SQL Server 2005

An optional extra for your hosting account is one or more MS SQL Server 2005 databases, SQL Server is highly recommended if you are running a database back end for your web site.

For additional security our SQL Servers listen on a non standard port (5252) this must be taken into account when connecting to your database, see below for further information.

Your database login / user will have full owner privileges over your database allowing you to read and write data to the database, create new objects (tables, stored procedures etc.) and to import and export data.

Extended SQL Server functions such as replication, SQLXML, full text search and SQL Mail are not suited to a shared hosting environment and will not be available for use with your database.

Database logins will be set to 'British English' by default but can be changed to any other setting on request.

Managing your database(s)

SQL Server Management Studio is one of a number of tools from Microsoft which allow you to administer SQL 2005 databases - it is supplied as part of MS SQL Server 2005 software package.

If you don't own a copy of SQL server you can download a 180 day trial version from Microsoft which includes installation of SQL Server Management Studio. Alternatively you might choose to purchase the inexpensive developers version of SQL Server 2005.

Microsoft also offer a free version of SQL Server Management Studio called Management Studio Express - this version is fully capable of managing your hosted database with the restriction that the import / export functionality is missing.

Connecting to your database, Server Management Studio

Start Server Management Studio on your local machine and you will be presented with the Connect To Server dialogue, enter the following details to connect to your MyDotNetted database :

Server Type	Database Engine
Server Name	sql2005.dotnetted.co.uk,5252
Authentication	SQL Server Authentication
Login	( * As listed in MyDotNetted)
Password	( * As listed in MyDotNetted)
* the login, password and database name can be found within your MyDotNetted account on the details page of the relevant hosting account.

Once logged in you'll have full control over your own database.

Connecting to your database from your web pages / scripts

Our recommended method of connecting to your SQL database is via an ole db 'DSNless' connection string, the connection string you need to use is as follows :

"Provider=SQLOLEDB; Data Source=sql2005.dotnetted.co.uk,5252; User ID=login; Password=password; Initial Catalog=databasename; Network Library=dbmssocn;"

(The string should all be on one line )

Note : If your connection string is to reside within your web.config file you should remove the initial "Provider=SQLOLEDB; " from the above connection string as this is not required and will error.

Uploading your database to the server

If you have an existing SQL database that you wish to upload for use with your account you can upload it via the import / export wizard within SQL Server Management Studio.

To do this connect to the server via Management Studio as normal, right click on your database, select 'Tasks' then 'Import Data' - this will start the import / export wizard.

To transfer your data you just need to follow the various steps of the wizard, first it will ask for the source for the transfer, which will be your local SQL database for which you'll need to provide the server name, database name and login details, next you'll be asked for the destination details for which you'd provide the details of your DotNetted database.

Once you've completed all of the import / export wizard steps your database will then be transferred and the wizard will inform you of the progress during the transfer.

Downloading your database / backing up your database

To take a backup of your database you again use the import / export wizard but just reverse the transfer, setting the source as your DotNetted database and the destination as your local database.

Can I send DotNetted my local SQL Server database backup to restore ?

Sorry, this is not possible - the users and object ownership in your database will not match that set up on the database on the DotNetted server and you'll be unable to access your database once uploaded. Database transfers must be completed via import / export as described above.