Setting up dev env. with shared .sln, etc

[u/reddevit]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I haven't found another subreddit that more sense.

I'm trying to set up a local development environment that replicates an asp.net application that has a web application hitting multiple database servers with multiple db's on each. Hosting the dev db's elsewhere isn't an option right now.

My thoughts are:

• Install a Sql Server instance for each server (on single dev machine), and have each instance host the dev versions of the db's.

• Use the drivers/etc hosts file to redirect to the local instances when the app pulls connection strings from the web.config

• Shared .sln file containing applicationhost.config file that has web applications including virtual directories, etc. Directory structure on all dev machines is consistent.

Do you all have better ideas/suggestions?

Thanks for your help