SQL Server Express edition - read-only database? - sql-server

I'm having a very strange problem with a fresh install I have of SQL Server 2008 Express edition (yeah it's a bit old now, but whatever). When I connect via SQL Server Management Studio, I can both read and edit data (update or insert), but when I connect via my web application's data access layer, which uses SqlConnection and SqlCommand to try and update and insert data in tables, no changes occur in the database. The strange thing is that the code runs as if no error had occurred though; no exceptions are thrown, and my update statement causes SqlCommand.ExecuteNonQuery to return 1, indicating that supposedly 1 row has been updated. However, it hasn't. The application can, however, read data from the database via select statements.
Does anyone have any idea what's going on here? I even tried tracing SQL Server using ExpressProfiler, and its output seemed to indicate that the update should have occurred:
exec sp_executesql N'UPDATE Match SET TicketsSold=#ticketsSold WHERE MatchId=#matchId',N'#matchId int,#ticketsSold int',#matchId=1,#ticketsSold=1234
go
Yet TicketsSold stays at the same value (123) it was at before, and does not update to 1234. Is there some kind of "silent" read-only mode SQL Server 2008 Express could be running in? I'm baffled as to why the database isn't being updated.
By the way, this is a proper SQL Server database I created in SSMS, not some attached MDF file that resides in the same directory as my web application. The database is not set to "read-only" in database options, and I'm pretty sure that the user that the web application is logging in as has read/write permission on the MDF file; it is logging in as the same user I am logging in as using SSMS - with integrated Windows security - and I am able to update/insert as that user via SSMS.

Thanks to shf301 in the comments - I was creating a transaction but forgetting to call .Commit before the end of the using block. :-D I put that in and now it works.

Related

SSRS Report fails when trying to run Oracle Stored Procedure

I have an issue whereby I can execute an SSRS report which calls an Oracle Stored Procedure in VS2017, but when I deploy to the SSRS Server and run, it returns the following message:-
• An error has occurred during report processing. (rsProcessingAborted)
o Query execution failed for dataset 'spTestSubDet'. (rsErrorExecutingCommand)
For more information about this error navigate to the report server on the local server machine, or enable remote errors
The dataset 'spTestSubDet' is the Oracle Stored Proc.
Some configuration details:-
Oracle Database 19c Standard Edition 2 Release 19.0.0.0.0 - Production
SSRS version is 15.0.19528.0.
SQL Server version is 2014.
I can execute SQL code and Views against the Oracle server with the same DSN from the deployed report (without the oracle stored proc being present), so I know the DSN configuration is not the issue.
I have also check marked the "Use single transaction when processing the queries" box in the DS Properties.
I’m guessing that it might be some form of “Execute” permissions issue on Oracle, rather than the Report Server, where the Stored Proc is concerned.
As a developer, I don’t have any DBA permissions to interrogate how the SSRS Server is set up, or the Oracle DB, so any suggestions will have to be passed on to my ICT dept.
I also can't enable "remote errors" on the Report Server, but have requested that with the ICT dept.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Seems I got lucky with enabling “Remote Errors” on the report server and not personally having to restart the service.
I now have a more explicit error message from the SSRS report:-
“ORA-06550: line 1, column 7: PLS-00306: wrong number or types of arguments in call to 'SPTESTSUBDET' ORA-06550: line 1, column 7: PL/SQL: Statement ignored”
As mentioned in my original post, the report works fine locally from VS2017, so I don’t know why it’s telling me when deployed and run from the server that there seems to be a problem with the SQL code:-
create or replace
PROCEDURE SPTESTSUBDET
(s1 OUT SYS_REFCURSOR)
IS
BEGIN
OPEN s1 FOR
SELECT
*
FROM
onemain.sbceysubmitted sbceysub
WHERE
sbceysub.STUD_ID = 167071
;
END SPTESTSUBDET;
It’s as simple a test as I can put together and doesn’t use any parameters to complicate things.
I’m wondering if it might be a driver issue, though why it works locally and not on the server is baffling me.
I have Oracle Developer tools “ODAC v18.3.0” installed for VS2017.
The user in the referenced post below had what looked like to be the same problem, but it's not clear what version of the ODAC tools has been used to resolve the issue:-
https://stackoverflow.com/a/60569788/2053847
Any thoughts/help greatly appreciated.
The easiest thing to do is check the log files. I bet this is a SQL exception and it is related to something wrong with the way you are calling the stored procedure or within the stored procedure itself. The log files reside on the SSRS instance at -> SQL SERVER INTALL DIR\MSSQL.15(OR OTHER SSRS VERSION DIR)\Reporting Service\Log Files. Log files for the SSRS manager and SSRS service are saved here. Open the log for the SSRS Service after you encounter the error search for "spTestSubDet" and you should see the detail of the exception that is causing your problems.

Bulk Insert failed when executed from remote client but success on local

Please find the diagram as below for my issue:
I have 3 servers in the same domain, there is a SQL Server instance A (it's windows service run under domain\User1), In this instance, we have a Stored Procedure used for BULK INSERT a text file from a network shared folder in server C, the domain\User1 has full permissions on this folder.
My issue is: The Stored Procedure runs ok (green arrow) when connecting by SSMS in its (server A). But it failed when I change to SSMS in server B (log in by the same domain\User1 to the same Instance A). The error is "Access denied" to the text file (red arrow). Does the client have a role in this? I think the client does not matter, the file reading is done from the server (by the user that run Instance A service)
Note: If I connect Instance A from SSMS B with SQL Logon User (not windows account), the stored procedure works fine.
Could anyone give me some advice and sorry for my bad English
This is just a link answer but hopefully it helps.
BTW I commend you for taking the time to analyse the issue to the extent of drawing a diagram. This is far higher quality than most questions on here.
I believe you are running into a double hop issue. I searched everywhere for the BULK INSERT permission model and finally found this https://dba.stackexchange.com/questions/189676/why-is-bulk-insert-considered-dangerous
which says this about using BULK INSERT:
When accessing SQL Server via a Windows Login, that Windows account
will be impersonated (even if you switch the security context using
EXECUTE AS LOGIN='...') for doing the file system access
and this
when accessing SQL Server via a SQL Server Login, then the external
access is done in the context of the SQL Server service account
When you have issues with windows authentication and there is three servers and impersonation, it's often a double hop issue.
This may help you with that:
https://dba.stackexchange.com/questions/44524/bulk-insert-through-network
Which in turn references this:
https://thesqldude.com/2011/12/30/how-to-sql-server-bulk-insert-with-constrained-delegation-access-is-denied/

Why is it such a mission to backup a SQL Server 2008 Express database?

I wouldn't describe myself as afraid of change - but afraid of new technologies? YES INDEED! Technologies from operating systems, to database servers just seem to become bugged, inefficient and backward the further they "progress"
MSDE 2000 (what they might call "SQL 2000 Express" in today's world)
BACKUP [MyDatabase] TO FILE 'c:\backups\mybackup.backup'
SQL 2008 EXPRESS
Wait up! Its a 'user instance' - to back it up we need to attach it to a server instance
Wait up! To attach it we need SQL Management Studio Express (78MB download)
Wait up! When we login to our .\SQLEXPRESS server instance and try to attach our database it gives us an error that literally looks like a bug in our homebrew dev project:
TITLE: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
Cannot show requested dialog.
------------------------------ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Parameter name: nColIndex Actual value
was -1.
(Microsoft.SqlServer.GridControl)
Can someone explain how to backup a user instance of a SQL Server 2008 Express database in T-SQL code?
(sorry if this comes across like a flame at ummmm, Microsoft - I'm actually a huge fan of theirs. Just really angry about things like this! please don't vote me down...)
Um, if it's a user instance, then the simplest backup strategy is to copy the file. (whilst it's not connected to SQL Server).
If you need a more comprehensive backup strategy (e.g. transactional backups), then you really should be looking at a more comprehensive database (e.g. a "normal" one attached to a full SQL Server instance)
SOME KEY TIPS TO NOTE WHEN TRYING TO ACHIEVE USER INSTANCE BACKUP
a.) Connecting
Your connection string should look like this:
Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\MyDatabase.mdf;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True;Database=MyDatabaseAlias
It is essential that your connection string gives the connection an alias Database=MyDatabaseAlias - this alias cannot be duplicated concurrently on the same machine or your connection may fail.
b.) Backing Up
As pointed out above, the Transact SQL to backup a database is the same on SQL MSDE/2000/2005/2008/R2 - once you have your database attached and aliased!
BACKUP DATABASE MyDatabaseAlias TO DISK = 'c:\backups\mydatabase_20101117.backup'
Whats truly amazing is the bull$h!t errors you can get because your connection string doesnt have the alias Database=MyDatabaseAlias part.
e.g. Unable to open the physical file 'c:\Code\MyProject\App_Data\MyDatabase.mdf' Operating system error 32: "32(The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.)".BACKUP DATABASE is terminating abnormally.
c.) Restoring
USE [master]; RESTORE DATABASE MyDatabaseAlias FROM DISK = 'c:\backups\mydatabase_20101117.backup' WITH REPLACE
Do not forget the all essential USE [master]; at the beginning of this statement (and note that its all on one line for those executing the command from a DataContext or similar) If you do, it wont be able to overwrite the existing database because you'll still be connected to it.
Once again, the assortment of totally misleading errors you might receive here, due to an invalid connection string, is endless.

weird error using SQL-Server2005 SPROCs from MS Access 2000: ";1" in name --> not found

I have a weird problem here.
In short to the environment we have:
There is a (newly set up) Win2003 Server with a SQL Server 2005 Express database. I connect to it via a MS Access application.
Since I switched to the new server (restored a backup from the former server on it) all SPROCs (only in Access) have a ;1 after their name, hence cannot be found.
If I try to open a SPROC in Access (dbl click in overview), it asks for the parameter, then says cannot be found.
If I try to open, say, a report based on it, same result. If I change the name of the SPROC the report is based on to the name shown in the overview ( [sprocnam];1 ) it says "cannot be found" (of course, because the names did not change as one can see in Management Studio).
?!?
keep in mind that the Access-application worked fine with the database that I backed up on another server and restored to the newly set up server ...
Your help is greatly appreciated!
edit: I found a thread on SAP.com with someone experiencing the same problem, but without a solution: https://forums.sdn.sap.com/message.jspa?messageID=7947957
I can't tell why you have got this issue, but in In SQL Server you have the ability to create Numbered stored procedures. The procedures have the same name but may contain completely different code, look at this:
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[spTest]
AS
BEGIN
SELECT ##MICROSOFTVERSION
END
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[spTest];2
AS
SELECT ##version
GO
EXEC spTest;1
EXEC spTest;2
I resolved the issue with an update of the clients office-installation to the latest service pack.
The one employee that notified me of the problem and me got new computers last week, and thus did not have the latest updates.

Problem calling stored procedure from another stored procedure via classic ASP

We have a classic ASP application that simply works and we have been loathe to modify the code lest we invoke the wrath of some long-dead Greek gods.
We recently had the requirement to add a feature to an application. The feature implementation is really just a database operation requires minimal change to the UI.
I changed the UI and made the minor modification to submit a new data value to the sproc call (sproc1).
In sproc1 that is called directly from ASP, we added a new call to another sproc that happens to be located on another server, sproc2.
Somehow, this does not work via our ASP app, but works in SQL Management Studio.
Here's the technical details:
SQL 2005 on both database servers.
Sql Login is authenticating from the ASP application to SQL 2005 Server 1.
Linked server from Server 1 to Server 2 is working.
When executing sproc1 from SQL Management Studio - works fine. Even when credentialed as the same user our code uses (the application sql login).
sproc2 works when called independently of sproc1 from SQL Management Studio.
VBScript (ASP) captures an error which is emitted in the XML back to the client. Error number is 0, error description is blank. Both from the ADODB.Connection object and from whatever Err.Number/Err.Description yields in VBScript from the ASP side.
So without any errors, nor any reproducibility (i.e. through SQL Mgmt Studio) - does anyone know the issue?
Our current plan is to break down and dig into the code on the ASP side and make a completely separate call to Server 2.sproc2 directly from ASP rather than trying to piggy-back through sproc1.
Have you got set nocount on set in both stored procedures? I had a similar issue once and whilst I can't remember exactly how I solved it at the moment, I know that had something to do with it!
You could be suffering from the double-hop problem
The double-hop issue is when the ASP/X page tries to use resources that are located on a server that is different from the IIS server.
Windows NT Challenge/Response does not support double-hop impersonations (in that once passed to the IIS server, the same credentials cannot be passed to a back-end server for authentication).
You should verify the attempted second connection using SQL Profiler.
Note that with your manual testing you are not authenticating via IIS. It's only when you initiate the sql via the ASP/X page that this problem manifests.
More resources:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910449
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/891031
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810572
I had a similar problem and I solved it by setting nocount on and removing print commands.
My first reaction is that this might not be an issue of calling cross-server, but one of calling a second proc from a first, and that this might be what's acting differently in the two different environments.
My first question is this: what happens if you remove the cross-server aspect from the equation? If you could set up a test system where your first proc calls your second proc, but the second proc is on the same server and/or in the same database, do you still get the same problem?
Along these same lines: In my experience, when the application and SSMS have gotten different results like that, it has often been an issue of the stored procedures' settings. It could be, as Luke says, NOCOUNT. I've had this sort of thing happen from extraneous PRINT statements in the code, although I seem to remember the PRINTed value becoming part of the error description (very counterintuitively).
If anything is returned in the Messages window when you run this in SSMS, find out where it is coming from and make it stop. I would have to look up the technical terms, but my recollection is that different querying environments have different sensitivities to "errors", and that a default connection via SSSM will not throw an error at certain times when an ADO connection from a scripting language will.
One final thought: in case it is an environment thing, try different settings on your ASP page's connection string. E.g., if you have an OLEDB connection, try ODBC. Try the native and non-native SQL Server drivers. Check out what connection string options your provider supports, and try any of them that seem like they might be worth trying.
Example code might help :) Are you trying to return two tables from the stored procedure; I don't think ADO 2.6 can handle multiple tables being returned.
I did consider that (double-hop), but what is the difference between a sproc-in-a-sproc call like I am referring to vs. a typical cross-server join via INNER JOIN? Both would be executed on Server1, using the Linked Server credentials, and authenticating to Server 2.
Can anyone confirm that calling a sproc cross-server is different than doing a join on data tables? And why?
If the Linked Server config is a sql account - is that considered a double-hop (since what you refer to is NTLM double-hops?)
In terms of whether multiple resultsets are coming back - no. Both Server1.Sproc1 and Server2.Sproc2 would be "ExecuteNonQuery()" in the .net world and return nothing (no resultsets and no return values).
Try to check the permissions to the database for the user specified in the connection string.
Use the same user name in the connection string to log in to the database while using sql mgmt studio.
create some temporary table to write the intermediate values and exceptions since it can be a effective way of debugging your application.
Can I just check: You made the addition of sproc2? Prior to that it was working fine for ages.
Could you not change where you call sproc2 from? Rather than calling it from inside sproc1, can you call it from the ASP? That way you control the authentication to SQL in the code, and don't have to rely on setting up any trusts or shared remote authentication on the servers.
How is your linked server set up? You generally have some options as to how it authenticates to the remote server, which include logging in as the currently logged in user or specifying a SQL login to always use. Have you tried setting it to always use a specific account? That should eliminate any possible permissions issues in calling the remote procedure...

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