Issue deploying mvc4 website to server

Question

I'm trying to deploy an asp.net 4.5 mvc4 app to an in-house server. The build files are up on the server but trying to access the site yeilds these errors:

[Win32Exception (0x80004005): The system cannot find the file specified]

[SqlException (0x80131904): A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while          establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 52 - Unable to locate a Local Database Runtime installation. Verify that SQL Server Express is properly installed and that the Local Database Runtime feature is enabled.)]
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection, Action`1 wrapCloseInAction) +6676046
   System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning(TdsParserStateObject stateObj, Boolean callerHasConnectionLock, Boolean asyncClose) +810
   System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Connect(ServerInfo serverInfo, SqlInternalConnectionTds connHandler, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, Int64 timerExpire, Boolean encrypt, Boolean trustServerCert, Boolean integratedSecurity, Boolean withFailover) +6702720
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.AttemptOneLogin(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, TimeoutTimer timeout, Boolean withFailover) +219
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.LoginNoFailover(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, TimeoutTimer timeout) +6704856
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.OpenLoginEnlist(TimeoutTimer timeout, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance) +6705315
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentity identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString userConnectionOptions) +610
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions) +1049
   System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreatePooledConnection(DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, DbConnectionOptions userOptions) +74
   System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.CreateObject(DbConnectionOptions userOptions) +6707883
   System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.UserCreateRequest(DbConnectionOptions userOptions) +78
   System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningObject, UInt32 waitForMultipleObjectsTimeout, Boolean allowCreate, Boolean onlyOneCheckConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection) +2192
   System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningObject, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection) +116
   System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection) +1012
   System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.TryOpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions) +6712511
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.TryOpen(TaskCompletionSource`1 retry) +152
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open() +229
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlProviderServices.UsingConnection(SqlConnection sqlConnection, Action`1 act) +134
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlProviderServices.UsingMasterConnection(SqlConnection sqlConnection, Action`1 act) +3805119
   System.Data.SqlClient.SqlProviderServices.GetDbProviderManifestToken(DbConnection connection) +10957386
   System.Data.Common.DbProviderServices.GetProviderManifestToken(DbConnection connection) +91

[ProviderIncompatibleException: The provider did not return a ProviderManifestToken string.]
   System.Data.Common.DbProviderServices.GetProviderManifestToken(DbConnection connection) +10957457
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Utilities.DbProviderServicesExtensions.GetProviderManifestTokenChecked(DbProviderServices providerServices, DbConnection connection) +48

[ProviderIncompatibleException: An error occurred while getting provider information from the database. This can be caused by Entity Framework using an incorrect connection string. Check the inner exceptions for details and ensure that the connection string is correct.]
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Utilities.DbProviderServicesExtensions.GetProviderManifestTokenChecked(DbProviderServices providerServices, DbConnection connection) +242
   System.Data.Entity.DbModelBuilder.Build(DbConnection providerConnection) +82
   System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.CreateModel(LazyInternalContext internalContext) +88
   System.Data.Entity.Internal.RetryLazy`2.GetValue(TInput input) +248
   System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.InitializeContext() +524
   System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.CreateObjectContextForDdlOps() +23
   System.Data.Entity.Database.Exists() +40
   Horizon.Filters.SimpleMembershipInitializer..ctor() in c:\Builds\1\Horizon\Horizon\Sources\Horizon\Code\Horizon\Filters\InitializeSimpleMembershipAttribute.cs:34

[InvalidOperationException: The ASP.NET Simple Membership database could not be initialized. For more information, please see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=256588]
   Horizon.Filters.SimpleMembershipInitializer..ctor() in c:\Builds\1\Horizon\Horizon\Sources\Horizon\Code\Horizon\Filters\InitializeSimpleMembershipAttribute.cs:47

[TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.]
   System.RuntimeTypeHandle.CreateInstance(RuntimeType type, Boolean publicOnly, Boolean noCheck, Boolean& canBeCached, RuntimeMethodHandleInternal& ctor, Boolean& bNeedSecurityCheck) +0
   System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceSlow(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark) +159
   System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceDefaultCtor(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark) +256
   System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic) +127
   System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type) +11
   System.Threading.LazyHelpers`1.ActivatorFactorySelector() +72
   System.Threading.LazyInitializer.EnsureInitializedCore(T& target, Boolean& initialized, Object& syncLock, Func`1 valueFactory) +241
   System.Threading.LazyInitializer.EnsureInitialized(T& target, Boolean& initialized, Object& syncLock) +139
   Horizon.Filters.InitializeSimpleMembershipAttribute.OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext filterContext) in c:\Builds\1\Horizon\Horizon\Sources\Horizon\Code\Horizon\Filters\InitializeSimpleMembershipAttribute.cs:21
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionMethodFilterAsynchronously(IActionFilter filter, ActionExecutingContext preContext, Func`1 nextInChain) +145
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionMethodFilterAsynchronously(IActionFilter filter, ActionExecutingContext preContext, Func`1 nextInChain) +980
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.<>c__DisplayClass37.<BeginInvokeActionMethodWithFilters>b__31(AsyncCallback asyncCallback, Object asyncState) +264
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResult`1.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, Int32 timeout) +146
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, BeginInvokeDelegate beginDelegate, EndInvokeDelegate`1 endDelegate, Object tag, Int32 timeout) +202
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, BeginInvokeDelegate beginDelegate, EndInvokeDelegate`1 endDelegate, Object tag) +112
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.<>c__DisplayClass25.<BeginInvokeAction>b__1e(AsyncCallback asyncCallback, Object asyncState) +955
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResult`1.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, Int32 timeout) +146
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, BeginInvokeDelegate beginDelegate, EndInvokeDelegate`1 endDelegate, Object tag, Int32 timeout) +166
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, BeginInvokeDelegate beginDelegate, EndInvokeDelegate`1 endDelegate, Object tag) +27
   System.Web.Mvc.<>c__DisplayClass1d.<BeginExecuteCore>b__17(AsyncCallback asyncCallback, Object asyncState) +50
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResult`1.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, Int32 timeout) +146
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, BeginInvokeDelegate beginDelegate, EndInvokeDelegate`1 endDelegate, Object tag, Int32 timeout) +166
   System.Web.Mvc.Controller.BeginExecuteCore(AsyncCallback callback, Object state) +497
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResult`1.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, Int32 timeout) +146
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, BeginInvokeDelegate beginDelegate, EndInvokeDelegate`1 endDelegate, Object tag, Int32 timeout) +166
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, BeginInvokeDelegate beginDelegate, EndInvokeDelegate endDelegate, Object tag) +27
   System.Web.Mvc.Controller.BeginExecute(RequestContext requestContext, AsyncCallback callback, Object state) +409
   System.Web.Mvc.<>c__DisplayClass8.<BeginProcessRequest>b__2(AsyncCallback asyncCallback, Object asyncState) +144
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResult`1.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, Int32 timeout) +146
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, BeginInvokeDelegate beginDelegate, EndInvokeDelegate`1 endDelegate, Object tag, Int32 timeout) +166
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.Begin(AsyncCallback callback, Object state, BeginInvokeDelegate beginDelegate, EndInvokeDelegate endDelegate, Object tag) +27
   System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.BeginProcessRequest(HttpContextBase httpContext, AsyncCallback callback, Object state) +364
   System.Web.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute() +12550671
   System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +288

---

I think it has something to do with my connection string:

<add name="MyDatabase" connectionString="data source=Server;initial 
catalog=MyDatabase;User Id=App;Password=some password;"
providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>

Thoughts

Answer 1

I solved this problem by commenting the line that appears in the file filter FilterConfig.cs InitializeSimpleMembershipAttribute. I think it has to do codefirst I do not use, and which is connected to a file that I have in the publication.

Answer 2

Okay, so the problem was the UsersContext was using the default connection string still. I just had to change the base context to my connection string.

public class UsersContext : DbContext
{
    public UsersContext()
        : base("MyDBContext")
    {
    }

    public DbSet<UserProfile> UserProfiles { get; set; }
    public DbSet<webpages_Membership> webpages_Memberships { get; set; }
    public DbSet<UsersInRole> webpages_UsersInRoles { get; set; }
    public DbSet<Role> webpages_Roles { get; set; }
}

Beware though, I was having a timeout issue with the UsersContext tables and my own connection string. You might want to check out this topic before you use this fix: SimpleMembership MVC 4 stays authenticated, but is not authenticated

Answer 3

1) Is that server name (Server) correct? Is that the name that you see when you connect to it in SQL Management Studio or Visual Studio? What version and edition of SQL Server is it?

2) Do the connection string parameters work in a UDL file?

3) Check that the connection string is what you expect. I have provided an example below of logging the connection string using log4.net, but you could put a breakpoint there or write to a text file.

m_log = LogManager.GetLogger(MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType );
foreach( var connectionString in System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings )
{
    string outString = connectionString.ToString();
    m_log.Debug( outString );
}