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Nintex Workflow 2010 > Administration and Configuration
Manage the configuration database

This help topic provides instructions for administrators to set up the configuration database for Nintex Workflow. It also describes selections on the Change configuration database page.

Setting up the configuration database

This section provides instructions for setting up the configuration database. 

Each Nintex Workflow installation requires a configuration database to store the server-specific configuration settings required for running the application. The configuration database must be set up before activating the Nintex Workflow feature for the site collection. 

When the configuration database is specified, its connection string is configured. Properties of the connection string include the SQL Server database server, the database name, and the authentication settings.

Note: Configure licensing before configuring database settings.

To set up the configuration database:
  1. On the Nintex Workflow Database Setup page, under Configuration Database, click Create (or Edit).
  2. On the Add Configuration Database or Change configuration database page, enter the database server, name, and other settings. 
  3. If the database already exists, select the check box Connect to an existing database
  4. Click OK
    Note: If you receive an error, see the known issue below. 

Viewing current database settings​

For instructions on viewing current database settings, see  Database settings.

Field descriptions: Add Configuration Database and Change configuration database pages

This section describes selections on the Add Configuration Database / Change configuration database page. 
Section Selection Description
Database Name and Authentication Database Server Name of the database server containing the new or existing database that you want to use as the configuration database.
Database Name and Authentication Database Name Name of the new or existing database that you want to use as the configuration database. ​
Database Name and Authentication Connect to an existing database ​When selected, uses an existing database. When cleared, creates a new database. 
Database Name and Authentication Database authentication ​Select one of the following options. 
  • Windows Authentication (recommended)
  • SQL Authentication
Failover server Failover Database Server ​Name of the database server to use for failover.
KNOWN ISSUE: Error establishing connection to SQL Server

​Symptom 

On the Add Configuration Database page, when the default server name of "LOCALSERVERNAME\Microsoft##SSEE" ​​is used, the following error message is displayed.

An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error:40 - Could not open a connection to SQL server).

​​Cause 

The "Microsoft##SSEE" portion of the default server name indicates an embedded instance, which is locked down to other applications. This situation occurs when the SharePoint instance was installed as standalone, without connection to any existing installation of SQL Server. 

​​Resolution

Install an additional database instance and then update configuration pages in Nintex Workflow to point to the new database instance. The database instance can coexist on the same server as SharePoint. One option is SQL Server Express 2008, which is free and available from www.microsoft.com. ​