title: How do I abstract and secure the same connection string from many applications centrally?
body: <p>I have several web applications running on the same server. All of them have the internal IP address of the database server hardcoded into their <code>Web.config</code> files as well as the username and password for the database. I am in the midst of performing many server upgrades and will have to go through all of those applications and update the connection strings everywhere. I would like to have a centralized and secure place to store the connection string.</p>
  
  <p>Is there a daemon or application I can place on the server that can securely contain the connection string details for the database, provide a 'virtual' connection string for my applications to point at, and tunnel the requests back and forth?</p>
  
  <p>The legacy applications are running LINQ-to-SQL and some of them have been updated to use a bit of Entity Framework.</p>