How to install SQL Server on computers that have hyphenated names (158450)

SUMMARY

The Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 Administrator's Companion documentation has not been updated, and continues to show the SQL Server 6.0 server naming restrictions (page 36). Due to these naming restrictions, replication and multi-server operations are not possible with SQL Server 6.0 on computers that have a hyphen character as part of the computer name. However, it is possible to register a SQL Server 6.0 for SQL Enterprise Manager operation by running the sp_addserver stored procedure, as discussed in the MORE INFORMATION section of this article. The limitation described above for invalid SQL Server names has been removed under SQL Server 6.5, to allow replication, multi-server, and SQL Enterprise Manager operations.

MORE INFORMATION

When you attempt the installation of either SQL Server 6.0 or SQL Server 6.5 (for the Visual Studio 6.0 installation, please run Setup.exe from the \SQL\I386 folder on Disk 2) and there is a hyphen character in the computer name, you receive the following message:

Warning: Invalid Machine Name The Server name is not a valid SQL Server name and can cause problems in multi-server, replication and SQL Enterprise Manager operations.

Press Resume to continue the installation. Use sp_addserver to correct the problem after setup is completed.

Press Exit to Cancel installation.

After you have finished the installation, you will be able to work with SQL Server without any problems, except for the multi-server, Replication, and SQL Enterprise Manager operations. These operations mandate the use of valid SQL identifiers, as discussed on page 36 of the SQL Server 6.5 Administrator's Companion.

To overcome this problem, run the following stored procedure:

   sp_addserver valid_sql_server_name, LOCAL

where "valid_sql_server_name" specifies a logical server name to replace the invalid server name, and "LOCAL" specifies the server is on the local computer.

Stop and then restart the SQL Server to apply the changes. You should now be able to use all SQL Enterprise Manager operations except multi-server and replication on SQL Server 6.0. For a SQL Server 6.5 installation, you should now be able to use multi-server and replication even if the computer name contains a hyphen.

NOTE: An advanced entry may be required to connect to the new logical server name. For more information on adding an advanced entry, see the SQL Server Books Online. For more information on replication and invalid SQL Server names, refer to pages 56 through 59 of the "What's New in SQL Server 6.5" manual.

In SQL Server 6.5, the sp_setnetname function sets the network names in sysservers to their actual network computer names for remote computers running SQL Server. Names can include hyphens and other non-alphabetic characters. You can use procedure below to enable execution of remote stored procedure calls to computers that have network names containing invalid SQL Server identifiers. The syntax of this procedure is:

   sp_setnetname @server [ = 'server'], @netname [ = 'netname']