.net entity-framework asp.net-identity console-application

Asp.Net Identity fails to connect to the database even when EF can successfully connect

A very strange issue here in a console app. EntityFramework can successfully connect without issues, but ASP.NET Identity v2 fails with a SqlException. Here's my code:

using Microsoft.AspNet.Identity;
using Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework;
using System;

namespace TestConsoleApp
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // DbContext ctx = new DbContext("DefaultConnectionString");
            // ctx.Database.Connection.Open();



            var username = "mrclan";
            var password = "ap4595821";

            var userStore = new UserStore<IdentityUser>();
            var userManager = new UserManager<IdentityUser>(userStore);

            var creationResult = userManager.Create(new IdentityUser(username), password);
            Console.WriteLine(creationResult.Succeeded);
        }
    }
}

The first 2 commented lines are there to test the connection string, and it successfully opens a connection to the database.

But the Identity API is unable to do so, and the SqlException exception is thrown on this line:

var creationResult = userManager.Create(new IdentityUser(username), password);

Exception message is:

A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 50 - Local Database Runtime error occurred. The specified LocalDB instance does not exist.

The app.config file looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <section name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
  </configSections>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="DefaultConnectionString" connectionString="Server=DP-FJ;Database=testDb;user id=sa;password=sa;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
  </connectionStrings>
  <startup>
    <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.6.2" />
  </startup>
  <entityFramework>
    <defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.LocalDbConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
      <parameters>
        <parameter value="v13.0" />
      </parameters>
    </defaultConnectionFactory>
    <providers>
      <provider invariantName="System.Data.SqlClient" type="System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServer" />
    </providers>
  </entityFramework>
</configuration>

And the Nuget packages installed are only these 3:

The full stack trace if it can be any help is as shown below:

System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException occurred
  HResult=0x80131904
  Message=A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 50 - Local Database Runtime error occurred. The specified LocalDB instance does not exist.
)
  Source=.Net SqlClient Data Provider
  StackTrace:
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentity identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString userConnectionOptions, SessionData reconnectSessionData, DbConnectionPool pool, String accessToken, Boolean applyTransientFaultHandling)
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreatePooledConnection(DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningObject, DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.CreateObject(DbConnection owningObject, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal oldConnection)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.UserCreateRequest(DbConnection owningObject, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal oldConnection)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningObject, UInt32 waitForMultipleObjectsTimeout, Boolean allowCreate, Boolean onlyOneCheckConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningObject, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal oldConnection, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionInternal.TryOpenConnectionInternal(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.TryOpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.TryOpenInner(TaskCompletionSource`1 retry)
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.TryOpen(TaskCompletionSource`1 retry)
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open()
   at System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.Interception.DbConnectionDispatcher.<Open>b__36(DbConnection t, DbConnectionInterceptionContext c)
   at System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.Interception.InternalDispatcher`1.Dispatch[TTarget,TInterceptionContext](TTarget target, Action`2 operation, TInterceptionContext interceptionContext, Action`3 executing, Action`3 executed)
   at System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.Interception.DbConnectionDispatcher.Open(DbConnection connection, DbInterceptionContext interceptionContext)
   at System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices.<>c__DisplayClass33.<UsingConnection>b__32()
   at System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.DefaultSqlExecutionStrategy.<>c__DisplayClass1.<Execute>b__0()
   at System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.DefaultSqlExecutionStrategy.Execute[TResult](Func`1 operation)
   at System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.DefaultSqlExecutionStrategy.Execute(Action operation)
   at System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices.UsingConnection(DbConnection sqlConnection, Action`1 act)
   at System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices.UsingMasterConnection(DbConnection sqlConnection, Action`1 act)
   at System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices.CreateDatabaseFromScript(Nullable`1 commandTimeout, DbConnection sqlConnection, String createDatabaseScript)
   at System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices.DbCreateDatabase(DbConnection connection, Nullable`1 commandTimeout, StoreItemCollection storeItemCollection)
   at System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.DbProviderServices.CreateDatabase(DbConnection connection, Nullable`1 commandTimeout, StoreItemCollection storeItemCollection)
   at System.Data.Entity.Core.Objects.ObjectContext.CreateDatabase()
   at System.Data.Entity.Migrations.Utilities.DatabaseCreator.Create(DbConnection connection)
   at System.Data.Entity.Migrations.DbMigrator.EnsureDatabaseExists(Action mustSucceedToKeepDatabase)
   at System.Data.Entity.Migrations.DbMigrator.Update(String targetMigration)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.DatabaseCreator.CreateDatabase(InternalContext internalContext, Func`3 createMigrator, ObjectContext objectContext)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.CreateDatabase(ObjectContext objectContext, DatabaseExistenceState existenceState)
   at System.Data.Entity.Database.Create(DatabaseExistenceState existenceState)
   at System.Data.Entity.CreateDatabaseIfNotExists`1.InitializeDatabase(TContext context)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.<>c__DisplayClassf`1.<CreateInitializationAction>b__e()
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.PerformInitializationAction(Action action)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.PerformDatabaseInitialization()
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.<InitializeDatabase>b__4(InternalContext c)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.RetryAction`1.PerformAction(TInput input)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.InitializeDatabaseAction(Action`1 action)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.InitializeDatabase()
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.GetEntitySetAndBaseTypeForType(Type entityType)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.Initialize()
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.get_InternalContext()
   at System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.DbQuery`1.System.Linq.IQueryable.get_Provider()
   at System.Data.Entity.QueryableExtensions.FirstOrDefaultAsync[TSource](IQueryable`1 source, Expression`1 predicate, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at System.Data.Entity.QueryableExtensions.FirstOrDefaultAsync[TSource](IQueryable`1 source, Expression`1 predicate)
   at Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework.UserStore`6.<GetUserAggregateAsync>d__68.MoveNext()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.UserValidator`2.<ValidateUserName>d__4.MoveNext()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.UserValidator`2.<ValidateAsync>d__0.MoveNext()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.UserManager`2.<CreateAsync>d__0.MoveNext()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.UserManager`2.<CreateAsync>d__d.MoveNext()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.AsyncHelper.RunSync[TResult](Func`1 func)
   at Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.UserManagerExtensions.Create[TUser,TKey](UserManager`2 manager, TUser user, String password)
   at AspIdentityPracticeConsole.Program.Main(String[] args) in C:\test\Program.cs:line 27

Thanks.

Solution

As embarrassing as it is, the main issue was the connectionstring name in app.config. The default connection string used by EF and hence, ASP.NET Identity is, DefaultConnection, and not ~~DefaultConnectionString~~. Wasted a whole day to figure that out :(

But while debugging, I came to know about several defaults of EF, and hence several other ways to solve the error. Here are those:

As mentioned by @IvanStoev in the comments,one solution is, passing in a DbContext explicitly to the constructor of UserStore, instead of relying on defaults.
Change the default connection factory to SqlServer, instead of LocalDbConnectionFactory. We can do this by changing the entityframework node inside config file as such:
```
<defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.SqlConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
  <parameters>
    <parameter value="Data Source=.; Integrated Security=True; MultipleActiveResultSets=True" />
  </parameters>
</defaultConnectionFactory>**
```
Also another notable point is, the parameter value takes a full connection string for SqlConnectionFactory, and if InitialCatalog is not specified in the value parameter value (like above), it defaults to DefaultConnection, which means for above case, the full connection string used by EF is:
```
Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=DefaultConnection;Integrated Security=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=True
```
The default alias for LocalDb since 2016, is MSSQLLOCALDB. No more, v prefixes like, ~~v13.0~~ or ~~v11.0~~