Connection Strings
Milan connects to WorkSite, Milan, and billing databases through the use of connection strings. A typical connection string, like the one below, specifies a database server and connection method.
Data Source=SQLServer;User Id=sa;Password=password;Initial Catalog=milan;Integrated Security=false;MultipleActiveResultSets=True
As can be seen in the above example, when using SQL authentication (Integrated Security = false), the user ID and password are passed as clear text and visible to any Milan user with access to the Application Configuration page in Milan. For greater security, you can instead connect to any database with Windows authentication (Integrated Security = true), which uses the credentials of the account running the Milan application pool to authenticate with the SQL server.
Note: Connection strings are stored in encrypted form in the Milan.AppSettings table.
While most connections strings used by Milan can be configured during the initial web-based setup, it is possible to add or edit connection strings at any time through the web client by opening Administration → Milan Server → Application Configuration → Connection Strings.
Note: If you will be using Billing To Milan, you must configure the required connection strings on the Connections Strings tab before attempting to run the program. Refer to Configuring Billing To Milan for more information.
Connection String Types
Within Milan, there are two kinds of connection strings: WorkSite connection strings and non-WorkSite connection strings. WorkSite connection strings point to WorkSite libraries, while non-WorkSite connection strings point to all other kinds of databases (e.g., Milan and SQL-based billing systems).
Non-WorkSite Connection Strings
Milan Database
The two connection strings used by Milan to connect to its own database, adminSiteAudit and milanlog, are created during the initial web setup. Although it is possible to edit either connection string, neither can be deleted.
Note: Because the adminSiteAudit and milanlog strings point to the Milan database itself, they are saved outside the database in ...\Prosperoware.Milan\configs\connectionstrings.config.
By default, the milanlog connection string points to the primary Milan database, i.e., the adminSiteAudit database. However, it is strongly recommended that you specify another database to be used exclusively for storing log data.
Within the database specified in the milanlog connection string, provisioning service events and audit events are stored in the Milan.EventLog and Milan.Audit tables, respectively.
Billing To Milan
Billing To Milan recognizes three specific connection string names, which correspond to its three modes of operation. By default, these string names are billing, archive, and security.
Refer to Configuring Billing To Milan for more information on how to specify different connection strings for each type of operation.
Adding a New Non-WorkSite Connection StringTo add a new connection string for a non-WorkSite database:
- Go to Administration → Milan Server → Application Configuration→ Connection Strings.
- Click Add New Connection String.
- Fill in the following fields in the Add Connection dialog.
Field Description Connection String Name Name of the connection string. SQL Server Name Name of the SQL server. SQL Database Name Name of the target database in SQL Server Trusted / Integrated Login? Value Description Yes Use trusted authentication to connect to the target database. No Use SQL authentication to connect to the target database. SQL User Name Name of user with access to target SQL database. Note: This and the following field should only be filled in when using SQL authentication.
SQL Password Password for user account specified above.
WorkSite Connection Strings
During the initial web setup, you can only specify one WorkSite database for Milan to manage. However, Milan can be configured to manage as many WorkSite libraries as you require.
To add a WorkSite connection string to Milan:
- Open Administration → Milan Server → Application Configuration→ Connection Strings.
- Click Add New WorkSite Connection String.
- Enter the appropriate information into the following fields:
Field Name Description DMS Name Name of the WorkSite server or server cluster Database (Library) Name Name of the ODBC connection to the WorkSite database SQL Server Name Name of the SQL server hosting the WorkSite database SQL Database Name Name of the WorkSite database on the SQL server Trusted/Integrated Login Value Description Yes Use trusted authentication to connect to the WorkSite database No Use SQL authentication to connect to the WorkSite database Note: When using Trusted Login, the service used by the Milan application pool must have db_owner access to the Milan database.
SQL User Name A user on the SQL server with db_owner access to the WorkSite database.
Note: This and the following field should only be filled in when using SQL authentication.
SQL Password Password for the user account specified above. - Click Save. Milan automatically generates a name for the connection string in the format
ias_<DMS Name>_<ODBC Name>, where DMS Name is the name of the WorkSite server and ODBC Name is the name of the ODBC connection to the WorkSite library.
Managing Connection Strings
Both WorkSite and non-WorkSite connection strings can be edited and deleted in the same fashion.
Editing Connection Strings
To edit an existing database connection string:
- Go to Administration → Milan Server → Application Configuration→ Connection Strings.
- Click the Value column for a connection string and modify the connection string parameters. Click outside the Value field after modifying the connection string to confirm the changes in the field.
- Click Save.
Deleting Connection Strings
To delete an existing database connection string from the Milan web client:
- Navigate to Administration → Milan Server → Application Configuration→ Connection Strings.
- Click the delete icon in the Delete column for a connection string.
- Click Yes to confirm the connection string deletion.
- Click OK.
- Click Save.
Note: The adminSiteAudit and milanlog connection strings cannot be deleted.
