Today I thought, Oh, I'll just add some SQL logging to a C# SFTP custom (console) program we have. I didn't write it, and it has perhaps an odd configuration file. It looks like the SQL Performance Counters require a well conformed config file? Add the catch for TypeInitializationException gave some more specific and useful info.
So I am getting the connection string from the app.config file, but to show why I'm frustrated, I hard-coded the connection string below. If I'm providing a full connection string, why would it go to the config file. Apparently SqlPerformanceCounters is picky about these things???
if (!String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(SqlConnectionString))
{
try
{
WriteLogConsole("SqlConnectionObj - about to open with SqlConnectionString='" +
SqlConnectionString + "'");
//SqlConnection SqlConnectionObj = new SqlConnection(SqlConnectionString);
// Even using a hard-coded connection string I have this issue!
SqlConnection SqlConnectionObj = new SqlConnection("Server=abc;Database=MyDBName;Trusted_Connection=true");
SqlConnectionObj.Open();
WriteLogConsole("SqlConnectionObj - opened successfully");
}
catch (TypeInitializationException ex)
{
WriteLogConsole("TypeInitializationException=" + ex.ToString());
// don't stop, keep going. Logging is nice, but not critical
}
catch (SqlException ex)
{
WriteLogConsole("SqlException=" + ex.ToString());
// don't stop, keep going. Logging is nice, but not critical
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
WriteLogConsole("System.Exception=" + ex.Message);
// don't stop, keep going. Logging is nice, but not critical
}
}
The short version of the error thrown is this:
Unrecognized configuration section CustomAppSettings/LogExceptionsToFile
Full exception:
SqlConnectionObj - about to open with SqlConnectionString='Server=abc;Database=MyDBName;Trusted_Connection=true'
Exception thrown: 'System.TypeInitializationException' in System.Data.dll
TypeInitializationException=System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection' threw an exception. ---> System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory' threw an exception. ---> System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'System.Data.SqlClient.SqlPerformanceCounters' threw an exception. ---> System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException: Configuration system failed to initialize ---> System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException: Unrecognized configuration section CustomAppSettings/LogExceptionsToFile
at System.Configuration.ConfigurationSchemaErrors.ThrowIfErrors(Boolean ignoreLocal)
at System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.ThrowIfParseErrors(ConfigurationSchemaErrors schemaErrors)
at System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.ThrowIfInitErrors()
at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.EnsureInit(String configKey)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.PrepareConfigSystem()
at System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.GetSection(String sectionName)
at System.Configuration.PrivilegedConfigurationManager.GetSection(String sectionName)
at System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticsConfiguration.GetConfigSection()
at System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticsConfiguration.Initialize()
at System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticsConfiguration.get_SwitchSettings()
at System.Diagnostics.Switch.InitializeConfigSettings()
at System.Diagnostics.Switch.InitializeWithStatus()
at System.Diagnostics.Switch.get_SwitchSetting()
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPoolCounters..ctor(String categoryName, String categoryHelp)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlPerformanceCounters..ctor()
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlPerformanceCounters..cctor()
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory..cctor()
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection..cctor()
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection..ctor(String connectionString)
at WinSCPWrapperGet.Program.Main(String[] args)
I think it's related to something like this.
What do I have to change to make it happy? I saw other posts about using but I don't have a group. I added everything below in as an attempt to fix the issue. The rest of the program runs fine and uses the config file as desired.
<configuration>
<configSections> <!-- this was not here when I first got the error,
me thinks I need something like to fix this issue -->
<sectionGroup name="CustomAppSettings" type="System.Configuration.UserSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
<section name="MyApp.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" allowExeDefinition="MachineToLocalUser" requirePermission="false"/>
</sectionGroup>
</configSections>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.6"/>
</startup>
<CustomAppSettings>
<!-- we have many more parms, but here is an example;
each SFTP site can have about 10 config parms -->
<Site1>
<add key="HostName" value="sftp.somesite1.com"/>
<add key="HostPort" value=""/>
</Site1>
<Site2>
<add key="HostName" value="sftp.somesite1.com"/>
<add key="HostPort" value=""/>
</Site2>
... etc...
NOTE: This is in production now, and I am enhancing it. We have maybe a few dozen config files in different scheduled tasks, so I would hate to change all of them, even if they are not designed perfectly.
Found this: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/data/adonet/performance-counters
It tells us that we can tune the performance counters in the config file:
<system.diagnostics>
<switches>
<add name="ConnectionPoolPerformanceCounterDetail"
value="4"/>
</switches>
</system.diagnostics>
So bottom line, I just need to know how to make my config file work with SQL, even though the connection string in the config is not the issue.
