Linked server question

[jsteph]

Hi all,
Is it possible to set up a Linked Server using Windows Authentication? I'm using both 2005 and 2008 in various combinations; ie. linking 2005 to 2008, link 2008 to 2005, link 2008 to 2008.

I tried this in a test environment and I keep getting "Login failed for domain\username". I am not mistyping the name or password. I gave domain\username Server Admin rights on both the local server and the one I'm trying to link (they're on the same domain). domain\username is local admin on both servers.

I've done what I believe are all combinations of user-mapping, impersonation, "...be made with this context", etc, etc. in the Security section of the Linked Server dialog. Sql-server's dialog box (or BOL for that matter) gives no hint to my suspicion that it really wants a sql-server login and not a Windows one.

So I guess that's the question--is it possible to set up a Linked Server using Windows Auth. as the security context, and if so, what rights does it need?
Thanks,
--Jim

 

[dhulbert]

Jim

Yes there should be no problem setting up a linked server using Windows authentication,
Normally the link will use the windows credentials of the user currently connected so if you are setting the server up you will need to have access to both mchines or be in an active directory group that does.
If you are specifying a domain/user/password combination then you aren't using windows authentication and you would need to select "be made using this security context" to specify a user


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[jsteph]

dlulbert,
Thanks, I will check more into this.
But I'm confused about this statement (not sure if it's a typo):
<< If you are specifying a domain/user/password combination then you aren't using windows authentication >>

If I'm using domain\user\password doesn't that mean I am using windows authentication? My domain\user is set up as a sql-server login, and it is also set up as a user in one of the databases. So this is where it gets confusing to me: From a sql-server standpoint--does it consider the text of "domain\username" as a sql-server "login" just as it would "sa" or does it see the slash as an indicatior that it's windows authentication and treat it differently?

I guess either way I'm still confused as to why I can't link it. My Windows username may not have login rights to the physical Windows Server 2008 box that the remote server is on, but it is set up in the sql-server instance on that box. And again--I can connect fine in SSMS. I'm just not sure what's missing with the linked server thing.
Thanks for any enlightenment on this,
--Jim