This class is used by the Membership and MembershipUser classes to provide membership services for an ASP.NET application using a SQL Server database. You cannot use a SqlMembershipProvider without SQL Server. When your computer has SQL Server Express installed with the default instance name and user-instancing enabled, the SqlMembershipProvider object will create a database called aspnetdb in the application's App_Data directory the first time the application is run.

To manually create the database, run the Aspnet_regsql.exe executable found in the %systemroot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\ versionNumber folder and specify the -A m option (for example aspnet_regsql.exe -A m). The database created is called Aspnetdb. Alternatively, run Aspnet_regsql.exe to pull up the GUI configuration mode and choose to configure all ASP.NET Features.

If the membership provider is configured with a connection string that uses integrated security, the process account of the ASP.NET application must have rights to connect to the SQL Server database.

The Machine.config file defines a default SqlMembershipProvider instance named AspNetSqlMembershipProvider that connects to the default SQL Server Express instance on the local machine. You can use this instance of the provider if you installed SQL Server Express with the default instance name, or you can define your own instance in the Web.config file for your ASP.NET application.

The following code example shows the Web.config file for an ASP.NET application configured to use a SqlMembershipProvider.

<configuration>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="SqlServices" connectionString="Data Source=localhost;Integrated Security=SSPI;Initial Catalog=aspnetdb;" />
  </connectionStrings>
  <system.web>
    <authentication mode="Forms" >
      <forms loginUrl="login.aspx"
        name=".ASPXFORMSAUTH" />
    </authentication>
    <authorization>
      <deny users="?" />
    </authorization>
    <membership defaultProvider="SqlProvider"
      userIsOnlineTimeWindow="15">
      <providers>
        <add 
          name="SqlProvider" 
          type="System.Web.Security.SqlMembershipProvider" 
          connectionStringName="SqlServices"
          applicationName="MyApplication"
          enablePasswordRetrieval="false"
          enablePasswordReset="true"
          requiresQuestionAndAnswer="true"
          requiresUniqueEmail="false"
          passwordFormat="Hashed"
          maxInvalidPasswordAttempts="5"
          passwordAttemptWindow="10" />
      </providers>
    </membership>
  </system.web>
</configuration>

• AspNetHostingPermission  for using the SqlMembershipProvider class in a hosted environment. Demand value: LinkDemand. Permission value: Minimal.

Windows 98, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Starter Edition

The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see System Requirements.

.NET Framework