FIX: Error messages when you run a query against a linked server that you create in SQL Server 2005: "Statement(s) could not be prepared" and "The column prefix '<column_prefix_name>' does not match with a table name or alias name used in the query"

Consider the following scenario. In Microsoft SQL Server 2005, you create a linked server by using the SQL Native Client OLE DB provider (SQLNCLI). The linked server is linked to a server that has Microsoft SQL Server 2000 installed. In this scenario, you receive the following error messages when you run a query against the linked server:

This problem occurs because SQL Server 2005 generates an execution plan that has a remote query. SQL Server 2005 must execute the remote query against SQL Server 2000 to retrieve the required data. SQL Server 2000 cannot handle the remote query. Therefore, error 107 occurs in SQL Server 2000. Then, error 107 is propagated back to SQL Server 2005. Therefore, error 107 occurs in SQL Server 2005, and error 8180 occurs in SQL Server 2005.

Cumulative update information

The fix for this issue was first released in Cumulative Update 2. For more information about how to obtain this cumulative update package for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:Note Because the builds are cumulative, each new fix release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2005 fix release. Microsoft recommends that you consider applying the most recent fix release that contains this hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:Microsoft SQL Server 2005 hotfixes are created for specific SQL Server service packs. You must apply a SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 hotfix to an installation of SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2. By default, any hotfix that is provided in a SQL Server service pack is included in the next SQL Server service pack.

To work around this problem, use Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC to create the linked server against SQL Server 2000.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

The cumulative update package (build 3175) for SQL Server 2005 SP2 introduces trace flag 4112. After you apply the cumulative update package (build 3175) for SQL Server 2005 SP2, you must enable trace flag 4112. For information about how to enable a trace flag in SQL Server 2005, see the "Remarks" section of the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:

Steps to reproduce the problem

1. Start SQL Server Management Studio, and then connect to an instance of SQL Server 2005.
2. Create a new query, and then run the following statements.

   EXEC sp_addlinkedserver
   @server = '<LinkedServerName>', 
   @provider = 'SQLNCLI', 
   @srvproduct = '', 
   @datasrc = '<InstanceName>', 
   @catalog = '<DatabaseName>' 
   
   exec sp_serveroption
   @server = '<LinkedServerName>' 
   ,@optname = 'RPC' 
   ,@optvalue = 'TRUE'
   exec sp_serveroption
   @server = '<LinkedServerName>' 
   ,@optname = 'RPC OUT' 
   ,@optvalue = 'TRUE'
   
   
   DECLARE @supervisorID varchar(40)
   set @supervisorID = 'Volume Discount'
   
   SELECT DISTINCT J.STOR_ID
   FROM   [<LinkedServerName>].[<DatabaseName>].DBO.DISCOUNTS J
   WHERE  J.DISCOUNTTYPE = @supervisorID
          AND J.DISCOUNT = (SELECT MAX(B.DISCOUNT)
                            FROM   [<LinkedServerName>].<DatabaseName>.DBO.DISCOUNTS B
                            WHERE  B.DISCOUNTTYPE = J.DISCOUNTTYPE)
   
   GO
   

   Notes
   • <LinkedServerName> is a placeholder for the name of the linked server.
   • <InstanceName> is a placeholder for the instance name for the linked server.
   • <DatabaseName> is a placeholder for the database name.

After you run these statements, you receive the error messages that are mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.