SQL Alias between client and server

  • Hi,

    I am trying to set up a client alias to connect to a named instance on another server but for the love of me it wont connect -

    TITLE: Connect to Server

    ------------------------------

    Cannot connect to fred.

    ------------------------------

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

    A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 53)

    For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft%20SQL%20Server&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=53&LinkId=20476

    ------------------------------

    The network path was not found

    ------------------------------

    BUTTONS:

    OK

    ------------------------------

    I have set up the alias on the server and as expected it works. On the client side I have used the SQL Server Client Network Utility to configure the client side alias but no luck

    I am using TCP/IP with a specific port ..

    Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

    By the way the SQL is SQL Server 2012 Ent and the O/S is Windows 2012 R2 minshell

    Thanks

    Hope this helps...

    Ford Fairlane
    Rock and Roll Detective

  • Hi,

    Have you been able to connect from the client computer without using the alias? If your client software doesn't support that for some reason, you can use regular telnet with IP and Port to test connectivity. If it works from the DB server but not from the client, it could be a Firewall blocking your connection.

    Mika Sutinen, Senior DBA
    @SQLFinn on Twitter
    Blogging at SQLStarters[/url]

  • Is it just this one client that can't connect? Is remote access allowed?

    EXEC sp_configure 'remote access'

    John

  • Hi,

    So to answer the two questions, yes I can connect from the client machine with out using the alias and yes remote connections has been enabled.

    What I am doing is wanting to move some sharepoint databases to another instance and rather than have to redo the sharepoint sites, is create an alias with the old name pointing to the new instance and then leave the config settings as they are.

    Thanks

    Hope this helps...

    Ford Fairlane
    Rock and Roll Detective

  • Have you tried changing the protocol to TCP/IP in the alias?

    John

  • Hi,

    If your client OS is 64-bit you have two cliconfg.exes, one is the 64-bit residing in \Windows\System32 folder and the other one is the 32-bit one in the \Windows\SysWOW64 folder.

    If you're running 64-bit OS and just run cliconfg.exe from the Start \ Run, it'll open up the 64-bit one. Try running the one from SysWOW64 folder and adding the alias there.

    Mika Sutinen, Senior DBA
    @SQLFinn on Twitter
    Blogging at SQLStarters[/url]

  • The protocol is set to TCP/IP and I have tried using the 32 and 64bit app.

    Still get the following:

    TITLE: Connect to Server

    ------------------------------

    Cannot connect to fred.

    ------------------------------

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

    A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 53)

    For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft%20SQL%20Server&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=53&LinkId=20476

    ------------------------------

    The network path was not found

    ------------------------------

    BUTTONS:

    OK

    ------------------------------

    Hope this helps...

    Ford Fairlane
    Rock and Roll Detective

  • Hi,

    Error code 53 means: "The network path could not be found". The most common reasons I've seen this occur are:

    A) Name resolution failure. This can be tested by adding the server into host file or by creating the alias using the IP instead the server name.

    B) Typo in the alias, for example "server/instance" when it should be "server\instance" if you have named instance.

    Mika Sutinen, Senior DBA
    @SQLFinn on Twitter
    Blogging at SQLStarters[/url]

  • Can you ping the server IP from the client? Ping the server name?

    If you can, then add Telnet (from Windows Features) then telnet ip sqlport, eg. telnet 111.111.111.111 1544. Does it connect (blank cursor) or error?

    If error, you have a network or port issue. If no error, it's a problem with the sql alias setup.

    Remember to remove telnet afterwards.

  • Hi,

    I have tried host name, ip I have copied the connection from a working SSMS connection and still the same network error !!

    Hope this helps...

    Ford Fairlane
    Rock and Roll Detective

  • Hi,

    I think there might be something wrong with the alias you're creating. In the Add Network Library Configuration page check the following:

    Server alias: This is the alias name to the server you're connecting to.

    Network libraries: This should most likely be TCP/IP

    Connection parameters: Either the network name or the IP-address of your SQL Server. If it's a named instance then it should be servername\instance

    There is also option to un-check the "Dynamically determine port". If you're using this, trying un-checking and entering the port that is listening.

    One other thing that comes to my mind is that it might be a name resolution problem. You're creating the alias using a name that was previously used by the old DB server. Do you have that entry in the HOST file? I believe it will first check that before doing any other name resolutions and it might mess up your configuration. You could also test this by creating the alias using a dummy name that doesn't exist in your network and see if it works.

    Mika Sutinen, Senior DBA
    @SQLFinn on Twitter
    Blogging at SQLStarters[/url]

  • MikaS (7/26/2014)


    Hi,

    I think there might be something wrong with the alias you're creating. In the Add Network Library Configuration page check the following:

    Server alias: This is the alias name to the server you're connecting to.

    Network libraries: This should most likely be TCP/IP

    Connection parameters: Either the network name or the IP-address of your SQL Server. If it's a named instance then it should be servername\instance

    There is also option to un-check the "Dynamically determine port". If you're using this, trying un-checking and entering the port that is listening.

    One other thing that comes to my mind is that it might be a name resolution problem. You're creating the alias using a name that was previously used by the old DB server. Do you have that entry in the HOST file? I believe it will first check that before doing any other name resolutions and it might mess up your configuration. You could also test this by creating the alias using a dummy name that doesn't exist in your network and see if it works.

    Server Alias = Fred -- so its not something that has been used before, by ANY DB Server.

    Network libraries is set to use TCP/IP and the port is set to the configured port that the particular instance is listening on - ie not Dynamically determining the port.

    The connection parameter is set to hostname\insatnce name.

    Hope this helps...

    Ford Fairlane
    Rock and Roll Detective

  • For all those who offered advice, thank you. The problem was not SQL or the alias or even setting up the alias, it was the Windows Server itself.

    Fortunately it was a test lab so once rebuilt I was able to create the alias with out any issues. However I can not tell you what exactly the problem was.

    Hope this helps...

    Ford Fairlane
    Rock and Roll Detective

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