How to connect to a mirrored SQL Server?

SQL Configuration: Two 2003 Servers (OS Std ver) with SQL 2005 (Std ver) configured for db mirroring. (The servers aren't clustered.)

Web.config configuration string is using "ServerA".

If we fail Server A, then Server B will change roles to "primary" in about 20 seconds (we have confirmed this via SQL Mgt Console). BUT...our web app is still pointing to Server A and doesn't seem to know there is a fail over. SO - how can I make the web app aware of the failure?

Server A and Server B aren't in a cluster - and I understand a cluster's virtual server would be referenced in the connection string. Is there a way to make the web app automatically switch to Server B (without a cluster configuration)?

From what I understand, the cluster configuration would require Ent Ed. of OS and SQL and a big fat check!!

Thanks.

-Kevin

One problem Database Mirroring did not make it to SQL Server 2005 shipping but expected in a service pack in the future. In the mean time Cluster is the way to go. Hope this helps.|||

I understand the mirror feature is for "testing only" - which is what I am doing. I have read that SQL 2005 SP1 would be released in early 2006 and MS would fully support the mirror capability.

From what I have read about mirroring, it seems that server clustering isn't necessary - that SQL can mirror the data. From a ASP.NET perspective, I just didn't know how it would know if a server is down and "switch" the connection to the failover server. Cluster's Vitual server makes that seamless - maybe that is the only way for ASP.NET apps to work with the failover server??

So, to clarify what I intended...how can ASP.Net use the failover server unless you are a cluster or unless you modify the connection string when Server A fails?

-Kevin

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SQL Server 2000 came with Log Shipping which is what Microsoft improved to get database Mirroring but you still need the Enterprise edition to get all fancy components of SQL Server. And for how to know when the server is down you will need monitoring tools like MOM (Microsoft Operation Management ) server or database specific tools like Embarcadero, I have used both and the cost is almost the same with basic cluster hardware without the System admin requirement. I would add the MOM implementation was enterprise wide so the cost was very high. Hope this helps.