How to convert Entity Framework that use file database to server database

Posted on: 2011-09-05

When using Entity Framework, this one create a copy of the database when generating from the database and create a .mdf for the project. This database is used. This is good for small project but once you want to use Sql Profiler or to use the real database, it's not.

To do the switch, only one place need to be changed and it's the app.config or if you are in a web environment the web.config.

Here is the generated connection string generated and after the modified one.

<add name="NorthWindContainer" connectionString="metadata=res://*/FromNorthWind.csdl|res://*/FromNorthWind.ssdl|res://*/FromNorthWind.msl; provider=System.Data.SqlClient; provider connection string='Data Source=.\\SQLEXPRESS; AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\\northwnd.mdf; Integrated Security=True; Connect Timeout=30; User Instance=True; MultipleActiveResultSets=True'" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" /> 

<add name="NorthWindContainer" connectionString="metadata=res://*/FromNorthWind.csdl|res://*/FromNorthWind.ssdl|res://*/FromNorthWind.msl; provider=System.Data.SqlClient; provider connection string='Data Source=.\\SQLEXPRESS; Initial Catalog=Northwind; Integrated Security=True; Connection Timeout=60; multipleactiveresultsets=true'" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" /> 

This simple modification do the trick and you are ready to go.