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SQL Server Troubleshooting


Distribution Agent: The process could not connect to Subscriber 'XXXX'


Symptom:

A distribution agent has failed, the full error message text being::

The process could not connect to Subscriber 'XXXX'

where 'XXXX' is the name of the subscriber it was trying to connect with.

Possible Causes and Remedies:

  • The link to the subscriber or the subscriber-server is down. Try pinging the subscriber. If pinging is unsuccessful then resolve the network connectivity problem first.
  • The login account that the subscriber is using is not a valid account on the subscriber server. (For example if using the 'system' account instead of a domain account.)

    The account that is used can be found under 'Tools', 'Configure Publishing, Subscribers and Distribution...', select the 'Subscribers' tab and double click the subscriber to show its properties.


These notes are believed to be correct for SQL Server 7 and may apply to other versions as well.



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