears to have went well.  The installation completed, and I can log into my DNN site with out issue.  However, being the curious sort I am, I wanted to review the database, just to get a feel for how it's laid out and such.  I open up SQL Server Management Studio and under databases I do not see the DNN database, I just see the system databases.  I don't claim to be a DBA by any means but I'm pretty sure the DNN database should show up in there, correct?  I'm running SQL 2008 R2 Express and there is only once installation on the PC for SQL, at least that I'm aware of.  When I connect I connect to the .\SQLEXPRESS instance, which is the same instance that was in the installation of DNN.

I'm curious, do I need to adjust a setting somewhere so that the DNN DB shows up, could I be looking in the wrong location, or have I just lost my mind?

Edited:  Forgot to display my connection string from the web.config...

<connectionStrings>

<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2005/2008 Express -->

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

<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2005/2008

<add name="SiteSqlServer" connectionString="Server=(local);Database=DotNetNuke;********" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

-->

</connectionStrings>

Thanks,
Bob

Sebastian..Thanks for the link.. When I first took a look at it I didn't think it applied to me, because as I mentioned after my I compelted the installation I could access my Local DNN site.  I went back to confirm and found that I must have dreamt the hole thing because it popped up as if I was doing an install all over again. 

Anyway using the directions on the link you provided, I believe really screwed things up.  I went through to step 6 and realized I messed up the "Connect As" in step 3, basically  I just put in the wrong name.  But the DB attached as it was suppose to.  Well me being the OCT type I wanted the DB Name to show up correctly.  I "thought" I could simply detach the DB and go through the steps again.  Well apparently that's the not the best way.

Now when I go through the process I get a error message indicating something about access denied in creating or accessing the .ldf file.  I've pasted it completely below.

TITLE: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
------------------------------

Attach database failed for Server ********\SQLEXPRESS'.  (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdNa...

------------------------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

An exception occurred while executing a Transact-SQL statement or batch. (Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo)

------------------------------

CREATE FILE encountered operating system error 5(Access is denied.) while attempting to open or create the physical file 'C:\inetpub\wwwroot\DotNetNuke\App_Data\Database_log.LDF'.
Could not open new database 'DotNetNuke'. CREATE DATABASE is aborted.
File activation failure. The physical file name "C:\DotNetNuke_Build\Website\App_Data\Database2_log.ldf" may be incorrect. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 5123)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdNa...

------------------------------
BUTTONS:

OK
------------------------------

I followed the instructions on the link and removed the reference to the .ldf file so i'm not sure what its referrer to here.  Another weird message I'm seeing has to do with "Full-Text Catalog"  Just after I hit the OK button I get a message asking me if I want to add additional full text catalog.  Not sure if a separate issue or related.

Also something to keep in mind, if you notice the physical file name in that error path for the .ldf file shows database2.ldf, I would have imaged that should show database.ldf.  It makes me think that my first attachment worked and its still there but I can't see it.

I'm totally lost at this point and instead of making things even worse I figured I reach out to the experts.. Any help would be truly appreciated..

Thanks,
Bob

Wow...This really shouldn't be that hard.. I think I'm losing it.. 

I've tried everything I can think of including starting completely over by doing a system restore of my PC from before I started this process.  I'm pretty much back at the spot I was before. 

However, this was the latest..  I used the Windows Installer App to install the DNN, which it did.  I can go to my localhost\dotnetnuke site just fine, I can log in and I can even add a new page.  But when I go into SQL Server Management Studio I still do NOT see the database.mdf file listed.  I see the system databases but not the DNN database.  I know I'm connecting to the right instance because if I turn off the SQL Service I can not access my DNN site.  

So back to my original question, any reason why my DNN database would not show up in the SQL Server Management Studio, but my local DNN site works as expected, at least for the moment.

I'm concerned that if I manually attach it, something will break.  I just want to see the dang thing so I know its all good.

Again here is my connection string from the web.config file, after I used the Windows Installer app.

<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2005/2008 Express -->
    <add name="SiteSqlServer" connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLExpress;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|Database.mdf;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
    <!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2005/2008
    <add name="SiteSqlServer" connectionString="Server=(local);Database=DotNetNuke;uid=;pwd=;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
    -->
  </connectionStrings>

Any thoughts or suggestions?  Maybe this is something within SSMS that I need to enable, I couldn't find anything but of course that doesn't mean its not there...

Thanks,
Bob