Linked server connection error

  • I've got several linked servers on a SQL 2005 server connecting to other SQL 2000 and 2005 servers. Very recently all the linked servers from one server (IA 64 SQL 2005 SP 2) have started giving errors. All linked servers that I've tested to any SQL 2000 or 2005 server give the same errors

    select

    * from test.master.sys.objects

    gives the errors

    Msg 7399, Level 16, State 1, Line 1

    The OLE DB provider "SQLNCLI" for linked server "dbatest" reported an error. The provider did not give any information about the error.

    Msg 7312, Level 16, State 1, Line 1

    Invalid use of schema or catalog for OLE DB provider "SQLNCLI" for linked server "dbatest". A four-part name was supplied, but the provider does not expose the necessary interfaces to use a catalog or schema.

    select

    * from openquery(dbatest,'select * from master.dbo.sysobjects')

    Gives the errors

    Msg 7356, Level 16, State 1, Line 1

    The OLE DB provider "SQLNCLI" for linked server "dbatest" supplied inconsistent metadata for a column. The column "name" (compile-time ordinal 1) of object "select * from master.dbo.sysobjects" was reported to have a "Incomplete schema-error logic." of 0 at compile time and 0 at run time.

    The only change that we know of is that the following security patches were applied over the weekend.

    KB899588

    KB893756

    KB899591

    KB899587

    Google's turned up nothing. Has anyone seen this before and does anyone have a solution?

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • Update

    Rolling back the security patches fixed the problem.

    Now, out of four security patches, for  the telephone service, remote desktop, plug and play and kerberos, which could have caused this and why?

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • The patch for Kerebros would have caused the issue. With Windows 2003 and SQL 2005 microsoft says us to use Kerebros instead of NTLM. See BOL for more details.

    Cheers,
    Sugeshkumar Rajendran
    SQL Server MVP
    http://sugeshkr.blogspot.com

  • We're not using NTLM anywhere.

    The Kerberos patch is my prime suspect too, but why would a kerberos patch cause SQL Native Access Client to no longer be able to retrieve data from any SQL Server?

    You said the patch would have caused the issues. Is it a known issue? If so, do you have a KB number for it or any more information?

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • I don't have the KB number suspected that kerebros may be the culprit because SQL be default tries to use kerebros to access network resources. And when you say that it failed after installing the patch did you try to reconfigure the linked server and access from it. might be few permissions that you have supplied would have got reset after applying the patch.

    Cheers,
    Sugeshkumar Rajendran
    SQL Server MVP
    http://sugeshkr.blogspot.com

  • I'm having the same problem have you received any responses or resolved this issue?

  • Have you applied the following hotfix recently?

    KB899587 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899587/en-us)

    When we uninstalled that fix, the linked servers started working again. No idea why at this point.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • Yes kerberos patch should have caused the problem as this is a pure double hop issue.  We might have to check for the required SPN's available.

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