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SQL Server – Alias Names

  • Artikkeli

Over the years of assisting many customers with multiple problems and performance issues with Project Server environments, it has been necessary to recommend replacing/upgrading their existing SQL Server for various reasons…mostly due to under powered hardware.

As many of you may or may not have found out, it is not as simple as copying all the Project Server and SharePoint databases from one SQL Server to another. You may have experienced “Cannot contact Configuration database” page or other type of error messages encountered. I have seen countless hacks and workarounds on websites/blogs/forums trying to get company production SharePoint and Project Server environments back up and running. I have also assisted administrators that have attempted to follow the SharePoint TechNet article “Move all Databases - SharePoint 2007” and have failed for several reasons.  

To avoid these headaches or having to uninstall Project Server and SharePoint Server from the farm it would be beneficial to create an SQL Connection Alias to utilize during the installation of Project Server and SharePoint than to use NetBIOS Names (Server Names). Unless you happen to create the new SQL Server or updated server with the EXACT same name as previously used.

By using the SQL Connection Alias Names, regardless of what server is hosting the databases (this includes ALL databases created for that farm), they could be easily be moved and the Connection Parameters (SQL Server + Instance Name) be changed to reflect the new host of these databases.

There are other advantages of using SQL Connection Alias Names, which you can read further on - SQL Blog “ SQL Connection Alias ”. In summation, by specifying the Network Library protocol and the Connection Parameters (SQL Server + Instance Name), the application doesn’t have to try each SQL Protocol (in sequence) to find a protocol that will connect to SQL Server, which will slightly help improve performance.

There are two utilities that you can use to configure SQL Connection Alias’.

  1. SQL Server Client Network Utility – CLICONFG.EXE (provided by Windows OS)
  2. SQL Server Connection Manager (provided on servers hosting SQL Server).

*Image of SQL Server Client Network Utility*

cliconfg

 

Gary Crich
Infrastructure Principal Consultant
WW EPM COE - Ranger