Profile command generates App-Data folder and ASPNETDB.MDF

Question

I am migrating a ASP.NET webforms website to a new server. On the old server I had my database in the App_Data folder in the root of the website. On my new server, I have the database in a different folder outside the root and that all works fine.

But something strange happens. When I go to the website and surf around, suddenly a App_Data folder is being created in the root folder of my site with a database in it, called ASPNETDB.MDF. I can delete it but after a while it appears again.

I did some testing and trying, and I found out that the DB is being created when I run this code:

    TestLabel.Text = Profile.MyProfileParameter.ToString();

So I think it must be the Profile being called that causes it. In my web.config I have the following: (a bit reduced, i have more profile parameters)

  <profile enabled="true">
      <properties>
        <add name="MyProfileParameter" type="Int32" defaultValue="30"/>
      </properties>
    </profile>

A bit higher up in my web.config i have the connectionstring that points to the database outside my root folder:

  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="ConnectionString" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" 
 connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=TheNameOfMyDatase;Integrated Security=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=True" />
  </connectionStrings>

Does anybody have any idea why a call to profile would generate a database? It's not a real show stopper, but I'd like to know why this is happening.

Some extra info:

• My old server has Windows Server 2003
• My new server has Windows Server 2008 R2
• My application is running in ASP.NET 3.5

SOLUTION:

Apparently there still a lot for me to learn about web.config.

Apart from the web.config there is also a machine.config from which the web.config inherits. In this machine config in the section <profile> there is this setting:

<profile>
    <providers>
        <add name="AspNetSqlProfileProvider" connectionStringName="LocalSqlServer" applicationName="/" type="System.Web.Profile.SqlProfileProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"/>
    </providers>
</profile>

This setting can be overridden in the web.config

First (I do not think this is really necessary ) I remove the localSqlServer from the connection strings by adding a clear command to my <connectionStrings> :

<connectionStrings> 
    <!-- clear command removes localSqlServer from machine.config -->
    <clear />
    <add name="ConnectionString" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" 
        connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=TheNameOfMyDatase;Integrated Security=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=True" />
</connectionStrings>

If I run my site now you get an error saying the connection name 'LocalSqlServer' was not found.

So I added a new provider to the <profile> section and point it to my ConnectionString

 <profile enabled="true">
    <providers>
        <!-- clear command removes localSqlServer from machine.config -->
        <clear/>
        <add name="AspNetSqlProfileProvider" connectionStringName="ConnectionString" applicationName="/" type="System.Web.Profile.SqlProfileProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"/>
    </providers>

Now it all works fine, no more database appearing out of the blue.

Thank you ijaz for giving directions, the bonus is yours!

Answer 1

AspNetdb is a database used by Asp.Net Membership provider or other application services like "profiles,Roles/Rights etc" The generated .mdf file is a database (SQL 2005 express).

It stores the information you store in your profile or membership or roles, when you use the standard sql providers in ASP.NET. App_Data is the default location of this db,but off-course it can be changed. try to find and update the section of web.config file as, <membership> <providers> </providers> </membership>for details,please have a look at the following post. http://forums.asp.net/t/1517995.aspx