Best Practice to Create and Configure Linked Server in SQL Server

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Create and Configure Linked Server in SQL Server: Organizations often leverage data from diverse sources to gain comprehensive insights and inform critical decisions.A Linked Server in SQL Server is a database object that allows you to connect to and retrieve data from an external data source. It provides a way to access data stored in a remote server as if it were stored in the local server.

This blog post equips you with a step-by-step guide on creating and configuring linked servers in SQL Server, empowering you to unlock the potential of integrated data management.

Understanding Linked Servers

A linked server acts as a bridge, allowing SQL Server to connect and interact with data stored on another database server. This enables you to:

1. Execute Transact-SQL (T-SQL) statements against tables and views in the linked server.
2. Join tables from your local SQL Server instance with tables residing in the linked server.
3. Simplify data retrieval and manipulation across different databases, improving data accessibility and streamlining workflows.

Prerequisites

Before embarking on this journey, ensure you have the following:

1. SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS): Download and install the latest version of SSMS from the Microsoft website.
2. Network Configuration: The Network between the SQL Server instances can communicate with each other.
3. Credentials: Have valid login credentials for both the local SQL Server instance and the remote database server you wish to link to.

How to Create and Configure Linked Server in SQL Server?

Steps to Creating a Linked Server

Step 1: Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and connect to the SQL Server instance where you want to create the Linked Server.

Step 2: To create a new Linked Server, expand “Server Objecsts“.

Step 3: Right click on “Linked Servers” and click on “New Linked Server…” to create one.

Steps to Configure a Linked Server

Step 4: Configure the Linked Server

In the “New Linked Server…” window, you need to provide the following details:

1. Linked Server: Enter the hostname or IP address of the remote server.
2. Server Type: Select the type of the remote server you want to connect to. Common options include “SQL Server” for another SQL Server instance and “ODBC Data Source” for connecting to non-SQL Server databases.
3. Provider: If connecting to another SQL Server, select the appropriate provider based on the version. The default option “Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server” is usually suitable.
4. Product Name: Enter the name of the external data source. For example, if you want to connect to an Oracle database, enter “Oracle“.
5. Data Source: Enter the name of the server that hosts the external data source.
6. Provider String: Enter the connection string to the external data source.
7. Catalog: Enter the default database or schema to use on the external data source. (How to Create and Configure a Linked Server in SQL Server)

Step 4: Configure Security

Choose the authentication method for accessing the remote server. Common options include:

1. “Security context is the login context of the user”: Uses the credentials of the currently logged-in user on the local SQL Server.
2. “Impersonate”: Allows specifying a specific user account with appropriate permissions on the linked server.

You need to configure security settings for the Linked Server. In the “Security” tab of the “New Linked Server” window, you can choose the security context for the Linked Server. There are three options:

1. Be made using the login’s current security context: This option uses the security context of the current login to connect to the external data source.
2. Be made using this security context: This option allows you to specify a security context to use to connect to the external data source.
3. Not be made: This option disables security for the Linked Server.

You also need to configure the authentication settings for the external data source. In the “Security” tab of the “New Linked Server” window, select the “Be made using this security context” option and enter the login credentials for the external data source.

Read More: 7 Best Practices To Secure SQL Server

Step 5: Configure Data Access

1. “Connect to server and verify connection”: This option allows you to test the connection and validate the provided credentials.
2. “Remote login packets per batch”: Adjust this setting if you encounter network performance issues. Higher values can improve performance on slower networks, but may impact response times.
3. Review and create: Once satisfied with the configuration, click “OK” to create the linked server. (How to Create and Configure a Linked Server in SQL Server)

Configuring Security for Linked Servers

By default, SQL Server uses the security context of the logged-in user on the local server to connect to the linked server. However, you might want to:

• Specify a dedicated user account with limited privileges: This enhances security by granting only the necessary access to the linked server resources.
• Use different credentials for different linked servers: This allows fine-grained control over access based on individual linked servers.

Here’s how to configure dedicated user credentials:

1. Right-click on the newly created linked server in the Object Explorer.
2. Select “Properties.”
3. Navigate to the “Security” tab.
4. Choose the “Impersonate” option.
5. Enter the username and password for the dedicated user account on the linked server.
6. Click “OK” to save the changes.

Step 5: Test the Linked Server

After configuring the Linked Server, you can test the connection by right-clicking on the Linked Server in the Object Explorer window and selecting “Test Connection“.

Step 6: Using Linked Servers in T-SQL Queries

Once the linked server is configured, you can reference it in your T-SQL queries using the four-part naming convention:

SELECT * FROM [LinkedServerName].[DatabaseName].[SchemaName].[TableName]

For example,

SELECT * FROM [RemoteServerName].[MyDatabase].[dbo].[Customers];

This query retrieves all data from the “Customers” table in the “dbo” schema of the “MyDatabase” database on the linked server named “RemoteServerName“.

Additional Considerations

1. Security: Always prioritize robust security measures when establishing linked server connections. Grant only the minimum necessary permissions to the linked server user account.
2. Performance: Network latency can impact performance when querying data residing on a linked server. Consider factors like network bandwidth and distance when evaluating performance implications.
3. Maintenance: Regularly review and update linked server configurations to ensure they remain secure and reflect changes in the underlying database environments.(How to Create and Configure a Linked Server in SQL Server)

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can effectively create and configure linked servers in SQL Server. This powerful functionality empowers you to seamlessly integrate data from various sources, fostering comprehensive data analysis and driving informed decision-making within your organization. Remember to prioritize security, optimize for performance, and maintain your linked server configurations for optimal results.

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