sp_setnetname (Transact-SQL)
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Sets the network names in sys.servers to their actual network computer names for remote instances of SQL Server. This procedure can be used to enable execution of remote stored procedure calls to computers that have network names containing SQL Server identifiers that aren't valid.
Transact-SQL syntax conventions
Syntax
sp_setnetname
[ @server = ] N'server'
, [ @netname = ] N'netname'
[ ; ]
Arguments
[ @server = ] N'server'
The name of the remote server as referenced in user-coded remote stored procedure call syntax. @server is sysname, with no default. Exactly one row in sys.servers must already exist to use this @server.
[ @netname = ] N'netname'
The network name of the computer to which remote stored procedure calls are made. @netname is sysname, with no default.
This name must match the Windows computer name, and the name can include characters that aren't allowed in SQL Server identifiers.
Return code values
0 (success) or 1 (failure).
Result set
None.
Remarks
Some remote stored procedure calls to Windows computers can encounter problems if the computer name contains identifiers that aren't valid.
Because linked servers and remote servers reside in the same namespace, they can't have the same name. However, you can define both a linked server and a remote server against a specified server by assigning different names, and by using sp_setnetname to set the network name of one of them to the network name of the underlying server.
In this example, Assume sqlserv2 is the actual name of the SQL Server instance.
EXEC sp_addlinkedserver 'sqlserv2';
GO
EXEC sp_addserver 'rpcserv2';
GO
EXEC sp_setnetname 'rpcserv2', 'sqlserv2';
Note
Using sp_setnetname to point a linked server back to the local server isn't supported. Servers that are referenced in this manner can't participate in a distributed transaction.
Permissions
Requires membership in the sysadmin and setupadmin fixed server roles.
Examples
The following example shows a typical administrative sequence used on SQL Server to issue the remote stored procedure call.
USE master;
GO
EXEC sp_addserver 'Win_1';
EXEC sp_setnetname 'Win_1', 'Win-1';
EXEC Win_1.master.dbo.sp_who;