Storing Connection String on Database

Question

I couldn't find a question that would fit this purpose, so I'm asking it.

We have deployed an ASP.NET website that has two Connection Strings, one of them can be configured by the user, in runtime. The problem is, since I'm using .NET Framework to do this, it creates a temporary file by the time the web.config is altered, which forces my customer to grant full rights to the entire website folder, not just the web.config file. He's not happy about it, and manager's are questioning storing the other connection string in the same config file.

So I have the options of creating a separate config file, in a separate folder, so that they should only grant full rights to that folder, or store it on the database. The first option is about the same as it is now, so the question is:

What about storing the ConnectionString on the database?

Note that I'm not talking the application ConnectionString, but an alternative, since this application is going to integrate like three applications.

So guys, give me advantages and disadvantages, good and bad points of storing it on the database.

Answer 1

If the user is using the application which has it's own database to connect to a 2nd database of his choosing and need to be able to change that at runtime, then yes, store it in the database. Is this some sort of self service hosting application?

Settings file are for things that are to be changed by the an administrator. When the application user (or the application developer) and not the system administrator is expected to make the change in the settings file, then it's better to put it in a database.