SQL Server Performance Forum – Threads Archive

Alias Servers Cached

I’ve run into a problems using aliased servers through the client network utility. Example: Server1 has an alias called ServerB which points to server Server2.
Server1 has a linked server to ServerB. If I change the alias to point the alias to Server3 the linked server still points to Server2 for upto 2 or 3 hours. I found the aliases in the registry and I am assuming that SQL caches the registry entries and only re-reads them every few hours. Does anyone know how I can flush this cache and force a re-read (other than restarting SQL which isn’t an option to me)?? Any help greatly appreciated!

If the client network utility is registered with required servers it will try to connect and I never heard of any caching of the ALIAS settings. Have you reconfigured Linkd server from Server1 to server3 after setting the ALIAS. Satya SKJ
Moderator
http://www.SQL-Server-Performance.Com/forum
This posting is provided â€œAS ISâ€ with no rights for the sake of knowledge sharing.

I haven’t changed the linked the server because the idea was to use the alias to "repoint" the connection. Idealy I do not want to drop and re-create the linked server (it’s in use) I just want the new connections to point to the new server. I’m not convinced that would work anyway – but I’ll check it regardless. It’s easy enough to test the caching of the name, just create a linked server using an alias and then change the alias in the client network utility. The linked server will point to the original server for a few hours (or until the next read of the registry settings takes place).

For performance SQL server leaves a remote server connection open. In Profiler you’d see sp_resetconnection calls to ensure that the connection is clean before it is reused. I don’t think that there is a way of telling it to close this connection… perhaps deleting/readding the linked server… Cheers
Twan

Better explained by Twan and in order to get the updated connnection you must follow the re-assigning Linked server settings. Satya SKJ
Moderator
http://www.SQL-Server-Performance.Com/forum
This posting is provided â€œAS ISâ€ with no rights for the sake of knowledge sharing.

]]>