Replication setup is not successful when SQL Server is deployed by using a disk image (818334)

SYMPTOMS

You deploy SQL Server 2000 by using the hard disk image of another computer where SQL Server 2000 is installed. If you use SQL Server Enterprise Manager to configure a replication distributor, the configuration of the distributor may not be successful, and you receive the following error message:

SQL Server Enterprise Manager could not configure '<Server>\<Instance>' as the Distributor for '<Server>\<Instance>' .
Error 18483: Could not connect to server '<Server>\<Instance>' because 'distributor_admin' is not defined as a remote login at the server.

Note If you perform these steps on the default instance of SQL Server 2000, the instance name does not appear in the error message.

You may also see that the value of the @@SERVERNAME SQL Server 2000 system global variable is different from the network name of the SQL Server 2000 computer.

Note If you experience this issue in SQL Server 2005, the error message is slightly different. You can also use the workaround that is mentioned in this article to work around the issue.

CAUSE

When you deploy SQL Server 2000 from a hard disk image of another computer where SQL Server 2000 is installed, the network name of the imaged computer is retained in the new installation. The incorrect network name causes the configuration of the replication distributor to fail. The same problem occurs if you rename the computer after SQL Server is installed.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, replace the SQL Server 2000 server name with the correct network name of the computer. To do so, follow these steps:

Log on to the computer where you deployed SQL Server 2000 from the disk image, and then run the following Transact-SQL statement in SQL Query Analyzer:

-- Use the Master database
USE master
GO

-- Declare local variables
DECLARE @serverproperty_servername 	varchar(100), 
	@servername 			varchar(100)

-- Get the value returned by the SERVERPROPERTY system function
SELECT @serverproperty_servername = CONVERT(varchar(100), SERVERPROPERTY('ServerName'))

-- Get the value returned by @@SERVERNAME global variable
SELECT @servername = CONVERT(varchar(100), @@SERVERNAME)

-- Drop the server with incorrect name
EXEC sp_dropserver @server=@servername

-- Add the correct server as a local server
EXEC sp_addserver @server=@serverproperty_servername, @local='local'

Restart the computer running SQL Server.
To verify that the SQL Server name and the network name of the computer are the same, run the following Transact-SQL statement in SQL Query Analyzer:
```
SELECT @@SERVERNAME, SERVERPROPERTY('ServerName')
```

MORE INFORMATION

You can use the @@SERVERNAME global variable or the SERVERPROPERTY('ServerName') function in SQL Server to find the network name of the computer running SQL Server. The ServerName property of the SERVERPROPERTY function automatically reports the change in the network name of the computer when you restart the computer and the SQL Server service. The @@SERVERNAME global variable retains the original SQL Server computer name until the SQL Server name is manually reset.

Steps to Reproduce the Problem

On the computer where you deployed SQL Server from a disk image, follow these steps: