A connection string is the set of details EDGEBIC uses to reach its database: for a shared database it names the server, the database, and the sign-in method, while for a single-file database it is simply the path to that file. You almost never type one by hand. In EDGEBIC you fill in a few fields in the Data Source area of Settings, and the software assembles the connection string from them.
EDGEBIC by User Solutions builds and uses a connection string every time it starts. This article defines the term and how it is protected. For the guided walkthrough, read how to change the database connection.
How It Works
A connection string answers a simple question: where is the database and how do I sign in to it. For a single-file SQLite database, the answer is just the file path. For a shared SQL Server database, it carries three things: the server, the database name, and the authentication method.
Authentication comes in two forms:
- Windows authentication uses the account the person is already signed into Windows with. There is no separate password to enter or store, which makes it the simpler and safer option when your site runs on a Windows domain.
- SQL authentication uses a database-specific username and password. EDGEBIC stores the password in an encrypted form, never as plain text, and the encryption is tied to the Windows account that entered it.
Because the encrypted password is bound to the user and machine that created it, copying the configuration to a different account or PC means the password can no longer be decrypted there. That is deliberate: it prevents a stored credential from traveling somewhere it should not, and the fix is simply to re-enter the password under the new account.
You assemble the string indirectly, by filling in fields, and EDGEBIC includes the technical connection settings it needs behind the scenes so the software behaves correctly against a live server.
A Concrete Example
Think of a connection string as the delivery instructions you give a courier: the building address (the server), the office suite inside it (the database), and how you will prove you belong there at the door (the sign-in method). Hand over accurate instructions and the courier finds the right desk every time.
In EDGEBIC you rarely write those instructions out. Instead you fill in the fields:
| Field | Windows auth | SQL auth |
|---|---|---|
| Server | your server name | your server name |
| Database | your database name | your database name |
| Sign-in | current Windows account | database username and password |
| Password stored? | none | yes, encrypted and user-bound |
EDGEBIC turns those fields into the full connection string for you and connects.
How EDGEBIC Uses It
At startup EDGEBIC reads its saved data source configuration, builds the connection string, and opens the database. In the Data Source area of Settings you can test a connection before committing to it: EDGEBIC tries the details you entered and, for a shared server, gives a clear message even when the target database does not exist yet, so first-time setup is diagnosable rather than a blank failure.
Prefer Windows authentication where you can, both for simplicity and because it stores no password. When SQL authentication is required, expect a copied configuration to need the password re-entered under each user, by design. For the wider choice of engine see the sibling term data source provider, and for the onboarding path that sets all of this up see what is the first-time setup wizard. Browse more definitions in the manufacturing glossary.
Expert Q&A: Deep Dive
Q: IT gave us a server name and a database name but no connection string. Is that enough to connect?
A: Yes, that is exactly what you need. In EDGEBIC you do not paste a full connection string; you go to the Data Source area of Settings, choose SQL Server, and type the server name and database name into their fields. If your site uses Windows accounts on a domain, leave it on Windows authentication and you are done, since no password is stored. If IT instead gave you a database username and password, switch to SQL authentication and enter those. Then click test connection to confirm the server is reachable before committing. EDGEBIC assembles the actual connection string from those fields for you, so the server name and database name really are enough to get connected.
Q: We copied the settings file to a second PC and now the database connection fails. Why?
A: This is expected behavior when SQL authentication is in use, and it is a safety feature, not a bug. The database password is stored in an encrypted form tied to the Windows account that originally entered it, so it cannot be decrypted on a different account or a different machine. When you copy the settings to a second PC, the encrypted password is useless there and the connection fails until you re-enter it. Open the Data Source area of Settings on the second PC, retype the database password under that machine's own Windows account, test the connection, and apply. If your site uses Windows authentication instead of a stored password, the settings copy over cleanly because no password is stored at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Transform Your Production Scheduling?
User Solutions has been helping manufacturers optimize their production schedules for over 35 years. One-time license, 5-day implementation.
User Solutions Team
Manufacturing Software Experts
User Solutions has been developing production planning and scheduling software for manufacturers since 1991. Our team combines 35+ years of manufacturing software expertise with deep industry knowledge to help factories optimize their operations.
Share this article
Related Articles
The EDGEBIC Scheduling Glossary Index
A themed index to the EDGEBIC glossary: scheduling engine, capacity and calendars, materials and planning, shop floor, reporting, quoting, and data import terms, defined in plain language.
What Is the Critical Chain in Manufacturing Scheduling?
The critical chain is the longest dependent path through a plan once shared machine contention is counted, not just step precedence. Here is how it differs from the critical path.
What Does Finite Capacity Mean in EDGEBIC?
Finite capacity means the scheduler refuses to book more hours on a machine than that machine actually has. See exactly how EDGEBIC enforces it, day by day and shift by shift.