Creating and Managing an Azure SQL Linked Server

Creating an Azure SQL Linked Server involves specifying the name of the linked server, which can be up to 123 characters long.

To create a linked server, you need to have the necessary permissions, which includes being a member of the sysadmin fixed server role or having the ALTER ANY LINKED SERVER permission.

The linked server name must be unique and cannot be the same as any existing linked server on the server.

Creating a linked server is a one-time process, but managing it requires regular maintenance to ensure it continues to function properly.

Creating an Azure SQL Linked Server can be a bit tricky, but don't worry, I've got you covered. To create a linked server to an Azure SQL database, you can use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or Transact-SQL.

The process involves using the sp_addlinkedserver stored procedure, which allows you to add a linked server to access data from another SQL Server or data source. You can type the following code in a query editor to create a linked server: EXEC master.dbo.sp_addlinkedserver@server=N'AZURE SQL DATABASE',@srvproduct=N'',@provider=N'SQLNCLI',@datasrc=N'server.database.windows.net',@catalog=N'TestDatabase'.

Alternatively, you can also use the sp_addlinkedsrvlogin stored procedure to create a mapping from a login on the local server to a login on the remote server. This is useful when using SQL Agent jobs on Azure SQL Managed Instance to query a remote server through a linked server.

To create a linked server to an Azure SQL database using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), you need to open SSMS and connect to your local SQL Server instance. Linked servers allow you to access data from another SQL Server or another data source, such as Excel.

You can access data from an Azure SQL database using SSMS by creating a linked server. This process allows you to use SQL Server Management Studio to connect to your Azure SQL database.

To create a linked server, you'll need to provide the necessary information, including the server name, provider, and data source. The server name is the name of your Azure SQL database, and the provider is the SQLNCLI provider. The data source is the name of your Azure SQL database server.

You can use the following steps to create a linked server:

Note: You can also use Transact-SQL to create a linked server, but for now, let's focus on using SSMS.

Linking On-Premises SQL Servers to Azure SQL Database can be a complex process, especially when dealing with large amounts of data. It can be a time-consuming process to link loads of data by using SQL Queries.

Apps4Rent is a Tier 1 Microsoft CSP that can help businesses migrate their on-premises workloads to the cloud seamlessly. They provide managed Azure services to help businesses take advantage of the cloud platform.

To link on-premises infrastructure to Azure SQL Database, you need to consider the goals and requirements of your business. This will help you determine the best approach for your specific situation.

As a business, you can call, chat, or email Apps4Rent's Azure solution architects, available 24/7, for assistance. They can help you create a linked server to retrieve data from an Azure SQL database.

Linked servers in Azure SQL offer advanced security features, including audit logs, data encryption, and data masking. This provides an extra layer of protection for your data.

With linked servers, you can access data from outside of SQL Server, which is particularly useful when working with distributed databases. This allows you to fetch and update data in other databases, making it easier to manage complex data systems.

Linked servers also enable you to issue distributed queries, updates, commands, and transactions on heterogeneous data sources across the enterprise. This makes it easier to work with diverse data sources.

Here are some key benefits of using linked servers:

Connecting to Azure SQL database and querying data is a crucial step in working with linked servers. You can use the T-SQL OPENROWSET or OPENDATASOURCE functions to connect to Azure SQL database and access data without creating a linked server first.

To open a connection and query data from the Azure SQL database using the OPENROWSET function, you can use the following code: `SELECT * FROM OPENROWSET('SQLNCLI','Server=server.database.windows.net;Database=TestDatabase;UID=zivko;PWD==######;','SELECT * FROM SalesLT.CustomerAddress')`.

Another way to connect and query data from the Azure SQL database is by using the OPENDATASOURCE function. You can use the following code: `SELECT * FROM OPENDATASOURCE('MSDASQL','Driver={SQL SERVER}; Server=server.database.windows.net;Database=TestDatabase;UID=zivko;PWD==######;').TestDatabase.SalesLT.CustomerAddress`.

However, you may encounter an error when using the T-SQL OPENROWSET and OPENDATASOURCE functions. The error message is: "SQL Server blocked access to STATEMENT 'OpenRowset/OpenDatasource' of component 'Ad Hoc Distributed Queries' because this component is turned off as part of the security configuration for this server."

To resolve this error, you need to enable the Ad Hoc Distributed Queries option. You can do this by using the sp_configure procedure and executing the following code: `EXEC sp_configure 'show advanced options',1; RECONFIGURE; EXEC sp_configure 'ad hoc distributed queries',1; RECONFIGURE;`.

Alternatively, you can use the GUI to enable the Ad Hoc Distributed Queries option. To do this, you need to right-click on the linked server and choose Properties, select Server Options, and set "RPC" and "RPC Out" as true.

Once you have enabled the Ad Hoc Distributed Queries option, you can use the OPENQUERY function to query data from the linked server. The OPENQUERY function can be used to get data from the linked server by executing code like this: `SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([AZURE SQL DATABASE],'SELECT * FROM SalesLT.CustomerAddress')`.

Here are some common ways to connect to a linked server:

Note: Make sure to replace the placeholders (e.g. `server.database.windows.net`, `zivko`, `######`) with your actual Azure SQL database server name, username, and password.