EF6 migrations (LocalDb) update-database login failed

Question

VS 2013 MVC5 code first project.

I’m working through the ASP.NET Getting Started with EF6 using MVC5 tutorial to get up to speed on the latest changes and I’m having a problem with migrations. In the first module the database is created using a database initializer:

<contexts>
      <context type="ContosoUniversity.DAL.SchoolContext, ContosoUniversity">
        <databaseInitializer type="ContosoUniversity.DAL.SchoolInitializer, ContosoUniversity" />
      </context>
</contexts>

and this connection string:

<connectionStrings>
    <add name="SchoolContext" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDb)\v11.0;Initial Catalog=ContosoUniversity1;Integrated Security=SSPI;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
</connectionStrings>

This works fine. In the Code First Migrations and Deployment module migrations are setup. The initializer is commented out and the name of the DB is changed to ContosoUniversity2:

<connectionStrings>
    <add name="SchoolContext" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDb)\v11.0;Initial Catalog=ContosoUniversity2;Integrated Security=SSPI;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
</connectionStrings>

When update-database is then run from the Packager Manager Console it fails with the error message:

Cannot open database "ContosoUniversity2" requested by the login. The login failed.
Login failed for user 'MyMachine\MyUser'.

I’ve re-run both scenarios several times with the same user and the same results. If I change Initial Catalog to AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\ContosoUniversity2; update-database succeeds (the DB is now in the App-Data folder of the project rather the root of the users profile):

<connectionStrings>
    <add name="SchoolContext" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDb)\v11.0; AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\ContosoUniversity2;Integrated Security=SSPI;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
</connectionStrings>

You have to use Initial Catalog when deploying though. The production connectionString is set separately in the Web.Release.Config so that is workable.

The question is why the need for the fix, why doesn’t Initial Catalog work with update-database on the development side?

Update 1:

The problem is not with migrations but with LocalDb

MyUser has full rights in SQLExpress (sysadmin). I can log into SSMS under MyUser and fully manage DBs. I ran several tests. Even though I created the initial DB for the tutorial as MyUser it now throws the login failed error if I rebuild the app from scratch and use databaseInitialzer. If I run VS under Admin both databaseInitialzer and update-database work without any problem. If I then copy the DBs from the Admin's user profile root to MyUser's and then run VS, not as Admin, while logged on as MyUser both the databaseInitialzer and update-database then work if the DB is prior existing.

If I change the connectionString to AttachDbFileName and run either databaseInitialzer and update-database MyUser can create a DB in the App_Data folder proving MyUser has DB create rights. MyUser obviously has full rights to the root of its own user profile. There is something amisss with the LocalDb implementation.

Does any one have any insight on this question?

Answer 1

If you delete the DB file, it still stays registered with SqlLocalDB. If LocalDb gets hung up with can’t attach (after manually deleting the DB file) or Login failed see JSobell’s and CodingwithSpike’s answers here:

ef5-cannot-attach-the-file-0-as-database-1.

Run ‘sqllocaldb.exe stop v11.0’ and ‘sqllocaldb.exe delete v11.0’ from the PM Console

UPDATE:

Easier yet use SSMS. Server name: (local)\v11.0, Windows Authentication. This is really the best way to manage your localdb databases.