error 500: ManagedPipelineHandler, deploying web api mvc 4 on azure - azure

Question

I'm trying to deploy a WebAPI project to azure.
When I have a method without SQL access, it shows the result properly as JSON in my browser.
However, when I do anything using Entity framework and just get a test field from the DB then the whole thing errors:
Module ManagedPipelineHandler
Notification ExecuteRequestHandler
Handler System.Web.Http.WebHost.HttpControllerHandler
Error Code 0x00000000
Things I tried:
When running in the 'Azure compute emulator' everything runs just fine
When using the exact same sql azure connection string in debug it runs just fine
When connecting with RDP to the webrole and telnetting to port 1443 to the SQL azure server, it connects just fine. (so no firewall issue).
What could I try next to find out what is causing this?
Update:
When I point the connectionstring to a local SQLEXPRESS db, it gives the same error. On the local azure emulator it still works
Update:
Screenshot of error which is displayed on a local browser (via rdp)
http://www.proofofconcept.nl/azure_error_screenshot.png
Update:
By popular request. The web.config used
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!--
For more information on how to configure your ASP.NET application, please visit
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=152368
-->
<configuration>
<connectionStrings>
<add name="ApplicationServices" connectionString="data source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Integrated Security=SSPI;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|aspnetdb.mdf;User Instance=true" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
<add name="Entities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/DAL.Coalition.csdl|res://*/DAL.Coalition.ssdl|res://*/DAL.Coalition.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string="Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\ASPNETDB.MDF;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=True"" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />
<!--
<add name="ApplicationServices" connectionString="data source=acbdefgh12.database.windows.net;Initial Catalog=MyCatalog;User ID=database_user#acbdefgh12;Password=MyPassword;Encrypt=true;Trusted_Connection=false;MultipleActiveResultSets=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
<add name="Entities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/DAL.Coalition.csdl|res://*/DAL.Coalition.ssdl|res://*/DAL.Coalition.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string="data source=acbdefgh12.database.windows.net;Initial Catalog=MyCatalog;User ID=database_user#acbdefgh12;Password=MyPassword;Encrypt=true;Trusted_Connection=false;MultipleActiveResultSets=True"" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />
-->
</connectionStrings>
<appSettings>
<add key="webpages:Version" value="1.0.0.0" />
<add key="ClientValidationEnabled" value="true" />
<add key="UnobtrusiveJavaScriptEnabled" value="true" />
</appSettings>
<system.web>
<customErrors mode="Off" />
<compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.0">
<assemblies>
<add assembly="System.Web.Abstractions, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
<add assembly="System.Web.Helpers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
<add assembly="System.Web.Routing, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
<add assembly="System.Web.Mvc, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
<add assembly="System.Web.WebPages, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
<add assembly="System.Data.Entity, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
</assemblies>
</compilation>
<authentication mode="Forms">
<forms loginUrl="~/Account/LogOn" timeout="2880" />
</authentication>
<membership>
<providers>
<clear />
<add name="AspNetSqlMembershipProvider" type="System.Web.Security.SqlMembershipProvider" connectionStringName="ApplicationServices" enablePasswordRetrieval="false" enablePasswordReset="true" requiresQuestionAndAnswer="false" requiresUniqueEmail="false" maxInvalidPasswordAttempts="5" minRequiredPasswordLength="6" minRequiredNonalphanumericCharacters="0" passwordAttemptWindow="10" applicationName="/" />
</providers>
</membership>
<profile>
<providers>
<clear />
<add name="AspNetSqlProfileProvider" type="System.Web.Profile.SqlProfileProvider" connectionStringName="ApplicationServices" applicationName="/" />
</providers>
</profile>
<roleManager enabled="false">
<providers>
<clear />
<add name="AspNetSqlRoleProvider" type="System.Web.Security.SqlRoleProvider" connectionStringName="ApplicationServices" applicationName="/" />
<add name="AspNetWindowsTokenRoleProvider" type="System.Web.Security.WindowsTokenRoleProvider" applicationName="/" />
</providers>
</roleManager>
<pages>
<namespaces>
<add namespace="System.Web.Helpers" />
<add namespace="System.Web.Mvc" />
<add namespace="System.Web.Mvc.Ajax" />
<add namespace="System.Web.Mvc.Html" />
<add namespace="System.Web.Routing" />
<add namespace="System.Web.WebPages" />
</namespaces>
</pages>
</system.web>
<system.webServer>
<validation validateIntegratedModeConfiguration="false" />
<modules runAllManagedModulesForAllRequests="true" />
</system.webServer>
<runtime>
<assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Mvc" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-2.0.0.0" newVersion="3.0.0.0" />
</dependentAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>
</runtime>
</configuration>

Answer 1

Are you using EF CodeFitst? If so which version? (versions prior 4.3 do have issues with SQL Azure)? Then observe following conditions:
Is your main DbContext named "Entities" or do you explicitly create it with constructor overload which points to "Entities" Connection?
Does your my_dbuser#acbdefgh12 user have access rights to the MASTER DB?
Does the MyCatalog exists prior you deploy the package?
Does your SQL Azure Firewall rules "Allow connections from other Windows Azure Services" (take a look at the screenshot bellow) (I know you mentioned it, but anyway)?
I've been seeing exactly same error when either is true:
my_dbuser#acbdefgh12 does not have access to the Master DB to create the MyCatalaog DB (in case it does not exists)
MyCatalog DB exists but is different from the DbContext model
The main DbContext is named differently than Entities and is created with default parameterless constructor (which in that case uses default EF connection string)
SQL Azure server is not configured to accept connections from other Windows Azure Services
The actual error unfortunately does not show anything useful. As I said I've been seeing exactly the same error when failed to comply with above statements.
What can I suggest to trace the error is to hook / edit your auto generated DbContext file and explicitly throw an exception with the connection string being used just before the connection is open to make sure of the connection string being used.
UPDATE AFTER OVERLOOKING GIVEN Web.Config
Not sure whether this is relevant but I noted that in your web.config the assemblybindings are forcing use of MVC 3.0 if version is lower:
<runtime>
<assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Mvc" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-2.0.0.0" newVersion="3.0.0.0" />
</dependentAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>
</runtime>
While instead my web.config for MVC 4 is slightly different for the Web API project type (.NET FX 4.0 / MVC 4):
<runtime>
<assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Helpers" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-2.0.0.0" newVersion="2.0.0.0" />
</dependentAssembly>
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Mvc" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-4.0.0.0" newVersion="4.0.0.0" />
</dependentAssembly>
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.WebPages" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-2.0.0.0" newVersion="2.0.0.0" />
</dependentAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>
</runtime>

Answer 2

Very old question, but my issue fairly quickly led me to this page. On an Azure webapp, Entity Framework application I had a 500 error and had a lot of trouble getting any additional information from the logs and traces.
It turns out that my connection string was missing the
MultipleActiveResultSets=true;
attribute. Some pages were working and others were not. Once I added this in, all pages were working.