Web Charts SQL Server Database Access - Event Date: 21 Sep 2006 - 21 Sep 2006

If you are using SQl Server or SQL server express to store the WhosOn database, the web charts may show a "Cannot open database error". This article explains what to do to fix this.

The error is caused because the user that the web charts runs under (the IUSE_COMPUTER user) wont have access to the SQL server db by default. WhosOn creates a login for this user in the database itself during installation. However this can sometimes fail if you have renamed any users or have a none-standard security setup. In which case you must add the user to SQL server manually.

To do this open the SQL Server Management studio.

Right-click Logins and select 'New Login'
Click the Search button
The Select User or Group dialog opens.
Click Advanced
Then click Object types and make sure 'Groups' is selected
Click the Find Now button to list your users & groups.
Select the IIS_WPG group on Windows 2003 or ASPNET on Windows 2000
Click OK to save the login.

Now select the WhosOnV4 database.
Open the database tree and select Security - Users
Right-click and select New User
Call the User IIS
Click the ... next to Login name
Click Browse and select the IIS_WPG login just created - click OK
In the Owned Schemas list check 'db_datareader'
in the Role Members list check 'db_datareader'
Click OK to save the user.

The web charts will now have access to the database.

if you have removed or renamed the IIS_WPG or ASPNET users, try repeating for the IUSR_COMPUTER user (this is the Windows user for anonymous access for web sites).

Steve