How to set command timeout in ASP.NET Core / Entity Framework Core?

Question

The place where the command timeout is set is no longer the same as earlier versions.

However, I cannot find anywhere that says how to change this.

What I am doing is uploading very large files which takes longer than the default 30 seconds to save.

Note that I ask about command timeout, not migration timeout as in another question.

Take a look at [How to set Entity Framework Core migration timeout?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/39006847/how-to-set-entity-framework-core-migration-timeout) - the answer with `Database.SetCommandTimeout` — Ivan Stoev, Aug 20 '16 at 20:50
Possible duplicate of [How to set Entity Framework Core migration timeout?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/39006847/how-to-set-entity-framework-core-migration-timeout) — Mike Brind, Apr 27 '18 at 14:36

score 191 · Accepted Answer · edited Jul 20 '18 at 19:27

191

If you're using the DI container to manage the DbContext (i.e. you're adding the DbContext to the service collection), the command timeout can be specified in the options.

In Startup.ConfigureServices:

services.AddDbContext<YourDbContext>(options => options.UseSqlServer(
    this.Configuration.GetConnectionString("YourConnectionString"),
    sqlServerOptions => sqlServerOptions.CommandTimeout(60))
);

edited Jul 20 '18 at 19:27

Massimiliano Kraus

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answered Nov 15 '17 at 17:02

Carl Sharman

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This is most reasonable approach, uses built in configuration APIs, configuration is decoupled and easy to change, is part of class responsible for configiration. All other offets are sort of hacks. – Edgars Pivovarenoks Dec 30 '20 at 13:46
Does not seem to work anymore in .NET 6/EF6 - There is no method CommandTImeout, SetCommandTimeout or anything like that. – Aileron79 Oct 18 '22 at 08:46
1

@Aileron79, the example provided uses Entity Framework Core, not Entity Framework 6. – Keegan Kozler Oct 18 '22 at 20:02
Note you have to add 'using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore' to the top of your file to get this extension method. – Daniel Jan 11 '23 at 22:33

score 72 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 01 '17 at 06:37

72

you can change it through your context

public class ApplicationDbContext : DbContext
{
    public ApplicationDbContext()
    {
        Database.SetCommandTimeout(150000);
    }
}

answered Sep 01 '17 at 06:37

The Integrator

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That's not work for EF6 Core. Or maybe I do something else. I mean that SaveChanges() is executed for example for 10 seconds, when I set timeout for 1 second it still not throws error, maybe You know how to set this? – ruddnisrus Nov 18 '22 at 16:26

Oleg · Answer 3 · 2021-04-28T18:38:21.027

35

If you would like a temporary increase timeout only for one Context instance.

Let's say for 1 request (default Scoped context lifetime)

Change this before long running query:

Context.Database.SetCommandTimeout(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(20))

With scoped lifetime you can specify timeout only once and you do not have to specify it in any subsequent services constructors injections.

edited Apr 28 '21 at 18:38

answered Apr 16 '21 at 00:31

Oleg

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Thanks for your answer which specifically addressed my concern about the lifetime of making such a change. However, I am curious as to how you know the value used in `SetCommandTimeout` is scoped only to the one context provided via DI and not to **every** instance of the context? Do you have a reference to documentation to support this? – Blair Allen Aug 24 '21 at 00:44
where should I put this line? Inside controllers IActionResult, inside using of dbContext statement, inside constructor of dbContext? – usernumber124153 Jan 24 '22 at 10:29

score 15 · Answer 4 · answered Jun 24 '21 at 01:27

15

In EF Core 3 and above, you can now configure this via connection string. But you need to migrate from 'System.Data.SqlClient' to 'Microsoft.Data.SqlClient'.

Replace System.Data.SqlClient with Microsoft.Data.SqlClient version 2.1.0 or greater.

Then in your connection string simply append the command timeout like so:

"Data Source=SqlExpress;Initial Catalog=YourDatabase;Integrated Security=true;Command Timeout=300"

This will only work with Microsoft.Data.SqlClient 2.1.0 or above, you will get exception if you try this with System.Data.SqlClient.

answered Jun 24 '21 at 01:27

Rosdi Kasim

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Beware 4.0 breaking change, Encrypt=true is now default, before that and System..SqlClient does not attempt TLS for mssql connections by default. https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md#preview-release-400-preview1212372---2021-08-25 – yzorg Jun 15 '22 at 16:16
Encrypt=true can cause connections to start failing if servers use internal certs, or if you're connecting to domain-joined servers from outside the domain, in my case for Kubernetes hosted apps. – yzorg Jun 15 '22 at 16:18

score 7 · Answer 5 · edited Jan 16 '19 at 09:19

The better option is to use CommandTimeout during your context setup like:

public class DbConnect: IConnnectDb
{
    private dbentitient _context;

    // inject this to a db entity from constructor. 

    //inside each method now use the follow before u actually run the query to db.  

    _context.Database.SetCommandTimeout(400);
}

Note: EF Core will only execute the query with less than 100 seconds time. If it's more than that it keeps retrying and you never get to see the result.

That's my experience as of now, so let me know if you are able to fix it EF Core 1.0 does timeout even more fast than EF Core 2.0.

This doesn't seem to be right. EF Core doesn't retry anything by default? — Kyberias, Apr 13 '21 at 08:32

How to set command timeout in ASP.NET Core / Entity Framework Core?

5 Answers5

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