Commerce Server: Failed to get the connection string of the product catalog resource for the specified site.

If you get this exception when loading a CSAdmin web service it is likely that the AppPool’s identity does not have access to the MSCS_Admin database. Give the identity access to the databases and you should be good.

System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: An error occurred creating the configuration section handler for CommerceServer/catalogWebService: Failed to get the connection string of the product catalog resource for the specified site. (C:\WebSites\CSAdmin\CatalogWebService\web.config line 51) —> Microsoft.CommerceServer.ServerFaultException: An error occurred creating the configuration section handler for CommerceServer/catalogWebService: Failed to get the connection string of the product catalog resource for the specified site. (C:\WebSites\CSAdmin\CatalogWebService\web.config line 51)

— End of inner exception stack trace —

at Microsoft.CommerceServer.Catalog.Internal.WebServiceUtility.PropagateOrLogException(Exception except) at Microsoft.CommerceServer.Catalog.Internal.WebServiceUtility.Initialize()

at Microsoft.CommerceServer.Catalog.Internal.WebServiceUtility.get_CatalogExecutionContext()

at Microsoft.CommerceServer.Catalog.WebService.CatalogWebService…ctor()