Publishing your database using MS-Access, ASP.NET Web Matrix, Visual Studio .NET and MS-SQL Enterprise Manager

NOTE: Instructions below assumes that you are currently connected to the internet and have installed Microsoft Office 2000, ASP.NET Web Matrix, Visual Studio .NET or Microsoft SQL Enterprise Manager program onto your computer. Please follow the instructions below to connect to a SQL database.

Connecting to your database using MS-Access:

1. Start the Microsoft Access program and goto menu "New".
   
2. Select "Project (Existing database)".
   
3. Enter a name for your project, (ex: C:\My Documents\adp1.adp)
   
4. Enter the details of the SQL server connection:
   SQL server: sql1.calview.com
   Select "Use a specific username and password"
   Enter your login and password for the SQL server
   Click on the button "Test connection" to verify connection success
   Once connection succeeds, select your database from the drop down list
    
5. Click "OK". You can now work directly on the SQL server, although it looks as if you are working in a local Access database. You can add tables, enter data etc. All changes are stored immediately on the SQL server.
   
   You can simply double-click on the project file C:\My Documents\adp1.adp on your local drive to reconnect. Access will be opened immediately with SQL server connection.
   
   If you create a new table, make sure to add a primary key to the table, otherwise you will not be able to use Access to edit data in the tables. You can refer to your Microsoft Access documentation for more information.
   

Connecting to your database using ASP.NET Web Matrix:

1. Select the Data tab on the right with Web Matrix.
   
2. Click on the New Connection button icon.
   
3. Enter your SQL server name, username and password.
   
4. Enter your database name you have received in the Database: field.
   
5. Click OK. Congratulations! You're done!
    

Connecting to your database using Visual Studio .NET:
You can create Data Connection in Visual Studio, giving you direct access to your database.

1. Select the "Server Explorer" from the "View" Menu.
   
2. Right click on "Data Connections" and select "Add Connection...".
   
3. Enter the details of the SQL server connection:
   SQL server: sql1.calview.com
   Select "Use a specific username and password"
   Enter your login and password for the SQL server
   Click on the button "Test connection" to verify connection success
   Once connection succeeds, select your database from the drop down list
    
4. Click "OK". The data connection will be added after. Click on the data connection to view the tables, views and stored procedures. If you have Visual Studio .NET Enterprise Edition, you can use the data connection to create tables, views and stored procedures. In other versions, you can only edit data within the tables.
    

Connecting to your database using MS-SQL Enterprise Manager:
You can also use Enterprise Manager to connect, a client tool which is a part of the SQL Server product. You will require an official SQL Server software to be able to install Enterprise Manager.  Enterprise Manager can be used to create and alter tables, views, stored procedures and data.
 

Import your Data:
You can use Enterprise Manager to import existing tables with data from your local database. Make sure that Calview SQL server is registered in your Enterprise Manager.

1. Select your database from the list of database on the server.
   
2. Right click on your database and select "All Task --> Import Data".
    
3. Proceed and follow the steps given in the Wizard. You can choose your source database (local) and destination database (on Calview SQL server) and the tables that you wish to move.

You can refer to your software's documentations for more detailed information.
 

Accessing your database within your code:
If you are using ASP (for ASP .NET, see below), you can connect to the database with the following example codes:

ASP webpage:

dim db
set db=server.createobject("ADODB.Connection")
db.ConnectionString="Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Persist Security Info=True;" & _
"User ID=username;Password=password;Initial Catalog=databasename;" & _
"Data Source=sql.calview.com"
db.open

Make sure to replace the servername sql.calview.com with the servername that your received in an email from us. Also replace the username, password and databasename with your information.

.NET application:

Once your database is configured, you will want to read data and write data to it from your .NET application. (such as an ASP .NET webpage or a .NET webservice).

The help files of Visual Studio .NET contains a Walkthrough that explains the basics.
Title: "Walkthrough: Using a DataGrid Web Control to Read and Write Data".

 

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR CONNECTIONS:
Whenever you make a connection to a SQL server, port 1433 is used. If your computer is behind a firewall, it might be possible that you're not allowed to establish an outside connection on this port. You can test with the following procedure.

Troubleshooting conneciton with MS-DOS:

1. Click the Start button.
   
2. Click Run.
    
3. Enter "cmd" (for Win2k or XP) or enter "command" (for Win98) and press Return or Enter key. A DOS window will appear.
    
4. Type "telnet sql1.calview.com 1433" at the DOS prompt and press Return or Enter key.
   
   ► If the DOS window shows "Connecting to sql1.calview.com...", the connection failed. This means you are behind a firewall and you cannot connect to the database. Ask your network administrator for more information.

   ► If the DOS window appears in black with a blinking cursor, the connection succeeded.  You can try the above connection procedures to connect.
    

5. Troubleshooting end.