Publish service definition with database connection

[ChrisAdams]

Is it possible to define the database connection at the time of publishing a service definition? Here is the desired workflow:

1. Create a service definition through ArcGIS Desktop with 'feature access' capability. 

2. Select 'no available connection', 'include data in service definition when publishing'

3. Move the service definition to another environment

4. Publish the service definition AND specify the database connection.

What is happening is that the data is being copied into the managed database. The ideal scenario is that it is copied into another referenced SQL Server database. Is this possible?

[EricMahaffey1]

Not sure if anyone will see this response, but I'm having similar difficulties as Chris.  I'm trying to register a database connection within ArcGIS Server that is on a different domain than my client (with no trusted bridge).  I can make an admin GIS Server connection from ArcGIS Desktop on my client.  When I then try to register a database connection, I enter the connection information to my "Publisher Database" (on same domain as my client), and that succeeds, however when I try to enter the "Server Database" connection information it fails.  ArcGIS Desktop on my client is trying to validate the connection to a server that it can't see.  Knowing this would be a likely issue, why can we not manually type the connection information in.  That way we can create the .SDE file that's needed to import the connection within ArcGIS Server Manager.  Within the AGS Manager web page, there is only an option to import a connection to the database your trying to register.  If your server environment does not have ArcGIS Desktop, you cannot create a valid file to import.  Can anyone shed some light on this, and help me out?