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Test connection from Password Secure Application Server to Microsoft SQL Server using a UDL file

Tobias Nessel
Updated

Goal

A UDL (Universal Data Link) file lets you verify whether the Password Secure Application Server can successfully establish a connection to a Microsoft SQL Server. This helps quickly narrow down network, authentication, or configuration issues between the application and the database.

Note: This method is intended purely for diagnosing connection issues. For normal operation, the SQL connection for the Password Secure Application Server must be configured as described in the documentation.

Prerequisites

  • Access to the server where the Password Secure Application Server is installed.
  • The hostname or IP address of the Microsoft SQL Server and the matching credentials.

Steps

  1. On the server where the Password Secure Application Server is installed, open Windows Explorer and navigate to any folder (e.g. C:\Temp).

  2. Create a new text file, for example named test.udl, and change the file extension from .txt to .udl (example: test.txt → test.udl).

    If file extensions are not visible, enable File name extensions in Explorer under View → File name extensions.

  3. Double-click the test.udl file. The Microsoft Data Link Properties dialog opens.

  4. Switch to the Provider tab, select Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server, and click Next →.

  5. Under 1. Provide the name of the server, enter the hostname or IP address of the SQL Server (example: SQLSERVER01\INSTANCE or 192.168.0.10).

  6. Choose the authentication method: Windows Authentication (for AD authentication) or SQL Server Authentication (for SQL login).

  7. Under 3. Select the database on the server, choose the Password Secure database (e.g. PasswordSecure).

  8. Click Test Connection. If successful, you will see the message “Test connection succeeded.”

    If the test fails, check:

    • firewall or network settings between the server and the SQL instance
    • the authentication credentials used
    • the validity of the SQL instance name and port
    • whether the SQL Server services are running

  9. Delete the test.udl file after a successful test.

    Caution: The file may store credential information in plain text.

Further information: Microsoft Learn – “Test OLE DB connectivity using a UDL file”.

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