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connection issue

Author

Topic

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-02-21 : 17:28:38

not sure where to post but i have been running vb script for years and suddenly on many of my work pc's i have started to get this error when trying to connect to a sql server on the internet.

Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server: [DBNETLIB][ConnectionOpen (Connect()).]Specified SQL server not found.

i cannot find anything that resolves this.

any ideas?

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2007-02-21 : 17:45:45

Add an alias to each client machine that is getting this error. If the clients have the SQL Server client tools installed, then you can use Client Network Utility to add the aliases. If they don't, then you can either do it via an ODBC data source or via the registry. I prefer the registry way as you can send out a reg file to all clients and just have them double click on it. Let us know how you'd like to proceed. I've provided detailed instructions on how to add aliases via the registry in the past. You should be able to search the forums for this string to find them:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\Client\ConnectTo

The alias would need the port that SQL Server is listening on.

If an alias doesn't fix the problem, then you've probably got something on the network that is preventing the connection such as firewalls.

Tara Kizer

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-02-21 : 18:42:13

thanks and i will try

the sql server has not changed anything.
i have 28 offices and only a pc here and there has stopped working while others in the offices are working still.

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-02-21 : 18:58:58

I just realized that this solution is not an option. I have a centralized vbscript that runs on all of the remote machines. Creating an alias on a remote machine i do not believe will help as the script will not be referencing it

thanks

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2007-02-21 : 18:59:11

An alias will typically fix this then. It'll force the client to connect to the SQL Server using the specified protocol, name, and port. We use TCP/IP for all of our aliases. Your error message indicates that the clients are trying to use Named Pipes.

Tara Kizer

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2007-02-21 : 19:00:13

quote:
Originally posted by spelts

I just realized that this solution is not an option. I have a centralized vbscript that runs on all of the remote machines. Creating an alias on a remote machine i do not believe will help as the script will not be referencing it

thanks

Your script doesn't need to refer to an alias. The alias name will be the same name that you are using for the connection string.

Tara Kizer

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-08 : 20:19:31

I am having this problem again now. 90+% of the pc's work and some do not. I do not believe it can be a server error. So this must be a client problem. The clients all have nothing more than XP sp2 and all service updates. A vbscript program tries to access a sql server over the internet using a sql.domain.com that resolves to the public ip of the server.

any ideas again?

thanks

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-08 : 23:18:03

spelts, did you try the things that I suggested?

Tara Kizer
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-11 : 08:42:07

tkizer, i see nothing on the link you provided that refers this error. I do not own or control the server. all other pc's work fine, so it has to be something on the client that got installed or messed up.

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-11 : 11:41:16

I didn't post a link. What you see in my last post is part of my signature, ignore that. Go back and read all of my previous posts in this thread and do what it says. You need to add an alias to the client.

Tara Kizer
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 08:20:44

i have two pc's on same network connecting to an external SQL server. One works and one does not. They both are set up the same running the same vbscript to connect to the sql server over internet. I cannot create an alias, i have gone into the ODBC manager and it fails every time.

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 09:08:33

i have created alias again and still no luck. i believe something is getting installed via msft updates and is killing this.

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 11:46:32

Please post the alias details so we can cofirm that it is setup properly.

Tara Kizer
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/

Jerry_J
Starting Member

1 Post

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 15:55:00

I would also like to add my suspicions that this is being caused by an MS Update. I just had a client call that had 7 workstations connecting just fine for months (through our VB app using ADO) until yesterday when 2 workstations stopped connecting. They both are receiving the "Specified SQL server not found" message. When I run "cliconfg", they show TCP/IP and named pipes are disabled, but enabling them does not help (even after re-booting).

Creating an alias does the trick. Something had to change on Tuesday night's update to make this happen. The tech guy on-site swears no hardware changes have been made and nothing has changed on the server.

He did notice that IE7 had been installed. Is there anything in IE7 that would stop TCP/IP from connecting to SQL Server?

Jerry

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 17:10:10

i have many machines that have ie7 and many that do not. of the machines that do not work some are ie 7 and some are not. the last 2 i noticed had an update about the time it stopped working. I have backed out the msupdates but still does not work.

i have gone over the alias again and again but still nothing. i will post details shortly.

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 17:39:11

here is what i notice on one machine that does not work vs. one that does work. the one that does not has in the cliconfg.exe under general tab protocols AppleTalk & BanyanVines. also in the db-library options the ntwdblb.dll has not date or version.

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 17:45:55

sConn = "Provider=SQLOLEDB;Initial Catalog=DBName;Data Source=tcp:sql.Domain.net,1433;uid=UID;password=DIU;"

in cliconfg.exe
Protocol set tcp/ip only
port 1433,

have alias set for sql.Domain.net

what else?

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 17:50:58

You are ignoring the alias in your sConn due to using tcp:sql.Domain.net,1433 in it. To use an alias, you must reference the alias only.

sConn = "Provider=SQLOLEDB;Initial Catalog=DBName;Data Source=sql.Domain.net;uid=UID;password=DIU;"

In the alias, what did you put for server name?

Tara Kizer
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 17:57:34

servername in alias

sql.judicialservices.net

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 18:00:07

I would try telneting to port 1433 on sql.judicialservices.net from the client machine where you are having this problem. If you can't telnet, then something is blocking you.

Tara Kizer
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/

spelts
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 2007-04-12 : 18:06:12

i changed the connection string to remove the tcp & 1433 and no luck

i cannot telnet from the machine either but there are machines in the office that can so it is not ISP or firewall.

any idea where to start?

thanks

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