Error - Could not find server 'Database' in sysservers

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Error - Could not find server 'Database' in sysservers

eflynn

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Points: 111
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November 17, 2008 at 9:35 am

#71680

Hi,
First off, I know very little about SQL.
I'm trying to run this code:
UPDATE db1.dbo.Users.WebLoginID
SET WebLoginID = "VOID"
FROM db1.dbo.Users LEFT JOIN db2.dbo.Person
ON db1.dbo.Users.PersonUID = db2.dbo.Person.PersonUID
WHERE (((db2.dbo.Person.PersonUID) Is Null))
but when I do, I get the following error:
'Could not find server 'db1' in sysservers. Execute sp_addlinkedserver to add the server to sysservers.'
Note that the 'server' referred to in the error message is actually a database, and the two databases I am using are on the same machine and are under the same SQL instance.
Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong here greatly appreciated!
😀

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ChrisM@Work SSC Guru Points: 186127 More actions · Answer 1

Hello

The syntax for UPDATE is

UPDATE tablename SET columnname

You have a columnname in place of a tablename:

db1.dbo.Users.WebLoginID

This will probably work, though it's untested:

UPDATE u SET WebLoginID = "VOID"

FROM db1.dbo.Users u

LEFT JOIN db2.dbo.Person p

ON u.PersonUID = p.PersonUID

WHERE p.PersonUID Is Null

Cheers

ChrisM

^{“Write the query the simplest way. If through testing it becomes clear that the performance is inadequate, consider alternative query forms.” - Gail Shaw}

For fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden

Christopher Stobbs SSC-Insane Points: 21098 More actions · Answer 2

Are you sure that the Db1 and DB2 are databases?

Second are you sure this is the exact code that you are running?

----------------------------------------------
Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. - Thomas Henry Huxley

:w00t:
Posting Best Practices[/url]
Numbers / Tally Tables[/url]

SQL-4-Life

Christopher Stobbs SSC-Insane Points: 21098 More actions · Answer 3

ooops well spotted Chris

----------------------------------------------
Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. - Thomas Henry Huxley

:w00t:
Posting Best Practices[/url]
Numbers / Tally Tables[/url]

SQL-4-Life

eflynn SSC Enthusiast Points: 111 More actions · Answer 4

Nearly worked! I got rid of the column, but now it gives me the error:

Server: Msg 207, Level 16, State 3, Line 1

Invalid column name 'VOID'.

hmm..

PS: Thanks for the help!

ChrisM@Work SSC Guru Points: 186127 More actions · Answer 5

eflynn (11/17/2008)
Nearly worked! I got rid of the column, but now it gives me the error:
Server: Msg 207, Level 16, State 3, Line 1
Invalid column name 'VOID'.
hmm..
PS: Thanks for the help!

Oops! Change the double quotes for single quotes.

^{“Write the query the simplest way. If through testing it becomes clear that the performance is inadequate, consider alternative query forms.” - Gail Shaw}

For fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden

eflynn SSC Enthusiast Points: 111 More actions · Answer 6

Brill! That worked..

I had changed the quotes to single quotes before, but got scared by the red text so didn't try running it.

Thanks a million 😉

homebrew01 SSC Guru Points: 55548 More actions · Answer 7

FYI, when making changes to data like this, I usually take a few precautions.

1. Back up the table first by creating a copy with a different name, such as:

[font="Courier New"]select * into db1.dbo.Users_20081118

from db1.dbo.Users[/font]

2. Run a select to see how many records will get updated and Review the data to make sure it looks like the right records:

[font="Courier New"]select * FROM db1.dbo.Users u

LEFT JOIN db2.dbo.Person p

ON u.PersonUID = p.PersonUID

WHERE p.PersonUID Is Null[/font]

3. I would run the update in a transaction so you can undo it right then if you make a mistake:

[font="Courier New"]begin tran

UPDATE u SET WebLoginID = 'VOID'

FROM db1.dbo.Users u

LEFT JOIN db2.dbo.Person p

ON u.PersonUID = p.PersonUID

WHERE p.PersonUID Is Null[/font]

If you get the correct count, then: [font="Courier New"]COMMIT[/font]

If you think it's wrong and need to undo, then : [font="Courier New"]ROLLBACK[/font]

4. When you're all finished, save the whole script somewhere in case you need to look back sometime.

Record the number of rcds changed in the script

ChrisM@Work SSC Guru Points: 186127 More actions · Answer 8

Good point Homebrew, however rather than risking locking users out of a live table, I'd run the update checks against the copy 😎

Cheers

ChrisM

^{“Write the query the simplest way. If through testing it becomes clear that the performance is inadequate, consider alternative query forms.” - Gail Shaw}

For fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden

homebrew01 SSC Guru Points: 55548 More actions · Answer 9

Chris Morris (11/18/2008)
Good point Homebrew, however rather than risking locking users out of a live table, I'd run the update checks against the copy 😎
Cheers
ChrisM

You're right. I should have at least put NOLOCK in the select.

eflynn SSC Enthusiast Points: 111 More actions · Answer 10

eflynn

SSC Enthusiast

Points: 111

November 19, 2008 at 5:17 am

#900454

Thanks for the good advice guys!

The_SQL_DBA SSChampion Points: 10494 More actions · Answer 11

But the Developers don't know to backup a table before doing an update. Also at my place the developer didn't make the update statement as part of the transaction and accidentally updated all the records of a table. Now I am supposed to restore it back, guess what its a customer database. This is an application role, customed made for the developers to update just one column only but still there is no scope of errors such as this...

The_SQL_DBA
MCTS

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