---
title: "Setting a Fail-Over Connection String"
slug: "setting-fail-over-connection-string"
tags: ["SecondaryDatabaseConnectString", "settings", "Fail-Over Connection String"]
updated: 2025-06-06T15:02:54Z
published: 2025-06-06T15:02:54Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.decisions.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Setting a Fail-Over Connection String

## Overview

When **SQL Server replication** is configured, Decisions will automatically route to a **Secondary Database** in the event of failure in the **Primary****Database**. Otherwise, when data is added to the Primary Database, it copies that data to another database that is not on the same server.

Such secondary connections can be established after installation via the **Decisions Installer's Settings**.

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Restore To Primary DatabaseIf the server trips the secondary connection, this would create a **UsingFailoverConnection.txt** file. In order to restore the connection to the primary database, this file must be deleted at **C:\Program Files\Decisions\Decisions Server\Instances\Control\Database\UsingFailoverConnection.txt**

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## Example

1. **Download**and open **DecisionsServerInstaller.exe** from [Decisions Releases](https://releases.decisions.com/Releases/). ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2024-07-10_14h31_28.png)
2. From the **Decisions Installer**, click EDIT SETTINGS.![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2022-06-16_14h46_18.png)
3. From the **Settings**window, locate **SecondDatabaseConnectString**. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2022-06-16_14h49_01.png)
4. Provide the desired ConnectString, this can lead to an alternate database on the same server, ie., changing the **Initial Catalog** value to match a database that exists in MSSQL called "decisionsalt", or it may be the same as the value found in **DatabaseConnectString**. Then, click **Save**and close the installer. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2022-06-16_14h58_16.png)

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For further information on Administration, visit the [Decisions Forum](https://community.decisions.com/categories/Administration).