# Modifying the Database Configuration

> This article contains steps to configure the database connection settings for the application

URL: https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/modify-db.html
category: Cascade Administration
article-type: how-to
content-kind: article
release-availability: all
tags: installation, database
updated: 2026-10-06

## Overview

1. Edit the *tomcat/conf/context.xml* file.
1. Locate the Configuration template for the database vendor to which Cascade CMS will be connecting.
1. In the `<Resource>` element, update the following attributes:
    - `username` - the username needed to connect to the database
    - `password` - the password needed to connect to the database
    - `url` - the host, port, and database name (following one of the formats below depending on your database vendor)

## MySQL

Cascade CMS version 2026.1 and earlier:
`url="jdbc:mysql://mysql:3306/cascade?useUnicode=true&amp;characterEncoding=UTF-8"`

Cascade CMS version 2026.1.1 and later:
`url="jdbc:mysql://mysql:3306/cascade?useUnicode=true&amp;characterEncoding=UTF-8&amp;useLocalSessionState=true&amp;rewriteBatchedStatements=true&amp;cachePrepStmts=true&amp;prepStmtCacheSize=50&amp;allowPublicKeyRetrieval=true&amp;nullCatalogMeansCurrent=true&amp;preserveInstants=false"`

The connection URL above will attempt to connect to a database named `cascade` running at hostname `mysql` over port `3306`.

## SQL Server

Cascade CMS version 8.17 and earlier:
`url="jdbc:jtds:sqlserver://sqlserver:1433/cascade;SelectMethod=cursor"`

Cascade CMS version 8.17.1 and later:
`url="jdbc:sqlserver://sqlserver:1433;databaseName=cascade;SelectMethod=cursor"`

> **Note:**
>
> The default connection string seen directly above is intended to work for databases using **SQL Server authentication**. If you are using **Windows authentication**, you will need to add the following parameters to the connection string (at a minimum):
>
> `url="jdbc:sqlserver://sqlserver:1433;databaseName=cascade;SelectMethod=cursor;**integratedSecurity=true;authenticationScheme=NTLM**"
> `
> For more information, see this article on [Building the connection url ](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/jdbc/building-the-connection-url?view=sql-server-ver15) from Microsoft's documentation.

The connection URLs above will attempt to connect to a database named `cascade` running on a server with hostname `sqlserver` on port `1433`.

## Oracle

`url="jdbc:oracle:thin:@huxley:1521:orcl"`
The connection URL above will attempt to connect to an Oracle SID `orcl` on a server with hostname `huxley` running on port `1521` using the thin driver. With Oracle, the database schema is specified using the `cascadeSchemaName` resource.

Ensure that the following line in *tomcat/conf/context.xml* is uncommented:
`<ResourceLink name='schemaName' type='java.lang.String' global='cascadeSchemaName'/>`

and then un-comment and update the `cascadeSchemaName` environment variable to have the value for your database's schema in the *tomcat/conf/server.xml* file:
`<Environment name="cascadeSchemaName" type="java.lang.String" value="my_cascade_db"/>`

> **Important**
>
> With Oracle, it is required that the connecting username matches the name of the database schema.