Creating Custom Connection Strings

Custom connection strings (available beginning in ReliaSoft Version 20.0.3 and Version 21.0.2) allow administrators to establish custom connections to databases that require a SQL Authentication method instead of using the traditional Active Directory approach in which you only specify the database and server name. We anticipate that most use cases for this scenario will be for users who are in a non-traditional network environment (e.g., a non-Windows based LDAP) or for cloud-hosted databases that are not integrated into the users’ Active Directory environment.

The Custom Connection String option is enabled via the ReliaSoft XFRACAS Admin tool. To use this tool, your organization must have already established a database server with Microsoft SQL Server and you must have the permissions necessary to create databases on the server. Additionally, you must have already created the target database via a third party tool (e.g., Azure web interface, AWS, etc.); the database can be empty if desired.

There are three scenarios in which you might need to establish a custom connection string:

• Setting up and connecting to a new, empty database
• Connecting to an existing database from the current version of ReliaSoft software
• Upgrading and connecting to a database from a prior version of ReliaSoft software

Setting Up a New Database

Once you have created the empty database in your target MS SQL or Azure instance, you can establish the database tables and create your custom connection string in a single operation.

1. Open the ReliaSoft XFRACAS Admin tool: From Start, choose ReliaSoft XFRACAS [version] > XFRACAS [version] Admin  from the programs list. Alternatively, from Start, you can search for "XFRACAS [version] Admin."
2. In the ReliaSoft XFRACAS Admin tool, click New Enterprise Database.
3. Choose the SQL Server (Custom) option and enter the custom connection string that will be used to connect to the database.

Most connection string formats work with this dialog box. The connection string format that we did the most validation with for an external Azure server was:

Server=myserver,port;Initial Catalog=mydatabase;Persist Security Info=False;User ID=mylogin;Password=mypassword;
MultipleActiveResultSets=False;Encrypt=True;
TrustServerCertificate=False;Connection Timeout=30;

Note: This connection string is provided as an example and not as the specific method that ReliaSoft recommends.

4. If you plan to use a common custom connection string for all users, leave the Use Windows identity impersonation check box selected. This setting provides the application with a method to use the custom connection string to authenticate into the database with the supplied credentials contained within the string, but will then detect the local user for each user who is using the connection string and compare them against the list of approved users.
5. Click OK to begin database table creation. (For Azure or other cloud-hosted databases, this step can take a while due to the need to validate that each relational table has been established before creating the next dependent table).

After the database has been created please proceed to Update XFRACAS Configuration File to allow the XFRACAS website to use the same Custom Connection information. You will also now have a custom connection string file (*.rserp) established and saved in Documents\ReliaSoft\Files and the database tables will be complete. To add additional XFRACAS users, use the desktop URL link for XFRACAS website and go to the Admin tab, Security and User page. If you are also having ReliaSoft Desktop users using this database then to add additional desktop users from the ReliaSoft XFRACAS Admin tool, click Manage Users.

Upgrade/Updating a Prior Version ReliaSoft Database

If you have migrated a MS SQL Enterprise database from a prior major version of ReliaSoft software to an environment where a custom connection string is required, you need to upgrade the database to the latest version and then update the XFRACAS tables. After that you will need to follow the steps in the Update XFRACAS Configuration File section to connect the XFRACAS website to the database.

1. Open the ReliaSoft XFRACAS Admin tool: From Start, choose ReliaSoft XFRACAS [version] > XFRACAS [version] Admin  from the programs list. Alternatively, from Start, you can search for "XFRACAS [version] Admin."
2. In the ReliaSoft XFRACAS Admin tool, click Upgrade Enterprise Database.
3. Choose the SQL Server (Custom) option and enter the custom connection string that will be used to connect to the database.

Most connection string formats work with this dialog box. The connection string format that we did the most validation with for an external Azure server was:

Server=myserver,port;Initial Catalog=mydatabase;Persist Security Info=False;User ID=mylogin;Password=mypassword;
MultipleActiveResultSets=False;Encrypt=True;
TrustServerCertificate=False;Connection Timeout=30;

Note: This connection string is provided as an example and not as the specific method that ReliaSoft recommends.

4. Click OK to begin the database upgrade. (For Azure or other cloud-hosted databases, this step can take a while due to the need to validate that each relational table has been established before creating the next dependent table).
5. Next click Update XFRACAS Tables.
6. Again choose the SQL Server (Custom) option as we did in step 3.
7. Click OK to begin the XFRACAS tables update. (For Azure or other cloud-hosted databases, this step can take a while due to the need to validate that each relational table has been established before creating the next dependent table).
8. Proceed to Update XFRACAS Configuration File.

Update XFRACAS Configuration File

If you have migrated an existing ReliaSoft MS SQL Enterprise database to an environment where a custom connection string is required you can simply create an appropriate database connection without making any changes to the database.

1. Open the ReliaSoft XFRACAS Admin tool: From Start, choose ReliaSoft XFRACAS [version] > XFRACAS [version] Admin from the programs list. Alternatively, from Start, you can search for "XFRACAS [version] Admin."
2. In the ReliaSoft XFRACAS Admin tool, click Update XFRACAS Configuration File.
3. Choose the SQL Server (Custom) option and enter the custom connection string that will be used to connect to the database.

Most connection string formats work with this dialog box. The connection string format that we did the most validation with for an external Azure server was:

Server=myserver,port;Initial Catalog=mydatabase;Persist Security Info=False;User ID=mylogin;Password=mypassword;
MultipleActiveResultSets=False;Encrypt=True;
TrustServerCertificate=False;Connection Timeout=30;

Note: This connection string is provided as an example and not as the specific method that ReliaSoft recommends.

4. Fill out the Application Service Account. This is either a local account or domain account that has permissions to access local resources, like the registry settings, IIS files, and .Net Temporary folder.
5. Make any changes to the Settings tab if you want a setting to be different than default. Note that when using a Custom Connection string we recommend leaving Encrypt Communication checked and Trust server certificate unchecked. These settings assumes that the SQL instance has an SSL certificate installed to encrypt communication between the XFRACAS application and the SQL Server instance.
6. Click OK.

You have now setup XFRACAS to use a custom connection string. To add additional XFRACAS users, use the desktop URL link for XFRACAS website and go to the Admin tab, Security and User page. If you are also having ReliaSoft Desktop users using this database then to add additional desktop users from the ReliaSoft XFRACAS Admin tool, click Manage Users.

Note: You may need to manually add a new admin user account that matches the administrator who is doing the upgrade (or to add an account that matches the SQL Authentication account). For assistance with this, please contact ReliaSoft support.