Im new to the DotNetNuke framework and even to the new Visual Web Developer 2005, SQL 2005 Express. Have been working with ASP.Net 1.1, C# in Visual Studio 2003, with the framework (CMS) EPiServer. Now we will give DotNetNUke a try!

This is the scenario:

• Visual Web Developer 2005 (have installed the DotNetNuke 4.3.4 Starter Kit)
• Created a new DotNetNuke framework project (File-new-...)
• Builded it.
• Preview the site with "View in browser"
• The installation process starts... http://localhost:3035/TJResor/some query for install
• The demo site is shown.
• I've developed a new skin to the site and viewed it with "View in browser" (wiht the ASP.NET Development Server, VWDS). Looks great!

No problem yet...

But here it comes, I want to show the site for X. VWDS does onley respond to 127.0.0.1, so I have to move to the IIS, still on the same machine (Win XP Pro, with ASP.NET 2.0, WORKING). I set up a Virtual directory http://localhost/TJResor to point out my website: C:\Inetpub\WebSites\TJResor. Making it to an applocation.

The DotNetNuke site respond at http://localhost/TJResor but with the error:
Error Installing DotNetNuke
Current Assembly Version: 04.03.04
ERROR: Could not connect to database specified in connectionString for SqlDataProvider

Okay, its a DB problem, since the default installation of DotNetNuke uses a SQL Server File, Database.mdf. I have SQLServer Express 2005 and SQL Server Management Studio Express installed. I know I have to do some attach of the DB-file, maybe rename the db from (C:\inetpub\websites\TJ.Re.......) to DotNetNuke (a simple name).

What do I have to do (have searched for info long time now)? Changes in web.config?
This is my current Web.confog (default):

<connectionStrings>

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

<add

name="SiteSqlServer"

connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLExpress;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|Database.mdf;"

providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2000/2005

-->

</connectionStrings>

<appSettings>

<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2005 Express - kept for backwards compatability - legacy modules -->

<add key="SiteSqlServer" value="Data Source=.\SQLExpress;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|Database.mdf;"/>

<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2000/2005 - kept for backwards compatability - legacy modules

-->

</appSettings>

Why are there 2 active connectionStrings ? Are bouth of them used? Can I switch between viewing the website in VWDS, SQL-file or IIS, SQL Express 2005?

Thanks for your support and a great framework.

Sam B

Hey samboman - I'm a relative newcomer to dnn but my interpretation of the comment in the web.config is that both strings are necessary because older/legacy modules are looking for the string in one location while the newer ones are looking for it in a different location.  As to the real problem...Copying the dnn site to a new location and locally hosting and utilzing the sql server express database file in that local directory SHOULD have worked - you made sure the database was copied into the app_data directory of the new directory, correct?  Did you ensure the iis asp.net account can access the database?

Bob

hummmm.... I just spent a couple of weeks learning DNN 4.3.5 installation (the hard way).  I came accross this same problem where the site worked great on the laptop but when I moved to the server... it broke.  I got permission errors, db connection string errors and finaly with some help here on the forum, I was able to get my site going.

1.  db connection string.  I found that if you are using SQL Express, there is nothing to change.  Out of the box, the conn string points to the local instance of SQLExpress and the default DNN db, Database.mdf.  So I'd say leave this alone.

2.  When developing on the laptop(or dev workstation) with VWD/SQLExpress combo, your site is hosted by a non IIS web server (it's file system based).  That in itself is not a big deal but it does provide a very convienient way to see your site in a browser.

In your post, you said that you have IIS running on your development machine, thats OK.   here are my
recommendations (from a guy with a flat spot on his forehead).
1.  For permissions, I added the Network Service account and gave read, write and change permissions.
2.  For the database, Network service permissions seemed to fix my problem of the database being read only.
3.  For the redirection problem, i.e.  www.Mysite.com loops back to http://localhost:1234/Mysite.  I had log in on the development machine, as host.  Then go into the portal settings and add an alias that represented the URL that I expected to browse to in production i.e. www.mysite.com (read the help bubble next to the entry for correct format).

HTH,
Vince