Connect to SQL Server Database

Configure Calibration Control to Connect to SQL Server

After creating the Calibration Control database on your SQL Server, follow these instructions to connect Calibration Control (our Calibration Management Software) to your SQL Server database.

Select Database Format

Start Calibration Control. When running Calibration Control for the first time, select MS SQL Server type of DB format.

Choose a Database Format MS SQL Server

Choose SQL Database

Ape Software hosts a Sample && Blank internet-based SQL Server database that you can connect to in trial mode, or anytime.  (Refer to SQL Cloud-Hosting for more information.)

To connect to your SQL Server database, select the Custom DB option.  

Choose Custom SQL Server Database

Entering SQL Credentials

SQL Server Connection dialog

In the SQL Server Connection dialog, enter the fully qualified name into the Server Name field, Database Name, and select the Authentication Method.  

Alternatively, you can use an existing Connection String.  If you have a successful SQL connection from another machine with Calibration Control, go to the Utilities tab on ribbon menu and copy the Connection String.  Copy/paste that into the Connection String field of this dialog to then quickly test connection.

Connection String Copy Paste

In the SQL Server Connection dialog, the Remember (Login) box is automatically checkmarked to skip this step next time.  If left unchecked, you will be required to verify your server authentication again. 

If you are already in an open session of Calibration Control (connected to any database, regardless of format type), you can easily establish a new server connection within the software application just by clicking SQL Connect from the Utilities tab of the ribbon menu.

Connect to SQL Server

Test SQL Server Connections

  • For more information on allowing remote connections by multiple computers, refer to this help page on SQL Remote Connections
  • If there are issues connecting client PCs to the SQL Server, refer to the test procedure for Troubleshooting SQL Server Connection.

  • Reset Configuration Settings

    The database connection process creates a configuration file in the local Settings folder on each computer where the application is running.  It's easy to reset if a mistake is made in the start-up "Choose Database Type" process.  To fix it, delete the config file.

    (a1)  You can do this in version 9.0 to 9.6.1 by holding down your [CTRL] key at the same time as double-clicking on the application icon to start Calibration Control. (It may require two attempts.)

    (a2)  You can do this in version 9.6.2+ by holding down your [CTRL+ALT] keys at the same time as opening the program application.

    (b)  You can manually navigate to where the config file resides and delete it. 

    In the local Settings folder, rename or delete the general.config file, and then open Calibration Control.  The Settings folder is located at this path on the computer:

    C:\Users\Public\Documents\Ape Software\Calibration Control

    Restart the Calibration Control software application, and the start-up options will appear so you can select your database type and then credentials, (i.e., SQL Server, or choose to browse to existing MS Access database). 

    Choose a Database Format MS SQL Server

    Last Updated:  05 February 2024