Its complicated.
I have SQL Server 2008 on my production server and the access to that is restricted using IP. As I don't have a static IP, I cannot connect to server from my machine. The only option is going remote on production server and working there, but for obvious reasons I don't like it.
So the only solution I can think of is using a SQL Admin Panel on which I only need to manipulate the table data. The only implementation of this method I saw is one from code project. ( Link here ). Its very outdated and most of the coding is done in classic asp.net style. I do not want to use it.
My questions are
Is there a good implementation of SQL Admin Panel in ASP.NET?
Have I got any other alternatives on manipulating my IP restricted remote database?
P.S: And yes, I know that maintaining a SQL Admin Panel on a live server is not good at all. I will be removing my SQL Admin Panel from my website as soon as the site goes live :)
As far as question 2 is concerned, I have done work on databases sql server 2008 on the host without having a static ip. My hosting provider put my IP on a safe list which accepted my connection until my IP reset. It's a pain but does stay the same for a long time. You can find yours at http://www.whatismyip.com/
Not sure if your host will allow the same.
Related
I am a programmer enthusiast who recently made his first C# and an Android Studio client that uses an “Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio v18.8” database with multiple tables.
Before doing this I had no knowing in SQL programming. My goal is to give the C# client to multiple users and with the Android Studio to verify a final table instruction ( Everything works fine if the devices are in the same network area. example. C# and Android app connected on the same Wi-Fi )
If I switch off the wi-fi on my cellphone and connect it to mobile network I cannot access the database anymore. Upon searching for more information I found out that I need to configure my router for IP-Forwarding with the PORT which is configured in the SQL Server Configuration Manager. ( I edited the exception rules in Firewall setting to allow connections for that port ) Since I am new, my questions are:
Is IP-Forwarding a viable solution for accessing remotely over the internet? Upon searching I understood that it isn’t and my confusion is “How does somebody else access an SQL database remotely ( over the internet ) ?”
Moreover, is accessing remotely over the internet an SQL db viable? If not, what would be the correct approach for a client to INSERT/SELECT something in a SQL server which is located on another network that has an open connection with the internet?
On both clients the string connection is made by giving the server’s IP / PORT, database and Login Credentials. Is there a way to hard code the Password Credential? So that it won’t be a string variable, vulnerable to hacking?
For me is a challenge and I find it fascinating how fun is to manipulate the SQL data and the fact that it works is super impressive.
My 4th question will be off topic, but learning/writing the programs I start thinking: Is an API and an SQL database related somehow? Or at least they work on the same principle?( I have no deep knowledge of what an API is, just basic understanding ) Is this what back-end programming means?
I have some Databases built in Access and I want to be able to view and edit them when I'm not connected to a local server\network.
How can I access with C# to view and edit the Access databases placed on a server without VPN or SMB (which means creating local network). Is it possible to edit it realtime on the server?
This needs to be accessed by more than one people, thus I also want for example block a table if one's already editing it (so here also goes the FTP protocol - to download and edit on the PC and reupload)
I hope I was clear enough and provided enough info, thanks for all helpers!! Enlighten me please :)
We would first have to ask how end users going to run and use the C# program?
Desktop: users would need a network connection to the server. (most likly a VPN).
Web based: users would need a network connection to the WEB SERVER. This could also be a VPN, or could be a web server that is public facing. this would then require logons for security.
If users don't have a network connection, then it not going to matter if this is oracle, MySQL, SQL server or Access. And in fact, if this is web based, then users need to be able to connect to that web server.
So, without some kind of network connection to that server or computer where the data resides, and you eliminated a VPN, then your options are limited.
You can build a web site and place it on a server. However, if users don't have any kind of network connection even in the case of a web site, then I fail to see how you can even suggest using FTP let alone any other kind of connection.
This needs to be accessed by more than one people,
Ok, you need multi-user. However the locking up a whole table on sql server to allow only one user is actually quite difficult.
But, we can leave that you want one user in a given table at one time. (but both Access and a web site would in fact allow multiple users - even editing the same table).
All in all?
Then this suggests the most obvious solution: run a web server, and that would allow any user to connect to the web site, and the web site then can read/talk/use the access database that resides on that server. And this then again means that you don't need any client software installed.
FTP is not a practial solution - since it only works on a whole file.
So, users will require some means to connect to some server. That being the case, then write your C# appliation as web based, and thus no client software will be required, and the only software that interacts with the access file on that server will be the web site.
So, running a web site on that server does seem to be the best option.
So, we heading towards a web solution.
So then software would stay and run 100% on the server side, and thus zero client software would be required other then that of a browser.
I developed a simple Python web server to work with the Access DB via HTTP:
https://github.com/vikilpet/MS-Access-HTTP-Server
Probably this is not an ideal solution for your case but it may be a good starting point.
I have a WPF C# multi-user applicaton which interacts with Sql Server Express database. Currently I have faced up with the following issue:
How to organize the application and the database in order for several users on different stations be able to work on it , maybe i should put the database file on a server, and make my application on all other stations refer to that server when they interact with the datatbase? If so, how can I provide security of the database file.
Is there any scenario in which I could install my application on server and sign it as server and while installing on other machines point that server?
Any advice on general strategies in such cases would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
If all the users are concurrent then your going to need to place the SQL instance on a server that they all have access too..
your also going to need to know look at quite a few things like this such as how your going to manage your transactions and just how your persistence layer is going to function in general.
each of those topics are probably going to breed many more SO questions :)
this could help for some inspiration on how your going to structure the persistance layer..
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd569757.aspx
For multi-user application, you definitely should put the database onto a server. And because the application is for multi-users, the first screen shown when a user opens the application is the login screen (just like the case of web application).
Security isn't a matter, once a database is put in the filesystem, only the users on that computer can access it. And of course, the computer which contains databases is supposed to have only administrators as users. Another point is that Windows may have IIS running, don't put the database files under public root of IIS so that non-user people won't be able to download them through HTTP.
Let's say the users are working on the same office. You can assign any computer in the LAN as a server and install the database on it. Any computer in the same LAN has a LAN IP (eg. 192.168.1.100), your application can connect to this IP for database operations.
I have developed a simple desktop application with a SQL Server database for a single PC and now the client want to make it work on multiple PCs. I want to know what is better: for the moment I have remote the database from sql management and all application just connect to it. Is this a good idea or do I have to do some modification to improve the executing of the application?
The database has a lot of information to be imported to the application.
I don’t have a good idea about WCF but would it help to read about it?
You could have a dedicated server with database hosted on it and all the client applications could connect to it. But one thing you have to take care of is transaction management that is while a user is updating some piece of information, no other user could change that piece of data to make that data inconsistent. You could a look at this post describiing Sql Server Transactions.
Depending on the requirements I'd recommend keeping the local database as cache for speedy application start and implement a synchronisation process where the local and remote databases are compared from time to time or triggered manually by the user.
This would be very similar to how for example IMAP email clients or Evernote works.
How can I make a program use a SQL Server database, and have that program work on whatever computer it's installed on.
If you've been following my string of questions today, you'd know that I'm making an open source and free Help Desk suite for small and medium businesses.
The client application.
The client application is a Windows Forms app. On installation and first launch on every client machine, it'll ask for the address of the main Help Desk server.
The server.
Here I plan to handle all incoming help requests, show them to the IT guys, and provide WCF services for the Client application to consume.
My dilemma lies in that, I know how to make the program run on my local machine; but I'm really stumped on how to make this work for everyone who wants to download and install the server bit on their Windows Server.
Would I have to make an SQL Script and have it run on the MS SQL server when a user wants to install the 'server' application?
Many thanks to all for your valuable time and effort to teach me. It's really really appreciated. :)
Edit:
To clarify, each business will have their server completely separate from me. I will have no access whatsoever to them nor will they be in any way connected to me. (I don't know why I should clarify this :P )
So, assuming the have ABSOLUTELY NO DATABASE SERVER installed; what can I do?
Ok, part of the answer, dealing with the SQL Server Database (and frankly SQL Server Express will take you a long way - 4Gb of data) and the server install elements.
Firstly make installation of the SQL an SEP, make it a pre-requisite possibly tweak your installers to test (challenging) but substantially point them at the links to SQL Server express and let them get on with it).
Secondly separate installers, as suggested, for your client and your server elements.
Finally, how to build the database - I'd suggest using code to create and maintain (update) the schema i.e. once you have a connection to a server you can run code that calls DDL that does what is necessary (something like suggested here: How to create "embedded" SQL 2008 database file if it doesn't exist?)
A question - are you intending all communications from the clients to go through you WCF service?
Your install application should:
Obtain a SQL Server name, a username (with apprpriate rights to create a database) and password.
Either run SQL scripts using the locally installed command line tool or from code using SMO (for instance), against the user supplied server with the supplied credentials.
BTW, Before you expend effort writing an open-source help desk, have you checked what is already available? Also, Open Source Helpdesk
It is not so straightforward to deploy a client/server solution with an automatic installation.
You probably would then be better off to deploy your server installation together with a database engine and a skeleton database already setup according to your wishes. This is to avoid tampering too much with the existing server - who knows whats on it.
Also you say you want to install WCF services, well this would probably mean installing them on a customer server, in theory this shouldn't be a problem however in reality it could be, depending on what is previously on the server.
Do you want a single SQL Server instance running on your machine, or one on each of your customers' servers? If it's the latter, you'll want to install a SQL Server instance - anything from the (free, but limited and not open-source) SQL Server Express to a more expensive SKU - on each server. You can include this step in your server installation package; MSI installs make it very easy to bundle a MSSQL install.
Then you'll need to drop a schema, and maybe data, on the instance. You could do this as a step in your installer, or as part of your application setup process. It possible that a SQL Server instance, or more than one, might already be installed on the server, and your post-install step should allow the user to specify which instance on which to install your pieces.
Then, include a database configuration piece in your client application. Ask the user - or take from a configuration file at client install time, to allow for unattended or unprompted client installs - server connection details, like server name and authentication information.
A word on authentication - since you appear to be building Windows-based tools, use Windows integrated (domain-managed) authentication if at all possible. Don't get in the business of storing logins, but instead rely on the existing domain to manage logins. A good strategy is to use active directory groups to manage access. Grant access to a particular group in SQL Server, and defer group membership to Active Directory itself. If you can't gain the access necessary to do this, then grant permissions to AD user accounts themselves. Avoid creating SQL Server logins, the use of which open the door to some possible security problems.
I understand what you are trying to do. If I were you, I'd do the following:
Provide 2 downloads - 1 for client and 1 for server.
Forget about MS SQL Server and perhaps go with MySQL, since it really is open source. You could probably get away with using MS SQL Server Express Edition, but if your data set gets gigantic large (which is common with help desk databases), you'd be stuck.
As other people pointed out, on very first run (or at setup time), I'd have the client app locate the server.