Set up a linked server from SQL 2005 to 2008 Express

  • I'm hoping someone can help with this because I'm stumped. I'm an experienced developer but only an occasional and very accidental DBA (and no kind of Sys Admin at all) so I'll freely admit that if I'm not out of my depth I'm at least wading thigh deep.

    I've got a customer who has a SQLServer 2008 Express instance (named instance) running on Windows Server 2003. This is currently unused and has been set up for this project.

    They have a SQLServer 2005 running on a Windows Server 2003. This is their main production DB.

    They want me to push some data at regular intervals from the production box to the new box (this is to be used as a DMZ and their web server is going to pick up that data but that part's not my concern)

    So I need to set up a linked server on the production instance pointing to the DMZ instance.

    On the DMZ instance I have:-

    1. Enabled remote connections using TCP/IP. I've set the port to 1433 which I believe is what SQL Server used by default. I thought it was probably best to be explicit though.

    2. Restarted the service

    3. Started SQLServer Browser

    4. Created a DB

    5. Added a user and login to the DB which I was use to do the write.

    6. I've checked the firewall settings and found it was switched off (I've reported this back to sys admin but at least I know it's not blocking me)

    Trying to create the linked server on the production box I have:-

    1. Added a linked server of type SQLServer setting the Linked Server name to be the network name (as returned by Select @@Servername) of the DMZ instance. I specified the login using the "Be made using this security context" option and giving the login created in 5 above.

    I get an error message saying it can't connect and this may be due to sql server default setting not allowing remote connections - but I've allowed them, right?

    I've tried pinging the remote machine - that works fine

    I've tried telneting to the specific port - that fails saying it could not open a connection to the host on port 1433.

    I can't check the firewall settings on the production box because the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing service is not running. I'm loathe to muck around with that myself.

    I've set up a very few linked servers before and didn't have these problems but on those occasions I had a sys admin on tap. In this instance my only contact is via an IT manager so it's hard for me to check details and just "get stuff done".

    So that's where I am. I believe I've done everything I need to but I might have missed something. I'm sure the firewall on the DMZ isn't blocking me and I don't think the one on the production server is or I wouldn't be able to ping the DMZ. The fact that the telnet fails implies to me that there's nothing on the other end of that port but I'll freely admit that I wasn't sure what to expect there - it was just a tip I found on Google. I've got no idea how to take this further at this stage and am open to any suggestions anyone can offer.

    Help me, SQLServerCental, you're my only hope.

  • Dear Dexter,

    I am having a funny feeling that probably something is wrong with login that you are using to create the linked server. I would suggest that you try to create a linked server without a security context first and check if you are able to.

    If that is working fine then you know where to look else try to connect to the DMZ instance using SSMS from the production box and check if you are able to.

    I hope you will find some usefull info post this.

    Regards

    Shafat Husain

    Regards,
    Shafat Husain
    🙂
    And Your Lord Never Forgets...!! (64:19 -- Quran)

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