My SQL server instance name is in the format: 'My-Server\InstanceName'
I want to give the server the alias 'InstanceName'. I did this in the Configuration Manager. When I connect to the server, I'm able to connect using that alias name. However, when I want to fully qualify objects in a query (eg. select * from InstanceName.Database.dbo.Table), it does not work. It says it cannot find that server in sys.servers. Why is this? It seems like it is not carrying the alias name down into the query after it connects.
Thanks!
InstanceName and alias are two different things.
For local server use Database.dbo.Table
To connect to another server (or another instance) you should add Linked Server
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/linked-servers/linked-servers-database-engine.
Usually you do not need any alias, but if you really want to do this use example:
EXEC sp_addlinkedserver
#server=N'S1_instance1',
#srvproduct=N'',
#provider=N'SQLNCLI',
#datasrc=N'S1\instance1'
I'm making a call to odbc32.dll (SQLBrowseConnect) to return a list of databases on a sql server.
From running a trace I can see the query being executed is
select name from master..sysdatabases where has_dbaccess(name)=1
If the credentials I pass aren't the sa user it returns just the system databases. Is there anyway I can use SQLBrowseConnect with another user (whose default database is also not guarenteed to be the master database) to return all databases on the server?
Also I want to avoid smo objects
In our ETL tools we do use SQLBrowseConnect to get a list of available SQL servers.
We do not use it for getting list of the databases
SQLExecDirect(FHSMT,PAnsiChar ('select name from MASTER.dbo.sysdatabases order by name'), SQL_NTS)
We use different ODBC driver for different versions of SQL server.
When running a SQL statement or a stored procedure on a database, can you connect to an external database and pull data from there?
something like:
SELECT a.UserID, b.DataIWantToGet
FROM mydb.Users as a, externaldb.Data as b
You'll need to setup a Linked Server instance. Then you can reference the external database as though it were a SQL Server database.
Yep -- there's two methods: either use the function OPENROWSET, or use linked servers. OPENROWSET is useful for ad-hoc single statements, but if you're going to be doing this regularly, read up on linked servers as they allow you to do exactly what you've specified in your SQL Statement ... e.g.,
SELECT database.owner.table for local data
SELECT server.database.owner.table for remote data
And yes, you can mix and match to do joins twixt local and remote. Note though that you'll need to be caureul if you do joins against large tables that exist on the remote server as the query could take a long time to exexute...
Yes, you can. You should take a look at linked servers for starters. You can also use OPENROWSET to hit them directly with no linked server.
Easiest way :
Click connect to server
when it asks for server name use:
192.168.X.X,1433\SQLEXPRESS insted of YOURPC\SQLEXPRESS
(The ip and opened port of target sql server)
Type correct username and password
Done!
How can I select data in the same query from two different databases that are on two different servers in SQL Server?
What you are looking for are Linked Servers. You can get to them in SSMS from the following location in the tree of the Object Explorer:
Server Objects-->Linked Servers
or you can use sp_addlinkedserver.
You only have to set up one. Once you have that, you can call a table on the other server like so:
select
*
from
LocalTable,
[OtherServerName].[OtherDB].[dbo].[OtherTable]
Note that the owner isn't always dbo, so make sure to replace it with whatever schema you use.
You can do it using Linked Server.
Typically linked servers are configured to enable the Database Engine to execute a Transact-SQL statement that includes tables in another instance of SQL Server, or another database product such as Oracle. Many types OLE DB data sources can be configured as linked servers, including Microsoft Access and Excel.
Linked servers offer the following advantages:
The ability to access data from outside of SQL Server.
The ability to issue distributed queries, updates, commands, and transactions on heterogeneous data sources across the enterprise.
The ability to address diverse data sources similarly.
Read more about Linked Servers.
Follow these steps to create a Linked Server:
Server Objects -> Linked Servers -> New Linked Server
Provide Remote Server Name.
Select Remote Server Type (SQL Server or Other).
Select Security -> Be made using this security context and provide login and password of remote server.
Click OK and you are done !!
Here is a simple tutorial for creating a linked server.
OR
You can add linked server using query.
Syntax:
sp_addlinkedserver [ #server= ] 'server' [ , [ #srvproduct= ] 'product_name' ]
[ , [ #provider= ] 'provider_name' ]
[ , [ #datasrc= ] 'data_source' ]
[ , [ #location= ] 'location' ]
[ , [ #provstr= ] 'provider_string' ]
[ , [ #catalog= ] 'catalog' ]
Read more about sp_addlinkedserver.
You have to create linked server only once. After creating linked server, we can query it as follows:
select * from LinkedServerName.DatabaseName.OwnerName.TableName
SELECT
*
FROM
[SERVER2NAME].[THEDB].[THEOWNER].[THETABLE]
You can also look at using Linked Servers. Linked servers can be other types of data sources too such as DB2 platforms. This is one method for trying to access DB2 from a SQL Server TSQL or Sproc call...
Querying across 2 different databases is a distributed query. Here is a list of some techniques plus the pros and cons:
Linked servers: Provide access to a wider variety of data sources than SQL Server replication provides
Linked servers: Connect with data sources that replication does not support or which require ad hoc access
Linked servers: Perform better than OPENDATASOURCE or OPENROWSET
OPENDATASOURCE and OPENROWSET functions:
Convenient for retrieving data from data sources on an ad hoc basis.
OPENROWSET has BULK facilities as well that may/may not require a format file which might be fiddley
OPENQUERY: Doesn't support variables
All are T-SQL solutions. Relatively easy to implement and set up
All are dependent on connection between source and destionation which might affect performance and scalability
These are all fine answers, but this one is missing and it has it's own powerful uses. Possibly it doesn't fit what the OP wanted, but the question was vague and I feel others may find their way here. Basically you can use 1 window to simultaneously run a query against multiple servers, here's how:
In SSMS open Registered Servers and create a New Server Group under Local Server Groups.
Under this group create New Server Registration for each server you wish to query. If the DB names are different ensure to set a default for each in the properties.
Now go back to the Group you created in the first step, right click and select New Query. A new query window will open and any query you run will be executed on each server in the group. The results are presented in a single data set with an extra column name indicating which server the record came from. If you use the status bar you will note the server name is replaced with multiple.
try this:
SELECT * FROM OPENROWSET('SQLNCLI', 'Server=YOUR SERVER;Trusted_Connection=yes;','SELECT * FROM Table1') AS a
UNION
SELECT * FROM OPENROWSET('SQLNCLI', 'Server=ANOTHER SERVER;Trusted_Connection=yes;','SELECT * FROM Table1') AS a
I had the same issue to connect an SQL_server 2008 to an SQL_server 2016 hosted in a remote server. Other answers didn't worked for me straightforward. I write my tweaked solution here as I think it may be useful for someone else.
An extended answer for remote IP db connections:
Step 1: link servers
EXEC sp_addlinkedserver #server='SRV_NAME',
#srvproduct=N'',
#provider=N'SQLNCLI',
#datasrc=N'aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd';
EXEC sp_addlinkedsrvlogin 'SRV_NAME', 'false', NULL, 'your_remote_db_login_user', 'your_remote_db_login_password'
...where SRV_NAME is an invented name. We will use it to refer to the remote server from our queries. aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd is the ip address of the remote server hosting your SQLserver DB.
Step 2: Run your queries
For instance:
SELECT * FROM [SRV_NAME].your_remote_db_name.dbo.your_table
...and that's it!
Syntax details: sp_addlinkedserver and sp_addlinkedsrvlogin
Server 2008:
When in SSMS connected to server1.DB1 and try:
SELECT * FROM
[server2].[DB2].[dbo].[table1]
as others noted, if it doesn't work it's because the server isn't linked.
I get the error:
Could not find server DB2 in sys.servers. Verify that the correct
server name was specified. If necessary, execute stored procedure
sp_addlinkedserver to add the server to sys.servers.
To add the server:
reference: To add server using sp_addlinkedserver
Link: [1]: To add server using sp_addlinkedserver
To see what is in your sys.servers just query it:
SELECT * FROM [sys].[servers]
Simplified solution for adding linked servers
First server
EXEC sp_addlinkedserver #server='ip,port\instancename'
Second Login
EXEC sp_addlinkedsrvlogin 'ip,port\instancename', 'false', NULL, 'remote_db_loginname', 'remote_db_pass'
Execute queries from linked to local db
INSERT INTO Tbl (Col1, Col2, Col3)
SELECT Col1, Col2, Col3
FROM [ip,port\instancename].[linkedDBName].[linkedTblSchema].[linkedTblName]
Created a Linked Server definition in one server to the other (you need SA to do this), then just reference them with 4-part naming (see BOL).
select *
from [ServerName(IP)].[DatabaseName].[dbo].[TableName]
As #Super9 told about OPENDATASOURCE using SQL Server Authentication with data provider
SQLOLEDB
. I am just posting here a code snippet for one table is in the current sever database where the code is running and another in other server '192.166.41.123'
SELECT top 2 * from dbo.tblHamdoonSoft tbl1 inner JOIN
OpenDataSource('SQLOLEDB','Data Source=192.166.41.123;User ID=sa;Password=hamdoonsoft')
.[TestDatabase].[dbo].[tblHamdoonSoft1] tbl2 on tbl1.id = tbl2.id
I know this is an old question but I use synonyms. Supposedly the query is executed within database server A, and looks for a table in a database server B that does not exist on server A. Add then a synonym on A database that calls your table from server B. Your query doesn't have to include any schemas, or different database names, just call the table name per usual and it will work.
There's no need to link servers as synonyms per say are sort of linking.
sp_addlinkedserver('servername')
so its should go like this -
select * from table1
unionall
select * from [server1].[database].[dbo].[table1]
Server Objects---> linked server ---> new linked server
In linked server write server name or IP address for other server and choose SQL Server
In Security select (be made using this security context )
Write login and password for other server
Now connected then use
Select * from [server name or ip addresses ].databasename.dbo.tblname
I hope the clarifications all mentioned above, have answered the OP's original question. I just want to add a code snippet for adding SQL Server as a linked server.
At most basic, we can simply add SQL Server as a linked server by executing sp_addlinkedserver with only one parameter #server, i.e.
-- using IP address
exec sp_addlinkedserver #server='192.168.1.11'
-- PC domain name
exec sp_addlinkedserver #server='DESKTOP-P5V8JTN'
SQL Server will automatically fill SRV_PROVIDERNAME, SRV_PRODUCT, SRV_DATASOURCE etc. with default values.
By doing this, we've to write the IP or PC domain name in the 4 part table address in the query (example below). This can be more annoying or less readable when the linked server will not have a default port or instance, the address will look similar to this 192.168.1.11,1430 or 192.168.1.11,1430\MSSQLSERVER2019.
So, to keep 4 part address short and readable, we can add an alias name for the server instead of the full address by specifying other parameters as follows-
exec sp_addlinkedserver
#server='ReadSrv1',
#srvproduct='SQL Server',
#provider='SQLNCLI',
#datasrc='192.168.1.11,1430\MSSQLSERVER2019'
But when you'll execute the query, the following error will show- You cannot specify a provider or any properties for product 'SQL Server'.
If we keep the server product property value empty '' or any other value, the query will execute successfully.
Next step, make login to the remote linked server by executing the following query-
EXEC sp_addlinkedsrvlogin #rmtsrvname = 'ReadSrv1', #useself = 'false', #locallogin = NULL, #rmtuser = 'sa', #rmtpassword = 'LinkedServerPasswordForSA'
Finally, use the linked server with 4 part address, the syntax is-
[ServerName].[DatabaseName].[Schema].[ObjectName]
Example-
SELECT TOP 100 t.* FROM ReadSrv1.AppDB.dbo.ExceptionLog t
To list existing linked servers execute:
exec sp_linkedservers
To delete a linked server execute:
exec sp_dropserver #server = 'ReadSrv1', #droplogins='droplogins' (delete login as well) OR
exec sp_dropserver #server = 'ReadSrv1', #droplogins='NULL' (keep login)