the error is pretty straight forward; it could not find the table in the database. maybe when you abstracted it out, you hid the issue.

do you Really have a database named ? ANd a Table named [T]?

on my server, I KNOW i have a database named SandBox, and another database named 'PERFECT1200'

I also KNOW the tables i'm using exist.

this worked without errors:

like you said, I'm logged in as a sysadmin for testing this:

EXEC sp_addlinkedserver

@server=N'SELF',

@srvproduct=N' ',

@provider=N'SQLNCLI',

@datasrc=@@SERVERNAME

SELECT * FROM SELF.PERFECT1200.dbo.GMACT

SELECT * FROM SELF.SANDBOX.dbo.AllMeasures

Now, if i log in as the user [ClarkKent], that user MUST BE A USER IN BOTH DATABASES.

if he's a user in one database, but not a user in the linked server database, that's an expected security error.

i bet that's where your error is.

you either need to allow the linked server to use other credentials , or make the user a user in both databases.

now in real life, you never use SA.

what i usually do is create multiple users without login, and use that user for permissions for reading data on the lined server:

CREATE USER READ_ONLY WITHOUT LOGIN;

EXEC sp_addrolemember 'db_datareader','READ_ONLY'

EXEC sp_addrolemember 'db_datawriter','LIMITED_USER'

CREATE USER LIMITED_USER WITHOUT LOGIN;

EXEC sp_addrolemember 'db_datareader','LIMITED_USER'

EXEC sp_addrolemember 'db_datawriter','LIMITED_USER'