Changing default connection string for Membership, Roles, etc

Question

By default, it seems like my web application is using LocalSqlServer as the connection string to use for any application services such as Membership/Roles/Authentication/etc.

Is there any way I can change what the default connection string should be? It seems so arbitrary that the default is "LocalSqlServer" and the only way I was able to find this was by googling for this for about two hours.

I don't want to be forced to have to name my server connection "LocalSqlServer" and I have no idea if this is a preexisting item that I might be overwriting.

Answer 1

Yes, these connection strings can be set in web.config:

Membership

<membership defaultProvider="SqlMembershipProvider">
  <providers>
      <add 
        name="SqlMembershipProvider" 
        type="System.Web.Security.SqlMembershipProvider" 
        connectionStringName="MyMembershipConnectionString"
       />
  </providers>
</membership>

Roles

<roleManager defaultProvider ="SqlRoleProvider" >
   <providers>
     <add
       name="SqlRoleProvider" 
       type="System.Web.Security.SqlRoleProvider" 
       connectionStringName="MyRolesConnectionString"
     />
   </providers>
</roleManager>

See here for more info: How to: Use the ASP.NET Membership Provider

Answer 2

2 things. Look for, or add a "connectionStringName" property in your membership config.

Here is an example that uses it

<system.web>
 ...
 <membership defaultProvider="MembershipADProvider">
  <providers>
    <add
      name="MembershipADProvider"
      type="System.Web.Security.ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider, System.Web, 
            Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"
                connectionStringName="YOUR CONN STRING" 
                connectionUsername="<domainName>\administrator" 
                connectionPassword="password"/>
   </providers>
 </membership>
 ...
</system.web>

And you need to setup the conn sting of course

<connectionStrings>
  <add name="YOUR CONN STRING" 
   connectionString=
    "[ANY ConnectionSTRIN]" />
</connectionStrings>